[PKMN OPEN] The Pokémon Trainer Academy (T) [Best Veteran 4Q '11]

Snype eyed Charmeleon curiously, curious of why the question was brought up. ["Eh? Well... why not? I mean, Just lookin to be friends here ya know? What can I say? I'm just a nice guy! Kehehe...Comon no need to be down!"] Snype said patting her back lightly. ["But I mean it! Your a pretty darn good fighter."]

"The mountains huh? Yeah I'm pretty curious myself. But I'm feeling more adventurous. I wanna explore near the Volcano for pokemon. I'll catch something there and show off that I had the guts to go near it. Gotta be some kind of fire type out there eh?" Mark replied. He checked his pokegear once more and noticed that he had several messages he had missed from his dad. "Ugh..." He muttered as he completely ignored each of them.

"Um, thuh-hanks," Skye looked down for a minute. "Theh-hey don't luh-like a qu-qu-" Oh how he hated this part of the stutter. He started to cough, feeling the word in his throat. "Quiet huh-ousehold," he finished in a weakened sort of voice, managing the word. "Ah-and Cam was l-loud and I w-wasn't. Yuh-You can come pluh-hay with her ih-hif you want." He could sense Bri wanted to tell him something and waited patiently. He was more connected to Pokemon emotions than human ones, but it led to the same thing in the end so he could kind of do it. He glanced at his pendant quietly, almost feeling a heartbeat.

Bri smiled. Skye seemed to be waiting for him to say something, and Bri kind of wanted to tell him how he met Thyme. But he was still a little wary of over talking. Finally, he decided he didn't really care. He had to tell someone sooner or later.

"You want to hear how I met Thyme? Well, here's how it went. I was three when we met. I wasn't in school at the time, and Dean was at home sick. Father had to go to the pokemart and pick something up, and he couldn't leave us at home. Mother had her hands full with Scott, so Dean and I went with Father. I got bored really fast, and I walked back outside. It was the middle of winter, really close to my birthday, actually, and it was snowing. I wandered around behind the pokemart, and saw something green. It turned out to be Thyme. She was tied to a fence, abandoned by her trainer. She was really scared, and really cold. I tried to pull the rope free so she could get somewhere warm, but let's face it. I was three, and not very strong. So, I took off my coat and out it on her. It was very big, and it draped on the ground. Like everything else of mine, it was a hand-me-down. From my cousin Milly. An ugly purple thing. Dean came around the corner looking for me, and saw Thyme tied to the fence. He took out his pocket knife and cut the rope from around her neck. After that we went home. I got in a lot of trouble for losing my coat... Then, almost two years later when I was five, I met her again. The twins and I were walking home from school, and I spotted a ratty purple thing on the ground. The twins just went home, but I went to see what it was. I was really surprised when I saw it was Thyme! She had kept my coat, and traveled trying to find me! I took her home, but Mother didn't want me to waste my life trying to be a pokemon trainer. So, Thyme lived as a wild pokemon outside our house for another few years. I would spend as much time as I could ourside playing with her, though that wasn't very much. When I was eight, Father got a job in Hoenn, and we had to leave. That meant leaving Thyme behind. I begged and screamed and cried, but it was no use. We had to go. I told Thyme the day before we had to leave. That night, after all of us went to sleep, she snuck into the house. She climbed into Mothers bag, and came with us. Mother was really surprised when we got there and she found Thyme sleeping between her shirts. She wanted to take Thyme to a pokemon center and have her adopted by someone, but Father stepped in. He caught Thyme and came to me. I was still crying that we had left her behind. I'll never forget what he said to me. He said 'I was going to take you to Little Root Town when you turned ten to get your first pokemon. But I think your mother and I found one that would suit you better. It's best not to mess with what is clearly meant to happen. You take good care of this pokemon. Follow your dream, son.' He gave me the pokeball. I was angry. How could they think any pokemon could replace Thyme! But, eventually, I got curious. I opened the pokeball and to my surprise it was Thyme. I asked Father how she got here, and he told me how Mother had found Thyme in her bag. We've never been apart since. That's what made today so scary! I could have lost Thyme! And if that had happened, I don't know what I would have done!" Bri said, starting to cry a little at the end. He did feel a little better. The only people that knew what had happened were Thyme, himself, Dean, and now Skye. Not even Father knew the whole story. Nova looked like he had been slapped. Drizzle was glaring at him. Nova quickly recoved, and lay his head down like it didn't matter.

