Hey everyone! Sorry this is a little late in coming, but my beta has been a little busy with university of late. This and the next chapter will be a little slow going, but after that things should pick up quite quickly! Really hope you enjoy and as always feel free to leave a review. I love hearing what you have to say.
As always,
Muli
"Clara, you did fantastically, please don't beat yourself up." Tristan put his arm round his friend as she sobbed quietly into his shoulder. Cato too, was attempting to console the dejected girl as he sat by her feet, rubbing his head against her leg and growling quietly.
Wiping a small tear from her right eye, Clara tried her best to smile at Tristan but ended up looking even more pitiful than she did before. "Thanks guys, I do appreciate your efforts, but I think I'd rather be alone now". The trainee doctor slid her shoulders down, releasing her from Tristan's grasp before standing up and heading to the French doors that separated the coordinators waiting room from a small balcony outside. Going through, she pulled the silver hair pin from her perfect coils in an attempt to let the wind carry her hair - and sorrows - away.
It was a beautiful night; the balcony overlooked the small stretch of water that separated the island from the main city. She was just far enough away from the bustling bright lights of the city to see the stars shining above her without the hazing effects of light pollution and she tried to map out the constellations in her mind. Locating the Arceus star – the brightest in the night sky – she traced the figures of the Pokémon deities across their positions in the heavens. For some reason, ever since she was a girl her favourite constellation had always been Shaymin, the Gratitude Pokémon, whose constellation had rows of star spikes to represent the hedgehog-like Pokémon's fur.
Across the bay, the city was alive with the call of the night; lights blazing and music and laughter drifting across the water from the carnival taking place in honour of the contest. From the balcony, the Ferris Wheel could clearly be seen rising above the rooftops of the city and if she squinted, it almost seemed as if the city was on fire. Every now and then a solitary balloon would rise above the city and float into the heavens in a last bid of freedom before it succumbed to the weather or natural deflation process and disappeared into the sea. She had been invited to go; all coordinators had been offered free passes that gave them unlimited access to the rides and arcade games, but somehow she was in no mood to celebrate. Sighing, she stared at the carnival in silence as the wind pulled and played with her hair and daydreams.
Without her noticing, Tristan quietly came up beside her and joined her in gazing at the city. "It's really a beautiful place at night, isn't it? I love how the city is small enough that you can distinctly make out the lights of the Pokémon Center and the Canalave Gym. Look, over there is the library. It's been two years since we met, you know, and I still know so little about you. Even still, I consider you one of my closest friends and I hate to see you so dejected."
Without saying a word, Clara followed his arms to the lights coming from the library. One of the largest buildings on the quayside, it was easy to make out even if most of the lights were off and the public building closed for the night. She observed that a few lights remained lit, most likely the cleaners and devoted researchers like Tristan, caving themselves in for the night in a fortress of books and papers. Though she would never admit it to him, she knew it had been two years since they met. In fact, it had been exactly 2 years, 3 months and 17 days since she had first laid eyes on him. She had just started a summer job at the café to help pay for her school books and had watched as the young researcher strolled in, his Absol by his side, and nonchalantly borrowed some keys from the head librarian as if he owned the place. Although he was 17 at the time, she had thought he was probably her age - he did look young for his age and his eyes had that vivacity of youth that only comes from following your dreams.
At first, she had scoffed at what he was wearing. It was summer and he wore tailored coral red shorts, rolled up at the bottom and matched with a pair of white tennis shoes. With this seemingly smart-casual attire, he had decided to wear a white shirt and blue blazer, all topped off with a yellow bow tie. However, the more she looked at him, the cuter she thought he was. As colourful as the summer day itself and beaming from ear to ear as he raced his Absol up the stairs.
He had come down later, just as she was finishing her shift and ordered a cup of tea. She had almost spilled it all over him when he flashed her an impish smile and asked her name, stating that he hadn't seen her before. Barely able to stutter out her name without collapsing in embarrassment, she was glad when he introduced himself afterwards and then returned to his papers. He had mentioned about the tea being a little weak. He liked it stronger. She would remember that. The Absol was eying her suspiciously, but not in a threatening way. Could it tell what she was thinking? Either way, she hadn't stayed to find out and had hastened back to the kitchen before she started hyperventilating. She had seen him a lot since then. He would come into the libraries most days, dressed in some variation of colourful bow tie and blazer combination and always ordered the same thing, a cup of tea. Sometimes, he would even order a brownie. She had been sad when term time had started again, but she would still go to the library on weekends to watch him and 'accidentally' bump into him in the café. Sometimes they would have a small chat before her nerves got the best of her and she would make some excuse and leave rapidly. He was the reason she had taken the weekend job in the first place, it was always the highlight of her week when he came down for his cup of tea and sometimes brownie.
