Topher descended the stairs of the top floor. The building was two stories, built into the giant oak.
"Morning Topher!" Dino greeted him.
"Morning." Topher muttered, sitting between Allison and Dino.
"You're not eating?" Allison asked.
Topher just shrugged. He felt too nervous to eat, though he'd never admit it.
Allison saw through him easily. "Topher, relax. Today's our day. The day we've been talking about for the past few years."
Topher couldn't help but smile at that. It took Topher awhile to warm up to Allison and Dino, but once he did, going on a journey was all they talked about.
Topher, of course, had already started his journey. He had left home three years ago to beat the Kalos League. His mom was so surprised when he called not even a week later, saying he was now going to stay with The Laverre Gym and be a Gym Trainer.
Being a Gym Trainer was different from what Topher had expected. The Pokemon had to stay at the lower levels so New Trainers would be able to battle the Gym Trainers fairly.
So instead of training your Pokemon, you trained yourself. You memorized every Pokemon move and Ability and how they work. You learn how each type effects each other until you had it committed to memory.
But most of all, you learned about the Pokemon themselves. How to take care of them, how to play with them, how to connect with them.
Being a Gym Trainer meant learning that your Pokemon wasn't an object- it was a living creature. And being a living creature meant it was an complex being full of emotions and ideas.
Pokemon aren't tools. They're your partners.
"Topher? You there?" Allison asked. She pinched him on the arm.
"Ow!" Topher swatted her hand away. "What?"
"You were lost in thought again." Allison explained. "So I thought I'd come and find you."
Dino laughed.
That was another part of being a Gym Trainer that Topher had to adjust to. Allison and Dino.
Getting along with them was difficult at first. It still was. The three of them had clashing personalities. Dino was kind when Allison was harsh. Topher was quiet when Dino was loud. And Allison was rash when Topher was contemplative. They're conflicting attitudes caused friction, which led to arguments that led to the three of them being punished by Valerie.
But, after three years, Topher couldn't imagine life without them.
"I'm fine." Topher said.
Dino nodded. "We can't really blame you for being lost in thought, can we? Their's a lot to think about. We're starting our Journey today!"
"Thanks For reminding ud." Allison said. "We forgot."
"Is that sarcasm?" Dino said. "That's another coin in the Snark Jar."
The "Snark Jar" was a like a swear jar, but instead for sarcastic retorts. Valerie had set it up to help curb Allison's biting remarks. Needless to say, it was full most of the time.
"I'm not putting shit in that jar." Allison snapped. "If you didn't say so many stupid things, I wouldn't have to correct you."
Topher sighed. He could feel an argument coming. "Knock it off you two."
Allison gave him a look. "Who died and made you our Senior?"
"I am the oldest." Topher said.
"By a month." Dino pointed out.
It all spiraled out of control after that.
By the time Valerie had arrived at the breakfast table, Allison had Dino in a headlock while Topher tried to pry them apart, to no avail.
"Sylveon, Psychic!" Valerie said.
All three of them were thrown apart in an instant. Sylveon levitated them for a few seconds, then dropped them. Topher landed on his back, Allison on her butt, and Dino face first.
Valerie smiled warmly at them, as if they hadn't just destroyed her dining room (again).
"Good morning, my little Sprites." Valerie said cheerfully. "Please clean this up. Unless you would rather see another Psychic Attack?"
Topher, Allison, and Dino all got to their feet and bowed. "No thank you, Senior Valerie." they all said at once. They then rushed to clean up.
Three things that Gale desired more than anything: Competent co-workers, The complete Happiny Daze series box set, and jeans that not only gave others the illusion that she had a butt, but also hugged that nonexistent butt perfectly.
Three things that were hard to find: Competent co-workers, The complete Happiny Daze series box set, and jeans that not only gave others the illusion that she had a butt, but also hugged that nonexistent butt perfectly.
"Joseph is where!?" Gale asked angrily. She wished she were not Head Priest, because she really wanted to flip a desk but had to stay civilized due to her position.
"In custody. And he told the girl, who in turn told the police, that he was a Bishop in the Hallowed church." Arthur told Gale. The man ran his fingers through his hair, making it even messier. "I knew sending him was a bad idea."
Andreas glared at him. The two were polar oppisites in looks and personality- Andreas was pale and stocky with vibrant copper colored hair, while Arthur was dark skinned and lanky with silvery blue hair. Arthur was calm and careless, while Andreas was uptight and careful. "And yet, you said nothing. I knew he was an incompetent fool and actually argued against sending him. What were you doing?"
Arthur put his arm around Andreas lazily. "Wishing that you would stop scowling so I could kiss you."
Andreas blushed and pushed Arthur to the ground. Gale wondered why. Arthur flirted with everyone. "I am so not interested."
Arthur wiggled his eyebrows. "That's what makes it fun." Gale once again considered flipping the desk. She was the boss - didn't that earn her the right to be uncivilized every once in a while? "Will you two please act like professionals?"
Arthur got back in his seat, but sat in it sideways so his elbow was hanging off and his foot was close to Andreas' face. "Sorry sexy. I'm not that good of an actor."
