Sir Bastian
Christina - Crossroads
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- 12
- Years
- Age 34
- Denmark
- Seen Sep 5, 2023
Chapter 2: Tina VS Deen!
The hand-holding didn't last for more than a minute, to both Ab's and Christina's relief. Chespin found another Vivillon to chase, which made Aberdeen run after him in order to stop what he now realized was a rather futile attempt at catching something that was quicker than they were. Plus, Christina didn't seem to like bugs. Didn't want to scare her away the first thing he did.
As they walked due west, they soon felt like the ground was elevating, like they were going faintly uphill. The hill of Violet lay ahead, only a few fields of flowers, gleaming in the afternoon sunlight, sitting between the city and the trainers now.
"So, are you gonna challenge the gym when we get there?" Aberdeen asked the girl.
"Mmh, I think I will." She responded, looking ahead as she trekked up the road, having picked up Sindy in her arms as the Cyndaquil had seemed a bit tired. "It's a great way to prove yourself, show how strong you've become along the way." She looked to Ab curiously. "What about you? I haven't even seen Chespin in a fight yet, so I don't even know how good you two are."
Ab smiled widely at that. "I'll definitely challenge the gym," he said. "I haven't been in many battles yet, but I will be. I'm traveling to experience a bigger life than the small world of Cherrygrove!"
As he spoke he held out his arms as if trying to reach the sky, eyes glittering. But he also found himself swallowing hard all of a sudden, and a fleeting image of his dead sister came to his mind. He shook it away and lowered his arms. Pondering days were over.
"Well, are you any good yourself, then?" he asked Christina, looking more closely at Sindy. "You're pretty new at this trainer thing too, am I right?"
Christina had looked a little at Ab as the thoughtful look came across his expression, but as he turned to her again, she quickly nodded her head, giving a sheepish little smile.
"Well... yeah, I'm pretty new to it. It's my second day, actually. But I've won every single battle I've been in so far!" She gave a bright smile, luckily neglecting to mention the fact that she hadn't had a single trainer battle so far. That said, she felt confident that her and Sindy could take on whoever they might run into as their first trainer battle.
"Besides," she added, sending him a bright grin. "You can't become famous in this day and age without being at least pretty good with Pokémon, in one way or another, right?"
Aberdeen shrugged and let some flowers by the road catch his eyes. "I don't know. There must be many who don't train pokémon. But I guess you can't live without meeting pokémon at least a little every day. Because they are everywhere."
Should he pick the flowers and give to Christina? That's probably what he would have done if Rachel walked beside him now. No hidden intention, they were just flowers and she'd be a girl. Girls like flowers, maybe. Aberdeen liked flowers too. And he wasn't a girl. Okay, his thoughts were spinning in weird directions now and he didn't know why. He scratched his head and decided to leave the flowers unpicked.
Looking ahead, he suddenly saw a tall tower coming into view. There was still a bit to go along the flowery fields, but he was pretty sure that the tower stood in Violet. They were there soon.
But first...
"Hey, by the way," Ab said. "Why don't you and I have a battle? Here and now! We'll reach Violet any minute now and can heal our pokémon there so it's a good time for it."
Having been squinting into the distance at the tower, Chris suddenly turned to Ab at the suggestion of a battle. "Oh, uhm..." On one hand, she did really want to see just how good a trainer Ab was. And sort of secretly get back at him for landing on top of her earlier, but on the other hand, did she really want him to be her first trainer battle ever? After a short while of contemplation, she gave a little grin, coming to a stop in the middle of the road and looking down at the Cyndaquil who had now stopped along with Chespin.
"What do you say Sindy? Wanna take on Deen and Chespin?" The Cyndaquil looked to Chespin for just a moment before the patches on its back burst into flame, letting out a challenging little squeak, followed by Christina giggling and looking to Ab with a wry smile. "Well, I guess that settles it. You're on, guys."
"Great!" Ab said and put some distance between them on the road. "Let's say two pokémon each?" He wasn't stupid. If Sindy was sent into battle, the last pokémon he wanted to go against her with was the grass type Chespin.
Chris hesitated for a moment, glancing down at the Pokéball housing the unnamed Spinnarak she unwillingly caught earlier. Not wanting to back down from the fight, she nodded her head and sent Ab a challenging smile, grabbing the Pokéball at her waist. "Deal. No healing items either." If she was going to go into a fight with a Pokémon she barely knew, she wanted at least some kind of edge on him. "Come on back Sindy, we'll save you for second."
The Cyndaquil looked a little disheartened after having pumped herself up like that and waddled back over to Chris side where she sat down, ready to watch the fight unfold.
No Sindy to begin with. Right, Chespin was up, then! "You ready, pal?" he asked his little pokémon, who replied with a cheerful squeak.
