Last I checked, none of them even belong in high school. And not all of them are boys.
A/N:
Ugh… I picked the perfect time to fall sick… Right after my birthday no less. I've been ill for two days, consarn it; this fever just won't go away. For that, I sincerely apologize for the schedule slip. Nevertheless, I've recovered from worse than this; I'll be healthy very soon, don't any of you worry, and he next chapter will definitely be here this Sunday! (Okay, maybe not)
Anywho, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all the reviewers and readers that have stuck on to this story since its conception, two months ago, on the release date of Pokémon X and Y. Seriously, your views and reviews mean a lot to me, as they probably do to other authors on this site. And to the anonymous Guest reviewer (you know who you are, since I seriously don't), while someone's getting a Clauncher, it ain't going to be Calem. I won't be giving him a Tyrunt either.
Well, I won't keep you waiting any longer. Until next time, smell you later!
Pfffffft, that's Gary's catchphrase. I need one of my own… ahah.
That's all from me, so allons-y!
Calem woke up to the sound of knocking. Rubbing his eyes, he got up from the bed, careful not to disturb and opened the door.
"Ah, you're up, Calem!"
His mum hugged him, before checking his forehead. "Are you okay? I barely got home before the rain got too heavy, and Dustin is still recovering from getting drenched."
He brushed her hand away and smiled earnestly. "I'm fine, honest! It'll take a lot more to keep me down."
She sighed. "Just like Valentin. All he ever got from that one time Dustin sent him flying was a sprained ankle."
"So, mum, what are you here for?"
She stepped back, and reached for a trio of bags she'd left in the hallway. "Odette and Jacqueline wanted me to bring their daughters a new change of clothing, and since you're with them, I decided to grab some of yours at the same time."
Calem accepted his bag without any hesitation, before asking, "How did you get here so fast, by the way? I thought the large amounts of Scatterbug crawling around in the Santalune Forest would have hampered you down."
She scratched her chin guiltily. "Funny you should ask, really…"
~Earlier that morning~
"If hunting is sure to result in full bellies, then you must hunt!"
Robyn paused, and turned to the assembled Fletchling on the edge of the Santalune Forest. "Sunfezan Tzu said that, and I say he knows a little more about hunting than you do, people, because he invented it! And then he perfected it, so that his clan would never have to go hungry!"
One of them turned to his neighbour, ignoring Robyn and she continued her rally. "Honey, are you sure Lexie's fine?"
"Very sure. The girl she went with looks nice enough. I'm pretty sure she's in good hands."
The male Fletchling breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. I can sleep easy now."
"Unless it's a farm!" Robyn ended her rapid-fire spiel. "Now, let's go and get us some breakfast!"
The rest of the Fletchlings cheered, and dived after her into the forest.
"So, the Santalune Forest is currently a feeding ground?"
Serena placed her high-waisted skirt into the plastic bag, before adding her vest. "Basically. It's probably a massacre out there."
Shauna reached into her own bag and pulled out the first article of clothing. The mauve flooded her cheeks just as fast as it had three days ago.
"Shaunee, how does this shirt look on me…?" Serena's voice trailed off as her head poked through the green tee.
In the adjoining room, Trevor, who was changing from his pyjamas to his normal attire, which hadn't been caught in the rain as badly as the other two guys, heard a loud voice screaming, "IS THAT A PUSH-UP BRA?!"
Darn it, he cursed mentally, I knew I forgot something! Where did I put that request form, again?
Back in the other room, Shauna was frantically trying to shush her soon-to-be-ex-friend before more of her secrets could be broadcasted to the rest of the Center.
With predictable results.
"Keep it down, Siri! C-C-C-Sharp might still be in the other room!"
"Oh please. He left to say goodbye to Nate and Roxie after giving us our bags."
Shauna put on her best pouty face. "But what if someone else heard it?"
A knocking on the door answered that.
"This is Trevor. I've finished changing, so now we're waiting for you two. And please keep it down, okay?"
Footsteps receded into the distance.
Now with the faintest hint of a blush, Serena concluded, "Okay, um, sorry about that. Let's just get back to changing."
By the time the two got out of their room, the other three were already in the main lounge, watching the morning news. Calem, who had given his jacket back to his mother, was now wearing a white t-shirt over a blue long-sleeved shirt, and equally blue skinny jeans. He'd swapped his red outdoors cap for a black and white cap with a Pokéball logo, but his trademark sunglasses remained by the front of his cap.