"You know Clara, even if you didn't win, you have to be strong for Prinplup's sake. If he sees you like this he might take the defeat personally. You have to put on a brave face and remind him how amazingly performed. Don't let him feel as if you're disappointed in him."
Clara was suddenly alert, she hadn't thought of Prinplup and how he was taking the defeat. Turning to Tristan, she smiled lightly and sighed. "You're right, Tristan. You always are. How could I be so selfish?"
"Hey, don't be silly. You had things on your mind, too. I'm just looking out for the both of you, always will."
Clara called forth her companion from its Pokéball and threw her arms around the Penguin Pokémon the moment it materialised. "Oh, Prinplup, you were awesome! I couldn't ask for a better partner than you. You did everything perfectly and I could not have asked you to do anything better. I'm just sorry I let us down. I was over confident and let it get to my head. Will you forgive me?"
The Penguin Pokémon tilted its head and smiled warmly. "Prinplup Prinplup Prin"
Tristan smiled. "I think Prinplup is saying that there is nothing to forgive." The Penguin Pokémon nodded and wiped its master's tears away with its fin.
"Thank you, Prinplup. I promise next time we'll do better and we'll go all the way to the top!"
"Prinplup!"
Tristan beamed and clapped her on the back. "That's the spirit, now how about you and I go check out the carnival? Emily managed to get me a free pass as well so it would be a shame to waste it. I think mine even lets Cato ride." Upon hearing his name, Cato walked out onto the balcony and looked up and his master questioningly.
Clara giggled slightly and knelt down beside Cato. "How about it, Cato? Do you want to go to the carnival?"
"Absol!"
"How about you, Prinplup?"
The penguin Pokémon danced merrily on the spot and clapped its fins together. "Prinplup!"
"Then it's settled." Tristan began to untangle Clara's hair from the wind and form it into a simple ponytail, causing the coordinator to stop breathing momentarily "C'mon Clara, let's get going. We don't want to miss all the fun now, do we?" Holding his hand out to his friend, she took it gingerly and raised herself from the floor, the four of them heading towards the bright lights and big city.
The carnival was in full swing by the time they arrived. Right by the entrance was a troupe of performers entertaining the crowds. A young man stepped forward with his Flareon and, taking a swig from a bottle of what presumably was paraffin, they both released a flamethrower into the night, dazzling the audience with a blast of bright fire. Behind them, a girl in a pink tutu was balancing a plate of stacked glasses whilst also balancing on one leg atop her Spheal, as a Machamp simultaneously juggled 18 different bowling pins at once. The ringleader of the troupe, dressed in a long red tuxedo jacket and black top hat addressed the crowd while a Mr. Mime imitated his actions perfectly.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Step right up and see the world's most famous travelling Pokémon circus! We have performed from Kanto to Unova, from Kalos to Almia and delighted kings and cobblers alike. Be dazzled by the beautiful Tatiana Zhestakova as she performs amazing feats of aerial acrobatics along with her partner, Aipom. Be confounded by the Great Hypnosa as he demonstrates the power of his Drowzee's hypnosis in a humourous show where everything may not be as it seems. Let the mesmerising Audrey Hanzou and her flock of Alteria lift you into the dream world in the clouds, a world from which you may never want to descend. Roll up! Roll up!"
Clara tugged at Tristan's blazer excitedly, all but forgetting the sadness that had consumed her just half an hour before. "Tristan, can we ride the Ferris Wheel first?"
Tristan smiled. His plan to cheer Clara up had worked perfectly. "As if I even have a choice, Clara. Go on, lead the way." The waitress giggled and made her way towards the fairground ride, not once letting go of Tristan's blazer as she guided him through the maze of tempting and entertaining attractions.
The queue for the ride was relatively long when they arrived, winding through the streets like a fuse to a bomb. It was obviously one of the most popular attractions, its unrivalled height giving unparalleled views of the city and beyond. The daunting line physically stopped Clara in her tracks, causing Tristan to crash into the back of her and send them both sprawling to the ground.
Brushing the dirt from his shirt cuffs, Tristan turned to Clara in a confused and slightly annoyed tone "Clara, what happened?"
