[Pokémon] Convergent Paths

Chapter Seven
Cassandra swept her hair out of her eyes and placed her hands on her hips, squinting up into the sky. Swablu was going through a difficult series of turns and loops. Since her last week before the contest was going to be spent in Almia with Alyssa, she was working extra hard.

"Good, Swablu!" she cried. "Very graceful!" Swablu chirruped happily and continued its work. It was almost time to start putting her own moves with her Pokémon's. In the morning, Cassandra worked on their moves. After lunch, she went into the backyard and worked on her moves. It was only fair. She let Finny and Swablu out of their Poké Balls to watch her dance and plan, plan and dance.

"Cassandra!" called a voice. She turned to see her mother astride a Manectric, which Cassandra was quite sure belonged to Dorothia. It was scowling unpleasantly at its task. Cassandra didn't blame it one bit.

"Yes, Mother?"

"Whatever are you doing out here every morning, Cassandra?"

"I'm training for my contest. It's in two weeks, Mother."

"Oh, yes, your contest…don't be too upset if you don't win, darling." Joanna slid off the Manectric. "I've seen you dancing, and you're not that good."

Cassandra's hands balled into fists. "Is that all you came for, Mother?"

"No. Dorothia says you got some electronic mail this morning from your Almia friend." Cassandra gritted her teeth and tried hard not to roll her eyes. Why couldn't her mother just say e-mail like a normal person? "She says that the girl is graduating from her school, and she wants you to go."

"Yes, Mother."

"Do you want to go?" Joanna said this as if Cassandra couldn't possibly want to go.

"Yes, Mother, I do. She is my friend. I'm very happy that she's graduating. She's worked very hard."

"And how do you plan on going?"

"I was going to ask Dad—I mean, Father, for some spending money, and I was going to borrow Staraptor."

Joanna scoffed. "Without asking? If you want to go to Almia, darling, you need to get your own transportation there. I am going to need Staraptor that week."

"I can send him back," Cassandra said. "I was just going to keep him overnight to rest, and then I was going to send him back."

"And you would expect him to come and collect you at the end of your stay?" Joanna asked her, placing a hand on her hip.

"Yes. Is that so difficult?" Rage was building up inside Cassandra, so she had to be very careful. She had a tendency of exploding when she got angry.

Joanna opened her mouth to speak, but a great barking sound drowned out whatever it was she was going to say. Cassandra whipped around to find the source of the noise and saw a Poochyena, running wildly from an Illumise and a Volbeat, both of which seemed to be enjoying themselves. The Poochyena, however, looked terrified. The Volbeat charged the Poochyena from behind while the Illumise circled around to the front, swooping down on it. The little dog-like Pokémon froze for a moment before darting off to the side. Illumise used a move; it looked like Leech Life.

"Aren't Dark-types weak against Bug-types?" Joanna asked nonchalantly.
Cassandra sucked in a breath. It was true; Bug was strong against Dark. Now Volbeat was using Leech Life as well; they both continuously shot the move at the running Poochyena. Finally, the little puppy Pokémon stopped in its tracks and turned, barking angrily. It began to use counter-attacks, but they did little damage if they even hit at all. Still, Poochyena was spunky.

"Cassandra, you may not use Staraptor to visit your friend in Almia. I need it that day. Nancy and I planned a shopping trip in Lilycove."

"Don't you ever get tired of squandering your family's money?" Cassandra snapped angrily, not taking her eyes off the Poochyena. It was growing weaker; just a little while now and it would faint. Joanna's parents were very rich; they were in the mining business. They lived in a mansion in some obscure part of the Sinnoh region. While Cassandra's father really raked in the dough as an executive, the majority of the family's money came from Joanna's parents.

"Cassandra."

She gulped. She had gone too far.

"It would serve you well to remember who is the parent around here. Your father is coming home tonight; I will speak to him then."

Cassandra looked over her shoulder as Joanna mounted the Manectric. It turned and walked back toward Verdanturf Town.

There was a great cry; Cassandra looked back and saw that Poochyena had fainted. The Volbeat and Illumise, however, were not flying away; they continued to use Leech Life on the unconscious Pokémon, giggling in their buggy way. Cassandra's rage built up again and she ran toward them, not quite thinking things through. "Hey!" she yelled. "Get away from it! Get away!"

The Illumise and Volbeat hovered uncertainly. They watched her for a while as she ran toward them, waving her hands.

And then they attacked.

Volbeat swooped down angrily and caught her in the side of the head, almost knocking her to the ground. Illumise shot Leech Life at her, which she dodged. "Swablu!" Cassandra yelled. "Swablu, help me!"

Swablu came hurtling out of the sky. She crashed her wing into Illumise, making it faint instantly, before turning in a graceful arc toward Volbeat. She used Astonish, making Volbeat flinch, and then used Wing Attack again to finish it off. Cassandra leaned forward, placing her hands on her knees and panting. "Thanks so much, Swablu," she said. "Do me a favor…can you go grab my bag for me?"

Swablu grabbed the strap of Cassandra's messenger bag in her mouth and brought it over. Cassandra dug through it to retrieve a Poké Ball, which she used to catch Poochyena. She then turned toward the Volbeat and Illumise. "I suppose I should take them to the Pokémon Center too, huh?"

"Bravo! That was wonderful!"

Cassandra blinked and looked up. The woman from the contest building was running towards her. "That was magnificent! However did you pull that off? Oh, my!"

The woman stopped in front of Cassandra, panting and brushing her hair off her face. "You're Cassandra, right? Joanna's daughter? I got here just as you were calling for Swablu; that was magnificent! Oh, my! You certainly have been working hard!"

"Thank you," Cassandra replied, elated.

"Swablu was a thing of beauty! Powerful and graceful!"

"Thanks so much! Listen, since you're here, you think you could help me?" She gestured towards the unconscious forms of Volbeat and Illumise.

"Oh—certainly."

Cassandra lifted Volbeat as the woman picked up Illumise. All the way to the Pokémon Center, she jabbered on about how magnificent and wonderful Swablu had been, which for the first five minutes made Cassandra feel incredibly happy and accomplished; after that, it was very annoying. She was happy to say good-bye to her when she got inside the Pokémon Center.

Nurse Joy came around the counter, frowning. "What happened?"