"Morning. Guess that Hoppip sneaking into your room must have given you a fright, huh?"
Shauna shot Trevor a quick thank-you look, before replying, "I had to chase it out, but everything's alright now, isn't it, Siri?"
Serena, who picked up on the deception just as quickly, nodded, before changing the subject. "So, how do we look?"
Granted, it wasn't the usual style Serena usually went for, but with her figure, she looked just as good all the same. In addition to the green baby doll tee, she was also wearing a pair of orange jean shorts, which showed off her thighs. She'd also opted for a red felt hat, which fit snugly on her head.
Shauna, on the other hand, wore a ruffled pink camisole, and an equally pink-striped pleated skirt. Instead of her usual hairstyle, she now sported a tomboyish ponytail, with an extra hair antenna that bounced up and down whenever she moved.
Which is to say, a lot.
"Pretty good, if I say so myself." Calem said, with a flourish.
Tierno, whose only difference in attire was that the Vanillite on his shirt had been replaced by a Swirlix, grinned. "Well, since we're all up and ready, then let's go! The professor's supposed to be waiting for us in Lumiose City, which is just up ahead past Route 4!"
Trevor let out a smile as well. "I'm going to discover all the new Pokémon fir-"
"I get the feeling we might have interrupted someone."
Oberon flexed his arms and beamed. "I say we did. I'm feeling so much better, after that one night of rest."
Blair spun in a circle and giggled. "Then I guess we're all ready to go!"
Almond sat up and looked up. "Express elevator to the world outside."
Three long shimmering ropes shot down, which were then grabbed by the three Pokémon.
Well, bitten, in Blair's case. She didn't have any hands, so to speak.
"Going up!"
"Route 4's alternate name is the Parterre Way.
Yeah… doesn't take much brainpower to guess what it's named after, does it?
Between the numerous parterres that resemble a miniature labyrinth of some sort, patches of red and yellow flowers bloom. These patches, and the parterres themselves, are lovingly tended to by the not-so-loving gardeners, and their friends and family, who also frequent the route.
Be on the lookout for the Pokémon that live in this peaceful abode. Combee and Ledyba buzz around like it's no one's business, which it usually is. They're usually nonviolent, so don't provoke one unless you're planning on catching it. Budew are just as common to the area, and if you see one, be careful not to inhale any of its pollen. Unless you want harsh sneezing and a runny nose, that is. You'll find them closer to the fountain, where their source of water comes from.
On the less common side of things, once in a while, you can find a Skitty prancing about. If you're planning on training one, I recommend you drop the conventional method of battling and catching it, and instead, try to make friends with it first. Skitty aren't very trusting to begin with, and you'll have to actually convince it that coming along with you is more fun than, let's say, chasing its own tail all day long.
If you see a solitary flower floating in the wind, don't fret. It's not the work of a poltergeist, or any of the Ghost-types, for that matter (at least, most of the time); it's probably a Flabébé. These female-only Fairy-types are born flower spirits; each latch on to a flower and care for it for the rest of their life. Occasionally, they will swap flowers with other members of their evolutionary family; this is in preparation for their final evolution, where they will retain the flower permanently. If you're going to be catching one, I can only advise you to aim well. They're so small they can fit comfortably into your palm, so throwing a Pokéball of around the same size requires luck, or skill, to hit it.
If you're really, really lucky, or you're travelling with a group of good friends and the happy emotions run high, then the route's rarest residents may just draw close to you. Ralts respond rather well to positive dispositions, and the warmer they feel towards these feelings, the likelier it is that they will approach you. They have been known to shy away from hostile people, so let your guard down, and treat it nicely, if you want one to join you.
Do not, under any circumstance, pluck any of the flowers. The gardeners will shear you alive."
'The Official Kalos Companion Guide' (2020), by Maison Prince Calem.
The nine warped onto the garden path at around the same time.
"So, what's the plan for today?" Almond asked, not really directing the question at anyone.
As if on cue, Shauna picked up both Fontaine and Ditto, at around the same time Trevor picked up Sparks.
"That settles it, then. See you bros later!"
"…What he said."
"Huh. She feels more like a slightly fluffy pancake today!"
And with that comment, their trainers went into the right hedge maze.
"Fia, Skye, time to go." "C'mon, Gene, let's slide!"
