Warning: Do not read if you are experiencing high levels of hunger or are prone to salivate over your PC at the mention of food, unable to read high amounts of mentally pronounced abusive insults or are easily offended at the sight of imaginary murder scenes and the like…
Chapter Two: A Rivalry Is Born
"Attention passengers, we will be arriving at Olville Town Station in ten minutes. All passengers are to ensure that they have all their belongings on them before they leave the train. I repeat…"
I heard that already! Geez, do they think I'm deaf or something?
The boy yawned, stretched and scratched the back of his head under his red and white baseball cap. As he peered out of the window at the steadily approaching station, his tiredness gave way to an intense enthusiasm and excitement that had been welling up within him since he left his native Cherrygrove Town three days ago.
Sapphire "Sapph" Manson had begun his Pokémon journey. Admittedly not the way he desired (with his twin brother's broken old Pokédex; a handheld computer with information on all Pokémon in the world that looked like a red flip-open calculator), but he had begun. He planned to start his journey with the strongest starter available, which in his opinion was whichever Fire Pokémon was in Professor Yew's lab up for grabs. All the Manson household had begun training with Fire Pokémon: His Dad, Justin, had left Pallet Town with a Charmander, his Mum, Katherine, started from New Bark Town with a Cyndaquil and his older twin brother, Rubin had left for Littleroot Town a year before to begin with a Torchic. He wasn't interested in the other two (especially the Grass starter as he was of the opinion that they were the slowest starters with the most weaknesses).
Finally, the train hissed and came to a screeching halt in the rustic train station. Sapph leapt down as soon as he felt the train was slow enough, winding up on the pavement face first. Just as he felt this journey had begun on a bad note, he lifted himself off the station floor to see a group of three kids laughing at him. He groaned to the asphalt just a brisk and concerned voice asked "Are you OK?"
He looked up into a pair of silver grey eyes under a wide-brimmed cowboy hat. Their owner appeared to be a girl about his age in a Red Indian style two-piece outfit and heavy-looking hiking boots. "Yeah." he grunted, ignoring the girl's hand and hoisting himself gingerly off the asphalt. His ego was sorer than he was, anyway.
"I'm Haley," the girl said, "the guys laughing at you over there are my jerk of an older brother Kamren, his jerk of a girlfriend, Carla and his best friend Chaz, an idiot if you ever met one. Who are you? And," she added with a hint of a grin she had obviously been trying to hide all this while, "where are you off to in such a hurry?"
Sapph was starting to get annoyed. "I'm Sapphire…"
"Like your eyes, hunh?" Haley asked.
"Yeah", Sapph said, a little aggressively. Then, noting his tone said "Sorry. D'you know where to find Gus the repairman's shop?" As anxious as he was to get going, he also knew that he had to send the Pokédex to the local repairman friend of his dad's in town before he went to the lab.
"Yep," Haley said. "Smallest shop on the main street with the largest sign. I'm going there myself. I'll show you."
"Thanks."
"Hey, Haley, don't tell me you're picking up boyfriends already?" the blonde called, choking on a laugh, her baggy Pokémon League T-shirt barely hiding her slim and slightly curvy figure.
Haley's eyes suddenly became cold white slits of fury as she turned to face the girl called Carla. With an evil smile, she answered, "Only if you tell me you're finally gonna follow your stupid diet."
Ouch! Below the belt! Sapph thought, wincing slightly.
Carla looked as though Haley had slapped her. For a moment she stood stock still, taking in the full import of the insult. When she finally got over the initial shock, her face grew incandescent red.
"Hey! You'd wanna watch it, Skinny Girl!" Carla yelled back, a nerve on her fist ready to snap.
Way below the belt, Sapph thought again, alarmed as he literally saw sparks fly from Haley's hair and an evil aura arise from her very skin.
"Oh, and one more thing," Carla said, looking over her shoulder as she turned to go. "Lay off the lemonade, you may slip through the straw and drown one day."
Game, set and match! , Sapph thought furtively, hastily stepping away from Haley as she clenched her fist with a loud cracking noise.
"Now, now, sis," Kamren added, as he made to follow with Chaz. "Mother always said not to pick up everything you see."
A vein snapped on the back of Haley's head.
"Everything?" Sapph echoed faintly.
"DROP DEAD, KAMREN! AND YOU, CARLA!" she yelled, shaking her fist at their retreating backs.
