My heart was thumping madly against my ribcage, almost like it was threatening to beat straight out of my chest as the Pidgeot and Shiftry circled each other slowly. The overhead screens were showing video footage of both Elliot and Scott, theirs faces marred and creased with concentration, but neither making a move. Scott's Pidgeot was hovering high above the battlefield, taking advantage of the open space to spread its wings, almost like it was asserting its dominance and proudly showing off the advantage it currently held. Elliot's Shiftry was warily looking upwards, blinking in the late afternoon sun, looking more than a little nervous…
Scott burst into action first. "Pidgeot, Aerial Ace!"
My heart plummeted down to my stomach. That was a close-combat move! And a powerful one at that! Potentially devastating for Elliot's Shiftry! Even just hearing the command sent icy cold fear through me. My stomach was churning and turning flips and I was actually starting to feel literally sick with worry… this really wasn't looking good for Elliot.
Until…
"Shiftry, jump up!"
This time, my heart leapt straight to my mouth. I watched in sheer amazement as Shiftry suddenly soared into the air, straight above Scott's incoming Pidgeot, effortlessly evading it as it dove towards the ground. Surprised by the Shiftry's agile abilities, the Pidgeot couldn't halt its flight and crashed to the ground in a puff of feathers.
"Shiftry, Dark Pulse!"
The grounded Pidgeot was an easy target for the balls of dark energy that swept across the battlefield and barraged everything in sight. While it still struggled to get airborne again, Elliot quickly ordered Shiftry to get back and use Sword's Dance. I saw Scott's face noticeably change as Elliot's Shiftry puffed itself up to an even more menacing and intimidating height. I tensed. That thing, and Elliot, meant business now.
"Pidgeot, get up and use Aerial Ace again!"
"Shiftry, don't let it! Seed Bomb!"
While Shiftry's Seed Bomb didn't seem to affect the Pidgeot too much, it threw the Pokemon off balance, preventing it from getting airborne again. It shrieked and flailed, flapping its giant wings uselessly, unable to get away. Even though Scott ordered his Pokemon to attack, the Pidgeot was flustered and panicked and couldn't get itself calmed down. Elliot immediately had Shiftry move in with another Dark Pulse, this one doing noticeably more damage. Even when Pidgeot eventually got itself back into the air, it was weakened beyond reprieve and collapsed out of the air after barely getting afloat. Elliot moved in with a Leaf Storm, finishing it up with a final Dark Pulse. It was over. The Flying Pokemon simply fell to the ground, completely overwhelmed.
"Unbelievable," I said slowly. "Elliot just took out a Flying Pokemon like that with his Shiftry… that's incredible…"
"I actually think Scott might be in trouble here…" Nikki whispered.
I turned to look at Nikki who was looking pale. "In trouble?"
"Yeah… and when Scott feels threatened, he pulls out the big guns…"
I certainly didn't like the sound of the 'big guns' Nikki had mentioned and I slowly turned my head back to the battlefield. Elliot's Shiftry was panting heavily now, looking exhausted. I frowned. His Shiftry was probably exhausted from the incredible physical strain he had exerted on himself. I had the sinking feeling that it probably wasn't going to last much longer. And from the way Elliot was shouting encouragement to his Pokemon, he was feeling that way too.
Scott was taking his time about choosing his next Pokemon. The entire stadium seemed to be holding his breath as he pulled out another Pokeball and tossed it forward. A collective gasp issued when Scott's Gabite emerged onto the field.
Elliot was biting his lip now at the sight of the Gabite. The Gabite, by the way, was quite excitable, practically jumping and down on the spot in its anticipation and a hungry look in its eye. I clenched my hands together. I knew how tough Dragon type Pokemon, even ones that weren't fully evolved like Gabite, could be. Even worse, I knew just how tough this particular Gabite could be from experience. This was the Pokemon that Scott had used to sweep Bugsy in barely any time at all. Elliot would really have to watch himself…
"Shiftry, use Leaf Storm!"
"Gabite, Take Down! Then Dragon Claw!"