"That's our cue." "On it! Talk to you guys at a more peaceful time!" "Hey, hey, wait up for me!"
And thus, the three members of Calem's team were left with him.
So, sir, what's the sitch?
Calem shrugged. "We're just going to be training."
A wild Combee and Ledyba appeared!
Force & Finesse Tierno & Serena sent out Corphish & Fletchling!
"Honey, honey, honey! We love eating honey! Honey, honey, honey! Will you bee our honey?"
"If the two, well, four of us beat them, I just might consider."
"Hey hey, this isn't a Trainer battle! Does that mean we've already taken down every Trainer in the surrounding area?"
"We have? Ouai! Now I'm extra psyched! I'll take the first move, then; Agility!"
As quickly as Skye had shouted, she darted towards the Combee, her afterimage a blurry red where she once hovered.
"Peck!"
Her beak glowed blue, as she jabbed at every inch of exposed area the Combee couldn't protect.
Which is to say, nearly everywhere.
"Ow! Stop that! Hey! We're sensitive! Aargh! Not there-"
The main Combee head stopped shouting out in pain. "Is that what I think it is?"
"Hey!" Skye cried out, as something was taken from her.
"Yes it is!" The second head cried out.
"Oran Berry, Oran Berry!" The third gleefully repeated.
All three heads spoke in unison, "Bug Bite!"
They tore into the blue Berry, shredding it apart and gulping down its flesh. When they were finished, nothing was left.
Metres away, Oberon felt a chill in his veins.
"That was delicious! Thanks for the mea-" The main Combee's voiced stopped in its thorax.
The pupils had all but disappeared from both of Skye's eyes. "That was a gift from Al… I was saving that for lunch…"
"Uh oh." "This can't be good." "Mercy, mercy!"
"Chiant!" She screamed. "Tackle!"
The force of the blow sent the Combee down to the ground, where they stayed down, defeated.
"Bzzt…That stings… Ouch, ouch…"
The wild Combee fainted!
Calming down, Skye swept her wing across her face, removing a few drops of sweat as she did so. "I guess that's over and done wit-"
A Comet Punch to the back interrupted her. Painfully, I might add.
"Did you forget about me? That's the last mistake you'll ever make!"
The Ledyba cracked her knuckles, all six of them, before charging them up with a silvery aura.
"You're going down, sister!"
Before she could actually back that up, however, a long stream of Bubbles shot towards her, narrowly missing the bulk of her body by about an inch.
"Hey, hey, I'm still here, too! And you're the one going down!"
Eugene scuttled forward and jumped. "Vice Grip!"
Latching on onto one of her lower legs, he proceeded to use his other claw to smack her across the abdomen several times.
"Let, me, go!" The Ledyba yelled, before backflipping. Eugene's grip faltered, and just like that, he was launched in the air.
"I'll show you what it's like to mess with me!" All six of her fists glowed light blue as she cocked them back.
"Mach Punch!"
The rapid-fire barrage of fists impacted Eugene's body so hard, he was launched back into the air.
"Here comes the finishing blow! Comet-" "Harden!"
"Huh?" was the last thing that escaped from her mouth, before his already hard body, coupled with the stiffening of muscles that came hand-in-hand with the move, crashed down on her like an actual comet.
When the dust cleared, Eugene rolled away to reveal a flattened Ledyba, with spirals in both eyes.
"You're heavy… Too heavy…"
The wild Ledyba fainted!
"You okay?"
Skye dusted the, well, dust from her wings. "I'm fine! It'll take a lot more than that to keep me down!"
They turned to their trainers, who were high-fiveing each other. "Should we do that too?"
"Hey, hey, in case you haven't noticed, we don't exactly have hands."
"True. Hmm… ah, I know!"
She hopped over to him and tapped her head against his hard carapace.
"Headshell!"
"Headshell?" He pondered it a bit, before shrugging. "Hey, hey, I'll take it."
"Slowly, slowly, don't agitate it, Shaw."
Shauna sniffed. "Must. Resist. Urge. To. Grab and cuddle it."
The Skitty she and Trevor were trying to approach looked at them and mewed, as if to ask, Who are you people?
Fontaine, who knew better, heard it as, "Ooh, brown hair!"
Inch by inch, Shauna inched closer and closer, and so did the Skitty, until she was within arms' reach of her. "That's it; I mean no harm to you, and-"
She picked it up. "There!" She turned to look over her shoulder. "See, Trevs, that wasn't so-"
"Ooh, floating flower!"