"Stubborn dog!" Drizzle said quietly. Nova ignored this. He hadn't meant for it to go that far. He didn't know that they were that close! He had made a terrible mistake. Oh well, he was never going to let them know, well, maybe one day. But he felt his respect for Thyme instantly rise. She had risked everything to be with the trainer she wanted. He was glad he had found himself a good trainer. Now, he just had to find what the limits were. How much would Bri put up with before he did something. Nova was a very willful pokemon, and if Bri was going to let himself get walked on, then Nova was going to walk all over him. But he would never go after any of the other pokemon again, no matter what.

Skye silently handed Bri a tissue box. He understood why Bri was crying but he didn't speak for a while. He was searching for words, for the voice who had advised him when he had been five, and he had just been attacked with Ellie. He tried to remember. He had been a mess of tears and pain, of fear. He had just learned Ellie could be dead, let alone that he might never be able to feel her fur again, regardless of her being alive. Then it came to him and he gave a quiet smile. He summoned Cam's voice, not deepened by puberty, remembering the doctor's words about how acting seemed to get rid of his stutter. He had never tried it but it would be a good time to start.

"Your Pokemon..." he began softly, really not sure if it was working. Skye's head was so used to his stutter, he couldn't imagine himself sounding like a regular person. Ellie ran into his arms, his first, his good friend. "There's a bond with it that is difficult, confusing, and uncertain as it is to make friends. You know you love them then, but you aren't sure how to act around them the first time. But you love them uncontrollably and you are connected with each of them closely. It's not your fault but that's how it is. That means... when they're really hurt, it feels like a piece of you is fading away. You can't stand it, the pain or their potential death." He glanced up to peer at Bri with serious, calm turquoise eyes. "But... if you really want them to stay and they really want to stay by your side, then don't worry. If they want to stay, they will. So believe in them and it'll be all right. You won't have to worry." Skye fell quiet and pensive, looking down.

Ellie took up the cue. "Skye's big brother told him that when he was in the hospital." She looked guilty. "I was bad... everyone said I wouldn't make it. But I did because I didn't want to lose Skye. And if Thyme wants to stay with you and you want to stay with him, then it should be okay."

"Theh-here are nuh-not sup-supposed to buh-buh-be Guh-halvantula's ih-in P-Pinwheh-heel Forest," Skye mumbled with a shudder. He didn't mind the Pokemon but he would never be able to look at spider webs the same. It was a miracle with Larvesta, really.

Bri nodded but said nothing. He took a tissue and wiped his nose. Drizzle smiled at him. Duster looked at Ellie.
"Uh... You said him. Thyme is a girl, you know," Duster said. She shook her head. It was kind of hard to tell with pokemon that weren't of a similar body type as you were. Thyme seemed to sense that everyone was talking about her and she woke up. She looked around and saw Bri was crying again. She groaned. She hated it when he did that.
"What did you all do this time!?" she asked.
"Nothing!" Drizzle said. Thyme could figure out what was going on. She glared at Nova, who was still hunkered in shame, then turned to Bri.
"Enough! I'm fine! I'm not hurt, well, not badly at any rate. Everything is ok! Even Nova looks like he's sorry," Thyme said. Bri looked at Nova.
"Eh, whatever," Nova said.
"Stop acting like a tough guy!" Drizzle said. Nova glared at him, but said nothing. Bri smiled again. They were all right, of course. He was letting himself get worked up over nothing. But he vowed to keep his pokemon safe. He never wanted to be this scared for them again, any of them!
"I'm sorry I'm breaking down like this... But thanks you guys," Bri said with a smile, wiping his eyes again.

Rama sighed, walked up to Bri, and pawed his arm. "Ellie has gender issues," he said coolly. "Chillax kid," he told Bri smoothly. "It'll be okay once you chill and let all of it out. You should be proud that you managed to keep your Pokemon safe and even capture the one who did it."

Ellie bounced, nodding an apology. "Rama's right! You're stronger than you think!" Skye smiled quietly, lightly tossing Ellie to his head. The Pokemon whooped as she soared upward.

Bri laughed as Skye threw his Eevee into the air. He was calming down quite a bit now. He reached down and placed Thyme on his shoulder, gently. She sat down and made herself comfortable.
"So... Now what?" Bri asked once he had calmed down completely. He was glad he had been able to talk about this. If he'd had to deal with it on his own, he'd have been down for days, maybe even weeks! But now, he was starting to feel better. Duster grinned at Rama. Drizzle was sitting back corfortably, and Nova hadn't moved from where he was on the bed.

