"I'll get there!" Sophia replied, attaching the Pokeball to her ribbon-belt. "I'll be that trainer!" She couldn't let herself disappoint her new Pokemon.
Meanwhile, Lacey looked over, blue eyes wide, as the other Psychic type appeared. "Gothi!" she squealed, skipping over to the Ralts. Sophia gave a soft laugh. "I think those two will get along," she said, turning to Oscar. "Lacey's pretty cheerful."
She paused, her attention flicking to the Pokemon, then back to her... rival? Friend? Maybe he was more of a friend than she'd acknowledged. "I've got to say this. You really can be an insufferably pushy know-it-all sometimes, but... I've also got to say this. You're a good trainer to Daisho." Her smile grew a little. "He's lucky."
She turned her head, her eyes flicking from him a little awkwardly. Had she really just said that to the guy who'd been annoying the hell out of her earlier? Would he just use that as an excuse to gloat later, or keep pushing her to show that side, the vulnerable side that admitted those things? Probably, knowing him. Still, it couldn't be denied.
Her gaze settled on the Ralts. "Daisho... Do you want that?" she asked. "Do you want me to help you train?"
As soon as she said it, a shudder ran through her, accompanied by a squirming feeling she tried to ignore so as not to disturb the Ralts. How would she help Daisho develop his abilities when she could barely develop hers? She cupped the capsule containing Lumas, reminding herself to keep striving to achieve her goals. She'd get there. Like she'd said, she'd get there.
“Caves are good with me,” Aedre said, grinning at the prospect of exploring new terrain. With new lands came the chance of seeing new Pokemon in their natural habitat, and that thought blotted out all of the other concerns Aedre could have had about had about safety. “Are there any interesting rumours surrounding the caverns?”
If there was one thing Aedre had learned about field work through the limited trips she’d gone on, it was that rumours were her best bet to finding rarer Pokemon. Sure most of the whisperings and tales locals had could easily be tall tales, but the few kernels of truth scattered among the harvest were what Aedre had to seek out when doing explorative field work.
“Let’s go then,” Aedre said, looking around at the trio of trainers gathered in the Pokemon Center. “Seems like we’re in agreement.”
Team:
Pasithea “Thea” ♀ — Togepi (11)
Attacks:Growl, Charm, Metronome, Sweet Kiss
Ability:Serene Grace
Alitis “Little” ♂ — Fletchling (11)
Attacks:Tackle, Growl, Quick Attack
Ability:Gale Wings
Decus “Dee” ♂ — Honedge (6)
Attacks:Tackle, Swords Dance, Fury Cutter
Ability:No Guard
Bag Items:
Pokedex (with Kosei Region Map)
Smart Phone
Credit Card linked to a private account that houses a decent amount of money
Poke Radar
Collapsable Bike with two gears (third for bike ramps, fourth for muddy slopes)
Ine of Sophia is overjoyed to see Daisho. Daisho relays his happiness to Oscar which makes him smile. "Maybe we should travel together so they can interact more often." Sophia proceeds to compliment alhought it is combined with an insult. "Thanks for the compliment." says Oscar to Sophia. Soon enough, Daisho relays a feeling of awkwardness which Oscar assume is from Sophia. Oscar decides to give Sophia a break from his barrage of questions and enquiries.
Sophia glanced over at Oscar, the steely glint returning to her eyes as she tried and failed to hide the softness she'd shown. "Just... Don't get big-headed about it!" she said hastily. "Remember, out of the two of us, I'm the one who's not your run-of-the-mill trainer!" She thought back to what Lan had said just now, though, about how caring for Pokemon was more important than any level of power. Could she measure up to Oscar in that respect?
And although that guy wasn't a psychic himself, he might as well be, Sophia thought bitterly, with that Ralts constantly relaying things to him. She hoped Daisho wasn't telling Oscar anything more about her vulnerable side than he already knew. In any case, at least the other trainer had stopped bombarding her with those nosy questions. For now.
"But seeing as those two enjoy hanging out..." Her attention shifted to Lacey and Daisho, then back to Oscar. "We might as well."