As if to satisfy a very violent whim, Haley turned to a wall, and proceeded to punch a three inch crater into it, snarling, "I…HATE…THAT…STUPID…," the next words she picked were a choice of words no writer would really want to write down in a hurry.
Sapph cowered behind the dustbin as Haley breathed deeply in a bid to calm herself. Turning back to Sapph, her face showed the same cheer that she addressed him at his arrival.
"What're you doing down there? Come along, let's go!" She asked in some surprise, turning to lead the way out of the station.
"Uh, sure," Sapph said uneasily, rising to follow Haley out of the station with the throng of arrivals.
As they left the station, Haley, tucking away a strand of flyaway reddish blond hair asked "So! Starting your Pokémon journey tomorrow too, hunh?"
"Wha… oh, yeah, I am." Sapph replied nervously. This Haley character seemed to be showing quite an interest in his affairs in Olville Town. "What are you anyway? Psychic?"
"No, just intuitive. Kamren going on about how he's going to get the Fryger tomorrow…"
"Fryger?" Sapph asked.
"Fire Tiger species. It's the fire starter at Professor Yew's lab…" Haley explained.
We'll see about that, Sapph thought, vowing to keep Kamren as far away from his Fryger as possible.
"…I mean, so what? I'd prefer Aquari, the Water Hare Pokémon. I love Water Pokémon. What type do you like?" Haley continued.
"I'd like the Fryger too." Sapph admitted, "Aquari wouldn't be too shabby, but I'd rather…"
"Well, let's hope you get the Fryger then," Haley cut across him. Sapph stared as Haley clenched a fist over thin air in determination, fire in her eyes.
"Uh, Haley? You're really starting to freak me way out," Sapph said conversationally.
"Really? Sorry," Haley apologised, her eyes snapping back to normal.
"Are you going to compete in the League?" Sapph asked her.
"Not really," Haley said slowly, slowing down her pace as they passed the town square and moved on up to the High Street.
"What then? Contests?" Sapph asked, less eagerly now.
"No, I'm really not one for competitions. I'd prefer researching like what Prof. Yew is into," Haley continued, still deep in a reverie.
"Researching?" Sapph asked incredulously. What a total waste o-, he'd begun to yell in his mind, figuring it was better to keep such thoughts inside than out in the open with Haley nearby.
"We're here." Haley said, interrupting Sapph's mental rant.
Sapph entered Gus's Speedy Repairs first, looking around, while Haley followed him in and went up to the main counter and rang the bell for service.
Rows upon rows laden down with broken junk lined the shelves. It was almost as though I've walked back into the Cherrygrove Odds and Ends, Sapph thought looking around remembering the back street store where he had spent many a lazy Saturday afternoon with his best (not to mention only) buddy and fellow class reject Tony and his little cousin Karen, who was a year younger than them and spent her summers with them. Tony had no respect from anywhere but his family, who ran the shop. Small, bespectacled and scrawny, Tony was often the object of many bullying incidents involving some mean as they come fifth graders at school which Sapph wound up sharing after trying to stick up for him on their first day. From then on, Mr. and Mrs. Sanchez, Tony's dad and mum were always pleased to see him and Sapph in return would help Tony run errands behind his parents backs.
After Emma "accidentally" let slip about that event to Mr. and Mrs. Kent, their parents expressly forbade them to go there any more. It was one of those times when Sapph felt they were being unfair and paid for letting them know this with the longest time out in the history of time outs. Sapph wasn't one for being diplomatic.
Gus was tall and looking like he was in his sixties. He gave Haley a warm smile as he came in from the back room, pulling out his wrinkled hands out of the pockets of his equally wrinkled brown trousers.
"Ah, young Miss Haley! A pleasure to see you, as always…how are you family?" Gus said Haley cheerfully, his small goose grey eyes twinkling.
God, I hate this brat! He thought under the mask of joy.
"Fine thank you, Mr. Gus!" Haley added, in an identically tone, vibrant with enthusiasm.
What a loser! Haley snorted mentally, taking in Gus's awful orange tie.
"Starting your Pokémon journey tomorrow?" Gus continued in his fruity, unctuous voice.
Snot-nosed punk! What kind of dress-up is that? If you were my daughter, ohhh, the punishments I'd have in mind…
"Why yes, Mr Gus! How'd you know?"
Damn snoop! Where the hell d'you think you're looking?!
