Phew, so finally here's chapter two! :D I know I took a long time…sorry. ^^; Anyway, here's a summary of what happened last time in case you guys have forgotten:
-Iris had a strange dream
-She had to help Mrs. Conbradnt clean Floccesy Ranch
-She met Cilan (who as she claims is "distant" and "cold")
-Alder appeared
Chapter 2 A Journey to Remember
Iris turned around in astonishment causing her long violet hair to whip behind her like a tail. The older man had one foot on a rock and in one arm he held a very feisty Mareep. Its legs were still trying to run, but to its surprise it wasn't getting anywhere.
"Alder, when did you get here?" Iris said with wide eyes. Alder cast a gentle, wise smile. His fiery-orange hair swayed delicately with the wind.
"Just long enough to find this Mareep you were looking for. Funny thing, this little guy always manages to sneak off. I can't even count on my fingers how many times he's wandered over to my battlefield while the rest were grazing. He'll be a fighter, that's for sure." Alder said with a toothy smile as he placed Mareep into the pin. Gently, he scratched the back of Mareep's neck causing him to close his eyes blissfully.
He's a natural when it comes to Pokemon, no wonder why he's Champion…she thought. It had been almost a year since the cataclysmic battle between Truth and Ideals took place. Both heroes fought valiantly, but because Truth prevailed in the end, Hilbert managed to gain championship. His championship was short however. For reasons unstated, Hilbert stepped down, giving the Champion title back to Alder. It was whispered that he wished to find N—the hero of Ideals, who mysteriously disappeared after the battle.
Because Alder gained back his title by default, the Pokemon Association decided it would be best to hold a "Unova League," where only the top trainers in Unova could battle for championship. Whoever was to win the league could skip the traditional Elite Four challenge and battle Alder straight away for the crown.
Iris had always wanted to become Champion. Alder, Cynthia, Lance…their names made her heart race from admiration. One day, she would be there, at the top with them. She wasn't sure why, but when the league was announced, she couldn't help but feel it was her calling. She turned to face her rival, wanting to share the same mutual feelings of challenger against challenger in the upcoming league—surely Alder's presence must have given him those same warm feelings.
Clearly not cooperating with her, Cilan's fingers were busy e-mailing while his eyes stared intently at his phone. Iris face-faulted at what was becoming his usual behavior and her eyes wandered back toward Alder, who had just finished petting the Mareep. Once she defeated the league, Alder would be her next opponent.
"Oh Cilan, you were so quiet I didn't even notice you. I had a feeling I'd see you here. How's your training coming along?" Alder asked and happily ruffled up Cilan's verdant hair—much to the latter's annoyance.
"Good, I guess." Cilan said with a small shrug and stared uncomfortably at his feet.
"Just keep up the hard work. What was that motto again? 'From the roots to shoots,' was it?"
Cilan nodded briefly and put his hands into his pockets, still not looking Alder in the eye. Alder broke into a hardy laugh at his behavior and turned toward Iris and whispered, "He's always been a bit of a shy boy." Shy? More like text-happy and apathetic. Iris thought bitterly.
"By the way Iris, I have some important news about the league. Meet me at my place once you are done. You too, Cilan, we can have lunch. See ya kiddos!" Alder said as he turned to leave. He flashed them a small wave.
Iris tilted her head and wondered what the important news could be. She glanced over at Cilan wondering if he was thinking the same thing. Curiously, it looked as though he was counting on his fingers. With a small sigh, he picked up a rake to sweep up the final bits of leftover hay.
"What do you think is up with the league?" she said, tilting her head to the side.
"Maybe it was prolonged." he said and shrugged his shoulders apathetically.
Iris didn't like the thought of that. She could barely wait a week, she didn't know if she could any longer.
"Why don't you tell Mrs. Conbrandt that we're almost done? I can finish the rest from here." he said silently. She could barely hear him.
"Uh, okay. Are you sure you got everything?" Iris said, remembering her manners. Cilan replied with a brief nod.
Mrs. Conbrandt still sat on the porch, with a floral-patterned, pink handkerchief in hand. She seemed a bit dazed. Iris waved to try and get her attention. Mrs. Conbrandt looked up and waved back.
"Are you done, Iris?" she said over to her.
"Yeah we are—well, almost. Cilan's getting the last few bits."
"That's great. Stay there, Iris. I have something for you two." she said, her short brown hair bobbed as she entered the house.
Iris turned around to see if Cilan was still raking. She was pleasantly surprised to see he was heading toward the shed to put the equipment they used back.
