A/N: I own a copy of at least one game from every Generation, but that's about it.
SABRINA
There was still a very large part of her that didn't want to do this. Sure, Misty had promised her that this time would be different and that this time would be memorable, but that didn't change the fact that this was still completely uncharted territory for her.
For starters, Sabrina had never asked anyone to go to this gala in the years that she'd been in charge of the Saffron Gym.
Secondly, she'd never thought that she'd be going and actually expecting to care about what happened there…for once.
And thirdly, she'd never expected that the person she was going with was going to be him.
Still, Misty and the others were expecting her to show up at the Cerulean Gym on time, and then they were all going to go to the gala together in a limosine that that blockhead friend of Misty's, Brock, had rented. Just the thought of being cramped in something like that in close proximity to that blockhead was enough to make Sabrina wrinkle her nose. Yet, there she was, sitting in front of her mirror preparing for the event. She'd chosen a subdued-looking black dress on the advice of Misty (who had picked out Trodaire's tuxedo and assured her that this was the correct thing to do), and was currently deciding over what makeup to wear.
Why do I even care that much about this? She wondered. Then she shrugged and sighed. At least I can imagine that Trodaire is just getting incredibly worked up over this too…
TRODAIRE
If it hadn't been for Paulie, he'd have completely forgotten the whole thing. The older gentleman had come into the Fight Club, seen Trodaire exercising and not getting ready for the event, and then proceeded to howl over how he needed to be in Cerulean City in half an hour for the limo, and there was no way that the kid was missing the chance to go to a gala with a pretty girl (even if it was Sabrina) just so he could put in another hour of martial arts practice. So Paulie had dragged him back to his and Betties' house, forcibly driven Trodaire into his tux, and then sent him on his merry way to Cerulean.
And so that was how Trodaire Phoenix found himself standing in front of the Cerulean City gym, standing in a tuxedo and knocking on the door. Though it was getting dark, he could see that Cerulean was far different than Saffron. While Saffron was a large and bustling metropolis, Cerulean was much more quiet and peaceful. Sleepy would be the word he would use to describe it. There was a whole lot of green, be it the many trees in the area or the forests that surrounded the nearby Mount Moon. Other than the gym and the Pokemon Center, it seemed unlikely that there was another building in the area that was taller than two stories high. He could hear the waves of the Great Kanto Sea lapping against the beach rocks in the distance, and for a moment stopped to listen to that soft and quiet sound. He'd never been to Gateon Port, the only city in Orre that was right on the water. He'd never heard a sound like that before. It was…pretty.
He was so into listening to the beach water that he at first didn't notice the door open, until he heard a little squealing noise.
"Oh my gosh, Trodaire, you look GREAT!" Misty said. "I do know how to pick out an outfit." She added somewhat smugly. She was wearing an aquamarine dress that matched the color of her eyes almost perfectly, so much so that it was slightly unsettling. Well, at least for Trodaire. Whoever Misty's date was, he probably wouldn't mind that much. Trodaire awkwardly shrugged.
"It's…it's nice. Thanks, Misty." He said. He looked around, a little unsure. "Uh, can I come in?" He asked. Misty just rolled her eyes, grabbed him by the wrist, and yanked him through the front door.
He was quickly introduced to the entire gang. There was Erika, wearing a faded green dress that almost seemed like a Kimono, and had her hair wrapped into a fancy bun with what appeared to be chopsticks in the back of it. (He didn't want to seem stupid, so he didn't ask about them) Her "date" was this pleasant, if rather mild, young man named Seamus, who was a fellow Grass-type trainer that Erika had known since they were both kids.
Brock was next. Tan-skinned, tall, boisterous, a little squinty-eyed, and very personable, Trodaire hit it off with him almost immediately. If nothing else, it probably had to do with the fact that Brock revealed that he had a little bit of Orrean blood in him too, from his mother's side of the family. Brock admitted that it wasn't much, like maybe ten percent at this point, but that was good enough for Trodaire to feel a little less ostracized. When Trodaire asked Misty where her date was, she proceeded to blush furiously and wouldn't respond. That was when Brock chimed in that Misty's date had stood her up, and that he was stepping in just so that Misty wouldn't go alone. Trodaire thought that that was rather noble of him, considering that Misty looked like she was going to hit him in the face with a mallet at any given moment.
