Pokémon
Howdy people. Haha, funny story. I had chapter 30 pretty much all ready to post right before my studying for exams, went to do a editing read of it and post and...it wasn't there. And I was like T.T so I had also gotten a head start on the next chapter and went to see if it was in there and...it wasn't So I have spent my week writing in between cramming and exams because it was really bugging me so I hope you enjoy. I don't want to get any more depressed
Chapter # 30 – Dark, Distractions, and Discontent
Alex waited in the Pokemon Center's lobby with a bowl of fruit and glass of milk for Paul to return. When she had gotten back from a long early-morning walk, she had discovered Paul had arisen in her absence and also went out. So now, a little before noon, she sat restlessly in her seat with her badge case opened in front of her, displaying her freshly polished symbol with that morning's newest addition standing out in the cornern of her eye. Her two smaller pokemon, eevee and riolu, were up on the table as well, munching on a big platter of pokemon food. Once again, her attention was swayed towards the morning news update airing on the television.
"This is Reporter Jackie up on the billowy white clouds of the beautiful blue skies. That's right, the blimp is back up and running and due to land in Canalave City a little after noon. According to our meteorologist, the forecast is clear for the next couple of days, and more importantly, mild and calm for this evening."
For the various reasons, cheering and applause broke through the lobby of lingering trainers and partygoers.
"It has been confirmed that the Kendrick's have indeed safely arrived in Canalave the prior afternoon. I know everybody here is excited to commence the festivities. It's been a very long time since the Kendrick's have held their previously annual galas, back before the passing of Mr. Kendrick's wife. However, there is no doubt that there will be high spirits in Canalave tonight, or that this will be a memorable evening. This was your early morning update from me, Jackie. Tune in later for the inside look at eight this evening, Sinnoh Time. Until then!"
Alex sighed. "Memorable indeed." She couldn't tell anymore if she was excited for her date with Kyler, or dreading her thievery of his family's machine. Nope. It was definitely, mostly, guilt. About what in particular, she couldn't pinpoint. Possibly, just everything in general.
Looking at the clock on the wall, Alex frowned. "I wonder where Paul has been all morning. We usually have seen each other at least by this time."
Eevee stopped her munching to gaze out the window at the cheerful city, and then back to her trainer. "Vee?"
"Should we go out looking for him? Something surely wouldn't have happened this early in the day…right?" Seeing the blank look in her pokemon's eyes, Alex sighed. "Alright, let's go looking in the woods. Knowing him, he's probably out training."
Standing up, Alex hoisted her backpack over her shoulders, a peppy fox leaping to the top of her head and an ignorant aura pokemon settling in her arms. With that, they set off to the outskirts of Canalave City. The brunette stumbled along with her sight slightly obstructed by the creature in her arms, and the straggly tree roots seemingly having it out for her.
A streak of yellow surged upward in the sky, accompanied by a booming crackle as it electrified the water in the humid air. It then disappeared in a silence.
"Something tells me we're going the right way," Alex stated, using the burst to navigate to the spot where the attack had originated. It took her several minutes having to duck under the tree limbs and kick through the undergrowth with little help from her occupied hands. Her ankle was seized by a rather feisty bush, causing her to balance on one foot, rustling the plant with her attempts to free herself.
"You better come out before I attack," declared a growling voice just beyond Alex's view, under a particularly thick sheet of green leaves.
Alex let out a dull laugh. "Trust me, I would if I could, buddy," she muttered, tugging mercilessly on her leg. Eevee and riolu were both also on the ground now, trying their best to help their trapped trainer. "Good lord, what is this thing, a carnivore? Let. Go. Of. My. Foot." She choppily begged the plant, each word proceeded with a one-footed-hop.
"I said come out now!" the voice came again, sounding more irritated than before and more likely to carry out their threat.
Aura, the riolu, cocked his head in the person's direction. His eyes sparkled at the sight of the low-hanging branch between them and this person, getting a sudden urge. Being the childish pokemon he was, he followed this urge and flung himself up and wrapping his short arms around it, weighing it down until they were both flat on the ground. He squeaked, thinking he was now trapped as well, and quickly let go, creating a sort of ammo-less slingshot. Through the rustling of the disturbed vegetation, there was a sharp yell, which Alex guessed was the sound of this person being whipped by the weapon. With wide red eyes, riolu ran back and hid behind his trainer's one standing leg.