Iris closed her eyes and tipped her head up toward the sun. It was such a lovely day—not a cloud in the sky. The days had been cloudy, and the forecast for the upcoming week was all but promising. A gentle breeze tickled her face.
"Sun basking?" Iris flinched. Cilan had crept up on her. She looked down at her feet.
"Y-yeah, it was so nice out I couldn't resist." She didn't know why she felt so embarrassed. It wasn't something unusual for her to do, but often time people from the city would stick their nose up whenever she played in trees or basked in the sun. It almost felt like she had to be busy working on her goal to gain their respect.
Cilan grunted. She couldn't tell its context though. "It's almost too nice out…" he said quietly. She looked up at him.
"How can it be too nice out?" she asked, bewildered. Cilan replied with a small shrug. Before he could say anything more, Mrs. Conbrandt stepped out onto the porch carrying a large, straw basket full of bright, blue berries.
"I remember you wanted these last time, Iris. Share 'em amongst yourselves." she said with an amicable smile and handed Iris her prized Yache berries.
"Thank you, Mrs. Conbrandt! Err, sorry about last time…" she said while remembering and bobbed her head. Cilan copied, without saying anything.
"It's quite all right, Iris. Be careful on your way to Alder's…it's not far but there's a lot of Pokemon in the tall grass."
"We will be! See ya, Mrs. Conbrandt.~" she said with a fast wave. Holding the basket of Yache berries she whipped around and headed toward the entrance of the ranch. She started to run, but slowed her pace when she remembered Cilan was following her. Iris wasn't really so keen on Cilan being her tag-along buddy. She always felt like he was watching her, studying her. When he wasn't watching, he was communicating with someone far away. Extra-terrestrials? she thought, and quickly tried to brush it away.
She looked behind her, her brows furrowed with unease. He was e-mailing as he walked. What if he was secretly some kind of dragon poacher? Should she hold on tighter to her Poke Balls? She looked him over. He was lean—but didn't have much muscle either, she was sure she could take him on if action called for it.
"Something wrong?" he said, just barely lifting his green eyes from his phone.
"Oh no, honestly it's nothing! Believe me! I just uh…I was wondering if you'd like to split these berries?"
"Ok," he said. Slowly he closed his phone and put it back into his pocket. The area they stopped at was lush. Ferns scattered the ground and bright green moss blanketed the trees. The grass was spongy and soft.
"So how do we want to do this? Five and five?" she asked, looking at the ten berries. Cilan lifted his shoulders.
"That's fine; I left my equipment back at camp. Maybe we can meet up again sometime."
"When?"
Cilan turned his head toward the core of the forest and stared vacantly. "Next time we meet."
Iris curiously looked into the direction he faced. She thought she might have heard a Pokemon scurrying in the flora, but she wasn't fully sure. "Is something over there?"
"My camp is that way," He gave a short nod in its direction. He opened his mouth to say something else, but stopped. Apparently he changed his mind. An awkward silence fell upon them. Leaves rattled in the wind, sounding vaguely like rain.
Iris heard a crunch in the grass as Cilan got up. He brushed off small flakes of dirt off his pants, scattering them into the air like ash. He gave her a tentative glance before extending a hand to help her up. This gesture surprised her, and she wasn't quite sure how to react. She looked him up and down, curious to see where his other hand was. Warily, she took his hand.
"Thank you," she said. His emotions were masked and he said nothing. He merely turned around and stuffed his hand that he used to help her in his pocket.
Neither of them spoke a word after that encounter. Cilan kept his eyes shadowed and head down low. He clearly wasn't in the mood to speak anymore. Iris didn't know why, but she felt a small part of her wanting him to say something—anything. It felt incomplete, making their walk feel unnatural. But at the same time, she felt quite comfortable keeping a distance from him.
It wasn't long before Floccesy town came into view. The village was sleepy. A young boy ran through the otherwise quiet streets with his Lilipup. An old, broken clock tower loomed before them. The bricks were crumbling, and vines worked their way to the top. Mosses and lichens squeezed in between small gaps and holes in the brick.
"It's sad that it's broken." Cilan said while reaching a pale hand to touch it. It sounded like he said it to himself than anyone else. Iris shot him a quick glance, Alder's house wasn't too far away.
"Hurry up!" Iris urged him. She was anxious for the news about the league—she didn't have patience for some clock. Cilan took one last look at the tower and followed.
-:-
Alder's house was just as quaint and traditional as the other houses in Floccesy town—Iris couldn't tell it was the house of a champion if she hadn't already known previously. The battle field out in front, however, was a dead giveaway that a battler lived there.
Iris sat across from Cilan at a small coffee table, and she hungrily grabbed a few small sandwiches and turned toward Alder expectantly, her brown eyes wide and curious.