"Have you seen the length of this queue? If we ride the Ferris Wheel it'll be the only thing we get to do tonight and I had such amazing plans." Clara picked herself off the ground and rubbed her hands together in order to clean them slightly. She had changed from her ball gown into a short, black skirt that rested about 6 inches above her knees and a grey woolen jumper that hung off her right shoulder, leaving it bare. The silhouetted figure of a sitting Meowth had been stitched into the jumper, just above the waistband, and reached half way up the rib cage on the left hand side. To finish her outfit, she wore a pair of grey and white high-top trainers, the Pokéball symbol emblazoned on the outward facing sides. Although it wasn't usually her style, she had kept her hair in the ponytail that Tristan had made for her for the sole reason that it was Tristan that had made it. She had neatened it, of course, but besides that she had left it as he had tied it as if it somehow connected the two of them.
Noticing the pair of individuals picking themselves up from the dirt, a red-headed girl started shouting from somewhere near the front of the line. "Tristan! Clara! Over here, come and join me!" Misty had changed back into her usual Psyduck polo shirt and denim hot pants and was eagerly beckoning the two to join her. Surprisingly, though probably due to the fact she was the contest winner and everyone was still in complete admiration of her, the crowd didn't seem to mind this queue-jumping invitation, or at least didn't raise their objections verbally.
Noticing the nervous look spread across his friend's face, Tristan turned Clara aside and whispered into her ear. "If you don't want to wait with Misty, I'll understand. We'll make our excuses and go somewhere else. I don't want to make you uncomfortable."
Smiling, Clara touched Tristan's cheek, her own turning slightly pinker as she did. "Thanks for looking out for me. I'll be okay, I think. I really want to ride the Ferris Wheel and this is probably going to be the only way I manage to. Besides, although she won, I didn't actually lose to Misty so there are no hard feelings. If she is a friend of yours, Tristan, she is a friend of mine." Obviously, the prolonged interaction with Tristan had made her completely forget her snide comments to her supposed usurper earlier in the day. Either way, the pair along with Cato and Prinplup made their way to the front of the queue and joined Misty in waiting for the ride.
"Hey guys! Are you enjoying the carnival so far? I haven't been to a carnival like this in such a long time. It's really nice to take a break, sometimes." Misty leant against the railings separating the queue from the ride's mechanics and happily munched away at her toffee apple. "I've already been on the dodgems and went to the circus! I'm surprised I haven't bumped into you sooner, actually."
Before Tristan could even open his mouth, Clara chimed in her response and before long the pair were chatting away as if the rivalry between them had dissipated the moment they left the contest hall.
"We just arrived, actually. I was taking my loss pretty badly but these three boys managed to cheer me up and convince me to come out."
Misty smiled at Tristan, silently projecting her thanks for his kindness. "Aww, well I'm glad they did. You really had nothing to be upset about. You performed brilliantly, as did your Prinplup!" At this comment the Penguin Pokémon chirped happily and rubbed his head against Misty's waist. "Honestly, there was seriously tough competition there today, so to make it to the top 4 is nothing to be ashamed about in the slightest. Don't forget, not only am I older than you but I'm also a gym leader. I'd hardly be giving myself a good reputation if I didn't put on a great performance, would I? What's more, I hear Aaron once managed to beat Lucian of the Sinnoh Elite Four in a three-on-three battle. That's no easy feat!" Tristan remembered the rumours that he heard before the contest started. So far, two had been correct but there had been no sight of the alleged Milotic. Misty put her hands on Clara's shoulders and crouched down to look her square in the eyes. "So, don't take your defeat too harshly. Take it from me; you should be proud of everything you accomplished today".
Clara placed her hands on top of Misty's and smiled heartily at the gym leader. "Thanks Misty, I really do appreciate it. Congratulations too, on winning the ribbon. You really deserved it. You were the best trainer by far today!"
"I don't know, it was pretty close between Aaron and me…"
"Are you kidding? You had control of that battle every step of the way. Your Golduck barely took a scratch, he was only exhausted from constantly beating that Mantine into the ground. I was watching downstairs, all of the contestants were. You really did amazingly well".
Tristan smiled and scratched Cato's head, making the Disaster Pokémon growl contently. He was glad the girls were getting along now, though he wasn't sure how much more of the compliment session he could take. "Yes, you both did fantastically. Well done."
The girls looked at him with pseudo-annoyance and began to laugh. Misty cupped her hands to Clara's ear and started eying Tristan up and down, without even attempting to shield the obviousness of her actions. "Does he always dress like that? With the bow ties, I mean?"