"Electabuzz!" the person called for his pokemon with a newfound fury.
Eevee bit a constricting vine in the hedge after some consideration, watching as the brunette pulled one last time, loosing her balance completely, falling through the jade curtain, and landing with two loud oof 's!
"Watch where you're going!" snarled the previous male character.
"Watch who you're threatening!" bellowed Alex in return, wincing as she sat up slightly.
"Oh, it's you."
"Humph, don't sound so enthusiastic, Paul." She looked at her red ankle, rubbing it gingerly. "Good job, Isis!" she called, beckoning the fluffy creature to come out, trailed by a guilty-looking fighting pokemon. Her brown eyes looked back down, noticing she was still sitting on the purplette.
"Get off me," Paul commanded her, looking to the side.
With a huff, Alex retorted, "Paul, you're giving me mixed signals here." She braced herself by placing her hands square with the ground, ignoring how close she was as she stood using her arms and her one good leg like a push up.
Keeping his hair covering his face, Paul stood, muttering, "You've been spending too much time with Xena. You're beginning to get as irritating as she is."
"Aw, come on, Paul~y. You know you love me," the brunette pouted, using the nickname and voice the older cousin did when talking to the boy. Testing her chaffed appendage and satisfied it wasn't broken or sprained, she set it on the ground firmly and brushed off her shorts. "What are you doing all the way out here, anyway?" she asked.
Nonchalantly, Paul jerked his thumb back to where his electric pokemon, electabuzz, stood in a battling position in front of a black and yellow accentuated eeveelution known as umbreon, who looked worn.
'Stupid boy. I already have a trainer.'
Alex blinked owlishly, looking around the area. Sure enough, there was no one else around. She stared at Paul. "Did you say something?" The purplette gave her an off look as he shook his head no. She looked back at the two and saw the umbreon looking at her through the red sclera and dark pupils.
'Nice girl trainer. Maybe she knows where my trainer is.'
The black canine approached Alex with a few bounds, sitting at her feet and looking up at her, and her pokemon beside her with a questioning tilt of the head.
"Electabuzz, use thunder," Paul ordered, jeering at the creature.
"Wait!" Alex called, bending down in front of umbreon. "Do you have a trainer?"
"Pathetic, you think it can actually understand you?" Paul sneered, having the scarlet eyes turn and glare at him before nodding at the girl and licking her cheek. "Tch, you're not seriously going to believe it, are you? " he asked, folding his arms over one another. "It's just scared we're going to beat it." His electabuzz did the same next to him, glowering at his opponent.
'Yes! Yes! I have a trainer. Nice girl understands. Do you know where my trainer is?' He cocked his head to the other side, ears flopping with it as it looked at her expectantly.
"Never mind, just get out of the way. I'm going to catch that thing."
Alex reciprocated his earlier look. "Excuse me?"
With a sigh, Paul rubbed his temples. He took a hold of her arms and pulled her so she was now standing upright behind him. "Electabuzz, use brick break." The yellow and black striped pokemon jumped into action, raising a flat hand above its head and bringing it down with focused vigor.
Umbreon held its ground, matching its opponent with an iron tail. It sent Paul's pokemon back with no additional damage done.
"You are unbelievable," Alex muttered to Paul's back.
Alex didn't notice he seemed to hesitate as he was about to call out another attack. His gaze flickered back to where the girl slumped back against a tree trunk with her pokemon cuddled up against her. Heaving another sigh, he stuffed his hands deep into his pockets, closing his eyes. Electabuzz looked at him in confusion, awaiting orders. The only thing that left Paul's lips were, "Shoo."
Umbreon wearily lifted from the crouch it had tensed into, still eyeing the two. He shuffled sideways, as if a sudden movement would bring the duo assaulting him again. After no such thing happened, the pokemon dashed back to the brunette girl and her friendly partners.
A smile broke onto the girl's face. She hoisted a hand to stroke the canine affectionately. Her softened eyes met Paul's, who was watching her intriguingly. "Thank you, Paul."
"Tch," the purplette scoffed outwardly indifferently, "whatever."
"So, you found my Lunar."
Alex nearly jumped out of her skin as a cold voice froze the air around them. She quickly stood and backed away, dragging her pokemon with her until she was beside Paul. She watched as a spiky black-haired male stroll out of the forest. He halted at the border of the trees looking at the purplette and brunette with familiarity that was sent right back. He nodded at them.