"I s'pose you want information about the league?" Alder asked after taking a bite. Iris sat up straighter and nodded her head vigorously. She fixed her hair so she could be ready to catch the information like a Joltik's web. Alder cleared his voice, getting ready to make his announcement.
"As you know, Iris, the league will be held in Lacunosa Town. However, there has been a quick change to the scheduling, due to some circumstances..." He lowered his voice with "circumstances." Despite Iris's falling heart, she had to wonder if those "circumstances" were the ever inconspicuous Team Plasma. "…the league will be delayed for a month. I know you were pumped, but it looks like you'll have to wait a bit longer." Alder must have seen Iris's face drop because he apologized soon after.
"O-oh, it's ok! Really! Things do happen after all…I'll just use this time to get stronger and stronger!" she said while raising a fist with umph. Alder burst into laughter.
"That's what I like to hear! I always wanted a feisty champion to take my place." Suddenly modest, Iris stole a quick glance at Cilan.
"Well, Cilan's entering the league too…" she said while twiddling with her two index fingers. Alder looked genuinely surprised.
"Oh? Why Cilan, I ran into you about a few weeks ago. Change of heart?" Cilan visibly flinched and opened his mouth aghast. "I-I-I uh…y-yeah," Iris couldn't help but flinch, herself, by his sudden actions. He got up stiffly, stumbling over his feet. "I'll…uhm...m-make us some tea."
Alder cast him a gentle smile. "It's good for him to get out of his shell a bit. The league will be good experience for him, no doubt." Iris tipped her head, bemused. What was unusual about his behavior to her didn't seem to surprise Alder. It seemed very odd. She turned towards the spot he was sitting; she couldn't help but notice he left his plate of sandwiches untouched.
Cilan walked back after a few minutes—clearly more composed than he was when he left—balancing a tray of tea on his fingertips. He sat the tray down, and hugged his legs as he took his place on the floor.
Iris grabbed a forest green mug and took a curious sip. While the Striaton brothers' battling skills were subpar, they were famous for their tea. She wasn't a big tea fan herself, but it wasn't bad. A little watery and tepid, but overall it had a nice flavor.
"You didn't have to make us anything, you know?" Alder said. Iris could tell he was grateful, but he said it in his usual light-humorous tone.
"I wanted to." Cilan said quietly, not looking up from his shoes.
The air became quiet around them. Iris looked around, waiting for someone to break the silence.
"I have an idea, since both of you are entering the league, why don't you have a practice battle out front?" Alder asked. He paused soon after and took a sip of his tea.
Iris's ears perked at the word "battle." Nothing made her happier than fighting side by side with her Pokemon. She loved having serious battles with people who had the same desire to win as her. She wasn't so sure on Cilan—if he found the same enjoyment as she did. But after all, they were on the ultimate quest to become stronger—she was sure her feelings would reach him.
"That's a great idea!" Iris said as she shot up from the floor. "C'mon Cilan, meet you outside!" She motioned to him as she darted off.
The outdoors was pleasant—the sun was just beginning to set. The breeze was a bit cooler than it was earlier. She shivered a bit and took her spot on the battle field. She was sure though that the battle would warm her blood.
After a short wait, Alder and Cilan made their way out of the house. Alder took his place as judge and Cilan stood across from her.
"Let's have this be a three on three battle!" Iris said with confidence booming from her voice. Cilan held up a hand.
"Two. I only have two Pokemon with me." he said.
"Well, okay…" Iris was slightly disappointed. Alder chuckled, and raised a fist to commence.
"Are you kiddos ready? Begin!"
Iris took a sharp breath, thinking on her feet as to which Pokemon she should send out. She closed her eyes as she reached her decision.
"Let's go, Haxorus!" She pulled out a small-metallic ball. Pressing the button in the middle, she gave a sharp toss of it into the air. It quickly collided to the ground and a large dinosaur-esque Pokemon popped out. The golden dragon gave a throaty screech, and swished his tail, ready for battle.
Cilan stood there, with an apathetic frown across his face. He didn't look surprised or amused. His eyes locked with hers. "Ferrothorn!" He gave his Poke Ball a soft toss. It too landed on the ground—only this time a large, barbed Pokemon came out. It waved its large vines threateningly.
Iris knew it would be a tough opponent. Ferrothorn were like walls of rock when it came to battle. Plus those sharp barbs at the end of its vines that came so close to nicking her throat in her dream…She shook her worries off.
