Chapter 11 - Carrot Curry
Floaroma Town was one of the smaller towns in all of Sinnoh. Had it not been for its beautiful fields of flowers, there would be nothing particularly distinct about it. The locals did their best to make it an interesting place though. The mayor often lobbied to get two Pokemon contests a month, but there was no building big enough to host them. Instead, most of them were held outside.
Other means of bringing in tourists and trainers was the flowers. Since it was nearing the end of summer, most of the fields were filled with tall sunflowers. The locals would have contests to see who could grow the tallest and most beautiful sunflower. This meant that from a distance, Floaroma appeared to be an ocean of yellow.
But it didn't just stop with flowers. Floaroma also grew and produced the most carrots in the East. This was one particular reason why Yurie was so excited to visit the small town.
"This is the most beautiful place I've seen in my entire life!" Cyan exclaimed. "We might regret traveling together, guys. You're not going to be able to pull me away from this!"
"I'm sure that Urshifu and the others would like to keep battling. That should be enough motivation to leave," Phoenix said.
"If it means anything, we get to be here for a while. My contest isn't for a couple more days. I have a little bit of practicing to do," Yurie added. She looked down at Torchic and Piplup. The Water-type had finally been able to calm down, and he was getting used to traveling with the group, but he would still let his mind wander, which in turn would carry his feet in a different direction from the crowd.
"Do you think you can battle with Piplup this time around?" Phoenix asked.
Yurie sighed and then cocked her head. "Well, I don't know. I'll practice with him, but if we can't figure something out, I may ask that you take care of him during the show. It might be wise to let him watch a contest before I put him on stage."
Cyan sniffed the air. "Take all the time you need! It looks beautiful. It smells wonderful. Too bad you can't eat or listen to flowers. I want all of my senses tingled!" He knelt and stroked a purple tulip.
Phoenix shrugged. "No one is stopping you from eating them. How about we get to a Pokemon Center? We should clean up and refresh ourselves. I'm hungry."
"No need!" Yurie exclaimed.
Phoenix glared at her. "Come again? There is an absolute need to take a shower."
"No, I mean, we don't need to go to a Pokemon Center. My grandma lives here! We can probably stay at her place," Yurie explained. "Her cooking will probably be way better than anything you can get at the Pokemon Center! She makes the best carrot curry! I think that'll quench your need for taste!"
"I will never say no to good cooking!" Cyan said with a wide smile. "Let's go!"
Yurie hadn't been to her grandmother's house in years, but she knew the path. It also helped that Floaroma was relatively small. However, unlike the big city, every home was a house. Most of the people who lived in Floaroma were retired. All of the trainers would leave for their adventures, and when they came back to finish their schooling, they were usually asked to move to Jubilife or even somewhere as far as Kanto when their careers started.
However, this did not mean that the group immediately ended up at Yurie's grandmother's house. Floaroma was wide with a small population. Every house that they came upon was followed by one or two fields of flowers or carrots.
After roughly an hour of walking, they finally made it to their destination. It was an older house with a black thatched roof. It was a brick structure with two floors, and Yurie's grandmother left the windows and doors open. Hanging from the top balcony were dozens of clothes, more than enough for one person. And, on her small porch were dozens of small potted plants and flowers; each one of them was different.
"I'm home!" Yurie said as she opened the door. They walked into a small entryway where they were expected to take off their shoes.
There was no immediate response, but Yurie could hear a commotion in the living room. The door slowly creaked open, and a small grey Pokemon peeked its head through.
"Meow," it muttered upon seeing Yurie.
"Glameow! It's nice to see you again! Do you remember me? Yurie!"
"Meow?"
"Yes! Yurie!"
And then, the door opened much faster. A woman with poofy white hair and thick-rimmed glasses came around the corner. She wore a plaid skirt and a light green blouse. Her face appeared naturally angry, but when she smiled at the sight of Yurie, her expression was warm and inviting.
"Yurie, it's been so long! I've heard so much! I'm so happy that you're here! Come in! Come in!" she said while waving her granddaughter over.