Before Shiftry could even gather itself in preparation to execute the attack, the Gabite had lunged forward with frightening speed and collided bodily with the Shiftry. The Pokemon suddenly seemed horribly fragile as it was attacked letting out a rough yell of pain. Before it could even recover, the Gabite was on it again, its claws suddenly beginning to grow a strange blue in colour. It slashed its claws viciously across the Shiftry's body, which sent the Pokemon spiralling to the ground. Gabite landed effortlessly, a fierce look eroding its face as it stared down at the body of its opponent, as if daring him to get up again.
Shiftry didn't get up again.
Elliot recalled Shiftry silently. I was practically at the edge of my seat now. Both Elliot and Scott had lost two Pokemon each. Elliot had lost Cacturne and now Shiftry, while Scott's losses were Quagsire and Pidgeot. With that fact alone it should have been considered a pretty even playing field, I knew it certainly wasn't. Not at this point and not with that Gabite. I didn't know which Pokemon Elliot would choose next, but it would have to be something pretty special to take out Scott's Gabite.
"Mightyena, take the floor!"
In answer to my question Elliot's ferocious looking Mightyena burst out of the Pokeball, its vicious hackles raised. It immediately began growling loudly and threateningly. Even I found myself slightly taken aback by the Pokemon's intimidating display. I glanced at the Gabite, who had actually stepped back warily.
"Mightyena, start this off with a Howl!"
The Mightyena threw back its giant, shaggy head and let out an ear-piercing howl. It rose above even the noises of the crowd, silencing everyone almost immediately. The Gabite watched intently, not sure of what to do. The Mightyena's howl seemed to have unnerved it, and the Mightyena itself suddenly seemed so much more intimidating, roused from the Howl.
"Gabite, use Dig!"
"Don't let it, Mightyena! Crunch!"
Before the Gabite could even begin to tunnel its way down, Elliot's Mightyena sprung forward on its powerful long limbs, propelling itself straight at the Dragon Pokemon. It tackled the Dragon type, bringing it to the ground, its jaws firmly embedded in the Gabite's hide. The Gabite let out a roar of pain as it was knocked to the ground and its efforts to shake the Mightyena off were quickly proven to be in vain. The Dark Pokemon was hanging firmly on, its teeth biting so hard into the Gabite's body, I wholly anticipated the Pokemon to begin literally tearing the Gabite limb from limb.
"Dragon Claw it off!"
The Gabite obeyed, slashing its massive claws straight into the Mightyena's body, eventually knocking it away. The Mightyena got straight to its feet again, snarling angrily, before tackling the Gabite to the ground once more. It was a textbook perfect Take Down that packed a hell of a punch. However, the Dragon type responded with another Dragon Claw that knocked Mightyena back. As the Mightyena yelped in pain and fell to the ground, the Gabite suddenly tunnelled underground.
"Oh no…" I said slowly.
An eerie silence descended over the battlefield as Elliot's Mightyena, wounded and bleeding slightly pushed itself back onto its feet. It licked its wounds impatiently before surveying the battlefield. There was no sign of the Gabite anywhere.
"Mightyena! Odour Sleuth!"
The Mightyena obediently put its nose to the ground and began sniffing. It padded lightly across the ground, its nose firmly embedded in the dirt as it sought the missing Gabite. It moved so softly it barely even disturbed the soil.
Then, Mightyena stopped. It looked back at Elliot and I swore I saw it nod its head. And then, I saw Elliot nod.
And then the Mightyena suddenly dove towards the ground, disappearing completely!
"Mightyena used Dig too!" Jasmine suddenly yelled, bouncing out of her seat in shock.
Another silence fell as soon as the excited crowd managed to process what had just happened. Both Pokemon were deep underground and there was no sign of anything happening above ground. The whole place seemed to be holding its breath. I knew I was. I couldn't stand to watch; the tension was too much for me! But suddenly, when I felt I could bear it no longer, the earth where Mightyena had tunnelled into began to shift and shake, and the noises of yelps and cries of pain suddenly reached our ears.
"What's going on?" I cried frantically.