"Haxorus, let's end this quickly! Use your Brick Break!" Haxorus ran at a blinding speed toward the spike ball-shaped Pokemon. With a muscular arm it swiftly struck against the Pokemon's sharp and steel skin. The Pokemon's yellow eyes looked up at Haxorus, clearly taking miniscule damage. Cilan didn't move, and didn't give a command. His four flicks of green hair blew from the collision.
Iris heard a loud screech of pain. Her own body hurt, closing one eye she held her wrist. Haxorus recoiled from the Pokemon, it too holding its scratched arm. Darn it! I forgot about Ferrothorn's Iron Barbs. Iris knew she would need to take a different approach when battling this monstrosity.
"Ferrothorn, use Iron Head." he said as he reached out a commanding arm. Iris and Haxorus closely watched it lumber toward them. It was quite fast—for a Ferrothorn. It used its long spiked vines as legs and sharp iron burrs as cleats.
"Wait for it Haxorus, then grab one of those vines and toss it!" Haxorus gave an assured nod and waited. Swiftly, he grabbed Ferrothorn's thick vine. Doing as his trainer said, he attempted to gain the leverage to swing it. Ferrothorn dug its sharp spikes into the ground, clearly making Haxorus struggle.
"Send your roots into the ground!" Did she just see a small smirk across his face? Ferrothorn did so, causing Haxorus to come to a complete halt. He tripped over his own weight. Haxorus got back up, giving himself a shake as he did so. Suddenly, he keeled over a little. Iris narrowed her eyes. Something was wrong.
"Wh-what's going on?" Then she saw it. It was tiny, but it made itself clear. A long thin vine wrapped itself around Haxorus's left thigh.
"I'm impressed," she said with a smile as she held Haxorus's Poke Ball in the air. "I didn't even see you plant Leech Seed, but…" She wasn't one to switch out often, and she wasn't fond of it, but that's what she needed to do. "…let's see how you fare against my Druddigon!"
The crimson-faced dragon popped out of his ball with a mighty roar. His blue, rough body glinted in the sunlight.
"Ferrothorn, Stealth Rock!" Iris bit her lower lip. That could mean trouble if Druddigon was to faint.
"Drudiggon, let's attack like never before! Flamethrower, and more Flamethrower!" With a deep breath, Druddigon released a powerful flame from his wide and intimidating jaws. Iris couldn't help but smirk. "Druddigon, use one more Flamethrower!" The dragon obeyed again, and let loose another stream of fire.
The Iron Barb Pokemon staggered, its vines twisting and tangling as it moved. Its body didn't take long to give in, and it stumbled over and hit the ground—hard.
"Ferrothorn is unable to battle. Good job Iris and you did well as well, Cilan." Alder said with a smile.
Cilan narrowed his eyes with a frown on his face as he returned his Pokemon. It looked like he was beginning to feel the pressure.
"Come on out, Simisage. Use Bullet Seed!" The grass monkey ran fast around Druddigon in circles at a breakneck pace. Iris could feel the small seeds powerfully hit her Pokemon. With her heart connected it stung her almost as much as it hurt her Pokemon.
"Druddigon, come on buddy, concentrate and use Flamethrower!" The crimson Pokemon gave its head a rough shake and closed its eyes. Once focused, it opened its bright golden eyes and released a powerful flame. Simisage did a fast side-step, the flames just leaving a small scorch on its arm.
Cilan grit his teeth. "Simisage, Acrobatics!" The monkey Pokemon nodded toward its trainer. Iris took a small step back. Acrobatics was a powerful move.
With a lot of force the grass-type lunged toward Druddigon with a powerful fist. Druddigon stepped backwards, breathing hard with his hind legs starting to buckle. Scratches from the previous Bullet Seed marked his body.
Simisage recoiled from the dragon's rough skin. Both Pokemon looked each other in the eye. Simisage stood confidently while holding its arm. Druddigon couldn't take it anymore, and he fell over in agony.
"Druddigon is unable to battle! Simisage is the winner."
Iris sighed. Now they were even. "Return, Druddigon. You were really great." Iris turned toward Cilan and looked him in the eye. He seemed a bit more relaxed now that the tables were starting to turn.
"Come back out, Haxorus!" The golden dragon popped out of its ball. It had a few scratches, but barely anything compared to what Druddigon had. Soon however, sharp pointed stones collided against him—making him fall to his knees. She expected that to happen, but there wasn't anything she could do about it now.
"Haxorus, are you okay? Try and use Dual Chop!" Haxorus shakily gave her a thumb's up and lunged toward the monkey Pokemon.
"Simisage, dodge it!" Simisage dodged one of the powerful tusks by jumping up. The next tusk hit it hard on its belly.