"Well, I also have a Poochyena with me that's hurt pretty bad…" Cassandra told Nurse Joy the story as she helped her bring the two wild Bug Pokémon to the back room.

"That's terrible," Joy said, arranging Volbeat on a bed. "Yes, just put that Illumise over there—thank you. It sounds as though these two were just bullies. I've gotten a lot of hurt Pokémon in here because of these two. It's good someone finally taught them a lesson. Where's the Poochyena?"
Cassandra pulled the Poké Ball out and let Poochyena out of it; it appeared on the floor, sprawled out and bleeding slightly. Nurse Joy swooped down on it immediately, picking it up and taking it further back.
"Chansey!" she called. "Chansey, I'm going to need your assistance!"

"How bad is it?" Cassandra asked, tripping after her.

"It's bad. If you had let it go on much longer, they would have killed this poor Pokémon."

Killed? Cassandra thought as Nurse Joy laid Poochyena on a special bed.

"I'm terribly sorry, but you'll need to wait in the lobby. I can't have you back here."

Cassandra blinked as Nurse Joy shut the door in her face. She left the back room and went to the lobby, settling in a plastic chair to wait. She was very worried now. Would that poor Poochyena…die? What had been stopping her from rescuing it sooner? What would it have mattered if her mother had gotten even angrier at her? Why didn't she just interrupt her mother to rescue that poor Pokémon?

Cassandra buried her face in her hands, and Swablu rested comfortingly on her back. If that Pokémon died, it would be her fault.


Dear Alyssa,
I'm sitting in a Pokémon Center right now, waiting for Nurse Joy to say that the Poochyena I rescued is okay. Two Bug Pokémon were bullying it. I caught it and brought it here. I feel just terrible…Nurse Joy said that it's near death. I can't believe I didn't come to its rescue sooner. I was fighting with my mom at the time, and she said that I can't use Staraptor, that I'll have to find some other way to get to Almia. But don't worry! I'll get to your graduation! I'll be able to stay with your parents for the week, right? If I can't, I'll have to start researching hotels ASAP.
Well, I can't bear to think about anything other than Poochyena right now, so I'll finish this letter off. Sorry for all the bad news all at once…
Sorrowfully yours,
Cassandra
 
Wow, even my mom wasn't as bad as Cassandra's mom... and an interesting bit of drama added for this chapter. Although I do find it a bit hard to believe Leech Life - among the weakest of Bug attacks - would bring a Pokemon close to death, even if it was super effective.

I also think the battle between Swablu and the two bugs could have been drawn out a little. Assuming both were at full strength, I would think it would take at least two or three hits each to take them down. It would have also been a good opportunity to show Swablu in action, gracefully dodging counter-attacks while getting into position to launch its own attacks.

But other than that, I liked the chapter. The quarrel between mother and daughter helped to develop their character and relationship, and the incident with the wild Pokemon now puts a lot of responsibility on Cassandra's shoulders. It's certainly interesting how the character's paths are already starting to develop even in the early stages of their respective adventures.
 
Chapter Eight
Belle blinked and reached up to rub her eyes. Charmy lay curled in a ball on her stomach, his tail positioned carefully so it wouldn't burn her. He was still asleep. Trying not to wake him, Belle shifted until she was in a sitting position and Charmy was slumbering peacefully in her lap.

On her way to Viridian City, Belle had caught a Pidgey, which she had nicknamed Swifter for no good reason. She just liked the sound of the name. Now she sat inside her sleeping bag on a plastic couch in the Viridian City Pokémon Center.

By the looks of the light streaming through the window, it was morning. Belle yawned. She needed to get moving. She had heard that Mankey could be found on the way to Indigo Plateau, and she really needed a type of Pokémon that was strong against Rock Type. But first, she needed a shower.

"Charmy? Charmy…good morning!"

The Charmander sat up and yawned, stretching his tiny little arms. Belle giggled and stroked his head. "I need to go take a shower, okay? I'm putting you in the Poké Ball."

Charmy nodded, so Belle returned him to the Poké Ball and packed up her sleeping bag, stuffing it into her messenger bag. She pulled out the things she needed for a shower and walked over to the counter.

"Hey, Nurse Joy! Can you watch my stuff for me? I need to use the shower."

"No problem, Belle." Nurse Joy took Belle's bag and put it safely behind the counter. "Are you leaving this morning?"

"Yeah, I suppose so." Belle had spent two days in Viridian, trying to figure out how she would be getting to Almia. She had it figured out; she would head to Saffron City, take the train to Goldenrod City in Johto, and then borrow her mother's Skarmory. She had two weeks to get to Almia, so she figured she had time to defeat the Gym Leaders in Pewter City and Cerulean City on her way through.

After her shower, Belle packed everything up, said good-bye to Nurse Joy, stopped in at the PokéMart to buy a few things, and headed off to catch a Mankey, her ball cap tucked over her wet hair. It was a short trek to the area where Mankey had been seen. She found one almost immediately and sent Swifter out to take care of it.

It wasn't long before Belle tossed a Poké Ball and caught the Mankey, much to its displeasure. She had to try three times before it finally succumbed. With her new Mankey in tow, she made her way to the Viridian Forest.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Half a day!" Belle said, throwing her free hand into the air. "Half a day I spend wandering in that godforsaken forest, and what do I get? A freakin' bump on the head, that's what!"

"I'm so sorry!" the boy next to her cried. He kept trying to support her, but she kept waving him away. "I didn't mean to!"

The boy in question had come bursting unexpectedly out of the bushes near Belle just as she had gotten out of the forest, making her jump back in surprise and trip over Mankey. She had tumbled backwards, but she managed to grab a low-hanging branch and keep herself from falling all the way. Mankey, who had grown attached to her over the trip, had scrambled to help her, but she had just ended up tripping over him again and banging her forehead onto a rock on the ground. Now she had a cut and it was bleeding profusely. The boy had offered her a wad of tissues, which she was now pressing against the cut.

"I really am sorry," he told her.

"It's fine, really. Just...go. I'll be okay."

"No, I'm going to go with you to the Pokémon Center," he said, reaching for her elbow. She jerked it out of his grasp. "Let me help you a little!"

"You've helped enough. Thanks for the tissues." Belle increased her speed, walking past him up the path toward Pewter City.

"I won't accept that." The boy was beside her again. "I need to make it up to you! Let me get my Squirtle to help you wash your face."