"Baba, this is Cyan and Nix. They're my friends," Yurie exclaimed.
Yurie's grandma adjusted her glasses and looked at the two boys. "Well, hello there."
"Alola!" Cyan said with a wave.
"Howdy!"
"The house is a mess, but make yourselves at home. Are you boys in the mood for carrot curry or coffee? I wasn't expecting any more company. I'll need to run to the store," her grandma said to herself while she turned around and returned to the living room.
The three removed their shoes and then walked into the living room. Just as her grandmother had said, the room was a mess. Piles of clothes and papers were strewn about. Phoenix was unsure of what was supposed to be furniture.
"This ain't all grandma clothing," Phoenix thought to himself.
Yurie's grandmother walked to the kitchen and pulled three small plates from the cupboard. She eyed Yurie and started speaking. "I've heard so much about your journeys! Not all good, I hear, but it sounds like you've managed to take care of yourself. I never took you for someone who would get yourself into so much danger. I also never took you for someone that would do anything with your life. I'm just glad that you actually gave adventuring an honest try. Had you not, you never would have discovered this hidden talent of yours! And from what I hear, you're really good at it. You don't have Haruto's battling technique, and you're not as fashionable as Yui, but you have found a nice balance! Are you eating well? What has been your favorite food that you've found on the road so far? You're not just eating out though, right? You're actually taking the time to cook, right? I bet you are. You're still so skinny, which means that you're doing something right. What kind of Pokemon do you like? I can see that you got yourself a Piplup and Torchic. Your brother and sister chose Torchic as well. I don't understand why you are all so drawn to Fire-types. We're a family who raises flowers. Don't you know that bringing that kind of Pokemon into the house can be real dangerous, especially to your mother's business? Speaking of which, how is your mother? I haven't talked to your mom since the-" She stopped and took a breath. "Anyways, carrot curry?"
"I'd love some!" Yurie exclaimed.
Her grandmother put down the three plates. It was as advertised, a brown curry with carrots making up more than half of the ingredients.
Phoenix's stomach growled. Cyan's mouth watered. Yurie's eyes twinkled.
They sat down, picked up their spoons, and prepared to eat.
But then, the door swung open once again.
"I'm home!" a deep voice called out.
Everyone paused. Cyan and Phoenix peered at Yurie, who seemed frozen. The twinkle in her eyes quickly faded, and her usual beautiful brown eyes seemingly turned black.
"Hayato, you're home early," Yurie's grandma stated. "Look who's here!"
Cyan and Phoenix looked back, finding a muscular man with long pitch-black hair standing in the doorway. Even though he appeared to be in his mid-thirties, his unshaven beard appeared slightly patchy. He wore a dirtied white tank top and baggy grey pants.
"Y-Yurie. Is it really you?" the man wondered.
Yurie didn't answer him. She didn't even bother to turn around. She put the spoon down and then shot a glare at her grandmother.
"I heard that you were in Sinnoh, and I hoped that we'd get the chance to see each other, but I didn't think that it would be this soon. I'm so happy to see you again. Can I get a hug?" the man asked. He held out his arms. Around his right wrist was a mega bracelet made of petrified lilies.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Yurie asked her grandmother.
"I didn't think that it'd be a problem," her grandmother replied. She set down a tray with three mugs of hot coffee before offering one to Yurie. "My son, your father. We're all family, and we can come and go from this house as we please. We leave any negative feelings at the door. It makes the flower sick if we don't."
"Are you here for the contest? I'd love to go and watch," Hayato exclaimed. "I've seen you on TV, but nothing beats watching a contest live!"
"I agree," Cyan muttered, trying to break some of the tension. Phoenix slowly shook his head.
"Sorry, guys. We're leaving. We'll stay at the Pokemon Center while we're here. Thank you for the curry, Baba," Yurie said, slowly getting quieter. She placed the mug of coffee down and turned around. Without another word, she left the living room and disappeared. Torchic, who dragged Piplup along with him, quickly followed.