This would probably go as it always did, she was sure of it. And yet, here she was, agreeing to spend time with him more and more often, despite everything. What had gotten into her?
"Fossils? I'll make sure to find at least one, then," Amber replied, eyes shining with enthusiasm, as she stood up. "I wonder what kinds of Pokemon used to live around here?" She stared into space, imagining a time when Rampardos and Bastiodon battled it out while flocks of Archeops soared overhead.
"Kabu!" Chalcedony nudged Amber's leg with his rocky head, snapping her out of her daydream.
"Ah... Yes. Well, let's find that out for ourselves!" She let Larimar claim a Pokeball - the trainer planned to let her out in the cave, but it was about time to officially catch the Anorith - and headed out with the others.
As much as she looked forward to exploring the caves, though, worry tainted her excitement. "Aedre?" she said, her voice a little softer. "There's something I've been thinking over. You wouldn't mind giving me some input?"
Figuring that she may as well have a Pokemon out as well, Aedre released her Togepi, a smile on her face as she watched the fairy-type scrutinized the strangers around her. “Hey there, Thea. Everything alright?”
The Togepi looked at her trainer, crossing her arms to express her silent displeasure but giving a single nod so that they could set off. Aedre grinned and leaned down.
“It’s okay — these fossil Pokemon have nothing on you, Thea. You’re the cutest with your little half-shell,” Aedre told the fairy-type fondly. The Togepi perked up at that, straightening up and running ahead of her trainer to catch up to one of the other Pokemon.
Figuring that she’d leave her Togepi to her devices, Aedre maintained her pace, coming up somewhere towards the back of the group. When Amber slowed down, coming to a walk beside her before speaking her question, Aedre was taken aback. What could the older, more experienced researcher possibly hope to get her imput on? As a mere lab aide at the moment, Aedre didn’t have much authority on anything, and although she figured that she had a decent wealth of knowledge, she doubted that she was more worldly than the older woman. Still, Amber had asked for her help, and Aedre believed that one should always help others when they could.
“Of course, Amber. I’m not sure how much help I’d be, but I’m happy to help. What’s on your mind?” she asked.
Team:
Pasithea “Thea” ♀ — Togepi (11)
Attacks:Growl, Charm, Metronome, Sweet Kiss
Ability:Serene Grace
Alitis “Little” ♂ — Fletchling (11)
Attacks:Tackle, Growl, Quick Attack
Ability:Gale Wings
Decus “Dee” ♂ — Honedge (6)
Attacks:Tackle, Swords Dance, Fury Cutter
Ability:No Guard
Bag Items:
Pokedex (with Kosei Region Map)
Smart Phone
Credit Card linked to a private account that houses a decent amount of money
Poke Radar
Collapsable Bike with two gears (third for bike ramps, fourth for muddy slopes)
The sun was beaming down on a dark-skinned girl as she slowly made her way down the streets, she was already tanned to begin with but factoring in spending a whole day in the woods during the summer and she earned herself some a few extra shades. Huffing and puffing as she slowly made her way to the poke-center for some much-deserved air-conditioning. As sweat dripped down from her brow, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment looking down at a Pokeball holding her newly acquired grass type Bounsweet, a persistent little thing earning her the nickname Ivy after the poison plant that sticks around way longer than liked. Eyes half closed from exhaustion rather than boredom for once not even noticing as she walked right passed her group as she entered the center and collapsed on the nearest couch next to the A/C unit.
"Another of your friends Amber? My, I'm a bit envious. At your age I was too obsessed with rocks to socialize with other trainers."
Rachel turned to face the clearly exhausted trainer that had flopped onto the couch nearby. "Hi there! My name's Rachel. We were getting ready to go on a bit of an excursion into the caverns around the mesa if you'd like to come along! You look tired, but I wouldn't want to just assume that you wouldn't."
"As good of a reason as that is, I believe there are plenty of other reasons to stay together. After what you encountered the other day, I think it would be best for you all to stay together. Larger groups usually deter thugs and the like, and in the end that's all Team Noble and Detective Hammer are." Lan said nodding to agree with Oscar and Sophia's words.