"No," she said exasperatedly. "I will wash my face when I get to the Pokémon Center. Just let me go alone!"

"We're both going to the Pokémon Center," he pointed out. "I'll just go with you there. And anyway, it's getting dark. You shouldn't be alone."

"What's going to happen to me? Is somebody gonna jump out of the bushes and scare me and make me trip and hit my head—oh, but wait! That's already happened!"

"I'm sorry!"

They carried on in a similar manner until they reached the Pokémon Center, where they entered, still bickering. Nurse Joy looked up from the counter as they entered, but none of the other Trainers paid them any heed. There was a low buzz of conversation around them.

"What happened to you?" Joy asked kindly as they approached the counter, eyeing Belle.

"This idiot jumped out of the bushes and made me fall and hit my head on a rock!"

"I told you, I'm sorry."

"Why did you jump out of the bushes?"

The boy sighed. "I thought I heard a weird noise and I got spooked, okay?" He looked slightly ashamed.

Joy nodded, but Belle snickered. "Okay, then. You must be Belle," she added to Belle. "My sister in Viridian called and told me to watch out for you. She was worried about you going through the forest."

"Well, you can call and tell her that I've hit my head."

"I'm sorry."

"Well, come to the back and wash your face," Joy told her, ignoring the boy, "and I'll take a look at that cut. Chansey! Watch the lobby for me, please."

Belle followed Joy, pressing the tissues against her forehead. Joy took her to a private bathroom first and allowed her to enter. She actually looked quite gory; a line of dried, caked blood ran from the cut toward the side of her eye and down her cheek, and dried blood surrounded the cut itself as well. It was still bleeding, too. Now that she examined the cut, it wasn't a cut at all—it was more like a gash, extending diagonally from the center of her left eyebrow to her hairline. At least her bangs could hide it, since it leaned toward her left ear.

When Belle came out, Joy directed her to a seat and the boy drifted after her, holding a tray full of medical supplies. "What are you doing back here?" she snapped at him.

"I need to make this up to you," he told her.

"That's going to need stitches," Joy said. "And he's quite useful. I have to make Chansey watch the front, after all."

Belle sighed. "Fine." As Joy prepped her for stitching, she eyed the boy. He was about her age. He had untidy blonde hair and a slightly pale complexion. Although he had a slight build, Belle could see wiry muscles tracing his upper arm before his short-sleeved shirt blocked her view. "I'm Belle, by the way," she told him as Joy picked up the needle and special surgical thread.

"Derrick," he replied.

"How do you spell that? Ow!"

"Uh, D-E-R-R-I-C-K. Why? How do you spell your name?"

Belle rolled her eyes. "B-E-L-L-E, but I was asking because I have a little brother named Derek. He spells it D-E-R-E-K."

"Oh. I just thought it was your weird way of committing people's names to memory or something."

Belle rolled her eyes again. "So how old are you?"

"Sixteen," Derrick replied. "Just started out. You?"
"I'm sixteen too. I just started." A few years after her father had started, a law had been passed increasing the age limit to sixteen— this was due to several ten-year-olds lying dead or severely battered by wild Pokémon.

"What Pokémon do you have with you? All I saw was a Mankey."

"I started out with Charmander, nicknamed Charmy. Other than him, I have Mankey and a Pidgey named Swifter. What about you?"

"I started out with Squirtle, and I have a male Nidoran and a Pikachu."

"Pikachu? How'd you get one of those?"

"You can find them in the forest." Derrick looked slightly proud of himself.
"Did you nickname them?"

"No. I'm not so good at nicknames."

Belle laughed appreciatively. "Hey, it's really okay about this whole thing."

"Really? You forgive me?"

"Well, maybe I don't forgive you, but it's okay for right now."

Derrick laughed. "That's good enough, I guess."

Belle smiled. Joy finished up the stitches expertly. "Okay, you're done!"
"Thanks, Nurse Joy." Belle slid off her seat and stretched. "It's been a long day. I'm ready for some sleep."

"You want to get some coffee or something first?" Derrick asked.

"Coffee? Before I sleep?"

"Ice cream, then?"

"Sure, why not. You're paying."

"Of course."


To: [email protected]
From: dingdongbelle@pokénet.com
Subject: I'M COMING I'M COMING I'M COMING!!!
HEY ALYSSAAAAAAAAA!!
First off, congrats about graduating! w00t!! And second off, congrats about meeting the HOTTIE!! I just met a boy today, but he's more like a pest than a potential boyfriend. He jumped out of the bushes and scared the crap out of me, so I tripped and fell and cut my head on a rock and had to get stitches. My Pokémon Journey is going GREAT!!! Oh yeah, I forgot—I started out with Charmander, nicknamed Charmy, I caught a Pidgey, nicknamed Swifter, and I caught a Mankey. Noooo idea what to nickname the Mankey, so I'm just calling him Mankey. But don't tell Cassandra yet. I want to tell her myself!
Okay, now down to business—am I going to have a place to stay when I get to Almia? It's gonna suck REALLY BAD if I get there and I'm all homeless. I know how I'm getting there, so that's no big deal, but…y'know. I'll need a place to sleep. Sleep is important. Yosh.
Well, I really need to get to sleep now…I have a big day tomorrow, because I am CHALLENGING MY FIRST GYM!!! That's right! I'll send both you and Cassandra an email later telling you how it goes!!!
Excitedly yours,
Belle
 
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I think Bug Buzz will be a better replacement for Leech Life in Chapter 7, since Bug Buzz is a powerful move, enough to hurt Poocheyena to hospitalization.

^_- Overall, it was a good chapter. I'll review Chapter 8 as soon as I get to it. :D
 
I'm really liking it so far, I like the approach you've taken. Can't wait for them all to meet up again - and for their respective journeys to properly begin!

Don't really have any criticism of note, so just take my reply as an encouragement to carry on! :)
 
Couple of things...
Belle blinked and reached up to rub her eyes.
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"Rub", not "rubbed."

She found one almost immediately and sent Swifter out to take care of it.

It wasn't long before Belle tossed a Poké Ball and caught the Mankey, much to its displeasure. She had to try three times before it finally succumbed
Click to expand...
I would have liked to have seen that battle. Really, though, it feels like you're skipping the battle and leaving out details of the battle - which could have revealed how the Pokemon fight, their general attitude about it, and so on. Not to mention add some excitement.