And then suddenly, the earth broke, and the Gabite and the Mightyena suddenly burst through. Gabite's claws were extended viciously and even as the two Pokemon reappeared, it twisted around in midair, slashing the hyena Pokemon right across its underbelly. The Pokemon howled in pain, fell to the ground and didn't get up again. It couldn't even defend itself from the final move Scott ordered, a Take Down.
Elliot was now down three Pokemon. My nerves were stretched practically to breaking point. That Gabite was a monster! A pure and utter monster! Even after seeing it take out Shiftry, I had still felt so sure that Elliot's Mightyena could take it out… I'd been wrong…
Absol was sent in next to deal with the monstrosity known as Gabite. The strange cat like Pokemon padded softly, calmly, almost serenely across the battlefield, eyeing the towering figure of the Gabite with distaste, as if it was nothing more than a mere Pidgey. I cast a glance at Scott. He looked calm. When I looked at Elliot however, his face was knotted in a frown. He was worried…
"Gabite, Dual Chop!"
"Absol, dodge, and set up a Swords Dance!"
Absol evaded the Gabite's attack flawlessly, bounding almost lazily out of the way. It retreated a fair distance before executing the Swords Dance, which I knew would give the Pokemon a hefty boost in attacking power. Scott was relentless though, ordering his Gabite to pursue the feline Pokemon, aiming Slash attacks and Dragon Claws. Elliot's Absol proved very agile, effortlessly dodging the bulky Pokemon's efforts and bounding out of harm's way. Just when I thought Elliot was going to keep up this game of chase and evade until both Pokemon were too exhausted to continue, Absol suddenly pivoted around, and aimed a Razor Wind straight at the incoming Gabite, catching it completely off-guard.
The Gabite took the attack hard, knocking it back and sending it to its knees. Elliot didn't waste any time, ordering the Absol to use a Night Slash which sent the Gabite spiralling to the ground again, onto its back. The Pokemon was significantly weakened now, but it still seemed to have some fight left it in. Aside from that, it looked mad…
Elliot thought ahead, getting Absol to use Detect to shield itself from the incoming Take Down Scott ordered. I chanced a glance at Scott. He was finally starting to display emotion, his mouth twisted into a slight frown. Elliot's Absol was obviously giving him trouble. Absol was a force to be reckoned with and Scott's Gabite was completely exhausted.
"Absol! Finish it with a final Night Slash!"
The crowd erupted in cheers as Scott's Gabite fell to the ground, defeated. Elliot's Absol looked totally cool and collected as if the feat it had just undertaken was nothing at all.
Scott recalled Gabite, looking a little frustrated as he replaced the Pokeball on his belt. The score was tied now, three losses each. The battle was on even ground currently and with the advantage shifting from Scott to Elliot and back again constantly, I honestly didn't know what was going to be the eventual outcome…
Scott's next choice was his Tauros, which snorted and pawed the ground angrily no sooner had it burst from the Pokeball. It looked angry and menacing, the battle-scarred horns atop its head looking like it could easily spear the Absol like a piece of skewered meat. The feline Pokemon backed away a little, looking a little frightened.
"Tauros, Horn Attack!"
"Absol, try and dodge!"
While Elliot's Absol did initially evade the rampaging bull's attacks, Scott seemed to take a flash of inspiration, ordering his Tauros to use Scary Face. The Tauros's face contorted into such a horribly frightening image that the Absol balked, completely unable to move. The Tauros then broke into a vicious Take Down, headbutting the Absol and sending it flying. It crashed into the ground, rolled away a few paces and came to a slow stop. It staggered to its feet slowly, but Scott ordered for an Iron Head. Elliot tried to get his Absol to protect itself by using Detect, but the move just didn't seem to work and Absol was completely bulldozed down. It was out.