"Oh, your mother told me," Gus said jovially, his face radiant with happiness.
The pompous, gossiping, arrogant cow, Gus went on.
"Oh, is that right, Mr. Gus? When did you see her?" Haley went on.
Bloody gossip, Haley continued.
"At Town Hall the other day," Gus gushed on. "She was as always, a delight to behold!"
The ugly hag had so much make-up on, a Muk woulda been happier to look at his reflection than at her!
Haley gasped in joyful surprise "Oh, Mr. Gus! As Mother says, you are quite the flirt!"
Perverted stalker! I hate him, I hate him, I hate him!
A merciful ceasefire of compliments, mental putdowns and non-verbal outright insults then took over the room as Sapph moved like a blur throughout the shop, sifting through an older model PokéNav, several broken Apricorn balls, several battered Pokéblock cases, an iron, camera tripod and saucepan with the bottom gone.
"Ah yes, I have your kettle here all fixed up…," Gus went on, ducking under the counter to retrieve a powder blue kettle. "…and, erm, can I help you?" Gus added with a stab of annoyance at Sapph, who was gazing, enthralled at a selection of very rare Pokéballs set in a glass case along the wall.
Sapph turned around sharply and half-abashed, half-annoyed responded, "erm, yes, please, could you take a look at my brother's broken Pokédex for me, sir?" he added, resisting the urge to mock Gus with a curtsy and handing the device to the repairman.
"Who's your charmingly enthusiastic friend, Haley?" Gus asked cheerfully, pretending not to notice the hostile and touchy tone Sapph's answer had been muttered in.
"Oh, him? He's Sapphire," Haley answered. "Sapphire Manson."
"Sapph, Sapph, the name is Sapph!" Sapph yelled, dropping a large broken microwave into the servicing bin, his face beet red. Gus winced, his blood pressure rising fast.
Punk, I'll flay you alive! Gus snarled.
Sweet move, Sapph! Haley thought appreciatively, smiling in grim satisfaction.
"So you'd be Justin's second boy, hmm? I heard a lot of good things about Rubin in Hoenn, very accomplished there he is- (Sapph was feeling even grouchier by now with a scowl to match) -though his Pokédex can't say the same. Very well, I'll take a shifty at it. Come pick it up tomorrow morning at 8:30."
Sapph muttered his thanks and turned to leave the shop, still scowling. His face, however, lightened as he saw something in a large white basket. Diving forward, Sapph brought out two Friend Balls, a Fast Ball and a Heavy Ball which happened to be in great condition except for the fact that they were incredibly dusty.
"Hey are these for free?" Sapph asked, turning around.
"Hey, kid, that's the free bin. See it written on the side? The sign is supposed to show that everything in the box is free," Gus said plainly, wondering whether Sapph was simple, stupid or just plain slow.
"Gee, thanks mister!" Sapph thanked him brightly, dropping the balls into his backpack's pokéball pouch.
Grouchy geezer, Sapph thought angrily as he left the repair shop, his scowl firmly back in place.
Haley grabbed the kettle and with a rushed "Thank you" to Gus, left the shop after Sapph, pausing only to grab three Lure Balls and a Moon Ball from out of the free bin. Studying them for a minute, she eventually dropped the dusty spheres into her bag in a manner that plainly said, 'Well, if that's the best you've got. '
"Have a nice day, Haley dear! Say hello to your family for me!" Gus called after Haley's retreating back in his greatly exaggerated voice of pleasure as she turned to wave in farewell.
I hate you, I hate your family, I hate you all!
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Wandering past the small branch post office, the blue and white Pokémon Mart, the rustic and ancient looking Town Hall and the site of the future Pokémon Paradise salon, Haley finally located Sapph in from of a large white and red building which looked more modern than the quaint; two-story houses that surrounded it. The red-painted roofing set the building apart from its dark plum-roofed neighbours
Sapph was in the middle of sliding open the glass doors when Haley called out to him. Sapph stopped and turned to face the reddish-blonde girl who was running up the street towards him.
"What now?" Sapph said, more exasperatedly than rudely.
"I'll give you 'what now'! What was that all about back there?" she asked, finally catching up with him at the Pokémon Centre. She stood with her hands set firmly on her waist and feet apart as she pouted as though Sapph had been rude to Gus.
"Nothing" Sapph replied grumpily.
"Sure?" Haley countered.