Final issue: For being a temperamental Pokemon (by nature), Mankey warmed up to Belle pretty quickly.

With all that said, I still liked the chapter.
"What's going to happen to me? Is somebody gonna jump out of the bushes and scare me and make me trip and hit my head—oh, but wait! That's already happened!"
Click to expand...
I LOLed. I admit it, I did XD

A few years after her father had started, a law had been passed increasing the age limit to sixteen— this was due to several ten-year-olds lying dead or severely battered by wild Pokémon.
Click to expand...
Ah, so that's why everyone has to be 16 now. One mystery solved :)

Ah, the random meeting of the annoying character. I never get tired of it:) This Derrick fellow seems like an interesting character, even if his team leaves something to be desired (I'm notorious for my hatred of Pikachu on the forum). I'm not sure if I would want to see him joining Belle permanently, as that would kinda affect the three girls teaming up. But if he shows up (in comedic fashion) every now and then, I wouldn't mind that :)

So, Belle has her first Gym battle next time? I think it'll be interesting to see your style of writing battles, and I'll be looking forward to it. No pressure, though :P
 
Thank you everyone for your kind praise!

"Rub", not "rubbed."
Click to expand...
THANK YOU SO MUCH. I am usually a huge grammar...perfectionist, to put it nicely. I don't know how that one slipped into the post.

(I'm notorious for my hatred of Pikachu on the forum).
Click to expand...
Ha, don't worry. I'm not going to make his team all about "PIKACHU IS SO CUTE OMGYAYPIKACHUYAY!!" (I assume you hate Pikachu because of how overrated it is?)

I'm really liking it so far, I like the approach you've taken.
Click to expand...
Thanks so much! XD

I think Bug Buzz will be a better replacement for Leech Life in Chapter 7
Click to expand...
Thank you for this advice! I'll be sure to edit Chapter 7 soon!!
 
Chapter Nine
Alyssa rubbed her eyes. She was so sick of studying she didn't know what to do. She kept reminding herself that there was only one test left, but for some reason that didn't cheer her up.

The desk lamp cast a glow over her textbook, but the rest of the room was dark. The sounds of Casey's deep breathing were issuing forth from under the covers, along with the gentle snores of Miranda, one of their other roommates. Casey and Alyssa had bunk beds on one side of the room, while Miranda and Windy had bunk beds on the other side. Alyssa had the top bunk because Casey was afraid of heights. Sure, she may have banged her head into the ceiling once or twice—or a million times—but Casey couldn't help her phobia.

Alyssa pushed her chair back. She felt suddenly claustrophobic—she wanted to get outside. She grabbed her Styler and her room key before slipping quietly out the door in her nightgown.

The hallways were dark and silent. Her bare feet made no sound on the floor as she passed through the spacious lobby, heading toward the glass entrance doors. Once she had them open she breathed in deeply and happily, stepping out onto the entryway. The night air was chilly; she wrapped her arms around herself as she stepped off the entryway and onto the front path. She didn't particularly feel like leaving the school grounds; instead, she pointed herself east and walked across the front yard of the school, heading toward a large flight of stairs built into a cliff. She descended it and walked over to where the water flowed gently alongside the cliff, passing by the statue onto which graduates etched their hopes and dreams. A cargo ship had once crashed here, and they had never gotten around to fixing the fence. She settled herself to sit on the edge, dangling her feet out over the water. A breeze played with the ends of her hair.

"What are you doing?"

She started and quickly scrambled to her feet, trying to ready an excuse. Instead of a teacher, however, she saw Ian, looking handsome as ever in his Ranger uniform, hands tucked into his pockets as the moonlight washed over him. A Prinplup stood behind him.

"Oh, Ian…it's you." She put a hand on her heart and smiled. "I was afraid it was a teacher or something." She sat back down the way she had been. "How'd you get in here, anyway?"

Ian lowered himself carefully to sit beside her. He tucked his heels onto some rocks and leaned forward, placing his elbows on his legs and lacing his fingers together, watching his hands. Prinplup wandered around, checking out the nighttime Pokémon that played around the school grounds. "I scaled the wall."

"Wasn't that hard?"

He shrugged. He seemed subdued.

"Why did you come here?"

Ian looked up at the stars without moving the rest of his body. "I come here to think." He dropped his head again. "Everything was so innocent here. I feel like my thoughts are clearer when I'm dealing with them here."
Alyssa looked over at him. Something was troubling him, all right…but what was it? "What's wrong?" she asked, concerned.

Silence stretched between them. "Nothing you need to worry about right now." He bent lower and began removing his shoes. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"Probably. I have my last exam tomorrow. But I just felt so…enclosed in that tiny space of a room. I needed to get out here, where it's bigger."

"I know what you mean. What was that?" he snapped, twisting around. Prinplup made a reassuring noise and gestured with its flipper toward a Zigzagoon. Alyssa blinked.

"Wait…Ziggy?" she said incredulously. The Pokémon made a noise of glee and rushed over to her, climbing into her lap and snuggling up. It was the same Zigzagoon she had met on the beach two days ago.

"It's following you around," Ian said. "That's the second step."

"I can't make you my Partner Pokémon yet," Alyssa told it. "You'll have to wait until I become a full-blown Ranger."

"It's asleep."

Alyssa sighed. Sure enough, the little thing was slumbering peacefully in her lap. She scratched between its ears.

The two sat there for a while longer, a Ranger and a Ranger Student, both looking up at the stars and contemplating their own thoughts. After a while, Alyssa sighed and stood up, scooping Zigzagoon up with her. "I've got to get to bed," she told Ian. "Can you take care of Ziggy for me?" She bent and placed the Pokémon in his lap. Ian gently stroked its head and nodded before looking up at her.

Suddenly Alyssa was very aware that she hadn't brushed her hair and that she was wearing a nightgown. She crossed her arms and hugged herself.

"Well, hope I'll see you soon."

"Are you cold?"

"What? Oh—a little, but it's no big deal."

Ian shifted Zigzagoon to the ground beside him and stood up, removing his long-sleeved Ranger jacket and wrapping it instead around her. Most Rangers had short-sleeved jackets. She wondered vaguely why his was different, but mostly she felt ecstatic that he was so close to her and touching her shoulders.

"Feel better?"

"So much," Alyssa replied softly.