"Now, feel free to use this room to meditate. I must be returning to my post in the event that one of your friends decides to challenge the gym."
"Oh, hey Nyxx!" Amber called as the red-haired girl trudged past. "Yeah, feel free to come along." It would be understandable if Nyxx just wanted to sleep, but the option to explore was out there in case another of her sudden bursts of energy happened.
Amber turned back to Rachel. "You're the first person to say that, people usually say I spend too much time around fossils. But yeah." She could easily shrug off such comments. Coral, on the other hand... That was a different story.
The researcher looked over at Aedre. "Togepi, huh? Cute little Pokemon there - and one that not much is known about, considering how rare it is," she said, watching the little Fairy type toddle along. "Said to bring good luck. I wonder what kinds of gems and fossils we'll find with her around?" She was half-joking, but it would be an interesting theory to test, if the Togepi and her trainer were ok with it.
Her expression became pensive as she returned to the subject she'd brought up just now. "Anyway... I just wanted to know. If a loved one wanted to know how you were doing, and things hadn't exactly gone smoothly, how would you word it? Especially if you didn't want to put them off being a trainer themselves?"
She couldn't take away the dream Coral was holding on to. She just couldn't.
"W-Why would I be afraid of them?" Sophia straightened her back, wincing as a bruise on her shoulder made its presence known. "But we did say we'd help each other out... So I guess we'll have to."
As Lan left the room, Sophia turned to face Oscar. "And... And besides! It'll be a chance to remind you what a skilled battler I really am!"
She immediately wished that, in her eagerness to compensate for the weakness she'd just shown, she hadn't let the words slip. She'd just gone and challenged him. After two consecutive losses, no less. Was she about to make the situation even worse?
No. She wouldn't. She'd shut up that smart aleck. There was no backing out of this.
Oscar nods in agreement what Lan says. When Sophia challenges him to another battle, Oscar smiles at her. "I would love to battle you. Just go slowly. Your body still needs to heal. I would to do a two on two battle of that is fine by you." Oscar thinks of the Pokemon that is going to use and decides on them. Oscar know that he is a bit behind but he hopes that tactics will turn the ride in his favour.
"Alright then, if you're brave enough!" Sophia stood up, trying not to grimace at the flares of pain. She forced a smirk. "I'll prove that battle earlier didn't mean anything! And quit fussing, I'm just fine." Despite her words, she swayed a little as she left the room to find a suitable one for a battle. The injuries from the ambulance wreck were acting up, and she still had a slight headache from yesterday, but she refused to show any more weakness.
Despite the bravado, her stomach tightened with nerves. She had to win this. Otherwise, there'd be no end to Oscar's preaching. And that would be three losses in a row.
It was time to show him who she was supposed to be.
“Well, considering that I’m still alive and well, and that I’ve met a group of people I’d be willing to befriend in a heartbeat, I’d say she’s a pretty good lucky charm if I’ve ever seen one,” Aedre said, loudly enough so that the normal-type could hear the compliment. When the Togepi looked back and stuck her tongue out at her trainer, Aedre laughed, turning back to Amber. Listening closely as the researcher explained her question, Aedre paused.
If things hadn’t gone smoothly… Well, she liked to be honest about things. It simplified matters, and it avoided the bumps in the road people beating around the bush often had to deal with. From what Amber told her, Aedre guessed that Amber was most likely writing to a friend or sibling — the latter being more likely since the researcher seemed truly concerned about the person she was addressing her words to. That said, Aedre knew that delicacy was of importance here. She hadn’t had many friends growing up, but those that she had she’d treasured. If she was writing to one of them, and they were looking to be a Pokemon trainer…
“Well, honestly, I’d tell them the truth,” Aedre said carefully, not wanting her words to come off as harsh as they would without the proper phrasing. Amber had asked for her opinion, and Aedre wanted to give her honest one. She felt connected to the other girl, perhaps by their shared love of Pokemon and science, and perhaps by their time together. Either way, she believed Amber to be a person of admirable characteristics, and — if possible, with what she was about to say — Aedre wanted to reciprocate the kindness she’d been shown. “Pokemon training… it’s hard, and it’s not for everyone. If someone you care about wants to be a Pokemon trainer, I think the best thing to do is not sugar-coat things so that they get their expectations up too much. Maybe the truth will swerve them off-track, but I believe that anyone who truly loves Pokemon will easily overcome that.”
