A/N: I own a copy of at least one game from every Generation, but that's about it.
TRODAIRE
Two weeks passed. He trained Steven and the team as best as he could in preparation for the big fight, and knew that they had finally hit the home stretch. Every time he turned on the radio or television or picked up a newspaper, there was a story covering the lead-up to the Tournament. It was a stacked competition, with the likes of Alder and Iris from Unova, Wallace from Hoenn, Steven, Lance from Kanto, Cynthia from Sinnoh (though she admitted that she didn't expect to get out of the first round), Gary freaking Oak from Kanto (how he'd managed to parlay his ownership of the Viridian Gym into a spot in the World Tournament was a mystery to Trodaire; It was apparently Lance's suggestion that they allow him into the tournament, even though he'd held the spot of Kanto Champion for the embarrassingly short time of one day before being stomped by the last entrant in the tournament.)
That left the Boy from the Mountain filling in the eighth and final spot. It was all but a certainty that he was going into the Finals, and that he was likely to win again. He hadn't competed the past two years, but for whatever reason he had decided to appear in this tournament. Naturally, the schedulers of the tournament were ecstatic to let him in. Would you be the one willing to say no to the only undefeated Pokemon Trainer in the world?
It was a ridiculously stacked lineup, and as luck (or lack thereof) would have it, Steven had drawn Lance as his first opponent. As the date of the first round neared, Trodaire realized just how lofty of a goal he'd set for the team was. It was enough to keep him awake at night, lying on the couch in Bettie and Paulie's living room while tossing a rubber ball up in the air and catching it in the darkness. He was having trouble focusing on the goal at hand, though. For whenever he was at his lowest, he'd think back to that night out in the Saffron parks, when Sabrina had looked into his eyes and told him that he was worth something after all…
He'd still been thinking about that moment when she'd hugged him when he was at his lowest. She'd felt soft and warm in his arms, and for the first time in a while he hadn't worried about what the next workout routine for the team was, or whether Aggron could withstand Dragonite's Giga Impact without its internal organs imploding, or whether this was an elaborate sham that he was playing Steven with. She'd just calmed him down, and was the first real person he could ever remember telling him that he was special.
He wondered if she'd thought about that night as well, but doubted it. After all, she was a busy woman with a gym to run. Did she really have time to dwell on a random night like that? Did she even care?
SABRINA
Ohhhh yes she did.
TRODAIRE
He was interrupted from his private musings when the door to the Fight Club opened, and Steven and Cynthia walked in the door. They were dressed the same way they had the first day they'd walked into the place: Steven in that immaculate blazer of his; Cynthia in her onyx-black dress. Steven had a determined smile on his face.
"Ready, coach?" He asked. It was the first time that he'd ever used that word in particular in reference to Trodaire, and it filled the Orrean with pride.
"Yeah. Let's go." He said.
There was a shuffling in the back, and Paulie came out of the office.
"Yeh have fun now, Troddie!" He said. "Conks and I'll watch the Fight Club for yehs!" He said with a smile and wave. Trodaire nodded, absently placed his hands in his hoodie pocket, and followed Steven and Cynthia out of the door.
It was six in the morning. The official health evaluation was at noon the following day in Unova, and Cynthia had bought them tickets on the Bullet Train so that they could arrive in Castelia City at around seven P.M. that night. It was going to be a long train ride, but Trodaire didn't mind. To be honest, he was still slightly in awe that he was about to arrive in the largest city in the world with two of the most powerful trainers in the world…and they were bringing him as their trusted council. If someone had told his fourteen-year-old Orrean self ten years ago, he wouldn't have believed it. He would've thought that the person telling him was just playing a mean joke.
They made it to the train station with more than enough time to spare, and to Trodire's shock and awe Cynthia's tickets were for the front of the train and thus the "luxury" cars. Two "bedroom" cars and one "common room" car with a refrigerator and sink and coffee table. He would've been okay with just buying an apartment with those basic amenities back in Orre. As they punched their tickets and walked onto the train, Steven looked at him and grinned.