"Good. I wouldn't want you to be cold."

"Hm? Oh, right—cold. Yeah. I was cold." She smiled. "Well, I guess I'll see you later."

He nodded. "Right."

And Alyssa turned and walked off. When she got to her room, she fell asleep using Ian's jacket as a blanket.


To: dingdongbelle, dancing_through_life
From: thompson_alyssa
Subject: Place to stay!
Hey guys,
I called my parents and they said you can stay there for the week. It's in two weeks, you guys. I'd better be seeing you! It's in the morning, remember!
Sorry I can't have a longer email, but I've GOT to study. ONE MORE TEST TO GO!!!
Love,
Alyssa
P.S. Hey Cassandra. I know about Belle's Pokémon already. XP
 
Hey nokyo-chan, this is Kyuu-chan. Since SS told me you've read my fic but have as yet been unable to review, I thought I'd return the favour. It's a wonderful story so far. I feel sorry for Cassandra, having seen the Poochyena being attacked by Volbeat and Illumise. Will the wolf-like Dark type end up being one of her partners? If you have a PM List, please add me to it – otherwise, kindly send me either a VM or PM when Chapter 10 is posted. Thanks in advance, and keep up the excellent work.
 
Chapter Ten
"I thought you were just going to the Pokémon Center with me."

"Well, we're both going to the gym, right? Why not go together?"

"You're stalking me."

"I'm not stalking you."

"Waiting by my sleeping bag for me to wake up? Stalking!"

"You're overreacting."

"You're stalking."

Belle stomped her feet slightly as she made her way towards the Pewter City Gym, Derrick following close behind. She hadn't been able to shake him off. He was like a lost little Poochyena or something.

"How are your stitches feeling?"

And it didn't help that he kept asking her that. "Fine," she replied. "Absolutely fine. And for the next time you ask? FINE!"

"You don't have to yell."

Belle turned off toward the PokéMart, making Derrick turn sharply. "Hey, hey, where are you going?"

"The PokéMart. You're going to the gym, right? Just go on ahead!"

"Nope. I'm coming with you."

"Stalker!"

He sighed and refused to reply to anything else she said. He simply followed her around the PokéMart, ignoring her complaints even when she began ordering him to stop following her and go away. Finally they arrived at the Pewter City Gym together. Derrick opened the door for her and gestured for her to go in before he did.

The gym was dark. The only illumination was the small beam of sunlight slashing in through the open door, but this disappeared as Derrick stepped in and allowed the large door to shut behind him, throwing both of them into total darkness.

"Hello?" Belle called uncertainly, her voice more high-pitched than usual. It floated back to her on an echo, squeaky and hardly sounding as if it were hers. Hello? Hello? Hello?

"Who comes to challenge Flint, the Pewter City Gym Leader?"

Several stadium lights flashed on, momentarily dazzling Belle so that she had to lift up her hand to shade her eyes. The gym floor was the color of dirt, and rocks jutted up from it in random locations. Across the floor on a small platform stood Flint, his arms crossed as he glowered out at them both.

"My name is Belle," Belle said, trying to sound braver than she felt. "I came to fight for my Boulder Badge."

Flint gestured toward the platform on Belle's side of the gym. "Step up."

She did so, feeling incredibly nervous. Derrick went around the floor and sat himself on the bleachers to watch. "Good luck," he whispered to her as he passed. Suddenly Belle was extremely grateful that he had insisted on following her.

A referee seemed to appear out of nowhere, holding a red flag in one hand and a green flag in the other. "This will be a two-Pokémon match," he said, his voice booming. "Switching out is permitted between battles only. Gym Leader ready?"

"Yes," Flint said confidently, pulling a Poké Ball out of his pocket.

"Challenger ready?"

"Yes," Belle replied. She clutched Mankey's Poké Ball in both hands.

"Begin!"

"Go, Geodude!" Flint cried, throwing his Ball. Geodude popped out of it, hands balled into tight fists.

"Let's go, Mankey!" Belle threw the Ball. Mankey leapt out.

"Geodude versus Mankey! Let the battle begin!"

Using a few Fighting-type moves, Mankey defeated Geodude easily. Belle found herself wondering, however, how the Pokémon levitated above the ground. She also realized, as the referee proclaimed Geodude "unable to battle" and Flint withdrew it, that this was the first time she had been in an actual Trainer battle. The thought made her hands tremble.

"Onix!"

"Onix versus Mankey! Let the battle begin!"

"Onix, use Iron Tail!"

Belle came to her senses in enough time to yell, "Dodge it, Mankey! Use Karate Chop!" Mankey leapt onto a nearby rock as the giant rock-snake's tail came crashing down on the spot in which he had been just moments before. The Pokémon powered itself from the rock and onto Onix's head, chopping it right between the eyes. "Hang onto its…I dunno…head-spike thingy!" Belle cried. Mankey did as it was told, swinging itself up to stand on it.

"Shake it off, Onix!" Flint yelled.

"Hang on, Mankey! Karate Chop! Again!" Belle balled her hands into fists. She was feeling more confident, and she had worked out a strategy. That Onix was way too big for Mankey to handle on the ground, but if they just concentrated on Onix's face and head…well, they just might win this. And anyway, Onix was making itself dizzy. This made it that much easier for Mankey to
win.

Onix shook its head as Mankey repeatedly Karate Chopped it, disorienting itself as Mankey rained blows down. Flint seemed to catch on to what was happening. "Onix, stop shaking!"

"Bend your knees and hold on, Mankey! Brace yourself on the spike!" Belle shouted out. "Don't stop Chopping!" She smirked across at Flint, who looked furious. Mankey had kept is balance on Onix's head; she knew that Flint had hoped that when the shaking stopped abruptly, Mankey would be dislodged.

Onix was drooping visibly. Belle rubbed her hands together. "Let's finish it off, Mankey! Seismic Toss!"

"Onix—!" But before Flint could shout a command, Mankey had grabbed Onix's aptly named "head-spike thingy" and leapt off its head, swinging Onix up above him and in a huge arc before letting go, sending the Pokémon to the ground. Its head crashed into one of the giant rocks jutting up from the craggy gym floor. The rock shattered magnificently and Onix's body lay crumpled on the ground. Mankey landed heavily nearby, shrieking and waving its arms in the air victoriously.