Clara started giggling, "Oh yes! I don't think there's been a time I've seen him in the past two years when he hasn't worn some combination of bow tie and blazer. The assortment of colours he has though, it's like a never-ending rainbow that adorns his neck!"
Both girls were now flat out laughing. "Hey, what's so funny?" Tristan crossed his arms and looked at the two girls as they grasped each other's shoulders in support. "I'm right here, y'know".
Clara tried to stifle her laughs. "Oh, it's nothing Tristan. Anyway, we're talking about you, not too you." Turning back to Misty, she tried to put on a serious face and put her fingers to her lips, but this just caused the gym leader to laugh even harder.
Cato looked at each girl in turn and, gauging their enjoyment, decided to join in. The Disaster Pokémon turned back to his master and grinned childishly. "Absol Absol!"
Tristan clipped his friend playfully on the head. "Oh, don't you start, Cato!" The Absol reared up and licked Tristan's face and in response, the researcher fell to the floor and started tickling his friend uncontrollably. "Laugh at me would you? How about this? And this?" Roaring in laughter, Cato rolled on the floor as Tristan expertly guided his hands round his companion's body, locating every ticklish spot the Pokémon had.
"Tristan, Cato, heads up! It's our turn" Misty called the pair from the turnstiles and Cato and Tristan jumped to their feet, eager to start their ride on the giant attraction.
Tristan gazed out from the carriage they were riding in as it swayed gently in the breeze; they were almost at the top of the wheel and already the view was breathtaking. Although from the contest hall they had had the uninterrupted views of the city at a distance, here above it all just made Tristan feel like he was flying. Gazing over the rooftops, windows far below blazed with a welcoming glow and smoke rose out of a small number of chimneys even though it was still only September. The carnival around them partied on, the muticoloured lights and music blaring beneath them like an underground disco, and the sound of laughter and merrymaking carrying up into the heavens. Every now and then, Prinplup would aim a Bubblebeam at an escaping balloon, or, if it was close enough, pop it with his Steel Wing attack, just to watch in incalculable happiness as it proceeded to whizz through the sky as the escaping air propelled it in every direction imaginable.
Looking out to the sea, the wall of blackness was interrupted only by the small set of lights indicating the presence of another island in the Canalve City cluster. A flock of Wingull, gliding on the breeze as they returned to their nests for the night, passed the carriage within touching distance and all around the distant squawking of the Seagull Pokémon could be heard as they re-joined their families for the night.
"Misty, why isn't Emily with you?" Tristan had been conscious of his friend's absence since joining the red-headed gym leader in the queue.
Misty looked up from the far side of the carriage "Huh? Oh, erm, I think she said something about taking one of her Pokémon to see Nurse Joy."
"Wait, do you mean Calypso? Her Gyarados?" Tristan grew nervous in his seat. It had been a week since Emily had told him Calypso was ill and he didn't know how long she had been sick before that. It was unusual for Pokémon to remain ill for long periods of time due to the fantastic range of Pokémon medicines available and the hard work and dedication of the extended family of Nurse Joys who worked around the region to keep Pokémon healthy. "Why hadn't she taken her to see Nurse Joy before?"
Misty thought for a moment, trying to remember the name her friend had told her. "Calypso… yes, that was it. Nurse Joy has been to the reserve twice in the past week but neither of them could figure out what was wrong. After the show Emily returned to the tanks to find Calypso in a really bad state, so she rushed her to the Pokémon Center right away."
This was not good. If even Nurse Joy didn't know what was wrong with Calypso then it must mean something bad. Tristan had known Calypso since she was a Magikarp as both he and Emily had caught their Fish Pokémon together.
Noticing he had turned whiter than an Abomasnow in a blizzard, Clara quickly swapped seats and sat next to her friend. "It's alright Tristan. I'm sure Gyarados will be just fine. It's probably just a bad cold or something. She'll be better in no time, just you wait and see."
Tristan placed his hands on top of Clara's, causing the waitress to turn a bright red. "Thanks Clara, I hope you're right."
Trying to lighten the suddenly chilled mood, Misty shuffled across the seat so she was sat opposite Tristan and punched him playfully on the shoulder. "So Tristan, why so curious about Emily all of a sudden?"