"No, no, no, no!" I cried, beginning to panic. Elliot was losing now! He only had two Pokemon to defeat Scott's three! He still had his Tauros, Marowak and that worrying Torkoal to concede with. Fair enough, Elliot had kept back Vino and Jet for his final two, and I knew for a fact those were his strongest, but I was still very worried…
Elliot released Vino the Venusaur next who ambled almost sleepily onto the battlefield, yawning as it did so. My heart sunk seeing this. Vino didn't even look like he was awake, much less be capable of putting up a decent fight against this rowdy Tauros. But no sooner had Elliot given the order, Vino snapped into consciousness and delivered a Sweet Scent, making the Tauros drowsy as the powerful heavy scent swept over it. Slowed down, the Tauros was a complete sitting Ducklett for an incredibly powerful Razor Leaf that sliced at the Pokemon's tough hide, the leaves sharp enough to draw blood. Vino then took advantage of its incredible bulk to knock out the Tauros completely with a Double Edge.
Scott sent in his Marowak next, but the Pokemon's Ground type moves were completely ineffective on the giant brute of a Venusaur, and it fell victim to a SolarBeam that it just simply could neither evade nor stop. My heart began to beat so fast in my chest I started to feel ill again. Scott only had one Pokemon left. Elliot had two…
Scott's final Pokemon was Torkoal and no sooner had the Pokemon emerged, I knew what the outcome was going to be within moments. That Pokemon, although tiny in comparison to the Venusaur's massive bulk, looked entirely like it was ready for business. And it was. Within seconds it was shooting massive flames at Vino that the poor Grass type simply couldn't stand up to. Elliot put up a valiant effort, trying to get Vino to use Sleep Powder to put the Pokemon to sleep, but the Torkoal simply incinerated the fine powder. In the end, Vino didn't even stand a chance and fell to the ground burned and singed…
It was down to the last Pokemon each. Torkoal against Jet the Umbreon. You could literally hear a pin drop in the deathly silence of the stadium. Both trainers were staring intently at each other. Scott had given up the notion of passing himself off as blasé and emotionless and was biting his lip fiercely, his eyebrows knotted together and a worried frown deepending across his face. Elliot's teeth looked tightly clenched and he looked like he was about to burst from worry.
And then both trainers came to life.
"Torkoal, Lava Plume!"
"Jet, evade with Quick Attack, then use Confuse Ray!"
The Torkoal's display, as impressive and powerful as it was, didn't even come close to the speedy Umbreon as it darted out of the way of the explosion of fire and flames. It dashed forward, getting a safe distance away from the Fire type before letting loose a sinister ray with a strange high pitched humming sound. A glazed look suddenly came over the Pokemon as the ray surrounded it. I bit my lip. Torkoal was confused. This could completely change the whole battle.
"Torkoal! Snap out of it!" Scott called, trying to get through to his Pokemon. "Try Fire Spin!"
But the Torkoal didn't even seem to register Scott's command and it stood there, dazed, not even making a move. Elliot took his chance. "Umbreon, Faint Attack!"
However, Elliot's attempts to score some damage on the bulky Fire type didn't seem to have much effect. I wasn't sure if the fact Torkoal didn't even seem to notice the attack was down to its confused state, or because of its heightened defences. Either way, it didn't bode well for Elliot and Jet…
"Well, if you can't attack, try Iron Defence!"
Torkoal seemed to understand this time, quickly pulling all its limbs into its shell. Jet's subsequent Faint Attack simply bounced off uselessly. The Torkoal then emerged from the shell and shot a close-range Flamethrower that only just missed Jet. The frightened Umbreon backed off, looking worried. Elliot ordered another Faint Atack, but yet again, it seemed to barely damage the sturdy Fire type.
Scott then gave the order for his Torkoal to use Body Slam, but Elliot thought fast, getting Jet to once again speed out of the way of the attack. The Torkoal overshot the attack, slammed straight into the ground and seemed to wind itself, leaving it a target for Jet to use Payback, which eventually seemed to score some decent amage.
Scott's Torkoal still seemed to be confused as Scott's next order to use Smokescreen failed miserably, the Pokemon somehow managing to submerge itself in black smoke instead of Jet. Elliot snuck in with another well-timed Faint Attack before the Torkoal eventually seemed to get a grip of itself and shot back a Fire Spin, trapping the Dark type within a fiery circle. It shrieked in pain as the flames burned its feeble body.
"Jet!" I cried, standing up. This was bad. This was really bad!
"Now, quickly! Smog!"