The Skitty wriggled out of her grip, just as Shauna turned around to look at it.
BAMF!
With a Tail Whip, she propelled herself towards the floating red flower and towards the hedge maze. This, coincidentally, was in the same direction Shauna's face, well, faced.
Put two and two together, and the scene plays out as so: the Skitty used Shauna's now-dazed face as a launchpad.
"Oh wow, Shaw, you okay?" Trevor dashed over to help her to her feet.
She rejected his hand, instead clenching hers into a fist and mock-punching the air. "Nobody's going to get away from me that easily! Especially after what you did to me!"
She put on an expression that was both mad and cute at the same time, like she was going to bite down on the Skitty's tail as revenge.
Chances are, she probably would've, too.
"Get over here!" she yelled, as she ran after it in hot pursuit.
"Should we follow her?"
"Probably. Give me a moment."
Meta proceeded to Transform into an exact duplicate of Fontaine, except for his/her/it/what-pronoun-do-I-use-for-a-Ditto-anyways/hir eyes, which remained a beady black.
"Okay, let's go." And with a hop and a skip, the two of them were off.
Trevor sighed. "I probably should follow just to make sure she doesn't ruin any of the bushes-"
"Pardonne-moi, sorry 'bout that!" Shauna apologized hurriedly, dodging the shears of the angry gardener, whose perfectly manicured shrub was now a perfectly destroyed mess of shrubbery after she had run over it.
Hindsight should have told her that jumping over it, like the Skitty, would have been a better option.
"Come back here!" she called, delving deeper into the geometric garden. She turned a corner to find an intersection, and paused.
Eenie meenie miney mo, she thought to herself as she pointed to each path in turn, this is the path I shall go!
And thus, she set down the left path.
Not long after, the two Froakies arrived at the same intersection, slightly out of breath.
"Crap! We've lost her. Which way do we go?"
Meta looked at both paths, before pointing at the left path. "Split up. I'll go that way, you go right."
"Done!" And so they did.
Meanwhile, after a few more turns, Shauna finally came across the Skitty, now trying, and failing, to leap over one of the taller human-sized hedges.
"Ooh, this thing's in my way! Now I can't catch that floating flower!"
She resumed trying to get close to the Skitty, except this time, she dropped the harmless act, and went straight to trying to capture it.
"I'm going to love and tolerate the sh*t outta you!"
Addendum: without the use of a Pokéball.
"Ooh, wrestling!"
The proverbial catfight continued even as Meta arrived on the scene.
"Egads, what are they up to now?"
Shauna had the Skitty in an armlock, and was giving it a head rub. In return, the Skitty was struggling to get out of the grip, and, using its tail as a mallet, generally smacking Shauna upside the head with it.
"Oh well. Guess I'll have to stop it, since Fontaine's probably halfway on the other side of this maze. Transform!"
Seconds later, a near-splitting image of the Skitty appeared where the Froakie once stood.
"Hmm… I guess can understand why they want to frolic around, what with this body and all that. Well, back to work."
He/She/Zhe/Whatever/It walked up to them and mewled, trying to get their attention.
Just like every attempt to break up a fight involving two girls, it went ignored.
She sighed. "I'd hoped for too much. I'll have to do it the old-fashioned way."
And so he did, by walking up to them, and using her newly acquired tail to bonk the foreign Skitty on the head.
Upon which, something slightly peculiar occurred.
"Ooh, a male Skitty!"
The Skitty stopped struggling altogether, in favour of looking at Meta with small little hearts in her eyes. "Ooh… I wonder if you taste nice!"
Ignoring the bite on his tail, Meta pondered the strange turn of events.
"Ah. Ça doit être ça. But just to be sure-"
She shook the Skitty's nip away from his tail, before lightly tapping Shauna, who had been looking on the whole scene with an air of befuddlement surrounding her, on the head. Near-instantly, hearts also appeared in her eyes, and she collapsed to the ground, murmuring Calem's name over and over.
"…I probably should have expected that."
As the Skitty resumed nibbling on his tail, she noticed a retracted Pokéball drop out of the pocket of his master's skirt. She walked over to it, as an idea began to form in his mind.
"Hold up. Let's see, now, what can I- ah, I know. Tail Whip!"