Tristan suddenly dropped Clara's hands and looked out over the sea trying to look as nonchalant as possible, though it was obvious to everyone in the carriage he was about as nervous as anyone could be. "Oh, um, er, no reason. She's my friend, she's your friend, I was just looking out for her. Surprised she wasn't with you, that's all." Though oblivious to the fact himself, Tristan spoke so fast his words had all come out in a single, confused mumble, which only clarified what Misty had been thinking. Unaware of the effect his speech had had, Tristan inwardly sighed relief at his quick thinking before turning back to see both Cato and Misty eyeing him smugly. Damnit. They didn't believe him. However, it seemed as though Clara had, or perhaps it seemed that way as she had given up interest and turned away from the group to look out over the sea.
"Oh, come on Tristan!" Misty started giggling. "It is sooo obvious that you like her. I've known you a week and even I can tell." The gym leader looked down to see Cato smiling at his master's embarrassment, obviously relishing in the awkward moment Tristan was having. "See? Even Cato knows it. You wear your emotions on your sleeves, Tristan. I can read you like a book. What do you think, Clara?"
The waitress and trainee doctor tried to fight back the tears she was hiding from the group. This couldn't be happening! Of course, she knew he liked Emily. He had never said as much, but as Misty had said, reading Tristan was like reading one of those children's books that used overly simplistic language and was printed in a stupidly obtrusive font. However, as long as he never admitted to it she could pretend it wasn't true. She could pretend she had a chance. Now though, what would he say? Would he crush her dreams forever with his simple admittance? Could she cope if he did, stuck miles in the air with him and trapped in a small metal cage?
"Clara?"
Clara turned round, smiling, though tears still streamed from her eyes. "Sorry, the breeze blew a bit of dust into my eyes. Contact lenses." Misty smiled and nodded, believing the lie that was fed so earnestly to her. "What do I think? I think whether Tristan does or does not, it should not be down to us to force a confession out of him. He'll tell us if he wants to and if not, we should respect his privacy". Fully aware of the situation, Cato got up and walked over to Clara, settling by her feet and resting his head in her lap. The waitress, her eyes still red and watery, started stroking the Disaster Pokémon in a rhythmic and methodical pattern, using the Pokémon's soft fur as a comfort blanket in her moment of crisis.
Misty poked her tongue out at Clara and giggled childishly. "Oh, you're no fun! Fine. I'll drop it. But Tristan, be aware, I'm onto you…" Moving her fore and middle fingers from her eyes to Tristan in a watching pattern, the gym leader dropped the subject and turned back to gazing out of the carriage.
Tristan slumped down from his rigid position and breathed a sigh of relief. That was that bullet dodged. He turned to Clara and mouthed a "thank you", which the waitress accepted with a curt nod and smile, both of them relieved the matter did not proceed any further.
Just as the carriage was beginning its descent from the top, the wind changed slightly and started blowing in from the sea. Cato's ears started twitching and he raised his head from Clara's lap, looking about him in slight panic. Jumping up onto the seat and placing his paws on the carriage walls, the Disaster Pokémon stared intently into the distance, growling deeply into the black void as the sea breeze rustled his impressive mane.
"Aww, looks like Cato is happy about something." Misty chimed in, hearing the Pokémon growl and remembering the time she had correctly petted him.
Tristan on the other hand, was not smiling. "No, that's not a good growl. What is it, Cato? What's wrong?" Crouching down on the floor beside his friend, Tristan put his arm around the Disaster Pokémon's neck and tried to follow its gaze into the blackness.
"Absol." Cato growled even deeper and started baring his teeth slightly, his face taking a highly uncharacteristic snarl. Noticing his friend's agitated behaviour, Tristan reached up and gingerly took hold of the Absol's sickle-like horn. It was vibrating. Though the movement was very small, Tristan was sure he could feel the horn vibrating and that was never a good thing.
"Guys, something bad is going to happen. I don't know what, but I've only seen Cato behave like this once before, a long time ago. I think we need to-" Before he could finish his sentence, Cato stopped his growls and started whipping his head back forth, trying to scan the darkness in front of him.
"Absol?" The Disaster Pokémon let out a confused cry and started running back and forth between the sides of the carriage looking out into the surrounds, knocking Tristan over in the process and causing the carriage to rock violently.
A gruff voice crackled through the speaker system, "You there! Carriage 17. Stop rocking the carriage like that, you might hurt yourself!"
Tristan rolled onto his front and grabbed Cato's waist as he tried to run past, tugging him into the ground. Cato looked at his friend, his eyes filled with a mixture of confusion and dread.
"Absol, Ab-Absol?"
