The door to the cafe opened without a sound this time. A hooded and blackened figure entered, unbeknownst to Newton and Gaddy. The air remained unmoved as the mysterious figure gracefully swanned through, making no noise as it floated across the hard-oak floor of the old cafe. After reaching the other end of the cafe, it stopped stiff upon reaching the wall and remained there.
Cafe Coffee wasn't an easy place to find in Mauville city. Tucked into a corner of a small suburb, the cafe didn't often see travellers, much less strangers. Katrina; the aged owner, had traveled from Kalos for a reason she was never able to annunciate clearly enough for the natives to understand. Katrina was the first to note the stranger.
She hobbled over to the figure in a gesture of proper hosting. "Would you like tea?" She asked with a shiver in her voice.
"Yes, please," an androgynous voice replied.
The figure waited a few moments after Katrina exited into the kitchen before floating toward a round oak table and lowering itself onto one of the two chairs that surrounded it. Long sleeves covered its hands which rested upon its lap.
It didn't take Katrina long to return. Steam from the hot broth she brought with her warmed the air around her. She placed the drink down in front of her new guest before giving a meek bow and quietly returning back to the kitchen. The figure didn't return any sign of acknowledgement. This time, though, its actions had been noticed by the two men that sat across the room.
Gaddy politely excused himself from the conversation and approached the mysterious figure. Newton discerned the difference in the man's behaviour - he moved a lot more apprehensively, his behaviour appearing far more aged when compared to the energetic, vigorous facade he gave when first entering the cafe.
"Excuse me, friend..." The old man bumbled nervously, "that's an awfully good cuppa to be drinking alone, care to join us?"
"No, thank you," it said with a motion from its sleeved hand as if to say "good-bye" in the most polite manner she could without verbalising it further.
As the old man began slowly strolling back towards Newton's table another guest entered the cafe. Another frequent patron, Newton could tell from his surprise at the efficiency of the door. Gaddy's attention turned entirely on to the new visitor and before long Newton's friend began recounting tales and stories from a time well before Newton was even born. *All the while the figure remained perfectly still save a pair of hands that gently reached out for the cup on the table raising it under the hood.*
Newton saw this as his chance to leave. Would it be stealing if I didn't let him know I'm leaving? Newton thought as he examined the rod given to him by Gaddy.
"Gaddy, I should leave. It's been real nice speaking with you and everything..."
"I'm sorry son," the old man replied. "Have I met you somewhere before?"
Newton scratched his head, puzzled. Gaddy abruptly turned his back on him and continued conversing with the cafe's newcomer before he had the chance to answer. Newton took this as his queue to leave. As he exited the cafe the watchful eyes of the mysterious figure studied his every move.
The sun was setting and the sky a light shade of purple as Newton exited the cafe. Grump didn't seem nearly as bothered by his trainer's absence as Newton had expected. Joyfully he lead the way through to route 117, the Muk had an uncanny ability to tell which way his trainer was headed.
Newton took the opportunity of the remaining daylight to study the rod as he travelled. It had an understated design; made from mahogany and oak, the wood had been treated so as to make it appear black and white when both parts are assembled. It was durable enough to withstand a good pull and came with a variety of different hooks and bait as well as three small, blue pokeballs. Newton tried not to think about how much money the old man must have spent on it.
Curiosity got the better of him as he neared the river Sharbane. A river that serenely flowed alongside the route, what it lacked in size it made up for with its beauty. From the grassy riverbank he could see the abundance of Pokemon swimming, hopping, floating. A small congregation of marills bumble along peacefully on the opposite bank. Past them; a wooded area with a few deerlings bouncing, springing in and out of view before hopping off into the green fields in the distance.
Deciding to sit down on a patch of the riverbank sufficient distance away from the marills allowed Newton to see that the wildlife was equally as plentiful below the water. Hundreds of magikarp varying in size darted about, a few other species Newton was unfamiliar with mingled with the plethora of fish.
Taking in his surroundings he decided to screw the rod together. As he did the colours shifted from resembling an old, wooden rod to the black-and-white, sleek, wand-like rod that he quickly began baiting. He eyed up the three pokeballs and wondered how his Entei would fare in them, there was a place in Verdanturf Newton knew that he could make a few repairs. For now he dismissed the idea of letting the entei loose.
In the distance he could see a thin fin swiftly cruising upstream followed by the emergence of several other, larger fins. Violent ripples appeared downstream. Newton watched as blood began tainting the water, creeping up Sharbane alongside the ripples. Beneath the shallow waves he caught a glimpse of magikarp schools desperately fleeing from their predators. With a jerk of his arm he cast his line into the chaos that swiftly commandeered the previously peaceful river. Grump readied himself to fight whatever it would be that Newton managed to pull from the bloodbath.