"Onix is unable to battle!" the referee yelled. "Challenger wins!" He swung the hand holding the red flag up in the air.

Flint returned Onix to its Poké Ball. Belle held her arms out to Mankey, who jumped up onto her platform and allowed her to hug him. Flint walked the distance of the gym floor to Belle. She leapt off the platform and stood before him, holding Mankey still.

"Belle, is it?" he asked her.

"Yes, sir."

"I'd like to present you with this Boulder Badge. You fought well. Is this your first gym challenge?"

"Actually, sir, it's my first Trainer Battle." Belle set Mankey down and took the badge from Flint, admiring it.

"Your first…wow. Belle, I think you really are cut out to be a Trainer."

Belle looked up at him, eyes wide. "Really?"

"Yes. You fought magnificently, especially for your first Trainer Battle. Keep going with your instincts…they'll serve you well."

Belle floated back to the Pokémon Center on a cloud.
________________________________________________________________________

To: dancing_through_life@pokénet.com, [email protected]
From: dingdongbelle@pokénet.com
Subject: My Gym Battle…
____________________________________________________________________________________
Hey, you two.
Yeah, my Gym Battle didn't go so great…
…
…
…
…
…
It went AWESOME!!! I totally got the Boulder Baaaaaadge!! w00t!! And, Flint, the Gym Leader, said that I fought magnificently and that I'm really cut out to be a Trainer. I am SO HAPPY!!
Oh, Cassandra. *ahem* My Pokémon: Charmander (Charmy), Pidgey (Swifter), and Mankey (…Mankey. 0.o). I'm not so great at nicknaming, but whatever!!
Woo, you guys! I cannot wait till I land my mother's Skarmory in Chicole Village, Almia! THERE'S LESS THAN TWO WEEKS LEFT!!!
Your extremely excited Trainer friend,
Belle XD
 
Last edited:
For the lack of a better apology, I am sorry. Three nights of not getting a good enough sleep have really exhausted me and when I finished "The Vampire's Assistant" yesterday evening, I was struggling to keep my eyes open.

That aside, I promised you a review, so review I will. It was an extremely good chapter, but I do have one question. Why is Flint, Brock's father, the Gym Leader? I was pretty sure that Brock passed on Gym Leader responsibilities to Jiro, his younger brother... Or am I missing something?

Anyway, I'm gonna finish this up, as it is nearly 9PM Friday night, and I'm extremely tired, having run on iron will alone all day. I am looking forward to Chapter 11.
 
Kyuu-chan said:
Why is Flint, Brock's father, the Gym Leader? I was pretty sure that Brock passed on Gym Leader responsibilities to Jiro, his younger brother... Or am I missing something?
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure I remember watching a Pokemon Chronicles episode where Flint is the gym leader and has to battle Brock's mum. I think she redecorates the gym to be a water one and Brock finds out, getting rather angry.

Also, I'm fairly sure his younger brother dreams of being the new gym leader, but has barely started being a trainer or something.

As far as the last chapter goes, I thought it was a little short, but otherwise I'm in enjoying this. Keep it up !
 
Why is Flint, Brock's father, the Gym Leader? I was pretty sure that Brock passed on Gym Leader responsibilities to Jiro, his younger brother... Or am I missing something?
Click to expand...

Well, the last episode of Pokemon I saw dealing with Brock and his gym was in the first season---his father came back to take over the gym, allowing Brock to travel with Ash and Misty. I stopped watching Pokemon recently (I HATE Dawn), so maybe it was I who missed something?
 
Yeah, maybe. I remember seeing one episode before the Sinnoh series where Ash and Brock joined forces and fought Team Rocket, beat them (naturally) and then Brock handed the responsibility of Gym Leader to Jiro near the end.
 
Chapter Eleven
Cassandra lifted her head and wiped a spot of drool from the corner of her mouth. Swablu sat perched on her hair like a giant fuzzy hat, and Finny snored slightly from his place in her lap. At Cassandra's movement, Swablu sleepily fluttered from her perch and alighted on the arm of the plastic chair.

Cassandra straightened, feeling at least seven places in her back pop as she did so. She had been leaning over to rest her head on her arms on the table beside the chair. It was morning now; she had spent all yesterday in the Pokémon Center, waiting for Poochyena to be okay. Nurse Joy had come out to inform her that the Pokémon was stable, but she wanted to keep it overnight. She had suggested Cassandra go home, but she refused.

Now the sliding glass door of the Center opened and Joanna walked through, Cassandra's father beside her. Gerald was extremely tall, with dark hair and a well-groomed goatee. Apart from being tall, he was large, sporting broad shoulders and chest. He was also very muscular, but you couldn't see them beneath his smart-looking business suit. He smiled broadly as he made her way over to her, leaving Joanna standing on the welcome mat.

"Sandy-bear," he said in his deep voice. He knelt by her chair. Even from this position, he was so tall he had to look down at her.

"Hi, Daddy."

He looked over his shoulder at Joanna. "You can wait outside for me, dear, if you like."

Joanna nodded curtly and then swished out of the door without so much as a backward glance, let alone a wave to her daughter. Cassandra threw her arms around her father's neck and began sobbing immediately. He returned the hug and patted her back, trying to console her. "Sh, dear, sh," he said once, but other than that he remained silent and let her cry out her worries. She spoke between sobs, telling her father the whole story, and how she felt it would be all her fault if the Poochyena died.

Gerald was quiet. He allowed her to cry and sob until she was finished with one final, shuddering breath and a huge gulp. She finally sat back, wiping her eyes. Finny nuzzled her affectionately, and Swablu chirped in a worried tone.

"Sandy-bear?"

"Hm?"

"I'm very proud of you," he told her, patting her knee. It was strange, now that she thought about it, to see such a big, powerful-looking man kneeling and patting a girl's knee with a hand that he could easily use to snap her leg in half. "You did the right thing, and you were very brave. I love you, Sandy-bear."

Cassandra sniffed. "I love you too, Daddy." She hugged him. "What's Mother doing here?"

"Oh, she wanted me to take her to Rustboro…apparently she has some shopping to do." Gerald's face split into the large grin that he usually wore. "What does she even buy?"

Cassandra giggled a bit. "I don't know…friends?"

Gerald laughed his big, booming laugh as he stood up. "She certainly has enough money to! Now, you stay right here. I'm going to go talk to Nurse Joy about your Poochyena."