That left-whoa. There she was. Sabrina had just come out of an adjacent door, wearing an onyx-black dress that made her almost violet-blue eyes really stand out. She had a slightly dumbstruck look on her face, and it took Trodaire a good three seconds to realize that it was because she was staring at him too. Legitimately staring, as in wondering how this scruffy kid from Orre could clean up like that. He had to admit, Paulie and Bettie had done a good job helping him get set up. He looked dignified, and his facial tattoos were pronounced in a way that seemed…almost cool instead of barbaric. He cleared his throat.
"You, um, you look great…Sabrina." He managed to offer. She blinked once in confusion.
"Huh? Oh, thank you. You, you too." She said. That was the last thing that they said to each other for now, because at that moment Misty came barreling back into the room shouting that the limo was there.
It was a large, white vehicle with more than enough space for the six of them. As the very friendly cabdriver began headed down the highway towards the Indigo Plateau, Misty couldn't resist asking Trodaire something.
"There anything like this in Orre, Trodaire?" She asked. Sabrina, who was sitting next to Trodaire, turned to look at the man sitting next to her. He furrowed his brow in thought, before shrugging.
"The closest thing I can think of is the festival at Phenac City." He admitted. Everyone was now intrigued.
"What's Phenac like?" Seamus asked. Trodaire smiled a little bit before speaking.
"It's an oasis in the middle of the desert. Beautiful, cool waterfalls and fountains that keep the city from drying up in the middle of the Orre heat. We don't have an official gym, but we do have a coliseum, and it is something to behold." He said. He looked at Misty. "I bet you'd like it there."
Misty looked intrigued, and proceeded to nod.
"Anything a psychic would like?" Sabrina found herself asking, before her eyes widened in realization of what she just did. Misty glanced backwards towards her with a slightly triumphant look in her eyes, but didn't say anything. Trodaire hadn't caught that, and neither had Sabrina, so he just continued as if nothing had happened.
"Well, you might like Gateon Port too. It's the closest thing to Saffron that we have in Orre. Well, that or Agate Village. There really isn't a whole lot in Orre that isn't a little run down or hastily constructed out of spare parts. It's a…rough country." He finished. Trodaire looked a little unsure. Brock clapped him on the shoulder.
"But you managed to come out of it just fine, Trodaire. Now look at you! About to head to the Indigo Plateau Gala!" He said. Trodaire shrugged.
"Yeah, I'm honored." He said. Sabrina was staring at him, watching his facial expression, when she came to a stunning conclusion: he was seriously rattled. There probably wasn't anything remotely close to this sort of thing back in Orre. He was completely out of his comfort zone, and there wasn't any way that he could punch or fight his way out of it to make it more comfortable. He looked a little…scared.
A funny thought crossed Sabrina's mind. One that, had it struck her not a few months before, she would have immediately banished as ridiculous and unworthy. But here it was, and she was not objecting to it in the slightest. It's my job to make sure that he doesn't get humiliated.
SABRINA
For all of her calm and collected nature, Sabrina had to admit that the Indigo Plateau always gave her chills whenever she was at it. Especially at night. At night, the marble-carved statues of Pokemon of old loomed against the moonlit sky, and the skylights reflected off of them to create an eerie, hollow and pallid glow. Rows upon rows of impeccably trimmed hedges and other plants gave the place an even more hallowed feel, as if to tell the small and insignificant trainers walking in its mythical gardens: You are on ancient ground. Trainers will come and trainers will go, but the Indigo Plateau will continue to stand.
The Indigo Plateau was a bit of a misnomer, seeing as how the entire establishment was built on a gently sloping mountain that trainers called "Victory Road" rather than a plateau outright. However, at the top of the mountain they'd leveled off the land to build a beautiful, all-marble chrome and steel structure that positively gleamed in the morning sunrise and illuminated the foggy mist at night. It was a place truly befitting the original chapter of the Pokemon League.