"Choose your pokémon, Tina!" Ab then said in a challenging tone to the girl, but quickly regretted it. "Ugh, not sure I should call you that. Deen is one thing, but Tina... It's like a whole different name."
The girl giggled as she picked out the Pokéball, shaking her head lightly. "Yeah, Tina's... not really what I'm hoping for in terms of nicknames. What about 'Chris'? Just go with what comes naturally. Anyways!"
She took a deep breath, readying herself for the inevitable as she clicked the Pokéball's center, causing it to open and send out the white beam, quickly forming into a Spinarak, curiously looking around, and upon seeing Chris, it wriggled happily on the ground. Christina was much less happy to see the spider though, wincing a little and holding herself back from running over and kicking the thing. "... Eugh. Right, ready I suppose."
Ab looked from the spider to the girl and a grin grew on his face again. "Haha, do I sense the perfect trainer-pokémon chemistry? Anyways, let's start then! I'm so not really sure about how this is really done," he laughed. "But Chespin, start with a Tackle!"
Chespin sturdied its body before dashing forwards, about to slam its body into the spider on the dusty road.
"Hit it with a String Shot, Spinarak!" Christina shouted, pointing at Chespin. The little spider managed to spit out a string of webbing aimed at Chespin's legs before the little rodent slammed into the spider, sending it tumbling to the ground. "Right, and then get it with a Poison Sting!" Christina had tried to recall what strengths and weaknesses bug types had, but she frankly couldn't remember it, despite the many times her brother had teased her with it.
Spinarak easily stung Chespin with its little horn, making the rodent yelp and hop up in pain. The string shot around his legs luckily loosened up a bit at this, so that he could stand and move again.
"Whoa, that was fast," Aberdeen commented. "Making your pokémon do a counter move and then retaliate just like that. You've got some reflexes."
As Chespin got up and stared at its opponent, Ab tried to think quickly. Chespin didn't seem poisoned yet, thankfully. He might have misjudged Christina though, thinking she was just like any little bug catcher or youngster here. But the very first move she made showed that she was alert. He had to make an effort to be like that too. With less of a smile, and sharpened eyes, he continued the battle.
"Chespin, be quick now. Lift it up with Vine Whip!"
Chespin, feeling his trainer's resolve, sent out his vines and grabbed ahold of the jiggering spider.
"Now, Tackle when you're holding it!" Ab called out as fast as he could, hoping to take a leaf out of Christina's book. If there was one thing Aberdeen was, it was an attentive learner.
The grass type pulled in his vines and dashed forward again to Tackle the trapped bug.
Christina cringed as the spider was lifted into the air, flailing its little legs around, seemingly too absorbed in the battle to throw around banter, at least for now. Despite not being a fan of the little thing, it was still her Pokémon. "Ngh..." She clenched her fists, desperate to try and come up with a tactic that'd help her against the rather strong Chespin. After a moment of wrecking her brain to come up with a strategy, only one thing seemed viable right now.
"Spinarak, twist around and have Chespin charge right into your stinger in a Poison Sting!" The little spider twisted and squirmed in the vines in an attempt at turning to have the 'horn' facing Chespin's charge.
Once again, Aberdeen was outsmarted. Chespin dashed into the Poison Sting and dropped the spider from his vines in shock at the impact. He staggered backwards with a sick look on his face. Ab quickly pulled up the pokédex to scan his pokémon; Chespin had been lightly poisoned this time.
"Poison... Never liked that in battles," he muttered before clenching his fist and sending the grass type back into his pokéball. Then he smiled at Christina. "I'm not a sore loser!" he chuckled. "You won the first round, but now I'm using someone else. Whismur, go!"
The pink bunny-like pokémon emerged from a second pokéball and stood on the road in front of the Spinarak, shuddering every so slightly.
Christina let out a breath of relief as Ab pulled back Chespin, the look of relief on her face clearly stating how desperate she had been, and the fact that the little spider would have been knocked out if it was attacked just once more by Chespin. She sent him a wry little grin, lifting the Spinarak's Pokéball as she recalled it. "I didn't think you were. Alright Sindy, it's your time to shine!"
The patches on the Cyndaquil's back flared up as it let out a challenging semi-growl that sounded more adorable than anything as it quickly waddled over to stand in front of Christina, facing the Whismur. At a closer inspection, she furrowed her brows and brought out her Pokédex, checking out the Whismur. "... Huh. I've never seen that Pokémon before." She snapped the 'dex shut and gave Ab a friendly smile as she packed it away. "I think it's only fair you go ahead and make the first move."
"Suit yourself," Aberdeen smiled. "That mouse of yours has got great hearing, right?" He suddenly clapped his hands over his own ears. "Uproar, Whismur!"
Whismur didn't waste any time. It took a deep breath and started yelling at an incredible level, all while jumping about as if it tried to let all its energy out into one wild attack spree. It was difficult to say if the attack was physical or not. Probably mostly sonic.