'Dark!' Umbreon cantered to his trainer, obediently sitting to his right.
"It's strange though. He looks a little worse for wear since the last time I saw him. You shouldn't wander off like that, Lunar." Dark turned a fiery gaze at Paul with his amber hues alight.
"You shouldn't let your pokemon wander off like that. It would be a shame if something happened to it," Paul countered, causing a brief flicker of fear in the other's eyes.
Alex was shocked to begin with. She knew it was wrong to think that nobody in the Soul Salvation had a life outside of that one, but it still made her want to shrink away from him as much as she could. But he stared at her after the confrontation with Paul and managed a small smile and wave. "Hi." She thought for a minute, and realized she actually hadn't ever truly introduced herself. And though she was tentative to do so, a lot of questions would be brought up if he ended up calling her Shadow. So as if an afterthought, she added, "I'm Alex."
Dark blinked at her. He finally approached the two trainers, though he still stayed a bit farther back, and a micro-smile pulled on his lips. "Dark Satoshi," he told her quietly, playing along. "Thank you for taking care of Lunar."
With a bit of surprise, Alex nodded. "No problem." She saw the black pokemon grin at her, kind of creeping her out more than she already was. 'That's it, these people have finally driven me loopy.'
"Let's battle."
Alex nearly face palmed out of habit. Oh how many times she heard that phrase uttered by the same male with the same deadpan expression and fierce, detached tone since she had been traveling with him. She was honestly beginning to believe he just couldn't contain himself. He just had to challenge any trainer within his vicinity or he would just poof! blow up. So accordingly, she gave him her blank, dark-eyed stare that didn't meet his forward set gaze. "Seriously, I was pretty sure we just went through this."
"No," Dark retorted just as short and…bitter. Sweet just didn't seem like the right word.
Alex elevated her brows, her and her pokemon lolling their head from side to side as the two males built up their piercing auras. "Here we go again~" she sang in a hushed whisper down at eevee and riolu.
"Why," the purplette's lips snuck into his signature mocking smirk, "you scared or something?"
"Oh no he didn't~" Alex tipped her head back to the ebony-haired boy with the humorous grin and flicking of eevee's feathery-fluffy tawny tail.
"Of course not. I'm not sure what would lead you to believe as such." Dark shuffled a bit, tugging as his blue leather jacket uncomfortably under Paul's non-relenting onyx glare.
Electabuzz's horns cackled with electricity, throwing a fist into his palm tauntingly toward the golden-ringed pokemon. His trainer did much the same with his intense stare-down and aggressive stance. "I suppose a trainer with a pokemon as pathetic as that would have reason to be embarrassed."
"Oh no he didn't," Alex loudly announced this time, a pucker deepening in her forehead.
A flash blazed in Dark's molten orbs like the shadow of a cloud blocking out the sun. "Actually I would much rather challenge your friend. Alex was it?" He stiffly derided her and sort of complemented at the same time. What great skill…
And the great reply? "Me…?" The brunette pointed at herself with a dumbfounded face. Well that was new. Who would ever turn down a challenge from the great and mighty Paul?
"Idiot," Paul shook his head.
"Shut up, you're just jealous." Alex stuck her tongue out at the boy. "Well alright. Let's do it," she said to Dark, hoisting her hand to her belt to unclip a red and white ball.
"Not here. I had something else in mind," Dark's apathetic voice stung through the air distantly. "Follow me."
In the Northern part of the city a large crowd had gathered in a full, packed circle. The middle was a bare area with the many people as a frame, a white line slicing through the middle with a short metallic pillar in the middle. On opposing sides, just beyond the border, stood two rectangular, caged pedestals, each attached with thin, towering shafts planted vertically by the sides.
Alex squeezed through the miniscule cracks between the bodies. She could feel Paul close behind her as she followed the crop of spiky black bobbing just ahead. Eventually, after more work than necessary and a few shoves later, they made it to the center of the donut hole and she got to behold the grand set-up for herself. Dark turned, his golden rings looking forcefully into hers.
"They've set up this in recognition of the Kendrick's big gala tonight. It's one of their earlier creations, commonly used in Trainer School's; a Battlefield Simulator."