She glanced over at Trodaire, who had his mouth slightly agape in shock and awe at what he was seeing. Sabrina smiled a little bit.
"This is the pride and joy of Kanto. Are you impressed?" She asked. Trodaire turned to look at her. There was a sardonic look in his eyes as he raised his hand and pinched his thumb and index finger together, while silently mouthing the words "a little." Sabrina just laughed. Behind them, Brock and Misty were watching intently.
"You're that convinced?" Brock asked. Misty nodded adamantly.
"I am, Brock. I am totally convinced. When have I ever been wrong?" She asked. Brock tapped his chin in mock thought.
"Oh, I can think of a few things…" He began, a small smile playing on his lips.
"ZIP IT." Misty snapped. Brock just chuckled and shrugged. His old friend hadn't lost that hair-trigger temper of hers. Now, if only their other friend had made it tonight…
After getting checked into the event, everyone took a seat. The sixteen gyms of Kanto and Johto were each represented…as well as a few other people. As Sabrina and Trodaire took a seat at their table (to their disappointment, they weren't assigned to the same table as Misty and Brock and Erika), Trodaire pointed over to the table in question.
"So who are all of the old people dressed very regally over there?" He asked. Sabrina turned scarlet in embarrassment
"Don't so that so loud!" She hissed. She looked at the group as well. "That's the Dragon Clan, Lance and Clair's family. They come every year to this event." Trodaire raised an eyebrow.
"I thought that this was a gym leaders-only event?" He asked a little bit snidely. Sabrina could catch the tone in his voice, and for once agreed with him.
"That's the truth of it," she said. "But Lorelei…" She trailed off and pointed to the Kanto Elite Four member, who was currently chatting it up with the table in question.
"…Lorelei so very desperately wants to be in their good favor." The voice was old and weathered, pleasant and soft, but certainly not Trodaire's. Sabrina turned around and found her face was now practically on fire, for taking a seat right next to Trodaire (and across from her) was none other than Agatha. The Ghost Master of the Elite Four. Trodaire seemed blissfully unaware of who this was, and put on a warm smile.
"It would appear so." He said. He extended a hand. "It's Trodaire. Trodaire Phoenix. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss…?"
"Agatha. Her name's Agatha." Came another voice. This one was gruff, burly and baritone. Trodaire looked up to see a massive man in a suit and tie, his muscles practically ripping out of his suit. He had long and spiked hair that he had tied back into a ponytail, yet still managed to not look completely ridiculous in doing so. "And I'm Bruno. That's a nice name you got there, Mr. Phoenix. You know what it means?" He asked. Trodaire shrugged with a sheepish grin.
"Well, yeah…I'm surprised that you know it, sir…Sabrina, is everything alright?" He suddenly asked. The three of them turned to see that the Saffron City Gym Leader was currently the color of a tomato, and was trying her best to look at the floor with utmost interest. She was failing. Agatha smiled.
"Ach, I don't blame her. Bruno and I don't normally venture off of our 'designated table' (whatever the hell THAT means) to sit with gym leaders. But we decided to have a seat next to you two for the evening." She said. Sabrina managed to speak.
"Wh-why did you choose u-us?" She asked. Agatha shrugged.
"Maybe it's because your Psychic mastery isn't too far off from my Ghost mastery, which gives us something to chat about. Maybe it's because Bruno can spot a martial artist of any decency from a mile away, and Mr. Phoenix here just screams 'martial artist of any decency.'" She said. At this, Bruno chimed in.
"Or maybe it's because we think you two make a good couple!" He barked a laugh, which entered a titter from Agatha. However, both Trodaire and Sabrina turned matching shades of red.
"Oh, um, we're, uh…we're not a couple." Trodaire said meekly.
"Yeah! We're, uh, just going as friends." Sabrina agreed. Trodaire quick shot a look at her, incredulous. Since when were they friends? Agatha, in her many years of life and having been exposed to many things, watched this exchange with infinite amusement.