"Yes! "
"Okay! There's no need to go ballistic on me! One more thing, what are you doing here? Isn't this a guest house for trainers?"
"Nah, you think?! I'm spending the night here 'because, in case you haven't noticed, I can't spend it anywhere else! I'm all the way from Cherrygrove in Johto! Geez, what is this, 20 Questions?"
"No, it isn't," Haley replied, also starting to lose her temper, "It's just that your parents arranged with Prof. Yew and my mother that you'd spend the night at our place!"
Sapph felt his frustration vanish only to be replaced with shame. Turning away and scuffing his trainers on the ground, Sapph mumbled "I'm sorry. Really."
Haley smiled "No problem. Let's go."
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The Kent Mansion was the largest building Sapph had ever seen in his life. A noble white villa set atop the hill overlooking the village with an expansive park both in the front and in the back, the mansion gave the impression that the Kents had never had any money troubles in their entire lives.
"How do you like it?" Haley asked, amused at the stunned expression on Sapph's face.
Sapph continued to stare at the house with his jaw dropped.
"My sis asked you a question, Fortree Mankey, aren't you gonna answer?" asked a snide voice behind them. Both turned to see Kamren smirking at them. "Or is our new out of towner fancying the station platform he kissed earlier?"
Sapph groaned inwardly. He'd almost forgotten about Kamren and the fact that staying at the Kent's' would mean being under the same roof as his new rival.
"Very funny, Kammy! " Sapph retorted with a smirk of his own.
"What did you call me?" Kamren roared as Haley giggled uncontrollably.
"Hmm, deaf too… oh well, let's go find your mum, okay?" Sapph mused, walking towards the house. Haley followed laughing as Kamren spluttered, "Get back here! You can't call me that here…"
"What's so funny?" Sapph asked Haley bemusedly as she still hadn't stopped laughing yet.
Haley tried to answer, but choked as fresh peals of laughter escaped her. Sapph shrugged and raised his hand to knock the door. However, Haley just pulled out her house key and opened the door herself, sobering up slightly in the process.
"Mother, I'm home! Oh, and so is Sapph!" Haley called as they entered.
Mrs. Kent was tall, graceful and in Sapph's opinion, one of the prettiest women he'd ever seen. In her early thirties, she sort of looked like Haley, with the same silver grey eyes and heart shaped face. Her hair, which she wore in elegant tresses down her back, was a luxurious, velvety black colour. Wearing an emerald green dress, long white gloves and a friendly expression, she proffered her hand for Sapph to shake with an air of grace and refined dignity. I guess all moms must look pretty, Sapph thought as he shook her hand.
"Ah, Sapphire…" she began.
"Sapph." Sapph replied as pleasantly as he could. He wasn't really big on the name 'Sapphire'- it sounded a little too feminine.
"Oh, sorry Sapph! How was your train trip?"
"Preetty hard, but funny from my point of view, hunh, Sapphire?" sneered Kamren nastily.
"Kammy! That wasn't polite at all! Apologize now, please!" Mrs. Kent scolded.
Now Sapph could kinda see what Haley found funny earlier on. Resisting the urge to laugh, he watched Kamren look anywhere but at Sapph and say through gritted teeth, "I'm. Sorry."
"That's better. Now Sapph, how're your parents? And baby Emma? It's been so long," Mrs. Kent went on, leading the way into the lavishly-furnished living room
"They're OK," Sapph said amicably, suppressing a grin at the thought of Emma's reaction to someone calling her 'baby'.
"Kathy and I go very far back… we travelled together when we were young, you know…" Mrs. Kent went on as a dark-haired lady in a frilly maid's outfit brought out some refreshment for the chatting trio.
"Humph? Really?" Sapph asked, his mouth full of cupcakes. Haley recoiled in disgust.
"…and Rubin. How's he? It's been a while since I heard of his exploits. Oh, don't worry, dear, I'm sure you'll make an excellent trainer in your own right." She added, catching the dark expression on Sapph's face.
"Thanks, Mrs. Kent. That…erm…means a lot to me, I guess." Sapph said quietly, a faint tinge in his cheek, turning away to watch an elegant Persian and Milotic prance out on the grounds so neither lady could see.
As silence fell upon them, a maid came in to clear the teat things away. Cooling down, Sapph turned back to Mrs. Kent and said, "By the way, Mrs. Kent…where's Pampa City?"
"Oh, that's a small city somewhat to the west of Nightspark City," the older Kent replied.