"Oh." 'So he wanted to see if the Kendricks would be here. And if they were then Kyler would more likely respond to me if I was there.' She stood for a few seconds, still observing the particularly ordinary looking grassy field in front of her. "How does it work?"
"Alright! We're still waiting for two more brave trainers to come on up and volunteer. Let's go, two trainers, front and center!" A man sat in a highly elevated chair with a bullhorn in hand like a lifeguard watching a pool.
Dark stepped out of the borders, dragging the brunette's wrist to urge her on, and strode steadily to the left pedestal while Alex hesitantly went right after glancing back at all of the expectant eyes.
"Lovely, lovely, we have our two challengers! Now we can-"
"How about we make it four!" chimed another feminine voice as a billow of blond locks raced across the ground, clearing the rim of the cage. Her electric blue eyes sparkled as this newcomer twisted the black skull hat backwards on her head.
"O-kay then," the announcer started again, "We need one more person in that case…or somebody to get off the field." Nicky, the blond, flashed the man the finger.
Alex looked back to the crowd, noticing Paul stepping forth as well and making his way over to her, still looking cocky as he did often before he went in to a battle. She sighed as he joined her in the box. "Because our tag team battle went so well the last time," she muttered, pulling her hair nervously over her shoulder like a curtain separating her from the watchers. She then shot him an extraordinarily candy-coated smile and gushed, "So be a team player, or we'll be sleeping with charizard tonight. And a word of caution, he breaths fire in his sleep." With an evil glint from those brown eyes, Alex faced the speaking announced.
"Is that all? Well, we're starting anyway. Now, let me explain the rules before I'm interrupted once again."
"Get over it!" Nicky bellowed, receiving quite a few chuckles from the audience.
"What did I just-? You know what, never mind." The man flicked his hand in a talk-to-the-hand fashion toward the girl and continued. "Trainers will each pick 3 pokemon from your team and place them on the panel in front of you. These will be the only pokemon who can be called upon during the Simulator Battle. Now, at random intervals during the battle, your arena will change whether it's from grassy-plane to high above the clouds or the fiery depths of a volcano. These brief periods are your chance to switch the on-field pokemon with one of the two other's in waiting. You may switch as many times as you wish. Pokemon may be recalled at any time, however. The battle will be over when any one trainer, regardless as to if your partner still has a pokemon standing. Other then that, it's anything goes, now pick your team trio!"
With a nod, all for trainers unclipped the selected number of pokeballs and set them in the indents in front of them. A blue light surrounded them in a light, clear glow. Alex watched her partner from the corner of her eye. "Paul, remember this is a tag battle, alright?" she pleaded in a mutter, switching to look at her encased pokemon. "I don't say anything about your training style, but don't bring my pokemon into it." Her sheet of hair didn't allow her to see the cynical expression temporarily leave the boy's face as his black gaze flashed at her down turned stare.
"Okay! Now that everybody's ready, let's battle!" The announcer man brought a remote out and switched it to an upward position.
The top of the pillar in the midpoint of the circle flashed on with a white beam streaming up to the sky. The caged confines holding the pairs of trainers rose like elevators on the vertical rods to the point they were able to see everything around them. The ray then coned out from the base. The features their arena blurred into the background, washing the people and sounds away. The plane rippled, the tiny disturbances turning aqua-blue as they swept by in a current.
Alex looked to her feet, noticing she and Paul were standing almost to the point they were a tad tilted to fit side by side together on a flimsy navy diving board. Their railing splitting, half moving to her left and the other to Paul's right. The brunette picked her leftmost pokeball and tossed it down into the deep-blue deaths. A shimmering light flared, and her pokeball came back to her awaiting hand. Paul took his closest pokeball and dropped it onto one of the forming yellow floating devices.
Oddly enough, the opposing team did the exact same. Nicky's pokemon was released in the water, while Dark's landed on a Styrofoam platform.
The two water types broke the surface, bobbing in place. Alex's baby blue, red-scaled and fanged crocodile squirted the newfound water up like a fountain before gurgling and splashing in it like a toddler. Nicky's choice was an elegant seahorse with whimsical fins and coral-like protrusions and long, narrow snout. The two others where electric types; the fierce black and blue lion, luxray, and the yellow striped electabuzz of Paul's.
"Since I challenged you, you have the first move," Dark yelled over to Alex, who nodded.
"K, croconaw, use crunch on kingdra!" The croc shallowly dove and rushed at the floating pokemon with its ruby scales slicing the surface and jaws open wide.