"Oh course, my dears, of course. Nothing more…" She sipped her tea with a bemused expression on her face. Looking for something else to talk about (as he didn't want his fellow man continually facing the brunt of Agatha's teasing), Bruno glanced around and frowned.
"Aw, Arceus. Is Lorelei still trying to butter up those Dragon Masters?" He asked in an exasperated tone. Without even looking over, Agatha nodded.
"Please, Bruno. She's been doing this ever since Clair became a certified gym leader five years ago and requested that the extended family be allowed passage to the event. You should not sound so surprised." She said. At this, Trodaire raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, Sabrina and I were talking about that before you two showed up. What's the deal with that?" He asked. Agatha kept that curt little smile of hers as she spoke.
"Oh, as I'm sure you can see, Lorelei over there is a very pretty little thing. But then again, so is a painted vase and there isn't anything inside there either but I'm getting beside the point. When Clair, that fine lady right there…" She said this with a trace of disgust, and Trodaire and Sabrina looked over to see a woman with what appeared to be electric-blue hair and incredibly regal attire. She was wearing a cape and had a pair of long earrings that almost touched her shoulders. There was an icy feel to the air around her, and her ostentatious appearance clashed rather badly with the simpler, monk-like attire of the older Dragon Masters. Agatha let Trodaire and Sabrina get a good long look at her, and then continued.
"When Clair became a gym leader," She said. "Lorelei became as excited as a little schoolgirl, knowing that with another female gym leader (and one who trained Dragons, at that!) that she had someone else to really relate to. Unfortunately for her, Clair doesn't really have time for anyone that isn't a Dragon Master or is someone that she deems 'worthy.'"
"Which is to say, a Dragon Master." Bruno interjected. "So basically, Dragon Master is good. Anything else isn't enough."
"Which is a shame, because Lorelei has never met a group that she hasn't been able to charm her way into the good graces of. She's been going at it for a few years now, and she hasn't made any headway into them recognizing her as an honorary Dragon Master." Agatha said. Hearing this was something that made both Trodaire and Sabrina laugh.
"Seriously?" Sabrina asked. "That flake thinks she can be a Dragon Master?" Isn't that supposed to be hereditary?" She asked. Bruno shook his head.
"Not always. Well, yes that's the biggest thing but you can be an honorary inductee into their ranks as well. They look for power of Pokemon that have proven Dragon biology or simply recognition of greatness." He said. He shrugged. "Lorelei doesn't have any Pokemon that quite fit their mold, so she's going for option two. I wish she'd stop trying so hard. They've only given one person that honor in the centuries that the Dragon Masters have been in existence." He said. Trodaire blinked in surprise.
"Who got that honor?" He asked. There was a pause of reverential silence. Agatha pointed to the Dragon Master table.
"Do you see that chair there, that is next to Lance's chair and the High Dragon Master's Chair?" She asked. Trodaire and Sabrina looked. There was the High Dragon Master, sitting in laughably simple monk robes that belied the incredible knowledge he no doubt possessed. Lance's chair was currently empty, which was understandable given the fact that he was no doubt somewhere else preparing his remarks for the evening. That left the small and unassuming chair at the end of the table, and yet by the way the various Dragon Masters continued to glance back and forth amongst each other and at the chair, one would think that that chair was reserved for Arceus.
"Who is supposed to sit there?" Trodaire asked. Sabrina knew, even without the others telling her.
"The Boy from the Mountain." She said. Trodaire looked at her like she'd grown two heads.
"The boy from where now?" He asked. Agatha chimed in.
"She's referring to Lance's young friend, who spends his days training on Mount Silver, the most powerful and dangerous bit of land in the entire Kanto/Johto region, if not the entire world. He doesn't particularly strike you as a boy who thinks too highly of himself. He dresses in casual clothes, is unspeakably polite…and yet I've never seen a trainer and his team battle with the ferocity that that boy exhibited when he ripped through our order like we were tissue paper." She said. "Even Lance was battered into submission, though their matchup still remains the greatest battle I've ever seen in almost 70 years of life." She finished. Bruno nodded.
