Emerging from the thick trees into Feyhollow Town came with all the impact of discovering a lost civilization. Of course, the well-cultivated little settlement didn't so much interrupt the forest as dominate it; here, trees still loomed overhead, the grass was just as green, and all kinds of flowers dotted the sides of the paths, but human influence could still be felt clearly. In fact, the image of wooden buildings nestled in woods formerly full of mystique created a comfortable, rustic atmosphere. Birdsong and refreshing breezes replaced the oppressive gloom of the forest. Normally, Olivie would have been happy to take her time and see the sights, but with three injured Pokemon in tow and the night not too far off, she decided that visiting the Pokemon Center was a priority. To that end she let Bernard, albeit grudgingly, lead the way.
A few minutes later, the two were seated on folding chairs near the Center's main counter, waiting for the brunette's crew to be healed. The waiting went by in quiet, not exactly tense but by no means relaxed. Simply being near the girl he knew to be volatile put Bernard slightly on edge, while Olivie did not loosen her surly appearance. All the while Bernard's Painkiller, his shiny steel not at all besmirched, leaned idly against a pillar. His intimidating appearance drew Olivie's eye.
”So,” she began, breaking the silence at last.
”I guess your Pokemon's pretty cool. Sissy ones, or ugly ones, make me mad, but this guy's seriously strong. Like a knight. How the hell did you catch him so fast?” She crossed her arms as she leaned back, making sure to correct her posture. Nothing would bring on the aches faster than slouching forward.
For a moment Bernard seemed confused, but he came to a realization before Olivie could grow impatient.
”Oh! You must think I just started as a Pokemon trainer, like you. The, uh, the truth is, I've been on a trainer since I was fourteen. That's when I got started. My first-ever Pokemon was Starly, but she's a Staraptor now. Want to see her?”Olivie frowned. Did she ask for his life story?
“No.”While taken aback, Bernard managed to recover quickly.
”R-right. Well, I got Painkiller as a Pawniard and evolved him into Bisharp. He's my best fighter by far.” Out came the brunette's Pokedex. A quick scan of Painkiller, who glanced her way in curiosity at what she was pointing his way, logged his entry in the Pokedex. In a chipper tone the device recited, “This pitiless Pokémon commands a group of Pawniard to hound prey into immobility. It then moves in to finish the prey off.”
While this happened, Bernard watched Olivie's face. At the entry's end, her features shifted, and in response he flinched slightly. A worried expression came over him.
”Y-you, um, look a little mad.””Yeah, I'm a little pissed,” Olivie admitted, certainly looking the part. The hard lines around her mouth and eyebrows made for an expression that approached 'livid'.
”Last time, I said I'd battle you the next time we met, but if Painkiller's real strong, then we're just gonna get stomped. That puts me, the type who likes to be doing the stomping, in a bad spot. But I'm never gonna ask anyone to hold back, either.” Just then, she heard her name called from the counter. When she approached, her three Pokemon stood, healthy and awake, on the polished surface. Buck wasted no time hurling himself toward her, slamming like a furry torpedo into her chest in a full-force hug that nearly drove the wind out of his trainer. Wheezing slightly, Olivie hugged him back.
”Looks like you're in good shape. Don't headbutt me next time.” With that said, she let go, and the Bidoof plummeted to the ground. He didn't seem worse for wear, though. When Olivie glanced at her remaining Pokemon, the Cacnea gave a ghastly grin, its spiky arm outstretched, as if to say,
I'm up for round two. The Karrablast reacted the least.
After she took a step toward it, Olivie reached out for the blue bug. It instinctively shied away from her touch. Its reluctance to acknowledge its master made the nineteen-year-old annoyed, but she did not take action.
”Well, we haven't seen eye-to-eye yet. Maybe you're the type to be shy unless it's in a battle. That's fine. As long as you fight with everything you've got, we'll get along.” She threw a peeved glare at the Poke Center employee, who'd been watching with a small smile on her face.
”What? Mind your own business!” The sharp words caused the woman to recoil, but Olivie was already walking away, with her three Pokemon behind. Buck plodded along at her heels, while the Cacnea tottered just behind, and the Karrablast brought up a substantial rear.
When she returned to where Bernard was sitting, she did not sit down. Perplexed, he waited for her to speak, and she did not make him wait long.
”We're gonna battle you anyways. If you've been doing the whole Trainer thing for years, I bet you've got a couple Pokemon that aren't as psycho as Painkiller.” She slammed her fist into her palm—a gesture that managed to be mightily threatening for a chick with a Bidoof. Her Cacnea, eager to look tough, mimicked the gesture, while the Karrablast looked on in bewilderment.
”...Right?”A quiet few seconds passed. Clearly, Bernard didn't know whether to be intimidated or excited. Once he composed himself, however, he mustered up a determined smile.
”Yeah, I've got just the thing. We can make it a three-on-three.” As he stood, his Bisharp moved as well, sliding close. In tandem, the two struck the same
pose back-to-back, with Painkiller looking backward over his shoulder.
”We'll take you on!”Now it was Olivie's turn to be bewildered. Stepping back slightly with furrowed brows, she remarked,
”What was that? When did you become such a weirdo?” Even as she said it, though, she could not keep herself from grinning.
”Let's hurry up and take this outside.”Exiting the Pokemon Center, the two scouted a likely location to throw down.
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