"We moved from Nightspark when I was six and Kamren was seven," Haley added. Smiling faintly in reminisce, she went on, "Kamren hasn't stopped complaining since we arrived in Olville since then."
"And you did?" Sapph asked, his eyebrow arched sceptically, after exerting the enormous effort of getting his food down the right tube.
"Come to think of it, you never stopped moaning about moving here until last year yourself, dear," Mrs. Kent said thoughtfully, setting her teacup down with a far away look in her eyes.
"MOTHERRR!" Haley moaned as Sapph began to smirk in a most Kamren-like way. He opened his mouth to say something smart-aleck when Haley hissed furiously out of the corner of her mouth "Not one word, Sapph Manson. Not one stinking word."
The collective sight of Haley's furious face and the memory of Haley's strength at the station shut Sapph up but good.
"Well, I suppose we'd all best get some dinner in… unless you two would like to turn in early…" Mrs. Kent said, rising to her feet.
A loud rumbling sound filled the room at that moment. As Mrs. Kent and Haley spun around to stare at Sapph who in turn turned pink in embarrassment.
"I believe Master Sapph would like dinner first, madam," the nearby maid supplied dryly, tossing back her long blonde hair.
"Yes, dinner so sounds good to me!" Sapph said somewhat sheepishly, springing up with Haley and proceeding to wash up.
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The dining room was as stylish as the rest of the house. Furnished with what looked like century old oak tables and chairs, large purple cushions had been set into the seats, arms and backs of every chair in the room. The windows were large and showed a brilliant sunset over the Yew Laboratory which Sapph could easily watch as he took his place at the table facing the window framed with curtains of a rich, sky blue colour which had a white Romanesque trim.
Then there was the meal itself: platters, dishes and trays of all Sapph's favourites and dishes Sapph had never seen before stretched the full length of the table. There was spring rolls, meat rolls, fish rolls, and fresh bread rools; sushi, squid, mashed potato, boiled potato, braised potato, fries; noodles, spaghetti, shepherd's pie, pork pies, keish, thick rich gravies, barbeque chicken wings, lamb and pork chops, spare ribs, sausages, fish fingers, fried and steamed fish and meat sauces, vegetables, salads and condiments of all kinds imaginable along the length of the large, circular table which was decked out
To top it off, the maids who served the food were highly attractive, leaving Sapph in wonder as to whether he was in some wild dream and stinging in mild jealousy at the Kents' rich lifestyle.
Though there was high tension in the air as Kamren sat to eat at the same table, the meal passed with little conflict between Kamren and Sapph. However, as the meal gradually came to a close, tempers started to flare.
"Whoo, I'm officially stuffed," Sapph announced wearily to the Kent family, leaning back in his seat after his fourth large bowl of rocky road ice cream. "Thanks for the meal, Mrs. Kent!"
"It was our pleasure, Sapph," Haley said cordially.
"It was our pleasure, Sapph, " Kamren mocked his sister, putting on a high pitched falsetto and a grotesque face which included his tongue hanging out.
Kamren mimed puking into his plate as Mrs. Kent said, "Haley's right dear. It was a joy having you share this repast with us."
"Now I feel ready to become the next Pokémon Master! Which will start when I get a Flame Tiger Pokémon and catch all one hundred and seventy-four Pokémon."
"What a joke," Kamren snorted.
"What is?" Sapph said, losing all traces of cheer as he sat upright to face Kamren across the table.
"Well, for starters, it'll be me who'll get the Fire Tiger Pokémon, Fryger," Kamren said simply but with the air of a man itching for a fight.
"Anything else, Kamren?" Sapph asked coolly, though flushing slightly.
"Well, idiot, Corei has a hundred and forty seven unique species of Pokémon indigenous to it," Kamren said nonchalantly. "Every real Pokémon trainer knows that."
Sapph flushed in anger and embarrassment.
"And you said you'll be the next Pokémon Master? Dream on, loser," Kamren said in a haughty voice.
"What did you say?" Sapph snarled starting to really lose it at this point.
"Now, now, boys, settle down," Mrs. Kent said cheerily, but with a bite of impatience all the same.
"We'll see who's laughing after I get the Fryger tomorrow morning, Kamren!" Sapph retorted, standing and pointing at Kamren.
"What did you say?" Kamren said loudly, setting his fork down with a clatter as he too rose to his feet.