She swung his tail around in an arc, slamming the other Skitty onto the button on the Pokéball. This action had the effect of causing the retracted Pokéball to expand to its normal size, before opening, and sucking in the Skitty.
"Job well done, if I say so myself."
She turned to his trainer, who was still lolling on the grassy floor, repeating one of her friends' names over and over, like a mantra.
"Probably should turn off the Cute Charm. Transform!"
She morphed back to his regular shape, upon which the Ability broke, and Shauna snapped out of her temporary immobilization.
"Wait, what was I doing? Last I remember, there was another Skitty and-"
She saw the newly-occupied Pokéball on the ground next to her, and Meta, who was staring at her with the same beady, black eyes.
"Huh. I don't recall capturing any new Pokémon."
She tapped the button, upon which she came face-to-face with the same Skitty she'd spent the last ten minutes or so trying to subdue.
"Kyah!" "Ooh, more brown hair!"
She backed away, before stopping and putting a finger to her chin. "Well, if I caught her, that means I trust her, right?"
She turned to the Skitty, who was chasing her own tail in a circle. A beat passed, before she went back to smiling.
"I guess you're a member of the Shauna family now! I'm going to call you Katherine!" she said as she flopped to the ground and brought the newly-named Katherine to sit on her lap.
"Ooh, a name!" she purred, nuzzling Shauna.
The cuteness proximity convinced her to dig around in her handbag, and pull out a pink-coloured fruit.
"Here, have a Pecha."
"Ooh, sweet!" She chomped down on the soft flesh of the Berry.
"Niichan, are you okay? You just stopped like there was an invisible wall in front of you."
He held up a hand. "It's nothing. I just had the strangest feeling someone was out to eat me up."
Blair raised an eyebrow. "Eat you up? As in, figuratively, or literally?"
"I can't tell…"
Someone's watching us.
The switch from speech to telepathy was instantaneous.
Who?
One Pokémon. I think they're in the top alcove of the fountain.
Got it. She phased out of visibility.
Oberon's acute sense of detection was indeed correct. The alcove of Perle Fountain was home to a solitary figure, who was watching the two with piqued interest.
I see, so Misdreavus can turn invisible at will. I'll have to remember that, if I ever have to battle one.
Like right now?
So preoccupied in jotting the note down to memory he was, that he hadn't noticed Blair reappearing, right next to him.
"Gah!"
Surprised, the figure tripped over his fur, backwards.
"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa- huh?"
His long drop down to the fountain was halted by a garnet tendril of psychic energy, courtesy of Blair's Psywave.
"Awateru na. We can't have you falling to your death, when you haven't even introduced yourself."
The Ralts was more surprised than terrified. "You can speak Sinnohese?"
She hovered down and set him on the grassy path next to the fountain. "I'm a Sinnoh native. It just comes naturally."
"And by the looks of you, I'd say Kalosian comes naturally to you, doesn't it?" Oberon walked over.
"Ah, yes. Good to know a fellow Ralts." The other Ralts held out an arm. "Merritt. Seeker of knowledge and all things informative. Yours?"
"Blair. I'd shake your hand, but, well," she looked down at her dress. "I'm lacking any. And this is my niichan, Ber-"
"Oberon, if you will." He shot a slightly exasperated look at Blair, who grinned sheepishly. "Do you know your chant yet?"
Merritt smiled, as the tip of his outstretched arm glowed blue.
"Move #381: Lucky Chant ~ Ralts ~ Special Notes
While most individual Pokémon families that can learn this move have their own special incantation, and stick to that incantation alone, the Ralts family line can learn a total of thirteen chants, each with their own respective effects. Ralts are all born with a designated chant, proportionate to their birthdate and starsign, and a normal chant for protection, although they only learn their designated chant when they grow 'mature'.
This maturity stage is not predefined; while some Ralts, like I once was, take as little as a month to start spouting out their spells, some have reported taking years to even learn their first verse.
As they meet other Ralts on their journey through life, they may exchange incantations. However, this process only works with designated chants, and thus, only one pair of chants can be exchanged between any pair or Ralts at any given time.
A Gardevoir or a Gallade who is able to learn, and master, all thirteen incantations is often held in high regard by many others of the same species."
'The Comprehensive Move Guide Videobook' TM by Various. Available now for your Pokémon, at any major Pokémon Mart.