"He made me look like a mook in a white belt. So the Dragon Clan made him an honorary Dragon Master." Bruno said. "Yet every year, he has never made it to one of these events."
"Why not?" Trodaire asked. Agatha shrugged.
"Who can say? Some think he's deliberately spurning them, thinking that he is above and beyond all of their praises and awards. Some think that he's simply too busy, or that he's waiting for the right moment to bring down from his perch at the top of the world. Me personally? I think that he's rather shy, and doesn't want to make a great scene of entering, because we all know that that would create a media firestorm. And if there's one thing that he hates, it's undue attention. He always thought that it detracted from his team, who were in his opinion the true champions." She said. "All that we know is that for the past few years Lance has always reserved a space at the table for his friend to show, and it's never come to fruition." Agatha gave another shrug. "Not that it's taken as an offense. Lance understands where the boy is coming from: alone, shy, and without many people to talk to."
Before Trodaire could question Agatha on what she meant by this, there was a smattering of applause. Trodaire looked to see where their attention was being drawn to…and saw him. The man that he was hired to help Steven defeat.
Lance.
Lance was at the modest podium that they'd set up for the event, and though he was dressed in a similar manner as his cousin Clair (regal attire with a fancy-pants cape) he seemed slightly uncomfortable up there, as if there were a million things he'd rather be doing than giving a speech in front of the gym leaders of Kanto and Johto.
"Good evening." He said. He spoke with a remarkably medium voice. Trodaire had hoped that he would sound reedy or even comically baritone, but it would appear that Lance's voice was like that of most males approaching thirty. Kind of disappointingly normal, especially for the famed "Dragon Master" himself.
"I told Lorelei I didn't want to do this, and yet here I am." Lance said. There was an honest degree of discomfort behind his words, yet the room interpreted it as a light joke and chuckled. Lance offered a curt smile as if to assure the room that that was indeed the reason he had said that, and continued. "I'll keep it brief, seeing as how I'm sure you're all as hungry as I am. Firstly, I would like to thank the gym leaders of Kanto and Johto for their stellar work year in and year out. I just returned from the Champions' Meeting at Castelia City in Unova, and I am proud to say that you are all performing at a level above the rest of the chapters throughout the world."
This drew a round of applause, but Trodaire was more concerned with how Lance was treating all of this. He was almost mumbling into the microphone, and was tersely and quickly shuffling through his notes that he'd prepared for the speech. For the next minute or so, Lance went through the usual thank-you list of people and sponsors for helping put the night together, until he got to the moment that everyone had been waiting for: his thoughts on the World Tournament.
"Finally, I am sure that you are aware that in under two months I will be representing the Kanto Region in the World Tournament, and that my opponent has been announced as well. I want to let you know that I am ready for the challenge that is ahead of me, I am looking forward to defending the honor of the Indigo Plateau, and that I thank you for your continued and much-appreciated support. Thank you, and enjoy the rest of the evening." He skittered off of the stage amidst the applause, and thankfully took a seat next to the High Dragon Master at their table. Next to Trodaire, Sabrina rolled her eyes.
"Typical Lance. Can't wait to get out of the public eye when he's not battling." She said. Trodaire looked worried.
"That only means that as uncomfortable that he is up there, he is equally as comfortable on a battlefield. Steven's in for a fight." He added darkly. Sabrina was inclined to agree with him, when she saw someone walking towards them. Someone with regal attire, ostentatious earrings, electric blue hair…
Oh…SHIT.
"Mind if I have a seat?" Clair asked, taking an empty seat and sitting across from Sabrina and Trodaire without even waiting for them or the two Kanto Elite Four members to give her their approval. She stared at Sabrina with a sickly-sweet smile, though her eyes were radiating contempt. "You're looking lovely tonight, Rina." She said. You look like a cow, and your trailer trash date should be ashamed.