"Stop that, Kamren, if you please!" Mrs. Kent said sternly.
"But he started it!" Kamren snarled, pointing at Sapph's smug face.
"I really don't care, Kamren! Now please sit down! Sapph's a guest here, remember?"
Sapph's smirk widened as Kamren flopped back into his chair, arms crossed and fuming more than a Camerupt as a bevy of ladies all in the same serving attire came to clear up the feast.
"Shall I take your plate, sir?" A maid whose black hair was held in two braids asked Sapph, gesturing towards his empty plate.
"Uh, it's okay, ma'am," Sapph said, uncomfortable at the prospect of someone cleaning up after him. "I can do it myself…"
The three Kents burst out into laughter; Mrs. Kent's reserved, Haley's raucous yet jovial and Kamren's rude.
"That's a good one Sapph!" Haley said gasping for breath and wiping the tears from her eyes as, a fat maid with a friendly face and sleek, iron grey hair tied back in a bun cleared away her plate.
"You really are a stupid Aipom, aren't you?" Kamren snorted scornfully. "Which backyard farm were you raised on anyway?"
"Enough Mankey tricks, Kammy!" Mrs. Kent scolded austerely.
I think I'll turn in for the night," Sapph said swiftly, rising out of his chair to leave the room.
If I don't, I just may kill that cocky bas… Sapph began in his mind, unpleasant thoughts of what he'd like to call and do to Kamren chasing each other in his mind.
"Alright, good night, dear!" Mrs. Kent said. "Lucinda? Please take Sapph to the guest room" she added as the chubby maid with rosy cheeks came back from cleaning Haley's plate.
"And, Lucinda? There are some dusty pokéballs in my hip bag," Haley added as the large maid cleared away the plates.
"Very well, madams," Lucinda answered, passing the plates to another attractive maid, redhead this time as she passed. "And Mr. Manson's?"
"Err, no, no it's okay, I'll clean them myself. It's okay. Really," Sapph assured her hurriedly before Mrs. Kent or Haley could say yes.
"After all, Lucinda," Kamren said, yawning widely as he reclined in his chair, "Mr. Manson's gotta look after the third rate junk he buys on his own. Doesn't he, widdle Sapphire?"
"Kamren, that's enough! No I mean it!" Mrs. Kent snapped. "And sit up straight!"
Only one guest room? At least that's one thing our families have in common, Sapph thought in relief.
"Just one question, madam," Lucinda went on.
"Yes, Lucinda?" Mrs. Kent asked nicely.
"Which guest room shall I take Mr. Manson up to?"
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Twenty minutes later, Sapph was ushered into a guest room. Sapph was for the third time that day, left totally speechless, a feat not even a mouthful of waffle couldn't accomplish. Setting his rucksack down, Sapph's eyes drank the highly polished oaken furniture with deep purple plushie cushions which matched the beddings. A gold-plated chandelier hung from the ceiling and the sky blue with white trim curtains also draped from the splendid gold-plated curtain rail identical to the ones in the dining room, three floors down.
Regaining his voice, Sapph managed a weak wolf whistle and muttered, "Boy, the Kents sure know how to impress!" looking around the impeccably white tile interior of the adjoining bathroom.
Wondering why the hell Kamren and Haley would complain about moving here from Nightspark City, Sapph turned towards the bathroom for a pre-bedtime shower. Ten minutes later, Sapph came back into the bed chamber, towelling his shaggy hair. Turning back to his backpack, Sapph began sorting out his thing for tomorrow. He'd just slipped on a pair of purple and orange pyjama shorts when his red and white PokéGear began to vibrate, indicating an incoming video message. Tossing the book Mrs. Kent had given him on raising a Pokémon's ability to its full potential lightly onto the bed he rolled across the mattress to snatch his PokéGear off the ornate mahogany desk and peered at the sender's number in the video messaging list. The word 'Rickie' flashed on and off with an unopened envelope next to it. He played the message.
Rickie's beaming face filled the screen, with Cubone enthusiastically waving his bone in greeting at the screen.
"Hey, Sapph!" The image on the screen said cheerily. "How're you doing?"
Cool, I guess, Sapph thought with a smile. Seeing a friendly, familiar face always put him in a good mood.
"Guess what, Sapph? I won my Zephyr Badge! On my first try too!"
That put a bit of a dent in Sapph's joy at hearing from his friend.