"This feeling that you're getting?" He said, causing Trodaire to look at him. "It never goes away." Steven said. It was in that moment that Trodaire realized that no matter how far along Steven came on his journey, he was never going to lose sight of being properly thankful of the extraordinary things he got to be a part of. Cynthia nodded in approval, and led the two of them behind her to the common room. She took a seat at one of the chairs, and then to their surprise kicked her feet up on the table.
"What?" She asked as they raised an eyebrow. "I've always wanted to kick my feet up in a situation like this." Steven smiled, for when he took a seat her feet were pretty much right in his face.
"You do know that your feet are directly in my face, right?" He said teasingly. Cynthia raised an eyebrow.
"What's the matter, pretty boy? They smell bad or something?" She asked. Steven rolled his eyes.
"I'm not feeling suicidal, Cynthia. I'm not answering that question." He said. Cynthia frowned.
"I'm not feeling the passive answers, Stevie. Pick a side: good or bad?" She asked. Steven shrugged.
"Cynthia…"
"Steven…"
"Ok, fine. They're fine." Steven admitted, and when Cynthia looked at him expectantly he continued. "Your feet smell fine."
Cynthia smiled approvingly. It was at that moment that both she and Steven realized that Trodaire was in the room with them. They turned to look at him in unison, and saw that the Orrean had a mixture of confusion, discomfort, and amusement on his face.
"Please tell me that this isn't how you guys interact when I'm not around."
STEVEN
Once they had successfully explained to Trodaire that no, that was not in fact their idea of foreplay (something that brought a crimson blush to both Steven and Cynthia's face), the trio were now sitting at the coffee table chowing into the complimentary snack food that the attendant for their section of the train had dropped off. Trodaire and Steven were deep in discussion concerning game theory concerning the match. Cynthia was busy with her head buried in her smartphone, texting someone. Eventually Steven had to ask.
"Who are you talking to, Cynthia?" He asked. Cynthia shrugged.
"Misty, the Gym Leader from Cerulean City in Kanto." She said. "We exchanged numbers, along with the other girls that were watching your practice a few months ago."
Steven and Trodaire nodded, both completely unaware of any underlying meaning to that statement. They then went back to discussing game theory, unaware that Cynthia was staring at them and rolling her eyes. Sometimes, boys could be so damned stupid…
CYNTHIA
Cynthia was many things, but unobservant was not one of them. Over the weeks that had turned to months in Saffron, she'd witnessed the interactions of Trodaire Phoenix and a certain violet-eyed Gym Leader from Saffron. Seeing as how he was not capable (or afraid) of setting the ball in motion, she decided that maybe it was time to see what she could do to assess the situation.
Hi Misty. It's Cynthia.
…
ZOMG hi cynthia! what are u doing?
…
Sitting on a train with Steven and Trodaire on the way to the health inspection. It's about as fun as you'd expect.
…
major bummer. they boring u?
…
Surprisingly, no. You know that I enjoy listening to Steven and Trodaire talk about battle theory. Those two could take teaching positions at Earl's Training Academy and easily be the most popular teachers on campus. But that's not what I want to talk to you about.
…
kk! wut are u thinking about?
…
Trodaire and Sabrina. What's the deal?
…
oh boy. wut do u wanna hear?
…
I want to know if Sabrina has ever talked to you about Trodaire.
…
the better question would be when HASNT she talked about him…
…
Interesting…
"Hey Trodaire," Cynthia said. "You never told us about what happened at the gala that Sabrina invited you to." She was slightly pleased to see that he was now blushing a little bit (a bit hard to see considering his tanned features) and now awkwardly fiddling with his thumbs.
"Oh, um, it was fun." He said. "I, uh, got to meet some cool people…Sabrina was nice…I pretty much called Clair a loser bitch in front of everyone…" He finished lamely. Cynthia smirked.
"I heard. Good for you. How was Sabrina?" She asked. Trodaire looked confused.
"Huh?" He asked. Cynthia resisted the urge to facepalm.