Skye shrugged. "Whuh-hat do yuh-you wa-wanna do? Wheh-we cuh-hould go f-find the o-thers if you w-want. O-Or you couh-cou-ld go rest." Ellie mewed happily. Rama waved a lazy tail at Duster before turning into Nova, a smirk on his face. Volca stirred from his doze and crawled over to Skye, being unusually affectionate. Skye laughed lightly, allowing the creature to rest in his lap. Volca was so strange. Ellie yipped and mewed, looking amused as she spun on her partner's head, chasing her tail. Skye rolled his eyes but let her do as she pleased.

Thyme shook her head at Ellie.She was a weird pokemon. Bri stood up.
"I think I want to go for a walk. If you want to come too, that's fine," Bri said, still sounding a little shaky. He was alright now, it was just the after effects of breaking down into tears repeatedly. He called Duster, Drizzle, and Nova back to their pokeballs. Then he remembered something. He reached into his bag, and pulled out the egg Mr. Walters had given him.
"Oh yeah! I forgot to show you this! Mr. Walters gave me this egg on the first day of class! It's probably going to hatch tomorrow! Isn't that cool?" he said, sounding a little more like his old self. He could feel the egg moving every once in a while. If Duster had been right, the egg would hatch tomorrow morning.
"I wonder what it will hatch into. I hope nothing lame," Thyme mumbled to herself.
"There's no such thing as a lame pokemon!" Bri said.
"Oh yeah? What about a Trubbish? Or a Grimer?" Thyme shot back.
"Trubbish and Grimer are good pokemon! I... I just wouldn't use them. I don't like poison types," Bri said. Except Nidoran. He liked that pokemon just fine. But the rest of them scared him.

Skye stood up with a nod before smiling at the egg. He knew better than to touch it or he'd accidently imprint his memory on the poor confused baby. Thankfully they had avoided that with Volca. He chuckled softly at the mention of not liking Poison types. "Doh-hoes that muh-mean y-yuh-you hate Bellossom?" he asked softly, moving Ellie. Volca returned to his Pokeball and Ellie did the same, looking tired. Rama padded loyally around the room.

((Sorry I've been AWOL guys - had a big few days with my birthday party!! But I'm now back(ish) and alive(ish) so I'll catch myself up :D))

As Byron left, Selene watched Jack bound off up the mountain and tutted - yeah, she was all for ditching the system and making up the rules as you go along but such open contempt...well, who was he to think that the mining class was beneath him? Sure, she found it a bit stupid and boring as hell but it was timetabled and, she was sure, would make her a better trainer in the long-term...otherwise why would they have bothered running the class? So to this end she continued her digging - every so often finding the odd sparkling pebble or mysterious looking pattern on a rock but nothing of any worth. She sighed and wiped her forehead, continuing the work - why was it so damn hot?? "Hey Horsea, could you give me a bit of a cool off?" she asked, and Horsea rizzled her in a light misting of water as she dug - not enough to dampen her too much but just enough to keep her from overheating.

Suddenly, her shovel made a loud CLANG as she struck something. Frowning, she bent down and picked up a shimmering green-looking rock...that had...a yellow lightning bolt on its' face!! "oh my..." she said quietly, eyebrows shooting upwards to her hairline as she crouched, dropping her shovel and turning the stone over in her hands, fingertips tracing the engraved lightning bolt. It was...it was a... "a Thunderstone..." her voice was hushed and her eyes wide as she examined the stone.

How the hell had she managed to find something so rare?? This was just incredible...what sheer luck!! Some God up in the heavens must have been watching over her this period...her thoughts turned to Ryan and she nearly dropped the stone in realisation. Ryan! Pikachu! RAICHU! She'd always dreamed of having a Raichu...ever since she was a young girl, she'd had Raichu plushies, Raichu posters, Raichu books, Raichu pyjamas, Raichu EVERYTHING. And now...now that her dream was so close to becoming a reality she felt oddly emotional - as tears welled up in her eyes by-standers may think her a little odd...but to her this was an absolute dream come true. Standing up, she returned Horsea and whistled for Ri to return to her, the fighting pokemon agreeing as he leapt up on her shoulder.

Walking down the mountain, Selene carried her flip flops in one hand and the Thunderstone in another, sticking to the soft ground and grass to walk on. She was in deep thought on how to move next...she didn't want to just evolve Ryan without talking to him about it. She knew that he wanted to evolve as much as she wanted him to, but would it be a bit early? She needed to give him time to get his head around the idea. And Sel wanted to train him up a bit more before she evolved him...she'd head for the beach after she'd gone and gotten something to eat and let him practice on a few wild water pokemon - that shouldn't be too much of a challenge for him.