As a noxious gas snaked its way towards Jet, my heart plummeted. The gas surrounded Jet, making the Pokemon howl in pain, almost like it had been burned. When the gas eventually faded away, Jet fell to his feet, panting heavily.
"Poisoned…" Jasmine said softly. "There's no way now…"
"Elliot's gonna lose…" I thought in horror as I saw Jet stagger to his feet again, looking exhausted and completely incapable of even standing, let alone fighting. The poor thing looked like it was going to fall over any second now.
But then…
"Jet! Payback!"
It was exactly the same attack as before, which had done little to no damage the first time, but this time it seemed completely different! It was hugely powerful! The attack sent Torkoal spiralling backwards, crashing to the ground. It was panting and wheezing now, and despite its best efforts to get up, simply couldn't get up.
"What the hell?" I cried out in shock, looking at Jasmine for an explanation.
"Payback…" she murmured slowly. "It does regular damage most of the time, but if it's used straight after the Pokemon is hurt or damaged, it does double damange on its opponent."
I didn't get a chance to reply as Elliot was suddenly shouting out an order. "Now, come on, Jet! You can do this! Faint Attack one last time!"
Jet was exhausted, but it managed to pull off the attack. For a moment, I thought it was all over and my heart leapt. But no sooner had Jet staggered away, looking it was about to drop any second, the Torkoal had stood up again.
"Oh no…"
But the Torkoal was wobbling on its feet. The crowd was deathly silent as the Pokemon wavered, its eyes lidding. Scott was clenching his fists, his face twisted in worry, and I could see him frantically mouthing something under his breath. Elliot looked like he was holding his breath, his face deathly pale. Jet too was staring at his opponent. For too long a time, everybody just watched and waited.
And then, as if we were watching a slow motion movie, the Torkoal's eyes suddenly rolled back into its head and it collapsed to the ground.
For a long moment, the entire crowd was silent. It was almost like no-one moved. No-one said anything. Like no-one was even breathing. I sat there, suddenly doubting what my eyes had just seen.
Then, the announcer was bellowing into the microphone. "Torkoal is no longer able to battle! Umbreon is the winner!"
Thunderous applause suddenly burst out all over the arena. For one complete mad moment, I had no idea what to do. I let out a uncontrollable squeal and immediately got to my feet, not sure whether to flap my arms up and down like an excitable chicken, jump up and down like an excitable child, or do both like an absolute nutcase.
"Elliot's won!"
Somehow managing to grasp a hold of myself and calm down, I glanced across and saw Scott slowly recall Torkoal. No sooner had he done so, however, the announcer and proctor had suddenly darted across to grab both he and Elliot respectively. They were then dragged into the centre of the battlefield. Elliot was looking stunned and Scott had the look of a man who really didn't want to be there. I couldn't however tell if he was angry or disappointed… or if he was even either of those things.
The announcer suddenly grabbed Elliot's hand and thrust his arm into the air. "Ladies and gentlemen, yes, ladies and gentlemen! Presenting the winner of the Violet City Battle Tournament, yes the winner of Violet City Battle Tournament… Mr Elliot Wood!"
Applause and cheering were sounding out all over the Elliot stood rather nervously in the centre of the battlefield. He looked bemused and almost a little embarrassed at the cheering. I started cheering and clapping as loud as I could, hollering Elliot's name, feeling so proud that I felt I could burst. Nikki and Jasmine were both clapping, but perhaps not as enthusiastically as I was.
"And commiserations to our runner up, Mr Scott Harper!"
Scott inclined his head at the applause almost like a bow. He turned around as Elliot suddenly leaned across to tap him on the shoulder. Elliot then reached out his hand. Scott looked initially a little flummoxed, but reached out all the same. Elliot grasped the younger boy's hand and shook it firmly. And then, a smile broke out on Scott's face.
"Is Scott smiling?" Jasmine mouthed frantically.
I could only nod, a wide smile of my own suddenly breaking out over my face. "Yeah!" I shouted, jumping up and down and clapping my hands enthusiastically over my head. "You go, guys! I'm so proud of you!"