"Did she seem like she had fun?" She asked. By now Steven had figured out where Cynthia was going with this, and decided to listen in. It could be fun. They had a long train ride ahead of them…
"Uh, yeah. I think so." He said. "She, uh, smiled a lot." Cynthia nodded. This boy was so clueless she wondered if maybe he had a bit of Psyduck in him. So she went back to Misty, and Trodaire went back to talking about battling with Steven.
So, about the gala. What did Sabrina think about it?
…
O. M. G. where to begin? she thought that trodaire was the most awesome person in the world for taking down that cocky bitch clair. she wouldnt shut up about it. that and the fact that he was pleasant and respectful to the elite four members that were sitting with them. it was totally clair's fault that he got mad. and even then i didn't hear it because he was so good at keeping his voice down.
…
I know that Sabrina is sometimes a hard nut to crack. What does she think of Trodaire?
… … … … … … … …
she TOTES likes him. a LOT. but shes painfully shy about it. she doesnt think that trodaire has time to think about the possibility of anything outside of battling or training because of how big a deal this fight is. she knows how much stress hes under. shes worried about him.
…
How does she know about what he's feeling?
…
cuz like two weeks ago he and she were out one night and he told her this really personal story about how he thinks hes a failure because he doesnt know if steven can beat lance and he doesnt want to set him up for failure. he thought he was a "bum from the dust of the earth." rina went home and practically cried herself because she felt so bad for him. so as a sign that she cared, she went and mauled like fifteen trainers that were challenging for her gym badge that following day. because what she cant do vocally she can certainly do in battle.
…
That sounds exactly like something that Sabrina would do.
…
omg totes. sooo should we play matchmaker for them then? ive got some great ideas!
…
Haha. It might just come to that. In fact, I have an idea…
…
OMG wut?
…
You still friends with that one guy who's going to be doing the play-by-play commentary for the television and radio feeds of the match, Chip Skarmory or whatever his stage name is?
…
yeah im bffs with chip still. y do u ask?
…
I think you should ask if he'll give Sabrina and Trodaire a private tour of the World Tournament stage and the arena that the fight is going to take place. And then…when he's let them into the stage area…
…
…chip leaves them alone to each other! ZOMG its perfect! but y something like this?
…
Because I think that if Trodaire is feeling a little bit worried about what he's going up against, he'd better have a better feeling of what the atmosphere of the location will be like. Because tough guy or not, Trodaire might freak the hell out when Lance makes his big entrance.
…
ugh…i completely forgot that lance does that whole scary entrance with druids carrying flames on sticks and that creepy as hell gong noise. yeah if trodaire has never been in an arena before that crowds reaction might make him have a heart attack.
…
Exactly. And what better person to calm his fears than the one person that he's spilled the most about himself to: Sabrina?
…
u are evil. i LOVE it! k ill text chip and ask him! ttyl!
Cynthia just had to smile at her new friend's incredible enthusiasm. It was clear that she'd chosen wisely in asking someone to help her in at least seeing if anything could happen between Trodaire and Sabrina. Misty was perhaps the most excitable person that she had ever met. Well, perhaps second to Wallace. But Wallace was an interesting bird to say the least. She smiled fondly, recalling the truly hysterical conversation where Steven thought that Wallace was…you know…until Wallace's girlfriend walked in the door and planted a big smooch on his lips. Cynthia had never laughed harder in her life. As she smiled with a dopy sigh, she turned and saw that Steven was staring bullet holes at her.
"Cynthia. That's the same smile you get when you think about when I thought that Wallace was-" His eyes narrowed. "Oh, you suck." He growled. Cynthia laughed. Trodaire just scratched his head confusedly.
"I don't get you two." He just said flatly.
And so they continued their train ride to Unova, joking and laughing all the way.
MISTY
As soon as her text conversation with Cynthia was over, Misty went to work. She immediately put down her phone and logged onto her computer in her office, quickly typing in the name of the contact she needed for a video chat...