"Indeed I do. As evidenced by the azure colour, my starsign is Vaporeon. I trust that yours is different?"
The ends of Oberon's arms crackled with yellow energy.
"Plusle and Minun. Fascinating. Well, then, let us commence the swap, shall we? Which one of us is going first?"
Oberon leaned his head forward. "Be my guest."
"With pleasure." Merritt said, as he touched the end of his arm to Oberon's psychosensor.
Information and memories rushed through his head, as Merritt got to see small snippets of Oberon's life. He recognized the Misdreavus (Blair, was it?) with a woman in purple-coloured dress, saw a man in a flamboyant pink stage costume making the same woman appear out of thin air, and a young boy, no more than ten, receiving a pair of sunglasses. All of these memories transformed into words and letters, each falling into place, until the chant was completed.
Merritt broke the connection, and, after making sure Oberon was fine, sounded out the new incantation.
"Twin goddesses, each born with a single wing… in imperfection lies everchanging hearts… Lucky Chant: Gemini!"
As it resolved, a third Ralts appeared. This one was fairly different from the two present though; for one, the left half of its body was missing.
"Oh, er, this, isn't supposed to happen, is it?" Merritt said, as he studied the duplicate.
Blair giggled. "It's bound to happen. Oberon-niichan had to practice for another month to get his illusion not to look like a disembodied head."
"B-B-Blair!" Oberon sputtered. "That's supposed to remain secret!"
"Oops. Sorry!"
Calling off the illusion, Merritt motioned for Oberon. "Don't expect to find too much in terms of memories, though. I don't have many to share."
"I'll take note of that." Oberon replied, as he tapped his arm to the other psychosensor.
Indeed, there wasn't much to be seen, as Oberon breezed through night after night of Merritt observing the Pokémon and humans that passed by the fountain, recording notes on said observations, battling the occasional Budew for rights to the berry trees, and talking to a blue Floette with a black flower. Likewise, all of these memories transformed into words and letters, forming out the third incantation in Oberon's logbook.
Breaking the connection, he turned to make sure Merritt was still conscious, before uttering out the new chant.
"O spring of eternal purity… Bubble with the songs of the Fairies… Lucky Chant: Aquarius!"
A spout of water erupted from the tips of his arms, covering the three of them in a substance that evaporated upon contact. Seconds passed, and yet, nothing else happened.
"Am I doing this right? There doesn't seem to be anything happening."
Merritt grinned. "Use it in battle. You'll see its effects firsthand."
Blair raised an eyebrow, again. "You're not just going to tell him?"
"Information can be given, but it also must be sought. Besides, where's the fun in giving the answer to a question you'll find out eventually?"
Oberon?
Coming, sir! "Well, as much as I'd like to stay and talk, we'd best be going. Our Trainer's calling for us."
"He is?"
"Telepathic link."
"Impressive. It takes a lot of trust between a Ralts and another to form such a link."
Yes it does, doesn't it? *giggle*
Oberon? Where are you?
By the fountain, sir, Blair and I are coming soon! "Got to go! Pleasure doing business with you!"
"So it is. Although," he gestured to the alcove, "you could always thank me by bringing me back up to my home. I don't like to climb."
"You're a Ralts. You aren't fooling anyone, much less us." Blair deadpanned.
He paused, then smiled, and curtseyed. "Astute deduction. I expected nothing less. Teleport!"
And in a blink of an eye, he was gone.
The afternoon had been largely successful. Katherine's induction into the team was very well-received, except for Fia.
To be fair, this was after Kat's short training stint, which gained her a new move in the form of Sing. What did that have to do with Fia? Well…
"Hatee-hatee-hatee-ho! Hatee-hatee-hatee-ho! Hatee-hatee-hatee-ho! Ooh, what does the Fennekin say?"
"Resisting urge… to set… new friend… on fire…" Fia twitched, watching on as Fontaine took down the now-confused Budew with a Water Pulse, which he had learnt sometime in the past hour.
Basically, the usual problems when your new teammate happens to be a ditzy kid.
But, as three o'clock came and passed, the quintet decided that that was enough for a day, and that they should probably get to Lumiose City to find the professor.
Waiting at the gate was their final surprise of this chapter.
"Dexie, what rhymes with fight?"
The brownish-blond-haired boy shrugged, not taking his eyes off his 3DS. "Why d'you ask?"