"Dragon pulse!" The part dragon seahorse jumped out of the water, the opening in its snout bursting with a malevolent violet/red beam.
"Retreat underwater!" Alex called.
Meanwhile, luxray rapidly darted from platform to platform, dodging the many thunder's aimed at it but not able to get close enough to launch its own attack. Dark called, "Sparky, go in with a thunder fang!"
"Thunder, again." The shower of sparks flew again, but the fast-moving feline pounced easily over to electabuzz, teeth cackling with electricity.
The swimming duo sprung from the pool, croconaw slamming kingdra down from its mouth with a vicious flick of its head after receiving a dragon pulse to the mouth. Then, with the command from his trainer, he sprayed the cat with a water gun. The sparks in luxrays jaw, conducted by the water assault, turned their rage back of itself with a cry.
"Thunder, on the pool," Paul demanded, finding the opening where it wouldn't affect Alex's pokemon as it had landed rather indiscriminately on its cream stomach on a yellow platform. The water sizzled with power and zapped kingdra out of the pool.
"Kingdra!" Nicky gasped, "Are you alright?" The seahorses red eyes opened and it shouted in response. "Alright, surf's up!" Water rose in the entire width of the pool, just in front of luxray so it wouldn't be hit, then rolled and crashed down, sending a powerful wrath toward electabuzz and croconaw.
"Electabuzz-!" Paul stopped from the glare radiating from the brunette. An electric attack would more than likely hit croconaw too. He scowled and crossed his arms, causing Alex to smile.
"Croconaw, in front of elecatabuzz and use water gun, full power!" she called. The water type stood and waddled protectively in front of the electric and unleashed a strong water current directly in front of them both just as the tidal wave crashed. When the water began to settle, it revealed that the water gun created a bubble around the two, leaving them completely untouched.
"And that is teamwork." Alex grinned. Her crocodile tittered and happily danced.
"Luxray-!" Dark's command was lost in the rumbling.
The scenery warped. The crystal water turned dark green, springing up with vegetation. The sun flared up out of nowhere, beating down with dazzling strength. The trainers were now in trees forts, roof overhead shading their eyes so sight wasn't completely obstructed.
Everybody returned their tired pokemon and released new ones into the long blades of grass. Alex, however, did a double take on the pokemon that went in. Her face was the picture of puzzlement. What was supposed to be a fluffy brown fox was rather blue and black colored and walking on two paws instead of four.
"Aura?" she asked, hand rushing to her belt. There was a pokeball where riolu's usually was, and none where marowak's resided. "Ah, crap," Alex grumbled. "Well, I suppose this would be a right fine time to start training riolu," she laughed dryly. She noticed Paul give her a bizarre look, but chose to ignore it as always.
The large and fiery magmortar stood tall and visible in the meadow for Paul's side, a yellow bristling eeveelution hopped into the green sea and was engulfed with a slight rustle, the pokeball flying back to Nicky. A little navy pup called poochyena disappeared last.
"Alright, let's kick this up a notch, huh Paul?" Alex smirked, happy that her last idea worked.
"Hn. Magmortar, use fire spin on the field."
"Jump riolu/Blue/jolteon!" Alex, Dark and Nicky each called respectively.
The large pokemon let loose a spiraling cyclone of flames from its cylindrical arms around a circular area, creating an average sized battlefield free from grass and little fires licking up from the thoroughly scorched ground.
"Riolu, copycat!" Alex called to her bipedal pokemon. With a giggle, the pokemon began to spin like a ballerina, body glowing red and intense flames lashing out at the other two airborne pokemon. They all landed, jolteon and poochyena with burns covering their body while the cute riolu stood on magmortar's fire-like shoulder pad, clapping excitedly at the red-orange colors it had created.
"Blue, use secret power!" Dark commanded. The small puppy barked, its thick fur bristling and sending needles at the duo.
"Pin missile, jolteon!" The yellow spikes also rose on the electric canine's back, shooting along with the others.
Paul threw his hand out. "Now, flamethrower." Fire obliterated the incoming spears, scarcely missing the canines as they flung themselves out of the way.
"Follow up with quick attack and high jump kick." Riolu flashed over to the team, skidding into a stop, leaping up and lashing its legs out. Poochyena did its best to evade all of the kicks, but one finally hit and it yelped and fell.