"Ladies and gentlement, this concludes, yes, this concludes the Annual Violet City Battle Tournament! Thank you, yes, thank you to all the talented trainers that took part this year! Once again, congratulations to Elliot, our winner today, and we look forward to seeing you all again next year for the next tournament! Thank you, yes, thank you and enjoy the rest of your day!"
And with that, the curtain was officially, and finally, drawn on the Violet City Battle tournament. The spectators began filing out and we saw Elliot and Scott making their way back towards the competitors rest room. I glanced at Nikki and Jasmine, motioned for them to follow me and the three of us immediately gave chase.
We entered the competitiors' rest room which was a hive of activitiy and excited buzzing. Elliot was surrounded by people, but as soon as he saw me among the crowd, his whole face lit up. My heart soared and I immediately began pushing past people to get to him. I threw myself bodily at Elliot as soon as I came within a close distance of him. I collided with him, wrapped my arms around him and gave him such a bone-crushing hug I swore I heard him squeak with pain. But then suddenly his arms were around me and he was hugging me back, his breath tickling my ear and hair.
"Hey, you," he whispered softly.
"Hey," I grinned, looking straight up into his green eyes. "Well done. I'm so proud of you,"
And then I reached up and kissed him, not even caring that we were in full view of all our friends and almost every single competitor from the tournament. I heard wolf-whistles and teasing, but I didn't even care. I just wrapped myself up in Elliot, and Elliot only, wishing this moment between he and I would just go on forever.
We were interrupted by the announcer suddenly sidling into the room. We broke apart as soon as his booming voice sounded out, thanking us for participating. He was gone as soon as he came however, and we were left alone. I consulted the time on my watch, realising that it was getting late. My stomach growled and I realised how hungry I was. I told this to the others, and they agreed that it would probably be best to leave for the night.
Of course I had a plethora of people to say goodbye to first, and in the buzzing atmosphere and tightly packed room it was difficult to find them. Everyone was desperate to talk to Elliot and congratulate him on his win, meaning the rest of us were sandwiched together with barely any room to move. However, I eventually managed to slip away and came face-to-face with Selphie, who had purposefully invaded the competitor's rest room, despite not even making it to the final round.
"Selphie!" I said excitedly.
"Sienna,"
She was smiling, which I considered rather unsual for Selphie. "You know, I'm kinda disappointed that you didn't go any further than you did… I thought you had it in you…"
"Uh, yeah…" I said with a sheepish laugh. "Guess I disappointed you, huh?"
"It's okay," she said rather offhandedly. "You did a lot better than I could, anyway."
I offered her a smile, but then caught her staring at the door in an almost wistful manner. I cleared my throat loudly before speaking again. "So… what's next for you?"
She shrugged a little. "I don't know. Get back on the road, I guess. Keep travelling. I've always travelled. Never stayed in one place too long…"
"Really…?"
She nodded. "Born on the road, live on the road. That's the way I like it. I wanna see the world, Sienna. I wanna learn about all the awesome things it has to offer." She then stopped, looking sheepish, almost as if she had revealed too much. This time, she cleared her throat and let out an impatient sigh. "We'll probably never see each other again,"
"You never know,"
"Statistically speaking, the odds of two people meeting again completely and totally by chance are slim at best," she said with another casual shrug.
"The future's not set in stone," I quipped back.
"Hmph," she said, crossing her arms. "Goodbye, Sienna."
"Until we meet again," I said to her retreating back.
She heard me, shot me a glare, shook her head and stalked off again. I couldn't help but smile. That girl was a character, there was no doubt about that. I waited until she was gone, before quietly murmuring "Goodbye, Selphie."
"Again? Really Sienna… I have got to get you out of this habit!"
I didn't even have to turn around to know who was responsible for that little quip. "Hello, Crow," I grinned.
"Miss Volbeda," he said, suddenly appearing by my side. His smile oozed charm and sophistication as it always did, and he completely removed his hat and dropped into a short bow.
"You're like a Victorian gentleman, you know that?" I joked.