Aedre finished her sentence, offering Amber a hesitant smile. That… probably wasn’t what she was looking for. “That’s my honest opinion. If them being put off by the truth is a big issue, they probably aren’t meant to be a trainer deep inside. But, if this is a friend of yours, Amber, I think you should trust your shared love of Pokemon and just tell them the truth. Pokemon — there’s little more amazing than working with them, and I don’t think anyone who truly loves Pokemon could be completely detered from working with them.”
Team:
Pasithea “Thea” ♀ — Togepi (11)
Attacks:Growl, Charm, Metronome, Sweet Kiss
Ability:Serene Grace
Alitis “Little” ♂ — Fletchling (11)
Attacks:Tackle, Growl, Quick Attack
Ability:Gale Wings
Decus “Dee” ♂ — Honedge (6)
Attacks:Tackle, Swords Dance, Fury Cutter
Ability:No Guard
Bag Items:
Pokedex (with Kosei Region Map)
Smart Phone
Credit Card linked to a private account that houses a decent amount of money
Poke Radar
Collapsable Bike with two gears (third for bike ramps, fourth for muddy slopes)
The heavy feeling that had settled over Amber earlier grew at Aedre's words. Still, the researcher nodded.
"She'll have to know," Amber replied. "My sister wants nothing more than to be a trainer." She paused. What she'd said barely went into the issue, but she wouldn't go into it.
She wouldn't go into the bullying she'd tried her best to protect Coral from. She wouldn't go into the way her sister had started acting up, skipping school, falling in with the wrong crowds, hiding behind folded arms and a sharp tongue. She wouldn't go into how the only thing that had drawn the younger girl out of that phase had been receiving an Omanyte, a Pokemon too shy to go with the trainer she'd been meant for, but who had connected with Coral. Both girl and Pokemon had emerged from their respective figurative and literal shells, their bond strengthening over the years, and Coral's plan to travel as a trainer with her Omanyte gave her a sense of purpose she'd never had before.
"This most likely won't put her off," Amber continued. "but, well... it goes without saying she'll worry. So will my parents, about both of us. They're plenty supportive, but they were pretty understandably anxious while I was preparing to leave... the original plan was to come here with a friend, you see." She fell silent again for a moment. "But I'm not alone. I'll tell my sister that. I'll tell her there's a group of us, willing to help each other out whenever we need it."
Hopefully, now that Coral's self-confidence had improved, she'd do the same, find a group of friends to travel with. A group of friends who would support and defend each other.
Amber returned Aedre's smile. "Thanks for the advice."
Striding into an empty hall, Sophia took her place at one end, arms folded. She smirked over at Oscar. "You ready?"
She pretended to ignore Lacey rolling her eyes at the display of fake confidence, and hoped Daisho wasn't telling Oscar what the act concealed. Despite the recent meditation, she couldn't shake the feeling of tension that grew by the moment. She may have won last time they'd battled, but he'd surely learned a few things since then - things he wouldn't let her forget if she lost.
Oscar follows Sophia into the hall with Daisho and Roadrunner in tow. In the hall, Oscar releases Skoll and Nomia as well. "I am ready when you are. I hope it is okay if we let all our pokemon watch." Oscar thinks that is underprepared for this fight but he hopes that it will not be that bad.
Focusing her power on the three occupied Pokeballs still at her belt, Sophia made them detach themselves and drift around her before letting out the Pokemon. She remembered what Rheese had said about not tiring herself out, but she had to remind Oscar who she was - who she could be. Who she should be.
The Darumaka instantly starting jumping around, scampering all over the room. "Lumas... Do you want to do this? Fight alongside another Pokemon?" Sophia asked, breaking the haughty pose by bending down a little. "I know you're not used to battles, so are you ok with one?"
With a grin and an affirmative cry, Lumas began leaping around even more. This would probably do him good, channelling his boundless energy into a battle, Sophia thought as she watched her new Pokemon.