"Why thank you, Clair. I figured I'd go for the elegant look tonight." See? I speak your language too, hag. If you're looking to start an argument, there are two senior-ranking Elite Four members here who can tell you to buzz off.
"It works for you." Clair said. Then she looked at Trodaire. "And who might you be?" She asked, though it wasn't so much an innocent question as much as it was a cat sizing up a mouse.
"Trodaire." Came the blunt reply. Sabrina smirked. Apparently this mouse had a few fangs to match the cat's. Clair blinked once.
"Trodaire? Doesn't sound like any normal name I've ever heard of. Where is it from?" She asked. Sabrina noticed Trodaire's eye twitch slightly, but then it was gone.
"It's from Orre. It's an Orrean name." He said. Clair's eyes widened. Sabrina didn't like the look of that.
"Oh…that makes sense. That would explain the tattoos." She said, oblivious to the dumbstruck expressions on Bruno and Agatha's faces. Sabrina was about to smack her, when to their surprise Trodaire spoke again.
"Why do you say that?" He asked. He had a pleasant tone, but then again a Jigglypuff has a "pleasant tone" as well that is incredibly dangerous. Clair continued.
"I mean, I've been watching you since you came in here and I have to say that I don't think I've ever seen anyone quite like you in the Indigo Plateau before. I figure you must be from one of the less-developed countries, given the tattoos on your face of all places." She said with a hint of spite. Sabrina was red-faced with rage at this point. Then Clair turned to her. "Rina, dear, this is so nice of you. Giving the boy a chance to see what the outside world looks like. What a Samaritan-like thing. Though given your track record, I guess anything is a success worth congratulating." She said.
"I'm not a charity case." Trodaire said icily. That was enough to get Clair to turn towards him, her falsely pleasant demeanor fading quickly.
"Excuse me?" She hissed. "I'm talking to Sabrina. So kindly wait your turn, street rat."
Trodaire looked like he was going to wring Clair's neck right then and there. Bruno placed a hand on his shoulder, while Agatha gave a stern admonishing to Clair for such insensitive language. Sabrina looked like she was going to cry. Clair remained indignant. She hadn't done anything wrong, she was just making pleasant conversation and did you really need to yell at her like that for doing a nice thing? She was a nice person and-
"You're a failure." The words were cold and merciless, and everyone at the table turned to look at Trodaire, who was staring bullet holes into Clair's face. The Dragon Master turned red.
"Why, you little freak, how DARE you talk to a Dragon Mast-" She was rudely cut off.
"Oh, give it a rest." Trodaire said. "You keep talking about how you're a Dragon Master and how we should bow down to your every whim, but I've noticed something. We're not at this event celebrating you now, are we? Oh yeah, that's right. We're celebrating your cousin, the guy that's been winning battles longer than you've been a part of this family." His eyes narrowed as Clair registered this insult. "Oh, didn't think that a street rat like me knew something like that, did you? Well, that's the thing about the Dragon Clan being so famous: they've willingly put up their family tree on the public domain for any schlub with a library card to look up. Yeah, your mother remarried into the Dragon Clan when you were three. You're not even related by blood to the Dragon Clan. Maybe that's why you're trying so hard. Maybe that's why you're always belittling people on the outside, and refusing to recognize that there is a problem with the way you treat other human beings. Maybe that's why you defend the sanctity of your little family with the fury of a rabid Houndoom: because you know deep down that you don't belong anymore than a guy like me does." He said, his voice never raising above a soft tone that couldn't be heard by any of the other groups. He stood up from the table, which earned few glances from the rest of the room. Most didn't really care. They all assumed that the Orrean had had enough of fancy get-togethers and that it was time to go back home to the desert.