Gale narrowed her eyes at her subordinate. "That narrows the jobs available when I fire you."
Andreas smiled gloatingly and Arthur winced. "Wow, attacks fired, point taken."
Gale sighed. "Okay, so Joseph is grossly incompetent. How do you two think we should proceed? Leave him or free him?"
"Leave him." Andreas said automatically. "Not only has he failed his mission, he's implicated the Church and brought suspicion down on us. Let him rot."
Arthur nodded. "Seconded. Joseph deserves to be punished."
"But only I get to punish Joey."
Gale looked at the doorway and internally cursed. Gale had been hoping that she wouldn't show up.
Masa approached Gale's desk with a small smile. Today she had decided to wear a small white dress with a girlish yellow sash around her waist and yellow bow in her cornsilk blond hair. This made the sixteen year old look even more like a little girl than usual.
"Joey is my Bishop. Isn't it my job to decide his punishment?" Masa smiled toothily, exposing the alternating blue and gold bands of her braces. Gale could tell that Masa was already dreaming up all the ways she could punish "Joey".
"I say we give him another chance." Masa said. "If he can purify ten trainers within this next week, we let him off the hook. But if he fails by a margin of even one trainer, I gut him with a hook." She giggled at her pun. "I've already told him, of course. He's looking for trainers now."
If Gale were a merciful woman, she would of told the girl no. She would of let Masa know that screw ups of this magnitude were up to the Head Priest, not a Bishop. She would of ordered the three of them to leave Joseph to her.
If Gale were a merciful woman, she would of felt sorry for Joseph when she told Masa to do as she pleased.
But even if Gale was patient, she was not merciful.
After the three of them had cleaned up, they joined Valerie at the Pokemon Center a block away from the Gym.
They got in line at the front desk.
"You're sure this is where we register for the Alliance League, Senior?" Topher asked.
Valerie nodded. "Yes. Oh, I'm so excited! You three are becoming adults today!"
Dino grinned. "Yeah! Now we have to do adult things, like file taxes and throw bricks at children on out lawn!"
Topher sweatdropped. "What kind of adults do you know?"
Dino just laughed.
"When do you think we'll be able to fight our first Team?" Allison wondered. "I'm ready to crush some opponents."
"Me too!" Dino said eagerly. "We're gonna have so much fun traveling and winning matches and making new friends and discovering new places and- Ow!"
Allison had elbowed him.
"Allison, apologize." Valerie said airily.
"Sorry." she said. "I just wanted to make sure you stopped to breathe."
"How considerate." Topher muttered, scanning the Center.
His eyes met someone else's. The man had been staring at them intently. He held Topher's gaze for a while.
"Topher? Hello?"
Topher looked up at his friends. "Huh?"
"I said, we're up next." Allison said.
Topher looked around. The man was gone.
They approached the counter.
"We're here to register Team Laverre for the Alliance League." Valerie said.
"Of course, Gym Leader Valerie!" Nurse Joy said. "I just need your forms-"
"We sent them online!" Dino said happily, as if it were something to be excited about.
"Oh, yes. Of course." Nurse Joy said. She turned to her computer and typed something. "Here they are. I'll just submit them under Team Laverre."
"Thank you." Valerie said.
"And of course, I'll need to read you the rules." Nurse Joy said.
"We know them already." Allison said.
"But this is protocol." Nurse Joy said. She cleared her throat.
"The Alliance Games are the Sixth Championship League created by the League Committee, after The Pokemon League, Contests, The Tripokalon, Pokeathalon, and Battle Frontier. Championship Leagues are created to determine the top Trainers for each region, and to bestow upon them the title of Champion. The rules for this competition are as follows: Each Team will be administered five medals. The object is to win ten more medals by beating Ten other Teams. The loser of each battle must give the winning Team a medal. The first Sixteen Teams to collect fifteen medals will advance to the Alliance Championship, where they will compete for the Title of Champion. Each battle must be conducted in the presence of a elected official and must follow the rules outlined in the latest Alliance Handbook."
Topher hung onto every word, even though he already knew all of this.
Beating The Alliance Games had been Topher, Allison, and Dino's dream ever since it was created last year. They would be representing Laverre City in the Games. Not every city was represented by a Team, and not every Team represented a city, but it was an honor to be chosen.
Not that they had to worry about being chosen. Laverre City was just big enough to be able to submit a Team for the Games, but small enough that they didn't have that many talented trainers.
Nurse Joy handed Topher a pouch.
"This will be your medal pouch. The Symbol of Team Laverre, as decided by The Alliance Games branch of the League Committee, is a tree."
Topher took out a medal. It was the size and shape of a coin, and had a tree imprinted on both sides. The metal was the same color as the autumnal leaves on the tree connected to Laverre Gym.
Topher looked at his friends. They were both smiling.
This was it, the moment they had been waiting for.
"Congratulations!" Valerie said. "You three are now an official Team in the Alliance League!"
A/N: Who are those mysterious people and what does it mean to purify a trainer? Read to find out!
(If you've read my other story, you already know.)
A/N 2: Reader Question Time! Who's your favorite character so far? Answer in your comments/reviews!