20.
Leaves of Regret
"You a newbie, right?"
Liko looked up from Houndour's Pokeball.
"Huh?"
"A newbie?" Irwin repeated, grinning. "I can always tell. You're here for the gym challenge, right?"
Liko almost shakes her head, stops, and stares.
It's the mask of leaves and crystal, dark eyes, staring at her, staring from behind the bushes, behind Irwin, behind her, everywhere, everywhere, until Liko blinks and shakes her head. There's nothing.
"N-no…I…was just traveling…to get stronger…"
"I see…" Irwin said. "I'm a traveling trainer myself, too…well, I say that but I have no idea what that Pokemon is." He gestured at Sprigatito. "I'm more of a common traveler…I go asking newbies for battles because it helps me forget I'm getting old." Irwin laughed.
"Oh…"
"So…you're a foreign trainer out to see the world?"
"Y-you could say that…" Liko shrugged.
"So…I'm guessing you're here to see Whitney, right?"
"Huh?"
Liko wasn't here to challenge any gyms.
Mr. Nanu had told her to take it easy in Goldenrod but to leave before it got too dark. "They can fly, not you, kid…unless that bird of yours doesn't mind the weight."
But Liko didn't stop Irwin from guiding her straight to the local Goldenrod Gym, with the young man telling her it would be the perfect place to train her newly captured Houndour.
He stops to talk to a policeman on the way, explaining to Liko, "Gotta warn them in case those Growlithes start a forest fire…you wouldn't believe how petty some Pokemon can be."
Whitney is…chatty.
Unlike Falkner in Violet with his distance and Bugsy in Azalea with his busy schedule catching bugs, Whitney was more of the casual talker. The young woman had asked her similar questions that Irwin had asked outside of Goldenrod, mentioning that she doesn't get too many challengers these days.
But as soon as the chatter ends, the battle begins, and Liko's not sure how it started.
A practice battle, Whitney assures her as they take their places, and Liko doesn't know why she didn't say 'no' but Sprigatito is already battle ready, up to the challenge. Whitney didn't blink at Sprigatito but she did hesitate a little before sending out her Clefairy.
The fight was…not good.
Sprigatito, fast and strong, couldn't really go head to head against Clefairy, who listened to strategy; the grass cat trips trying to scratch the fairy type but Clefairy is bulkier than the common Pokemon he bullied on the road and was taken down to task.
A gym trainer watching the battle called the point to Clefairy while Liko went to grab Sprigatito, not having the heart to return him to his Pokeball. Poor grass cat couldn't even look at her as she sent out her Squawkabilly.
Squawkabilly does ten times better than Sprigatito, listening to Liko who orders him to use his quick attack to dodge and tackle the Clefairy, who despite its bulk, is slower than the bird Pokemon. It eventually falls to a well-placed peck to the face. The gym trainer calls a point for Liko, and Whitney nods before sending out her Miltank.
Liko is a little concerned but decides to use speed to her advantage, only to notice her mistake the moment Miltank dodges Squawkabilly and almost hits him with a tackle that he dodges on time, and Liko tells him to keep his distance, using a combination of quick attacks and pecks to put some damage into Miltank, who is fast but not faster than her blue feathered friend. But it's a strategy that runs out of steam, and soon, Miltank catches up to Squawkabilly, tackling it with such force it drops to the ground, and that's when the gym trainer calls the point to Whitney and the battle is over.
"That was impressive," Whitney smiles at Liko. "Not many newbies can get past my Clefairy and make Miltank work for that victory!"
"Uh…thank you…"
"But…" Whitney was trying not to stare at the Sprigatito in Liko's arms. "A strategy is only as good as the Pokemon and trainer working together, you know?" Liko flinches, staring everywhere but at Whitney, holding Sprigatito close. "I'm not saying you're bad! No, no! But…you know…" It's Falkner's advice all over again. Liko knows, she knows. She's weak. She's…she's…
…nothing.
"Thank you very much for the opportunity…" Liko bows her head, turns, and leaves, trying to ignore her limp and everyone around her.
Behind Whitney, groaning and shaking her head, the lass said, "Whitney…"
"I'm sorry! I was trying to be nice about it!" Whitney looked about ready to cry. "I'm not good at giving advice, okay!?"
Sprigatito jumps out of Liko's arms the moment they exit the gym; the girl doesn't know how to react, not until Sprigatito starts running. He doesn't look back.
Liko cries out, starts running, forgetting her bad leg and by the time she remembers, the grass cat is gone. And out of the corner of her eye, she sees the stranger again, hiding in an alley, shining brighter than the signs all around.
"...nothing, nothing."