The violet-haired girl leaning on the wall opposite wrote down something on her notebook. "I'm trying to find words to our theme song, duh. All I've got so far is 'Troublemakers, prepare to fight!' and I'm trying to find something that contains 'Defenders of Kalos' and a rhyming word."
"Go for- oh, Astra, that's nice."
"Astra?"
He was about to launch into a long explanation about the finer points of Swordmasters, when he noticed the five teenagers walking towards them.
"Well, look who finally showed up."
She smirked. "Let's go bring them in."
The two stood up straight, and faced the five, who paused, obviously expecting them to say the first word.
The girl cleared her throat. "My name's Sina! It's a beautiful name for a beautiful lady!"
The ginger in green facing her crossed his arms. "So it's not your real name."
Laughter broke out on both sides, as Sina's face grew darker than it already was.
"Hey, screw you! I'm going to-"
The other half of the duo cut her off before she could describe in detail exactly what she was planning to do, and then turned to Trevor. "Well played. I'm Dexio, and I think we're going to get along swimmingly."
"Trevor. These are my friends."
After the rest of the five had introduced themselves, Dexio continued, "Two years ago, I set off from Camphrier Town on the same journey you all are going through right now. I suppose that would make me a Pokémon-voyage veteran, and your direct senior, so if you've got any questions, feel free to ask me. Or her, take your pick. Isn't that right," He turned to his companion with a devilish grin, "Sydney?"
In response, Sina stamped her boot down, hard. Ignoring his cries of pain, she gestured to the gate. "Let's not keep the good Professor waiting now, shall we?"
A/N:
Ouai! – Yay!
Chiant! - used in this context for "vous me fait chier," or "you piss me off."
Pardonne-moi – excuse me
ça doit être ça – that must be it
Awateru na – Easy does it
Niichan – Japanese term used to refer to an older brother; in this case, Blair uses it for Oberon.
Pokédex count:
Central Kalos – 36/150 seen.
(Coastal Kalos – 1/153 seen. – Rhyhorn – Unregistered)
(Mountain Kalos – 1/151 seen. – Ditto – Unregistered)
(National – Koffing, Misdreavus – Unregistered)
Calem's Team
Name: Oberon
Species: Ralts
Approximate level: 19
Ability: Telepathy
Moves learnt: Growl, Confusion, Double Team, Teleport, Lucky Chant
Name: Almond
Species: Chespin
Approximate level: 15
Ability: Overgrow
Moves learnt: Tackle, Growl, Vine Whip, Rollout, Bite, Leech Seed
Name: Blair
Species: Misdreavus
Approximate level: 14
Abiity: Levitate
Moves learnt: Growl, Psywave, Spite, Astonish, Confuse Ray
Serena's Team
Name: Fiametta 'Fia'
Species: Fennekin
Approximate level: 15
Ability: Blaze
Moves learnt: Scratch, Tail Whip, Ember, Howl, Flame Charge
Name: Skye
Species: Fletchling
Approximate level: 14
Ability: Gale Wings
Moves learnt: Tackle, Growl, Quick Attack, Peck, Agility
Shauna's Team
Name: Fontaine
Species: Froakie
Approximate level: 14
Ability: Torrent
Moves learnt: Pound, Growl, Bubble, Quick Attack, Lick, Water Pulse
Name: Meta
Species: Ditto
Approximate level: 13
Ability: Imposter
Moves learnt: Transform (that's the only thing a Ditto can learn, anyways)
Name: Katherine
Species: Skitty
Approximate level: 11
Ability: Cute Charm
Moves learnt: Fake Out, Growl, Tail Whip, Tackle, Foresight, Attract, Sing
Trevor's Team
Name: Sparks
Species: Pikachu
Approximate level: 16
Ability: Static
Moves learnt: Growl, Thundershock, Tail Whip, Thunder Wave, Quick Attack
Tierno's Team
Name: Eugene
Species: Corphish
Approximate level: 16
Ability: Hyper Cutter
Moves learnt: Bubble, Harden, Vice Grip, Leer
Enemy Pokémon featured
Name: ?, ?, ?
Species: Combee
Approximate level: 13
Ability: Honey Gather
Moves learnt: Sweet Scent, Gust, Bug Bite
Name: ?
Species: Ledyba
Approximate level: 17
Ability: Swarm
Moves learnt: Tackle, Supersonic, Comet Punch, Light Screen, Reflect, Safeguard, Mach Punch