"Great job!" she said while pumping a fist into the air. Simisage got back up, panting. It clearly took a lot of damage. Haxorus himself was looking rough. Both Pokemon looked like they could topple over at any minute.
"Simisage, use Acrobatics one last time!" he called.
"Haxorus, finish it with Brick Break!" Both Pokemon leaped toward each other. Their attacks collided, causing a huge cloud of dust to envelop them. Iris raised an arm, trying to shield herself from the sandy particles. It made her eyes sting. "H-Haxorus are you okay?"
The fog lifted after a minute. Both Pokemon were lying on the floor, unconscious. Holding both fists into the air, Alder announced that both Pokemon could no longer fight.
Cilan remained quiet and closed his eyes. He returned his Pokemon and whispered to it with a soft smile. She couldn't hear what he said, but she was sure he was thanking it. She copied by returning Haxorus to his ball. "You did very well, Haxorus." She was mildly disappointed their battle ended in a draw.
She stared at Cilan. She wondered why the Striaton brothers' quit. He seemed pretty talented to her—not many people could trap her in corners like that, he certainly seemed eligible to continue being Gym Leader. She narrowed her eyes.
Alder clapped his hands. "I'm very pleased with the both of you. You two put your all into that battle. Iris, you were linked perfectly with your Pokemon. I could tell the amount of trust they had in you," He turned his gaze toward Cilan, who was walking over toward them. "And Cilan, I must say you improved a lot. To tie with Iris, that's not an easy feat!" Cilan gave a short nod. Iris couldn't tell for sure, but he looked a little guilty.
"Thank you Alder, for letting us use your battlefield," Cilan said. He bobbed his head politely and continued. "I'm off. It was nice meeting back up with you and Iris." He gave Alder a short wave and paused to look straight at her. His acid green eyes seemed to bore right through her. It looked like he wanted to tell her something, but ultimately turned around and left.
Iris breathed a small relieved sigh. He was kind of creepy.
"So Iris, where will you head to next?" Alder asked amicably. Iris placed a tentative finger on her chin. She really hadn't thought of that. She guessed she could go back to Opelucid, but part of her wanted to train in different places. She never traveled much in Eastern Unova after all. She wanted to check out Virbank City—she heard a new Gym Leader made her residency there.
"I think I'll travel for a bit. It could be great practice when it comes time for the league! And don't worry, don't worry, I'll tell Drayden first thing tomorrow!"
"Atta girl, always smart to let people know where you're going. Are you sure you don't want to call him right now? You can use my phone if you'd like." he said while using his thumb to point back toward his house.
Iris shook her head. She wanted to get a head start, calling Drayden would take too long. "Nah, I should get going, it's getting late after all. I'll call him tomorrow when I reach a Pokemon Center. See ya, Alder!" She gave him a happy wave and broke into a run. With a concentration tongue she leaped into a lush tree and grabbed its vine. She knew she could just use Hydreigon to fly her to Virbank, but she smiled at the thought of feeling the wind through her hair and the hard work put into a "journey." She wanted to train hard, but enjoy herself as well. Her heart pumped faster at the thought. This would be a journey to remember.
-:-
The sun had fallen, and night Pokemon chirped. The trees shielded the blanket of stars; Cilan only had his phone as a competent light source. He felt weary and his legs were stiff. With a sigh, he plopped down on the grass. It was soft and cool. Silently, he cursed at himself for leaving his equipment back at camp. It was his own fault though, he had been running late.
He stared blankly at his phone, sifting through the messages he had sent himself for today's data. Normally he would have already written it into his notebook. His eyes started to ache from the light.
He knew his brother, Chili, would call him soon. He always did around this time. Chili always seemed to have some sort of "power" to bring a smile to his face. At the same time though, he wondered if he should tell his brothers about his mission—their mission. Trying to find what he was looking for was like looking for a needle in a haystack, or greater even. He was growing weary of it.
He had made a reckless decision today, he wasn't sure if it was a plan he should really go for. His partner insisted he started from the small, miniscule things—his partner! They were supposedly connected—though he often scoffed at the notion.
Sometimes he wondered what he was doing anymore. He felt foolish for the path he had taken. There were times he wondered if it was some type of morbid self-harm, other times he wondered if it was only a figment of his imagination. He laughed a small, sickly giggle.
Above all, he felt lonely. It always crept into the center of his belly on nights like this. It was a cold and ruthless feeling. He never would have thought this journey would put him through as much pain or despair as it did. He was bound by an unbreakable promise, as was his partner.
"I'm sorry!" he said, still looking at his phone. A single tear drop flowed down his face.
"Please don't leave me again."