Poochyena's form washed over with white, its legs growing longer, its body growing bigger. The new evolution, mightyena, howled as the transformation was completed. It's tail flicked riolu back to its side.
A miniscule smile showed on Dark's features. "Blue, go in with ice fang!"
"Jolteon, cover with discharge!"
"Let's finish this now!" Alex called. "High jump kick, one last time!"
"Rock tomb."
Magmortar stomped the ground and a series of rocks closed around a surprised jolteon, cutting off the electrical attack and KO-ing it. Riolu attempted to jump away from the snapping fangs, but got caught by the sudden reflexes of mightyena. With a yelp, riolu kicked its captor with all the energy it had left and both pokemon fell, riolu frozen solid.
"Paul?" Alex asked.
"Magmortar, unfreeze riolu," he told his pokemon. The fire creature produced a weak, hot breath to defrost the little pokemon, who sat up feebly.
"Awesome job, Aura. You too magmortar." The brunette eagerly recalled the small pokemon. "And that is enough battling for you for today," she whispered, kissing the sphere. "You did your best."
Magmortar looked at her, seemingly befuddled by the words, then to its trainer. Paul nodded approvingly as he pulled the fire pokemon through the red beam.
The setting morphed once again, blue skies surrounding them. Puffy white clouds bloated around them and over their heads. Tall, ivory columns climbed above through the fluffy ground in an arrangement like stepping-stones. The trainers stood on two of the rounded summits.
"You may have gotten us last time, but we're still going to win!" Nicky shouted over to the brunette and purplette as she and Dark threw their pokeballs soaring. Nicky's psychic pokemon kadabra, from the island battles, levitated in the blue space, a scruffy white furred canine with a blue-gray oval decorating its forehead, a scythe-like tail and sickle-shaped growth on the right side of its head, AKA absol, landing with a ferocious snarl in front of Dark.
"We'll see," Alex called back with a wink that made the female laugh. She and Paul selected a long, sleek serpentine dragon dragonair and the plump, navy and red-feathered honchkrow.
Paul gave Alex a quizzical look as the dragon fully emerged. She shrugged, flipping her long hair. "I got lonely having two open spaces in my team. And she really doesn't like the Professor or my brother all that much. Actually she doesn't really like any male figure, so you might want to watch out."
Dark decided he had enough small chat and mentally worked up a plan under. "Blake, whip up a razor wind." Absol raised its head with a long, low howl, creating a whirlwind that spread about it. Then, using its sharp claws, it hurdled across the stone surfaces and sent sharp blades flying at its two opponents. Dragonair lithely ringed around the wind while honchkrow caught the air currents as swept upward.
"Follow it up with ice punch!" Kadabra teleported level to honchkrow with an icy fist and crashed it against the bird's jowl.
"Now, night slash!" Honchkrow rebounded immediately and brought its wing down on the psychic's abdomin as it swooped and came back around. "Dark pulse," Paul demanded, continuing the assault. The wicked purple beam blasted kadabra straight down and completely took out an entire column. "Finish it with aerial ace." With one speeding attack, kadabra was out.
"Dragonair!" Alex cried as it was hit with a series of cuts caused by the wind-conjuring mutt. It weakly landed on a support, coiling up like a defensive snake and glaring through glossy amethyst gems, a blemishing notch in its beautiful, pure-white wing. The tip of its tail ascended threateningly, the two orbs on it and the one under its neck flashed and cackled with darkness, making the sky turn overcast and the pokemon running toward it to stumble back, forecasting the disaster coming, and jumped away from the ragged yellow bolt falling and striking its previous position.
"Blake, double team again!" Absol shook its head, knowing what was coming.
The clouds burst, cascading with water that filled the bottom with darkness and rose at an alarming rate. With a crack, the whole sky visage spider webbed and a waterfall crashed down, engulfing everyone except the trainers, who were protected by some force field keeping all of the pressure away in a box-like shape.
Everybody once again had returned his or her pokemon. Alex stood with the pokeball in hand, unable to pull the evasive serpentine back to her. She heard the ruffling of Paul's clothes, looking over to see that the boy had crossed his arms and closed his eyes as he stated, "I have no pokemon that can battle underwater."