Cyan and Phoenix eyed one another, unsure of what to do next.
"It's okay. You can stay until you finish your curry and coffee," Yurie's grandmother said. "No need to rush out."
"I don't want to be rude, but I think we should," Phoenix said. "It smells fantastic. Is there any way to get it to go? Food always puts Yurie in a better mood."
"It's good to know that she hasn't changed a bit," Hayato said with a smile. He scratched his patchy beard before looking at the two boys. "The name is Hayato. Maybe you've heard of me from Yurie?"
The two boys weren't sure how to reply.
"Well, even if not, then you've definitely seen me on TV, right? I was an Elite Four member until a couple of years ago," he explained. "I'm the Brutal King of Fiery Execution! Or at least, I was."
"I'm Cyan," Cyan replied. "It's nice to meet you."
"I'm Phoenix."
"I know all about the both of you!" Hayato exclaimed with a wide smile. "Cyan, you got yourself a reputation as a pretty strong trainer! I've seen you battle as well. I'd love to put on a show with you sometime!"
"A show?" Cyan wondered.
"Not in or near my house. It's bad for the flowers," Yurie's grandmother shouted.
"And you!" Hayato yelled while pointing at Phoenix. "Are you the Unovan boy that's been traveling with my daughter all of these years? I've heard all about you from Haruto! I gotta lay down some ground rules for dating my daughter!"
Phoenix violently shook his head. "No! No! I have no idea what you're talking about! I just met Yurie a couple of weeks ago! Seriously, can we take that curry to go?"
Hayato put his hands on his hips and examined the boys. He smiled, revealing perfectly straightened white teeth. "I'll be close by, but you two take care of my daughter, alright? She may be tough. She's a Kawahara, but you never know what can happen on the road. If anything happens to her, I'm coming for you two!"
Once Cyan and Phoenix received their curry in small plastic containers, they were quickly out of the house. Neither were sure which direction to go in search for Yurie, but since she mentioned the Pokemon Center, they knew that they'd eventually find her there.
The walk to the Pokemon Center was long, and in every field that they passed, Cyan wanted to stop and literally smell the flowers, only extending the time they spent on the road.
When they arrived at the Pokemon Center, Phoenix asked if Yurie had checked in. She hadn't. He reserved them a room. Even though he was desperate for a shower, he felt uneasy not knowing where she was.
The two waited in the Pokemon Center lobby at one of the many tables. Vulpix slept under Cyan's chair. Slowly, the two realized that the only thing to do in Floaroma Town was look at the flowers. The news program that played on the television only talked about carrots.
"We're gonna be here for a while," Phoenix said with a groan. "Where is she?!"
And then, the Pokemon Center doors slid open. Yurie came through, holding two plastic bags of groceries.
"Sorry for making you wait," she said. She tried to force a smile, but her cheeks could only manage a slight twitch. "I felt bad that you didn't get to eat any curry, so I bought some ingredients to make food."
"We had your grandma pack us the curry. We can eat it after our showers," Phoenix said. He rubbed the back of his head, feeling the grease that had built up over the past couple of days.
Yurie peered at the plastic containers. "So, we gotta go take those back to her?"
"If it's a problem, then we'll do it!" Cyan exclaimed. "Or, we can eat it all and then pack whatever it is you make into them. My Baba always had too much Tupperware. I'm sure that yours won't miss a few plastic containers."
Yurie set the bags down on the table. She was silent.
"Are you alright?" Cyan asked. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"No. And, no," Yurie said bluntly. "I'm sorry."
"Take your time," Phoenix replied. He stuck his hand out and placed it on her shoulder. "Whatever you need to do to heal, we're here to support you."
Yurie looked up at Phoenix. She tried her best to hold back tears, but she could feel them welling up, and within seconds, she started to bawl. She dove into Phoenix's chest and began to cry.
"There, there," he said while patting her on the head. He lightly pushed her off of him before checking his shirt for snot. "Right now, if you want us to listen or give advice, just let us know. What works best for you?"