"I try," he said, replacing his hat with a flourish, his brown eyes bright with mischief. "Anyway, as I cannot seem to get near the man of the hour," he indicated Elliot, still surrounded. "And considering I need to be on my way, please pass on my congratulations to him for the win, and thanks for such a great battle,"
"Oh, you're going?" I asked, feeling disappointed.
"I'm afraid so," he said smoothly. "Places to go, people to see, a black market to run…"
"What?"
"Side business," he said with a cheeky wink. "Very profitable."
"Is that legal?"
"It's only illegal if you get caught,"
"You know, you shouldn't be doing that." I said, shaking my head slightly.
"I know," he said with another wide smile.
I shook my head again, but this time I couldn't help but grin back. "You're hopeless,"
"We're all a little hopeless." He said with a mild shrug. "We're all rudderless ships in the icy black ocea, fighting the currents and trying to make the best of it all. So we cling onto our strengths and use them to get what we ultimately want out of life. And hey, if scamming and conning are mine, then who am I to deny myself them?"
I blinked slowly. "Wait a second… so for all this time, I've been hanging around with a… a…"
"A con artist, yes."
At that point, I could probably have been knocked over with a Pidgey feather. "I… I never even…"
"Guessed?" He said with another cheeky grin. "Sign of a good scam artist. Oh don't worry, I only do this on the side."
"That's a… great comfort…"
"You shouldn't trust anyone, Miss Volbeda," Crow said, idly readjusting the scarf hanging around his neck. "People aren't always what they seem to be. Or what they believe they are, either. So, be careful."
"Crow…" I said slowly. "Why are you…?" I trailed off, not sure how to end my sentence.
"Cos the world's a mad place. And most everyone who's in it is pretty mad, too."
I couldn't argue with that, so instead I simply smiled.
"Goodbye, Sienna Volbeda," Crow said, tipping his hat once again. He then reached his arm out and touched me gently on the arm. I found the contact a rather strange occurance, but dismissed it. "I sincerely hope our paths cross again in the future,"
"Bye, Crow." I said, waving him off.
As I watched the various retreating backs of the people I had met and gotten to know, I felt a peculiar sadness swell up inside me. Selphie and Crow had already left, and the competitors' rest room was finally beginning to empty out. As I scanned the crowd, I caught sight of Hikaru Brown leaving, followed closely by Melinda Hughes. They didn't even see me, and I found myself wishing I could say goodbye. As I stood there, a peculiar shiver suddenly ran down my spine and I turned around to see Natsuki Ikebana staring back at me. I jumped, startled. I wanted to say something, but my mouth simply wouldn't work. She said nothing either, simply stared at me for a few seconds, before turning on her heel and slowly gliding out, her Gastly floating alongside her.
"Hey, you."
I almost jumped out of my skin at the unfamiliar voice. When I pivoted around, I almost collapsed again when I saw who was addressing me. Jade Black. He had removed the cloak from around his shoulders, making him seem marginally less intimidating and more of a real, approachable person.
"Tell your boyfriend he did good," Jade said, rather stiffly, I felt.
"Me? Why me? W…why don't you tell him?" I asked meekly.
Jade cocked an eyebrow at me. "I have better things to do than concern myself with idle chit-chat. I have gyms to battle, a vow to uphold and a championship to win."
Admittedly, the mention of the 'vow' had me intrigued, but I didn't want to probe too far into this guy's personal issues. He kind of scared me. "A championship…?"
"Yes, a championship." He said, before turning on his heel and beginning to walk away. After a few steps, he turned to look back over his shoulder. "Remember the name. Jade Black. You'll be hearing a lot about it. So, you'd do well to remember it."
I waited until he was a safe distance away from me before exhaling deeply and muttering under my breath "It's not like it I'll ever forget that name…"
"Sienna!"
I turned around at the sound of yet another familiar voice and came face-to-face with Grey and Luca. "Hey, guys," I greeted them with a smile.
"Hey, Sienna." Luca waved. "Just stopping off to say goodbye."
"You as well?" I asked sadly. "Everyone's leaving… I thought some people might be hanging around in Violet City for a while."
"I can't, sorry," Luca said sheepishly. "I'm meeting my friend and then we're heading up to battle Pryce. I'm after my seventh Gym badge."