Oscar gesture to Skoll and Daisho. Roadrunner seem sad that he is not battling. "Do not worry, pal. I promise that you will get you turn soon." Oscar turns to Sophia with a serious face. "That might on other but that does not work on me." Oscar is not intimated by Sophia's abilities. Oscar still thinks that Sophia can use her abilities to be more uplifting for others, other than putting people down.
Thinking back to Oscar's party trick comment the first time they'd battled, Sophia scowled. "You still just don't recognise talent, do you?" she huffed. "Fine then, if that doesn't impress you, this will. I know just who to send in."
Her attention shifted to the Staryu at her feet. "Arcturus, let's show him!" The star-shaped Pokemon, who'd been flaring its core like an angry eye at Sophia all the time she'd been bragging, nonetheless spun forward and took its place next to Lumas. Both pairs of Pokemon advanced towards each other.
"Ok, Arcturus, start with Water Gun at the Growlithe! And Lumas, uh..." She quickly consulted her Pokedex to see what moves her Darumaka knew. "Use Rollout on the Ralts!" She looked back up at Oscar. "I-I knew what to do there! Just... double-checking the strategy, that's all!" Maybe she should have looked up information about Darumakas earlier.
Arcturus' blast of water hit, but Lumas, in his excitement, hurtled forward only to roll right past Daisho.
Skòll could not handle the blast of water on and he falls. Oscar feels guilty as he withdrews Skòll. "You did fine." He turns to his remaining pokemon and says "Daisho, Use Confusion in the fire type." Oscar knew the Sophia would that he is a weak battles when he loses but he will not make the win that easy.
She should feel better about this, Sophia thought as she watched Oscar return his Growlithe. She was winning. Deep down, though, she couldn't help wondering what it would prove if she won, other than that she relied on type advantage.
Lumas, flipped back by Daisho's attack, sprang up again, a little dizzy but still brimming with energy. "Use Rage this time, Lumas!" Sophia called. "Arcturus, hit with another Water Gun!"
Daisho got hit by both attacks but is still standing. "You doing great, Diasho. Go for the Confusion again." Daisho does so at the fire type. Oscar knews that Daisho will not survive this two on one combat for long. Oscar has already accepted this loss. It was a good attempt anyways.
Even though the attack had clearly taken its toll on Lumas, his Rage move just now had worked him up enough that he leapt to his feet, letting out a furious cry.
"Both of you, finish this!" Sophia commanded. "Lumas, use Rollout again! Arcturus, one more Water Gun!" Arcturus launched another jet of water at the Ralts, and the hyped-up Darumaka pulled in his limbs, rolling straight towards his target.
The combined force of Sophia's pokemon is too much for Daisho. He succumbs to the attacks before Oscar recalls him. "You did your best. I am proud of you." Oscar turns to Sophia with a smile on his face. "That was a good battle. It is two for two for you." Oscar hoped for a different outcome but is okay with how the battle turned out. He hopes that Sophia has learned to be humble.
Sophia grinned, though the grin was strained. "I told you!" Even to her, the words sounded hollow.
She hadn't expected to feel like this. Empty, as if this was the battle that meant nothing. Had she won with her skill as a trainer, or just because she'd used a Water type against a Fire type? She was sure that, if she told her mother about this, she wouldn't get any more praise than she had the first time round.
"Good work," she said to Lumas and Arcturus, trying to sound as positive as she could. "And..." She looked up at Oscar, pausing for a moment. The gloats and taunts she had in mind just wouldn't leave her mouth at first. "You... I have to say... You held out better than I thought you would," she commented instead. "But of course I was bound to win in the end!"
He was being so calm and collected about this. Despite herself, Sophia couldn't help but find something respectable about his attitude. The thought surprised her. This was the guy who acted like he knew everything, who constantly made poor attempts at sounding deep and meaningful, who didn't know when to quit prying... and here she was, respecting him anyway?
Dammit, what was wrong with her?