Not understanding why Ab had put his hands over his ears, Christina opened her mouth to say something, just as the little, pink ball began shouting out at an incredible volume, Christina quickly wincing and moving her hands up to her ears to cover them up. Sindy was less fortunate, her little arms not long enough to reach up to her... ear holes?
"What in Arceus' holy litter box...?!" she cried out, watching the thing continuing to bellow and scream. "I- ngh... smokescreen is no good... damnit, Sindy, hit it with a tackle, get it to shut up!" The Cyndaquil responded immediately, thankful to be able to get a chance at getting the Whismur to shut up, running forwards as she dove towards the pink ball in a furious shoulder-tackle.
Whismur, wild in its sonic tantrum, whirled away from a direct hit but got hit in the side and tackled to fall down anyways. The Uproar ended.
Chris groaned as the noise ended, lowering her hands from her ears with a sigh of relief. "That... was absolutely horrible."
"Retaliate with Pound!" Aberdeen said, trying to be swift about it.
Whismur bounced up and slapped its little hands forcefully at the fire type pokémon.
Sindy, only just having relaxed from the pleasant silence after the Uproar's end, had no time to react as the little, pink ball ran up and smacked her over the head, sending the Cyndaquil stumbling backwards with a squeak.
"W-whoa, careful Sindy! Uh, Smokescreen!"
Sindy arched her back, thick smoke billowing from the patches on her back to envelop a large area between the boy and girl. Chris grinned at first, happy with the fact that the Whismur would have alot of trouble hitting Sindy... until she realized that Sindy probably couldn't see the Whismur either. "... Ack. Should've thought that one through."
Whismur whirled around, unsure of what to do. But Aberdeen grinned widely. "Perfect!" he laughed. "Use Uproar again! Sound needs no eyes to hit its target."
Holding his hands over his ears again, Ab watched as the bunny took a step into the smoke and disappeared, right before the hideous screaming noise from its Uproar attack came again, even making the smoke whirl faster from the vibrations in the air.
Christina realized her mistake the minute Aberdeen shouted and her face immediately paled. She quickly lifted her hands to cover her ears again, wincing. She stared into the smoke, desperate to try and think of something. In the middle of the fog though, she saw a glimmer of flames, most likely from Sindy who was, understandably, getting both hurt and frustrated.
"... Time to see if this'll work. Sindy! Use Extrasensory!" The Cyndaquil, flailing its tiny arms in the smoke squinted her eyes somewhat open, a firm, purple glow having taken over the usual sheen. After a splitsecond, the air to the right of Whismur shimmered for a brief moment before erupting in a fireless explosion, which startled the bunny a little, but wasn't close enough to actually hurt it.
"... Damnit, it's still going! Once more Sindy, Extrasensory!"
The little Cyndaquil squeaked out in exhaustion, mustering up the energy for another attack, the air near Whismur rippling again as another explosion ahppened, this time on its left. However, the attack still didn't connect. The smoke was slowly starting to clear out, and just as Christina got a glimpse of Sindy, the 'mon toppled over onto its side. Her eyes widened and she ran forwards, kneeling down next to it.
"S-Sindy! Are you okay?" The Cyndaquil squirmed a little and let out a weak little groan. Chris smiled softly and lifted the Pokéball, recalling her. "It's alright. You did great, get yourself some rest." She stood up again, sighing as she sent Ab a smile. Not a wry, teasing or mocking one, but simply one of respect. And a little bit of annoyance, though not pointed at him, rather than herself.
"... Whelp. I guess it's a draw. That... Smokescreen didn't do me any favors, but you were really great, Deen." She stood up and walked over, only to crouch again as she patted the thankfully quiet Whismur on the head with a bright smile. "And you were really cool too!" She rose up once more and offered a glove-clad hand to him with another smile.
Ab looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. He was beginning to figure her out, he thought. Christina had been intuitively clever in battle to begin with, but when she tried to think harder later in the battle, she had been overwhelmed. His smile returned as he took her hand and shook it with one quick squeeze. It would be interesting to see how she developed as a trainer. Already from the start, he hadn't really cared much about becoming the very best himself, even if he told his family so. He just wanted to escape the town where bad memories lingered, and experience something else. Something exciting. There and then, he told himself that this wouldn't be the last time he battled Christina.
He couldn't really tell her all this now though. That would be weird. Instead, he let go of the girl's hand and returned Whismur to its pokéball with a quick, affectionate rub of the ball against his cheek.
"Draw, win, what does it matter really? You've got, um, great instincts I think. It's cool to see. And I had loads of fun. So thank you!" he said to Christina, then suddenly winked at her. "Violet City, then?"
"Violet City." She replied with another, excited grin forming on her lips before the two began their journey towards the next town on their way.
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