"And I'm heading home to Blackthorn for a little while," Grey cut in. "I've been training too long. I kinda want a break before I go back out on the road."
"Nothing wrong with taking a break," I said with an approving nod.
Grey smiled, absentmindedly tugging on a frayed bandage on his arm. His eyes were shining behind his square-framed glasses. "Well, I'm not normally one for taking breaks… I have a lot I want to do."
"Like?" I found myself asking.
He shrugged a little. "I guess the same as anyone, really. Beat a League. Take on the Elite Four. Maybe even beat a champion. Oh, and I'd really love to see Lugia."
"Lugia?" Luca suddenly intercepted. "The Legendary Pokemon, Lugia?"
"Yeah," Grey nodded. "I don't know why, I'd just really love to see it. I know it's not likely… Legendary Pokemon don't appear to just anyone. They're rare for a reason."
"Mm," I nodded, struggling to bite my tongue. I'd seen Legendary Pokemon before… but somehow I doubted Grey would be particularly enthused to learn someone like me had seen them before. Instead I bit back what I wanted to say, cleared my throat and told him "Well, good luck,"
"I'll need it," Grey said with another smile. "Well, I guess I'll see you around. Was great meeting you guys. Take care,"
"Bye, Grey."
No sooner had Grey left, Luca turned a cheery face to me. "Well, I need to get going too. Gotta pick up my friend, Ophelia, and then head back home to Mahogany Town. I've got a battle with the Gym Leader up there, and I'm out to prove a lot…"
I nodded.
"What about you? What are you doing?"
I shrugged. "Take on Faulkner, and then find another Gym to battle. Then… then I guess I'm out to prove something, too."
"Well, here." Luca said, passing across his Pokegear. "Put your number in there. I'd love to hear about if you manage to prove whatever it is you want to,"
"Sure," I said, smiling, programming my number into the high-tech little gadget. "Don't be a stranger, okay?"
"I won't," he said, pocketing the device. "Well, I gotta go. Goodbye, Sienna."
"Bye Luca…"
And just like that, everyone else was gone. Now it only seemed to be myself and my friends left. I let out a resigned sigh and slipped my hands into the pocket of my jeans. My fingers suddenly touched rustling paper and I pulled out whatever it was in confusion.
It was a folded up piece of paper with writing scrawled across it. The script was thin and jagged, almost incomprehensible. It took me a good few minutes to decode it.
"If you ever need to buy something 'on the cheap', sell off some 'suspicious' stuff, get a hold of some 'top-secret' information or just con a local idiot, look me up.
Your friendly neighbourhood scam artist,
- Crow
"Crow!" I gasped as I caught sight of a string of numbers scrawled at the bottom of the note. "How did he—? When did he—?"
"Sienna!"
"Huh?"
I turned around to see Elliot coming towards me. I hastily stuffed the note back in my pocket. "Hey,"
"Hey, yourself." He grinned, reaching out and wrapping his arms around my waist. "You ready to go back to the Pokemon Centre?"
"Oh, Arceus, yes." I grinned. "It's been a long day,"
"I know," he said, leaning down and planting a soft, sweet kiss on my lips. "Come on, let's take you back for the night, okay?"
"Okay," I grinned.
But my happiness over the day finally ending and getting to relax were horribly short-lived. As we collected the others and began to walk, I was suddenly reminded of the conversation I had had with my father… The woman Helene Fontaine…
Who was she? What did she want…?
And most importantly, could any of us be in danger because of her?
Author's Note
AND IT'S FINALLY OVER!
This arc has been so hard to write but it's finally over :D
Special thanks go to MasterFreezeman and The Neverending Meep for helping me with the battle between Scott and Elliot. You guys were lifesavers, honestly :)
I have the next chapter already written up, so you should get it by the end of next week :)
Thanks to my reviewers Sniper Mudkip, WarriorSwift, Shadow Serenity 57, The Neverending Meep, TwewyReaperGirl, TCoBlackRoses, Final Flame Dragon and Aeroga!
Until next time! When I PROMISE things will start to get very interesting :D