Oscar should have expected as much that Sophia will still act superior. He goes over to the healing station and puts his two pokemon in it. Once done, Oscar release them again. Skòll looked a bit disappointed at his loss and Nomia goes cheers him up. Daisho, on the other hand, relays the feeling of hollowness. Oscar can only guess that it is Sophia. Oscar decides not to pry Sophia but try to try different tactics. "Didn't You tell me that you will tell me about the reason of your journey here?"
After getting her Pokemon healed, Sophia let them back out. As Lumas reappeared, jumping up and down, Grimalkin turned and sulked, clearly not too pleased that her trainer had picked the newest team member instead of her. "You'll get your chance to battle soon enough," Sophia reassured her, leaning down and tickling the cat behind the ears.
At Oscar's words, she straightened up and glared. Trust him to remind her what she'd gone and said the other day. "You just had to go and bring that up, didn't you?" She was silent for a moment, a feeling of resignation weighing on her - she couldn't go back on this.
"Fine. I made a promise," she replied. "I made a promise to my family. There. You've got your answer." She knew all too well Oscar wouldn't take the hint not to pry any deeper.
Oscar rasies a brow. A simple promise does not make one act the way that Sophia acts unless there is more to this promise that Sophia lets and Oscar intends to find out. "I am sure it is more than that." At least, Oscar has some more understanding about Sophia. Oscar hopes that Sophia can tell him more.
Nyxx’s eyes closed as she enjoyed the A/C that she missed dearly spending an entire night out in the woods with no provisions to even make a real camp but nevertheless she forced herself up from the couch and marched her tanned self out with the rest of the group. She needed to train more even if her body didn’t feel like and she really didn’t feel like it, that and the fact Cheshire would just give her nightmares if she slept. Scratching the back of her head and wiping the remaining sweat from her brow, she followed the group outside of the center itself, she could feel the Gengar inside her shadow just squirming around from hatred of the light something she’ll surely pay for tonight in bed. The sun beating down on her body was a familiar feeling, one she was not too willing repeat as she bunched up her hair into a massive mushroom to act as a makeshift umbrella for some form of shade.
“My names Nyxx and sure I’ll tag along plenty of rock and ground types to train against and hopefully catch something out of the ordinary” she explained catching up to the pack.
Now that she caught a Bounsweet a grass types her bases were starting to cover themselves now if she could just pick up something tough to tank she could have the makings of an actual team going on.
Just as she'd expected, Oscar wasn't going to settle for the answer he'd been given. Sophia frowned.
"Geez! Do you ever quit once you're set on something?" Her glare became even more pointed. "Look... I'm not like most people. Having these abilities means I have standards to live up to. Higher standards than most." The psychic's crossed arms tensed. She had to meet those standards. Exceed them. "My family, they've done so much for me... it's only fair that I make them proud. So I promised I would."
Before she could say anything else, she caught a glimpse of the overexcited Darumaka darting down the hallway in a red blur and disappearing round a corner. "Lumas, wait!" As she ran after him, she heard a crash and the startled yelp of what sounded like a canine Pokemon.
She instantly scanned the area with her abilities. The presences she picked up on blurred together, but they all seemed fine - better than fine, in at least one case. That was a lot of vitality she was detecting. Reaching the corner, she looked ahead. In a room in front of her, Lumas jumped back up as another Pokemon climbed to its feet. A small, blue one with a black mask-like marking across its face. A student took in the scenario, eyebrows raised in surprise.
"Lumas! Please don't run off like that again!" Rushing over to the two Pokemon, Sophia crouched down. "Are both of you ok?" The Riolu nodded, and Lumas hopped up and down. Sophia turned her head towards the student. "I take it this is your Riolu?" At first, she'd expected people here to stick with Normal types, but the group of Darmanitan and the Darumaka had already proven her wrong.
The student, appearing to have taken no offense from the incident, shook his head. "She trains and meditates with us, but she isn't anyone's in particular," he explained. "Pokemon, as well as humans, make use of this monastery for peace and development. Some live with us - I see you've already met the Darmanitan." The monk glanced towards Lumas. "Some visit with their trainers, and you'll find wild ones enjoying the quiet outside. This Riolu recently left her mother, and has been here with us ever since."