No way! Sapph thought incredulously, staring at the hexagonal badge Rickie was now holding up. It was undeniably the proficiency badge of the Violet City Gym.
"It was a little tough, but me and Cubone pulled it off in style! OK gotta go, call me back soon, alright? No, Cubone, those aren't your pokéblocks! Sorry, buddy…Put 'em down, Cubone! Hey! Get back here, you!" Rickie called to Cubone, cutting the message.
Sapph shook his head bemusedly staring at the now silent PokéGear in his hand. Really, that guy is just plain impossible, he thought amusedly. I guess I'd better step on it if I want to catch up. But first, I gotta catch some Z's before I catch 'em all! Wow, that sure sounded corny, he added rolling his eyes as he pulled his pyjama top over his incredibly messy hair, only to mess it up even further.
Sapph slumped back tiredly onto his bed and pulled open the book when the door opened. Sapph looked over the top of the book and scowled as he saw Kamren there with a smug smile on his face, donned out in a white and gold-hemmed bathrobe.
"Awww, don't you just look pwecious in your widdle jammies." He cooed mockingly. "Got tidie widies to match?"
"Why? Are your big boy boxers too large for your tiny tushie?" Sapph replied retuning to his book.
An extremely tense silence reigned to the highest recesses of the ceiling. Kamren, his face progressively becoming beet red, spun on his heel and marched toward the door. As Kamren wrenched the door open, Sapph distinctly saw the name 'Kammy' spelt out in gold cursive letters across his back. He smiled faintly to himself as he heard his door slam and Mrs. Kent call up the stairs, "Kammy, that's enough of your tantrums for one day! Go to bed now, Kammykins! No buts!" as Kamren opened his mouth to argue. Closing his book and wondering what Mrs. Kent had embroidered onto Haley's bathrobe, Sapph's grin widened as he rolled over and went to sleep, his dreams full of receiving the ultimate Fire starter and rubbing it into Kamren's smug, red and tear-streaked face.
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Later that night as the moon resembled a full, juicy, round pound of cheese (hey, I'm hungry! Gimme a break!), a shadow crept into the room cautiously. Stealing stealthily across the almost-cavernous room towards Sapph's snoring form, it reached into a dark cloak and pulled out a kitchen knife out from the black folds. The knife's blade glinted in the moonlight as it swung the knife upwards in perfect synchrony with Sapph rolling over onto his back a small trickle of drool trailing from his gaping mouth, ready to plunge it into the heart of the slumbering Johto trainer, to put an end to his dreams for ever…
…the peace of the Kent residence was shattered by a blood curdling scream as the knife made contact. Blood splattered against the wall as the shadow drove its knife in deeper. Twisting the knife around within the region of the neck muscle, jugular and subclavian artery, the flow of blood doubled, staining the white walls and purple bed sheet deeper in crimson blood…
…gotcha.
The heinous act all unfolded in the dreams of the unwelcome visitor whilst in the realm of reality, the shadow was perspiring profusely; the hand that clutched the knife shivering uncontrollably.
What am I doing? Hoo, talk about extremes! The shadow said to itself, taking deep steadying breaths. Easy, buddy, pull yourself together!
Pulling back from his prey, the shadow smacked its head into the nearby wall repeatedly, muttering "Calm down! Calm down!" it stopped only as Sapph gave off an extremely loud grunt and rolled over onto his side to face where the shadow, who now resembled a wax statue of darkness, stood sweat dropping profusely.
Whoa, buddy chill out! It scolded himself. Plan A will work! No need for this kind of measure! Though he'd probably deserve it, it went on, replaying the delicious scene its mind had conjured moments before trying to drive its expressionless face into the wall.
Slipping the knife back into its cloak, the shadow pausing to hear Sapph mutter, "Who's got the Fryger now? In your face, Kamren Kent!"
A nerve flashed across the shadow's temple at these words.
Maybe I should've killed him after all, the shadowy figure thought, reaching for something on the desktop.
"Awww, don't cwy, widdle Kammykins, Mongles make such lovely, loyal fans! For a total loser!" Sapph mumbled on, ending with a minute of feeble laughter, which ended as abruptly as it began as he went back to his loud and potentially embarrassing snoring.
We'll see about that, the shadow thought, leaving the room as silently as it had entered.
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Okay, I tried to make it interesting with a cliff-hanger. So it better meet all and everyone's expectations! Anyways please let me know what you think! All comments are welcome!
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