Alex gnawed at the thumbnail of the hand not holding her pokeball. "Doesn't matter. Dark doesn't have one either so I'm evenly matched. Plus, I think she has it under control." She eyed her discolor-orbed creature weave in the water watching kingdra with an accusatory glare.
Dragonair found its way under the seahorse of its own accord. It grabbed the very tip of its tail and spiraled like a hula-hoop, accelerating until a twister funnel trapped the other dragon inside.
"K-kingdra! Counter it with your own twister except spin the other way!" Nicky called, somewhat unsure whether the pokemon could hear her or not.
Despite this attempt of freedom, dragonair's crackling resumed, the water cyclone electrifying with black steaks rising from a black ring caused by its revolving blur of a form. Alex crinkled her nose at the self-implementing dragon. "And this is why she is named Tempest. If you so much as mark her image, she's gonna kick the ass of whoever is in her sight." Gradually, the spinning slowled and became erratic. The ring broke apart with the serpent spiraling down to the sandy bottom. "Sadly, she uses all of her energy doing this and knocks herself out. With a sigh, she lined her pokeball up with the falling dragon and brought it back, kingdra following out from the settling tornado.
"And we have our winners!" The virtual world cracked and the true brightness of nature glowered in their eyes. The crowd cheered and whistled, bringing back the rest of their senses. They were jolted as their elevators took them back to ground level and let them off after the bumpy ride.
"Oh god," Alex muttered, linking her arm with Paul's. "I don't feel so great."
Paul gave a short, "Hn, idiot," as he led her through the parting crowd and back on the main streets. She had her eyes closed, brows creased and grimacing at the early afternoon sun as her head settled on his shoulder. He kept his hands stuck in his pockets, looking at the ground to avoid the zealous smiles the passerby's gave them.
Alex growled miserably, not moving from her spot but feeling and hearing the rumbling of one of the phones against her back and the maddening bring-brinnng…bring-brinnnng…bring-brinnnnng… resonating from it. "Shut upppp," she groaned.
"…Maybe you shouldn't go tonight," Paul apathetically said to the girl, who was still cursing at the phone.
The brunette stiffened. She had forgotten about tonight. With a deep inhale she quietly answered, "It's not that simple. I'm expected there by… a lot of people." She finally opened her eyes to look at him, but her attention was taken away with an astonished expression, her body rigid.
Turning his head slightly, the purplette could see a silhouette of a man looming from the alley out of the corner of his eye. It came closer and closer until it was just about to step into the sun. Alex stood like a statue beside him, expecting the worst.
"I hope that doesn't mean your expecting not to have a good time."
Alex released her breath with a gush, feeling the tenseness flowing out of her muscles as the feeling of danger vanished. "Kyler, you nearly gave me a heat attack! What are you doing here?"
"Yes, what are you doing listening to our conversation from an alleyway?" Paul added in, inspecting the tall boy's face suspiciously, exactly the reverse reaction of his partner.
Kyler smiled, walking closed to the pair but watching only Alex. "Terribly sorry, I was just taking a shortcut though the town. I didn't expect to run into you like this again, Alex. I saw your battle airing on TV, however. It was quite…amazing I must say," he complemented dexterously.
Frowning from Paul to Kyler, Alex uneasily gestured between them. "I believe the two of you have already met."
The golden-copper haired boy's blue eyes flashed towards the purplette's glaring ones momentarily before gazing back. "Yes, I believe we have. Anyhow, I have some pressing matters to attend to so I must be off. I look forward to seeing you tonight, Alex." Kyler bowed his head and kissed her cheek, bumping Paul's side roughly as he retreated down the road.
"Mmmm," Alex whimpered, slumping against Paul. "I think I need a catnap." She didn't notice that Paul glanced behind at Kyler, who had done the same. She didn't see fair-haired boy's smile falter or his eyes darken, or how Paul suddenly smirked at the boy and faced front. "You better not be laughing about running me into anything or something like that, because I don't have enough energy to hit you...or open my eyes to check."
The purplette hadn't noticed he was laughing until she had mentioned it after feeing him slightly shaking. "Just shut up and keep walking."
"What if I'm too tired to walk?"
"…"
Where was a perfectly good brick wall when you needed one?
Dawwww :3 Is Paul going soft? Maybe just a little? He's so cute.
Next chappie, the ball. Fun, fun, fun! Review, message, and I am on summer break! Mwahahahaha!
You know, as long as I don't lose it again T.T