The young Pokemon tilted her head, studying the two strangers. There was something odd about the girl's aura, apart from how heavy it seemed, weighing her down, giving off ripples of bitterness and frustration. Looking closer, the Riolu realised what this human's energy reminded her of - some of the Psychic type Pokemon she'd seen around the area. As for the boy in the hallway... She focused on him, slowly approaching. The aura he exuded was one of strength and determination. One that, in a way, she felt she could connect with.
"He's definitely gone." Hammer said quietly. With Ray's sister in town, it was almost a guarantee that the psychic had left. "And those kids haven't left...I don't doubt that Rachel would step in if I tried to talk to them." He inwardly cursed as he remembered how easily Ray had wiped the floor with him.
He watched some of the others enter Mesalon's gym. "This is ridiculous, between Rachel and Lan these kids are practically unreachable." He said slightly disgruntled.
His camera crew had already swapped out the equipment from the day before and were set to film at a moment's notice. For now, however, he watched for any of the 'persons of interest' to separate from their groups. One of them clearly knew something, they had to. Team Noble didn't just attack random people...at least he didn't think so. Perhaps there was something else going on?
"Well, if everyone is ready...Oh, of course! None of you have any gear!" Rachel said running for the PC. After she clicked around and typed a few things in a few packs filled with spelunking gear warped into the room. Rachel owned quite a few sets just for this kind of occasion.
She quickly passed a pack to each of the trainers. Each pack had a basic mining kit and other essentials. "These packs have just about everything you'll need! I should say now though, these are just loaners. I'll need them back once we're done."
Lan walked into the gym's arena, as he had been informed at least one of the trainers present were probably interested in taking the challenge. Of course that meant that nobody had officially challenged the gym yet, but the possibility was there.
He assumed the opponent would be among the group that had challenged him the day before and withdrew the appropriate pokemon for such a battle before returning to his spot on the far side of the battlefield.
Oscar recalls most of his pokemon being going after Sophia. He sees the scene unfold. When the Riolu approach Oscar, Oscar gestures to Roadrunner to greet the young one. Roadrunner does so with glee. Oscar turns to the student. "If the Riolu is willing, may I take me with me?" Oscar looks at Sophia. The explanation explains Sophia's actions and her hollow victory feeling. Oscar wants to know more but he will do so at a later date.
Sophia watched Oscar and Roadrunner approach, both trainer and Pokemon immediately taken with the Riolu. Lacey toddled over with an excited squeal, greeting the Fighting type. Looking down at the little group of Pokemon, Sophia couldn't help but let a small smile spread across her face.
Riolu. A Fighting type, yet the species' abilities were very similar to those of a Psychic type. Sophia had always thought of the two types as opposites, but did they have more in common than they seemed to?
When Oscar asked if he could take the Riolu with him, the student smiled. "It's her choice, but a trainer would do her good. Riolu grow through friendship, and they're good judges of who those friends should be."
The puppy-like Pokemon, head raised towards Oscar, nodded.
"Looks like she's made her choice," Sophia commented, her tone gentler than usual. The sight of a baby Pokemon was guaranteed to give her mood at least a slight lift. "You know, irritating as you are..." She paused. "She chose well."
Oscar smiles at Sophia and the student the the Riolu. "I suppose I have to think of a name for you. I think Aurora is perfect. What do you think?" The Riolu gives a affirmative nod before Roadrunner gets really excited and knocks the Riolu for a second time. Roadrunner start to give Aurora playful pecks and Aurora seems to enjoy them and starts to play back. Oscar laughs at the sight. "Well, that settles it. Aurora is now a part of my team."
Oscar recovers from his laughing fit and wipes a tear from his eye. "I suppose we need to decide what we need to do next. What do you want to do,Sophia?"
Alex watched as the backpacks warped into the room at the click of a few buttons. This was going to be his first chance to explore a part of the region he hasn't before. And as a plus, he might be able to add a new traveling partner to his team. Speaking of which, "So, Rachel. Where is this spelunking place that you're taking us to, and what kind of Pokémon does it have? I feel like a solid rock type would be a good addition to my team."