She wandered through the battlefields on her way to the Academy, so lost in her thoughts about Ryan and her newly-found Thunderstone she didn't notice Mark and Valorie sat there.

Bri stared blankly as he put the egg away.
"Um... Bellossom is a grass type," he said slowly, as though he wasn't sure of himself. Thyme chuckled at him, but didn't enlighten him. Bri walked toward the door. Thyme picked up his jacket with her vines where he had forgotten it, and draped it on his head. He grinned sheepishly and pulled it on. Thyme climbed up onto his head while he put his jacket on, then dropped back onto his shoulder. It was difficult to climb anything while one of her arms was in that bug stuff, but her atm had been burned, so she left it be.

Skye chuckled gently. He would learn the reality eventually. The boy turned to Thyme. "Yuh-You can take thah-hat off whuh-while you sluh-sleep," he informed her mildly. Skye went to his desk and grabbed his computer bag. It was likely that he would need to work on something tonight. He had promised his brother he would help record information on a trainer's journey. He said it would help the professors, particularly the natural items. Skye didn't know how it would be useful but he was willing to do it. Lenora was willing to give him the laptop after all. Rama snorted and followed the boy out of the room.

Bri felt a twinge of jealousy when he saw the computer bag, but said nothing. He walked out the door. He stopped at his room.
"Hang on, let me get something!" Bri said. He ran inside and closed the door quickly so that Skye would not see how messy his room was. He didn't close it all the way, and didn't notice it open on it's own a little. He rifled through the stuff on the desk until he found those two potions Skye had given him, and small bag that held the money that Dean and Father had given him for his trip. It wasn't much, but it was enough to get a few first aid supplies, like potions, burn heals, antidotes, and maybe even a revive. He looked in his desk, and then under it for the last two pokeballs he had brought with him. He was always losing everything! It was enough to make him want to scream! Oh, wait, never mind. He had them in his bag already. He put the money in his wallet, and the potions in his bag and walked out into the hallway. He closed and locked his door behind him.
"Ok! I'm ready!" Bri said. He heard a knock from inside the room. He opened the door up. Thyme walked out and gave him a disdainful look.
"I get that you want me to rest, but I want to stay with you!" she said. Bri scratched his head.
"Uh... Sorry Thyme! I thought you were right behind me!" he said. He scooped her up and put her back on his shoulder.
"Just don't do it again," she said smugly.
"I won't," Bri promised. He set off down the hallway again. He wondered what his other friends were doing. He smiled. He had so many friends here. He loved this school, except for the fossil class. But it was only one class, how bad could the rest of them be?

Skye let him get a small head start. "You should be careful," Rama muttered when the boy was out of earshot. "He's a bit jealous of you." Skye shrugged. He knew.

"Whuh-hat a surprise," the boy mumbled. He looked like a rich boy, but it was more like he had luck issues. Plus, he had a job to do.

"Don't let it get to you," he was told by his Zorua. "Not your fault you have work to do. Speaking of which, you need to report. It's been three days and you know how your mom gets." Skye groaned and laughed. Oh yes he did.

Bri let his feet decide where he was going to go, but he soon stopped when he realized that Skye had fallen behind. He turned and looked at his friend curiously.
"Are you alright? Did I do something wrong?" Bri asked concernedly. He hoped he hadn't made Skye mad for some reason. He had walked all the way to the battlefield that he had met Mark at. He hadn't even noticed.

Skye blinked and shook his head no. "Wh-Why would you thuh-think that?" he asked innocently as he caught up. SKye hummed at Rama, who ran ahead of them, sniffing. A fight? Could he find one? Could he?Eh, he doubted it and went back to Skye, who smiled at him. "Wuh-has just ra-talking wih-hith Rama." The Zorua grinned and ran up his trainer's arm.

["kehehe not a problem! I know talent when I see it and you sure got skill! I'm not exactly battle heavy yet but Im working on it. There's a few techniques Ive been working on..."] Snype said to Charmeleon. She was calmer at least so that was good. Snype gave off a large smile to her.

Mark looked around and noticed that Selene was walking by. Valorie had already called out to her so that would hopefully get her attention. and what luck! Bri had been in the area as well... Along with... Skye? He didn't know him to well so he wasn't so sure.

"hey Bri!" Mark called out. "could ya come over here real quick?"