The large, almost-seven-foot man walked briskly toward the counter. Unlike most people, he had the privilege of going into the back whenever he wanted, and he did so now. Cassandra waited until he came out, smiling broadly and clapping his hands together. "Nurse Joy says Poochyena is well on his way to recovery!" he told her. "She also says that, if it weren't for you, that poor Pokémon would be dead by now. You can go see him! Come on!" He beckoned her over.

Cassandra returned Swablu and Finny to their Poké Balls and walked over to her father, who placed a hand on her back and walked with her. Nurse Joy stood beside Poochyena's bed. It had been moved from the special intensive care unit, and he now just appeared to be slumbering peacefully, except for a special tube attached to his stomach and the bandages here and there. Joy smiled and reached out to give Cassandra a huge hug, which was incredibly unexpected.

"You saved this Poochyena's life!" Joy said happily. "I set the Volbeat and Illumise free this morning after I scolded them a bit. They looked sorry. But you! You saved this Pokémon's life!" And then Joy hugged her again, this time so tight that Cassandra's eyes bugged out slightly and she couldn't breathe.

When Joy released her, Cassandra stepped up to Poochyena's bed and gazed down at it. She reached out and stroked its soft fur. It shifted a bit in its sleep, and she turned and smiled, tears in her eyes. "Thank you, Nurse Joy."

Gerald clapped Joy on the back, and the woman stumbled and had to clutch a nearby bed for balance. "Well, Cassandra, I need to get going. Your mother is no doubt getting impatient to get to the shops of Rustboro, and I need to get to work! Mr. Devon is expecting me." He opened his arms. "How about a hug, Sandy-bear?"

Cassandra gave her father a hug and watched him leave. Suddenly, Nurse Joy gave a little gasp and clutched Cassandra's shoulder. "Look! Poochyena's waking up!" She shoved Cassandra toward the bed.

Indeed, Poochyena was waking up. His eyes were half-open, and he was just finishing up a yawn. Cassandra leaned over the bed. "Hello," she said. "Um…I don't know if you remember me, but…um…"

"She saved your life, Poochyena." Nurse Joy stepped up beside her, grinning broadly.

"I caught you with a Poké Ball, but I'll release you if you want to go back to the wild," she told it.

Poochyena shoved its head forward, touching its nose to Cassandra's hand, which she had placed on the edge of the bed. He licked her fingers.

"I think he's saying he wants to stay with you," Joy said breathlessly. Cassandra glanced at her. Was she always this excitable?

"Is that what you want, Poochyena?"

It wagged its tail and closed its eyes again.

"Well, it needs plenty of rest, but by lunchtime he should be all ready to go! You can take him home then. Chansey, can you mind the lobby? I need to go clean up the ICU!" And then Joy was gone.

Cassandra began stroking Poochyena's fur again. "You reminded me of myself," she told it. "You fought yourself to destruction. That's pretty much what I do. Can I give you a nickname? I want to give you something that sounds incredibly cutesy, so people will be surprised when it's you that comes out of the Ball."

Poochyena wagged its tail again. Cassandra scratched it behind the ears. "Hmm…how about Fluffy?"


To: dingdongbelle@pokénet.com
From: dancing_through_life@pokénet.com
Subject: Ride?
____________________________________________________________________________________
Hey!
My mom won't let me use Staraptor. Is there enough room on Skarmory for both of us? If there is, could you pick me up? I'd really appreciate it! And then, you could drop me off and see my first Contest! =) That'd be fun!
And congrats on your Gym Battle!! I KNEW you'd do great. And it's really cool that Flint thinks you're cut out to be a Trainer!! Just be careful with your intensity, and make sure you're not overreacting about everything. You know how you get. ;) Oh, and don't feel bad about the whole nickname thing…I just nicknamed a Poochyena FLUFFY. Ha!!
Well, g2g. Love ya lots!
Cassandra
 
*snorts with laughter*

*roflmao*

Sorry, nokyo, but I found the nickname of Fluffy for the poor Poochyena just sooooooo funny. All in all, it was an excellent chapter. I'll email you my fic again (it's now updated to Chapter 7, with Chapter 8 yet to be started...).
 
Chapter Twelve
It was finally over. All of it was over, done with, gone, left behind. All that was left to do now was to run through a few graduation practices and ready her speech.

Alyssa had completed the last exam.

She held her squeal of delight until she was upstairs in her dorm room out of courtesy, because it exploded from her throat at a frequency she was surprised human ears could hear. She leapt around as she did it. Finally, she collapsed on Casey's bunk to recuperate, too tired to climb to her own. The air around her felt different now that she was, for all intensive purposes, done with Ranger School. After today, she would no longer be required to wear her uniform. She plucked absently at her jacket sleeve as she considered this. The world was full of possibilities. She couldn't wait until she was a Ranger.

The door of the room opened and Alyssa turned her head to see who it was. Casey walked in, smiling slyly as she shut the door behind her. "So, you were the first to finish your test, as usual," she said by way of greeting.

"Oh, yeah, whatever. Casey, that was our last exam!" Alyssa slid off her friend's bunk and stood. "Can you believe it?"

"Yeah, we'll talk about that later." Casey waved this off as if it were trivial information. "Do you care to tell me whose jacket you have stashed underneath your blankets?"

Alyssa couldn't help but blush. Her stomach felt cold for a moment.

"I saw you shoving it under there this morning. It was red. Could it have been…a Ranger jacket?" Casey went to grab at the ladder leading up to Alyssa's bunk, but Alyssa jumped in front of her.

"Maybe. Just leave it alone!"

"Ooh, I knew it!" Casey squealed. "Where were you last night? Who did you meet up with? And why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Alyssa sighed. "Casey," she said. "Look, I'll tell you the whole story later, okay? I have to return the jacket."

"No, tell me now!" Casey blocked Alyssa's ascent to her bunk. "Come on, tell me! At least his name!"

Trapped, Alyssa looked around. "Ian."

Casey squealed loudly and clapped her hands. "Ian, Ian, Ian and Alyssa! Oh my God! Ian what? What's his last name?"

"Walton. Ian Walton."

Alyssa could practically see the gears turning in her friend's head. "Walton…is he related to Greg?"

"He's his older brother."

"Oh. My. God. Does he look like Greg, all shrimpy and geeky and nerdy? Like, does he wear glasses and have big ears like Greg?"