"N-neither. I ju-just want to be m-mad!" Yurie exclaimed. She attempted to push Phoenix away, but the boy was much larger than she was, and he didn't budge. This only seemed to have made her even angrier. She quickly snatched the card key to their room from Phoenix's pocket and stormed off to the hallway.
"Yurie!" Phoenix shouted. He stepped to follow her, but Cyan's hand on his shoulder told him to stop.
"You did your job. If you want to just listen to Yurie, then listen to what she's told you so far. Leave her alone and let her be mad," Cyan said. "Whatever emotions she's dealing with will eventually fade away. When and if she's ever ready to talk about it, she will."
Phoenix looked at Cyan and then back toward the hallway. He relaxed his shoulders, and Cyan let him go. "I guess that's a fair point. We all have our demons, right?"
Cyan ran his tongue through the inside of his cheek. Necrozma's image flashed in his mind for a moment. "Yeah."
"Nonetheless, I'm gonna take a shower. How about you?"
Cyan smiled from ear to ear. "The sun is about to set! I gotta see what the flowers look like at this time of day!"
The two split ways. Phoenix asked for another card key, and Cyan and Vulpix went outside. He wasn't sure where to go. He just knew that he wanted to enjoy the town as long as he could. He walked down the path that brought them to the Pokemon Center, finding a field of tall sunflowers. The sun barely peaked over their yellow petals. He sat down. Vulpix sat in his lap, and the two sat in silence.
At least, for a while.
As the sunlight faded over the horizon, Cyan could hear a faint sound in the distance. It was a sound he was familiar with but not a sound that he knew very well. It was the high-pitched sound of a stringed instrument. Cyan could tell that it was a smaller instrument, and the elongated notes that came from the instrument told him that it was something that required a bow.
The sound was soft and gentle. It was slow.
He stood up, forcing Vulpix off his lap. And without thinking, he walked into the field of sunflowers. Vulpix followed closely. He could sense that he was getting closer, as the sound got louder. And with every footstep, whoever was playing the instrument seemingly got faster.
Cyan's heart raced. He put his arms out in front of him so that he wouldn't run into one of the sunflowers face first, but now he wanted to to find the source of the sound. He picked up pace and started to run.
The rhythm also quickened, but Cyan's heartbeat became louder in his eardrums, almost taking over the sound. He breathed heavily, and when the sounds mixed, he loss his sense of direction. He could feel that he was close though, so all he needed was to be quick. With little care for the safety of his face, he made a headlong dash and burst from the field of sunflowers. He stopped suddenly, but he still held out his arms. Slowly, he opened his eyes, and he could feel his other senses come back to him.
But then, he felt his heart sink into his chest. The sound of the instrument was gone.
"I didn't just imagine it, right?" he asked Vulpix.
"Vul-pix," the Pokemon responded.
Cyan looked to the horizon. The sun had now disappeared completely behind the mountains. The beautiful city of Floaroma was dark.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
So, a little bit of a different chapter (I feel like I say this a lot). Even though Floaroma is a smaller city, the group is gonna spend a little bit of time here. I have three chapters in total planned (including this one), but I might just combine Yurie's contest into one giant chapter. We'll see!
Also, I've been posting my United Unova story a bit more regularly recently! If you're interested, please check it out! It's been an interesting story to write!
REVIEWS:
pokemonking0924 - "Piplup certainly is a handful with him not wanting to stay inside his pokeball and constantly eating Yurie's food, even raw vegetables she was probably planning on using later. On the bright side Cyan has his Shieldon and it seems like a well behaved Pokémon and the trio has decided to travel together. However Team Galactic has reunited and has plans on getting their leader Cyrus back, although Charon makes it sound like he's going after a different version of their leader, hopefully things will be made clear soon. I'm also excited to see that Sinnoh's past as Hisui will have an impact on this story." - So, they are looking for their original leader! I should maybe go back and change that to make it clear. As for Hisui, it will be a slow burn, but it will impact the story eventually!