"Oh, and by the way, I think I should let you know who I am, seeing as how you were too wrapped up in your own bullshit to even ask. I'm Trodaire. Trodaire Phoenix. I run the Fight Club, the training dojo in Saffron City. If you're wondering why Steven Stone hasn't made the news lately with who he's training with that's League-Certified, that's because I'm the motherfucker that he's training with. And I'm the guy who's going to take an immense amount of pleasure from the look on your face when Steven's Steel Curtain grinds your cousin's beloved little Dragons into paste." He finished. He turned to Bruno and Agatha. "It was an honor to meet the two of you." He walked out the door without another word. No one at any of the other tables noticed, save Misty and their group, as they were all too busy wrapped up in their own conversations. Perhaps that was for the best, dear readers, for at that moment Sabrina did something that she never would have believed she'd ever do: she followed him.
TRODAIRE
"TRODAIRE!" He heard her scream, as he kept walking past the marble Dragons in the courtyard. He sighed. Every fiber in his being wanted to keep running and leave all of that high-class snobbery behind, but then that little voice in his head whispered for him to stop and listen. So he did.
Good thing too, for Sabrina came running up to him, the tears barely being held back.
"Trodaire, Arceus, I'm so sorry…" She began. "I mean, I should have warned you that Clair was a rotten bitch and that this kind of event was nothing but a great big worship circle for Lance and that I never would have thought Bruno and Agatha would sit with us or that that rotten witch would make fun of you like that and oh Arceus!" She just started to cry. "This is the worst night ever." She sobbed. To her surprise, Trodaire did literally the last thing that she had ever expected: he hugged her.
"Wuh-what are you doing?" She asked. She could feel him shrug.
"Back home we tended to do things like this whenever someone was upset." He said. He smiled a little bit. "If you need to let out some frustration by throwing a punch or two, I promise you I can take the hits."
Sabrina obliged him. Three hard raps in the back, none of which Trodaire even responded to.
"Feeling better?" He asked sardonically, ignoring his smarting back. Sabrina sniffled, and nodded. Trodaire released the hug, and looked her in the eye.
"How are you feeling?" He asked. "She said some mean things to you too, you know." Sabrina shrugged.
"It'll get better. I mean, it hurts now, but I'll get over it." She said. Trodaire frowned.
"Does that happen a lot?" He asked. Sabrina sighed.
"Every now and then I get down, but don't worry it's not going to be a problem. I think I'd better go home though. I always leave these galas early and I'd hate to break my streak." She added drily. She started walking towards the exit and towards a taxi stop when Trodaire jogged up in front of her to get her to stop.
"I'll come back with you." He said. Sabrina raised an eyebrow.
"That's ok, I think I can manage." She began. Trodaire cut her off.
"Nuh uh. I'm not letting a pretty girl walk home by herself after dark. Even if you manage to find a cab." He said. To his surprise, Sabrina laughed. "What's so funny?" He asked. She smiled, and reached for the necklace that she was wearing. It was then that Trodaire noticed that there was a small Pokeball entrenched in the center brooch of the garment. Sabrina pressed the side of the ball, and it enlarged for ready use. There was a click of a button, a flash of light, and a small Pokemon was sitting in the middle of them. Sabrina smirked.
"How do you think I got home so early from dances in the past? I had my little Abra here help me out." She said. She looked down at the little Pokemon and spoke in a gentle voice that Trodaire had never heard from her before. "Take us home, sweetheart." She cooed.
At that moment, Trodaire felt a warm and fuzzy feeling in his gut, that soon spread to every facet of his body. There was a sensation of feeling like he was flying-
There was a flash, and they were gone.
Trodaire blinked, and saw that they were standing in front of the Saffron Gym. Trodaire smiled.
"Never thought that I'd be on the receiving end of an Abra's Teleport before." He said with a smile. He frowned. "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you." He said. Sabrina shook her head.
"Don't be. Clair's a bitch. She deserved that. Anyway, I'll see you later Trodaire. Good night." She smiled, gave him a short hug and began to walk to the gym. Then, she turned and stopped. "Oh, one more thing, Trodaire. If you don't live up to those words about turning Lance's Pokemon into paste…well, I'm gonna be mad. Seriously mad. Good night." She winked, and then walked away, leaving behind a very contemplative young Orrean under a brilliantly starry Kanto sky.
A/N: Big chapter, no? What do you think? Leave a review!