"I've met him before," Alyssa mumbled. "And he used to wear glasses and look shrimpy." She looked away and blushed fiercely. "But…puberty's been very kind to him."

How many times was this girl going to squeal? Alyssa felt as though her eardrum might rupture. "So he's a total hottie now?"

"Yes." Quickly, while Casey was preoccupied, Alyssa scaled the bed frame to get to her bunk. She peeled back the blankets and pulled out Ian's jacket, which seemed to exude memories of last night. Casey fell silent as she looked up and saw it in all its glory.

"So are you going to take it back today?" she asked in a hushed voice.

"Yeah," Alyssa replied, just as quietly. "I was gonna do it now."

"Looking like that? Oh, no, girl. Come on…let's start looking through your wardrobe."


Dear Cassandra,
I know letters are slower than e-mails, but I like writing, okay? Today was a very interesting day. I returned Ian's jacket to him (that's a long story, I'll explain later), but Casey, my friend, insisted that she give me a "makeover". I ended up going to see him with my hair down around my shoulders and wearing a strapless dress that she made me borrow. She even put makeup on me! Ian was speechless, so it was worth it. We spent the day together. I think we're really friends now! I just wish that I could be WITH HIM. He is so nice! He doesn't even realize that I'm lovesick. How sweet.

Well, I need to get some rest…I have a long weekend of NOTHING ahead of me!! Yay!!

Love your free friend,
Alyssa
 
Chapter Thirteen
Belle angrily tugged on the strap of her bag. Charmy reached out and touched her leg with its little claw, and she gave him a reassuring smile. As she did so, however, she saw Derrick out of the corner of her eye and snapped her head back around.

"Oh, come on," Derrick said, shifting in his seat. "You can't just avoid me forever."

He had insisted he go with her to Cerulean City, because he "didn't want her to go through Mount Moon alone". He had told her it was dangerous. All she had seen was some Clefairy and a few Zubat. There weren't even any Team Rocket agents. As a result, they had bickered the whole way through. Now they sat in the Cerulean City Pokémon Center, resting before Derrick stalked Belle to Saffron City. She had won her Cascade Badge from Misty, the redheaded Gym Leader, and now it was about time she started on her journey to Almia.

"I'm not avoiding you," Belle said. "I'm just trying to get you to stop following me around!" They fell silent for a while. Derrick shifted in his seat so that he was leaning forward, his elbows on his knees. He sighed heavily.

"Look. Can I tell you the reason I keep doing this?"

Belle grunted in reply. Derrick must have taken this as a yes, because he sighed again before he spoke. "I feel really, really bad that I made you fall outside Viridian Forest. You got a huge gash, and you got stitches, all because of how I got spooked in the forest and ran out. And one day, I want to find a way to make it up to you. And also…" He ran his fingers through his blonde hair, tousling it up unwittingly. Belle glanced sideways at him, finding this a bit cute. "I'm all alone, Belle. I…I'm scared. You know the reason I came jumping out of the bushes, right? A noise spooked me. I'm such a coward, and you're so brave. You also seem like a really cool person, so I just thought that…I don't know."

Belle had shifted and was looking at him full-on now. "I'm sorry," she told him. He looked up in surprise, one bit of hair sticking up in the back. "I didn't realize. I'll let you travel with me. You seem like a really good friend." She held out her hand for him to shake. He took it, amazed. "But look…you can't go with me to Almia." She had already explained to him why she was going to Saffron instead of taking the underground tunnel to Vermilion.

Derrick nodded fervently. "I totally understand. That's your thing, you haven't seen your friends in forever, yeah. I get it. Just, um…I'm gonna stay around in Saffron 'til you get back."

Belle smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Okay."
____________________________________________________
The road to Saffron City barely took any time to traverse. Belle easily bought a Rail Pass and used the video phone to contact her mother. She helped Derrick get set up at the Pokémon Center. Since he was to be staying for an extended period of time, Nurse Joy set him up in a back room with a comfortable bed. Belle left him there to board the train, and she eventually fell asleep, Charmy curled up beside her peacefully.

When she awoke, dusk was gathering on the horizon and the landscape had shifted. She stroked Charmy's head absently as she watched the land fly by. It was easy to see that they were in Johto now, her home region, and she felt a strange ache in her stomach for her old room in Cherrygrove. The ache grew larger when she realized that she wouldn't be seeing it this time around.

Soon the train was flying past buildings, and finally it eased to a stop at the Goldenrod City Station. Belle tapped Charmy until he woke up; she scooped him into her arms and shouldered her way into the aisle, irritated at the jostling people around her. One rude person shoved her and she "accidentally" lit the shoulder of his coat on fire with Charmy's tail, making the man squawk and bat at it with his briefcase. "I'm sorry!" she told him insincerely. "I'd help, but I don't have any Water Pokémon. It happened because you shoved me!" she called over her shoulder as the crowd carried her away and off the train.

In the station, the people finally spread out and Belle had more room. She looked around, trying to spot her mother. Charmy shifted and Belle was forced to carry him like a baby, with his head over her shoulder. She patted his back absently as she wandered around the station, feeling lost as people purposefully strode past her.

"Belle!"

Belle's heart filled with joy as she turned and saw her little brother, standing by her mother's side and waving toward her. She rushed over to them.

Belle's mother looked positively elated to see her. She was smiling so broadly Belle expected her face to split in half. "And who is this?" she asked, indicating Charmy.

"This is Charmy. He's my Charmander." Belle set Charmy on the ground near Derek.

"It's so good to see you." Belle's mother threw her arms around her, pulling her close. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too." And she had. She hugged her mother tightly. When she let go, she turned to Derek. "I missed you, little guy!" She swooped down and picked him up, hugging him against her. Derek put his arms around her neck and nuzzled his face into her shoulder.

"I missed you, Belle." His words were muffled. Belle shut her eyes so as not to let her tears out.

"Well, let's head to the Pokémon Center," Belle's mother suggested. "In the morning, you'll fly out with Skarmory. Tonight, we'll all catch up."

Belle carried Derek and held Charmy's claw on the way to the Center, grinning broadly the whole way.


To: dancing_through_life@pokénet.com
From: dingdongbelle@pokénet.com
Subject: w00t!
I'LL BE THERE TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! XD
 
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