Chip Skarmory was sitting in his room at home, playing catch with his trusty friend Whismur, when his computer started squawking that a video chat was incoming. Hastily running over, he punched in the keys needed to turn the thing on.
"Wassup, fireball?" He asked teasingly, running a hand through his spiky black hair. Misty pouted.
"That's the first thing that you say to me, Chipster?" She asked, pretending to be hurt. "Maybe I won't just come down and see you in a few weeks then…" Chip laughed, a melodious sound much like his announcing voice.
"I hope you're not serious, Spice!" He said.
"Spice" was his nickname for Misty. When Misty had asked why, he explained that because of her red hair, that made her a "Ginger." But since "Ginger" was a dumb thing to call someone, he decided that since ginger was a spice he would call her "Spice." Misty thought he put too much time into something really silly. Chip said that she should expect the silly out of a colorful TV and radio personality. It was in his DNA.
"What can I do for you, Spice?" He asked. Misty put on her best Growlithe puppy eyes.
"I need you to let two friends of mine into the Big Arena in the World Tournament when you go there yourself in a week to get a feel of the place and do some of your own personal video-blogging for your website." She said. Chip shrugged. This didn't seem too hard.
"No problemo, Spice! Say, what's the reason?" He asked. Misty shrugged.
"I'm playing matchmaker for a pair. Or maybe I'm not. We'll see how it goes." She admitted. Chip smiled. Considering his teeth were nearly perfect, it was quite a sight.
"Awesome! And old Chippy is part of the fun! I'll see what I can do! Who's your friend that you're setting up with some schlub?" He asked teasingly. Misty smiled.
"Rina."
Chip nearly fell out of his chair in shock.
SABRINA
Sabrina was currently unaware of any of this, as she was in the middle of something very important. Namely, she was trying to get inside the Fight Club, and the door was locked.
No, she wasn't "breaking in," per say. She was just…"getting a feel for the parameters of the facility." Yeah. That was it. The old man Paulie had gone home for the night, and Sabrina knew for a fact that the two of them were not able to afford expensive security. So when she used her psychic powers to help her pick the lock, she could barely contain her glee…
…only to have it die in her throat when Conkeldurr appeared in the doorway, threateningly brandishing one of its concrete pipes and just daring Sabrina to walk through the front door.
"Uh, hi." Sabrina said squeakily. Grunting in annoyance, Conkeldurr pointed to the window of the Fight Club, where Trodaire had scribbled in dry-erase marker the hours of the gym. It was currently after hours. Sabrina tried again. "Can…can I come in?" She asked. Conkeldurr grunted, and once again pointed at the hours list, as if this human woman was too damned stupid to understand the concept the first time. Sighing, Sabrina decided to tell the truth.
"Okay. I know that I'm breaking in. But there's a reason for that. See, there's something that I've seen your boss doing when I've walked in here and I wanted to, well, give it a try. To impress him." She said.
Conkeldurr grunted, as if asking why she thought that that would impress him.
"I don't know why!" Sabrina said exasperatedly. "Look, if you let me in, you can watch me the entire time, and I promise that I won't touch anything that I'm not allowed to." She pleaded. Conkeldurr stared at her for a long time, before grunting and moving aside to let her enter.
Sabrina made her way through the darkened gym, walking all the way to the back of the main room. There, sitting in the corner and untouched, was that wooden dummy she'd seen him working on time and time again. Quietly, she ran her fingers on the smooth wooden exterior. It was cool to the touch. Softly, she made a movement that she had seen him do himself, softly tapping the wooden with the side of her forearm.
THWOCK.
It was one of the prettiest sounds she had ever heard. She smiled a little bit, and then hit it again.
THWOCK.
She heard a soft tapping noise, and saw that Conkeldurr had set down a few books that featured a man striking a wooden dummy similar to the one that she had just hit. She opened the first book to see a walkthrough through what appeared to be a basic introduction to properly using the thing. She looked at Conkeldurr and smiled.
"I might be here a while." She said.
Sighing, the aging Pokemon grabbed a chair and began to watch.
A/N: Another one bites the dust! What do you think? Lemme know!