Tristan felt his companion's horn, it had stopped vibrating. Everything was fine. "I don't know buddy, false alarm?"
Unconvinced, Cato dragged Tristan across the floor and once again through his front paws onto the edge of the barrier, searching the void for any signs of disturbance. "Absol…"
Holding onto the sides of the ride in terror, Misty gazed between Cato and Tristan. Having never seen an Absol before, she had no idea that the Pokémon were known for being able to sense incoming disasters and simply assumed the creature had gone berserk. "Tristan, what's going on?"
Clara returned Prinplup to its Pokéball and turned to Misty. "Listen Misty, long story short but Tristan's Absol has the ability to foretell disasters. This would be one such example".
Tristan raised his hand and spoke to the two frightened girls without once taking his eyes from Cato. "Don't be too sure. The reason Cato's acting so strangely is that there was a disturbance, I felt it in him, but now it's gone. It's as if something surfaced and then disappeared again." Cato looked up at his master and nodded; glad his friend could understand exactly what he was thinking. "However, that said, I think we shall both head home after this. I don't think Cato's feeling that well."
Though disappointed, both girls nodded in unison and looked at each other, worried. "I think I'll go home too, I'll walk with you if you like?" Clara offered.
"Thanks, that would be cool. How about you Misty? Where are you heading now the contest is over?"
The gym leader sighed. "I'm not sure. Now I've won the ribbon I kind of want to go around the rest of Sinnoh and try to earn another four before entering the Grand Festival. I'm not sure if I can trust my sisters that long, though."
Tristan smiled. "Well, you can give it a shot." Turning to his companion, he knelt down and ruffled the Pokémon's head. "How about you, Cato? How are you feeling now?"
"Absol". Cato smiled bravely, though his uncertainty was evident in the darting of his eyes.
As the Ferris Wheel completed its rotation, the group alighted and said their farewells, as Misty headed back to the Pokémon Center for the night and Tristan, Cato and Clara set off towards the library and quayside.
The streets were deserted as the carnival raged on, as everyone was either out celebrating or already tucked into their warm, cosy beds. Lost in the hurricane of their own thoughts, Tristan and Clara walked along in silent contemplation; the drifting remnants of laughter and screams giving the only inclination that any life existed at all beyond the empty, tree-lined road the three traversed.
"Thanks for your support up there, Clara. I'm not sure I could have last long against both Misty and Cato." The researcher shot his friend a pseudo-annoyed glance to which the Absol responded with a broad grin.
Clara blushed slightly and raised her hand to her head. "It was nothing, really". She was just glad nobody had realized the ulterior motives behind the action. Nobody except Cato, that is.
"Nothing or not, it saved my skin, so, thank you". Tristan sat on a bench that overlooked the harbour and gazed up at the stars. "I meant what I said, y'know. You did really well today and you should be proud of what both you and Prinplup accomplished."
Taking a seat next to him, but not too close as to make her nervous, Clara nodded slowly. "Thanks. I see that now, I really do. We hadn't competed as a team for a couple of years prior to today, so to reach the semi-finals was fantastic. I think I might like to go back into contests though, after I finish my degree, of course. Take a year out before finding a job and travel somewhere new and try to make it in the contests there. I think it would be good for me to meet all the new and exciting species of Pokémon. As a trainee doctor it is my duty to know as much about Pokémon as possible and yet I've never even left Sinnoh. Some change will do me good."
"Yeah. I grew up in Hoenn and have worked in both Kanto and Johto, too. I think being around all the different Pokémon really helped me develop my concept of myself. I've been lucky enough to have met, and worked with, some of the greatest minds of our age. I think when you finish your studies, a little change would be good. There's only so much you can do in Canalave City anyway!"
Both teenagers sat on the bench silently for a few minutes, just staring up at the stars lost in their own thoughts. The town clock striking twelve in the distance roused the young waitress from her daydreams, and with a great yawn she slowly got to her feet. "Anyway Tristan, I should really head to bed. I'm exhausted and today's been such a long day."
Tristan looked up. He didn't know how long the two of them had been sitting there silently, but Cato had already fallen asleep in the space underneath the bench. "Of course, I'll see you soon Clara, okay?"
Clara nodded before turning on her feet and heading down the road that led to her home.
Keep your heads up for the next chapter! Not sure when it will be published as I have finished writing it but am just waiting for my beta to finish proofing for me. As always, a great thanks must go to L.P for her help with proofreading and structure. She really is a Godsend. Until next time!
Muli