It took no time at all for a snag. Less powerful than Newton had hoped for but the pesky thing put up a good fight as he wrestled it ashore. With a final yank a wild carvanha came shooting out of the water, snapping it's razor sharp teeth into the air as it went. Grump immediately reacted and began sliming nearer to the panicked fish. All of a sudden the wild carvanha belly-flopped itself off the hard ground and into the air. Grump reacted a little late as the fish shot over him, chomping down into his arm. The Muk retracted into itself as though it had been hurt, he began oozing green liquid, giving himself a thin layer of acidic armour. Once again the fish soared above him violently chomping its jaw, this time missing by a margin.
"That's it. Grump, use gastro acid!"
Grump focused his energy and let out a small burp before covering the fish entirely with his stomach's content. The carvanha flopped around helplessly in pain. The steaming hot bile emitted from the Muk settled quickly, creating a sticky goo that surrounded its foe for a few feet.
"You know what to do, buddy." Newton told Grump. With each passing moment the carvanha's agility fleeted. By the time the Muk was near his opponent lay almost still, only giving an occasional sign of fight. Grump slowly began engulfing the fish, with his geletaenous arm stretched wide he squeezed harder and harder before eventually letting go on Newton's command.
Newton took one of the three blue balls from the fishing case and threw it at the almost lifeless fish. Without a struggle the Pokemon was caught. Newton put the pokeball in his sack, he couldn't help but feel disappointed - he truly had his mind set on a catching a sharpedo. Though, if his knowledge was correct the carvanha he'd just caught would evolve into one of the much larger sea creatures. This pleased him.
Before setting off Newton couldn't help but notice the swathes of marrill being rallied by a few azumarill. One by one they each dived into the bloodbath fearlessly. Newton struggled to make sense of their queer behaviour. As he pondered on the odd suicidal tendencies shown by the marrill one of the small blue Pokemon came splashing from beneath the water. In tow a sharpedo, no matter how many times it tried to chomp, bite and headbutt there was no way it was catching the marrill. Hopping off of the splashing water as it traveled through the air the marrill gave the sharpedo a sharp jab with each motion before eventually shooting a blast of water into the eyes of its opponent. A similar procedure was being performed by other marills, though not all were as skilled as the one Newton eyed.
It didn't take long for the sharpedos to halt their attack and retreat downstream, blinded and disorientated they bashed and bumped into eachother as they went. Newton felt special to have been able to witness such a natural phenomena. Though the aftermath was not nearly as spectacular. Remains of the slain magikarp floated atop the red water, marills were being nursed back to good health by their leaders, a few cheeky carvanha tried their luck at snatching a quick meal but that was swiftly put to an end by the marrill well enough to fight.
The rest of the journey was particularly uneventful. As he'd expected Newton reached Verdanturf before midnight. The fishing trip only delayed him about an hour in the end, well worth it for the Pokemon he'd caught.
Cafe Coffee wasn't an easy place to find in Mauville city. Tucked into a corner of a small suburb, the cafe didn't often see travellers, much less strangers. Katrina; the aged owner, had traveled from Kalos for a reason she was never able to annunciate clearly enough for the natives to understand. Katrina was the first to note the stranger.
She hobbled over to the figure in a gesture of proper hosting. "Would you like tea?" She asked with a shiver in her voice.
"Yes, please," an androgynous voice replied.
The figure waited a few moments after Katrina exited into the kitchen before floating toward a round oak table and lowering itself onto one of the two chairs that surrounded it. Long sleeves covered its hands which rested upon its lap.
It didn't take Katrina long to return. Steam from the hot broth she brought with her warmed the air around her. She placed the drink down in front of her new guest before giving a meek bow and quietly returning back to the kitchen. The figure didn't return any sign of acknowledgement. This time, though, its actions had been noticed by the two men that sat across the room.
Gaddy politely excused himself from the conversation and approached the mysterious figure. Newton discerned the difference in the man's behaviour - he moved a lot more apprehensively, his behaviour appearing far more aged when compared to the energetic, vigorous facade he gave when first entering the cafe.
"Excuse me, friend..." The old man bumbled nervously, "that's an awfully good cuppa to be drinking alone, care to join us?"
"No, thank you," it said with a motion from its sleeved hand as if to say "good-bye" in the most polite manner she could without verbalising it further.
As the old man began slowly strolling back towards Newton's table another guest entered the cafe. Another frequent patron, Newton could tell from his surprise at the efficiency of the door. Gaddy's attention turned entirely on to the new visitor and before long Newton's friend began recounting tales and stories from a time well before Newton was even born. *All the while the figure remained perfectly still save a pair of hands that gently reached out for the cup on the table raising it under the hood.*
Newton saw this as his chance to leave. Would it be stealing if I didn't let him know I'm leaving? Newton thought as he examined the rod given to him by Gaddy.
"Gaddy, I should leave. It's been real nice speaking with you and everything..."
"I'm sorry son," the old man replied. "Have I met you somewhere before?"
Newton scratched his head, puzzled. Gaddy abruptly turned his back on him and continued conversing with the cafe's newcomer before he had the chance to answer. Newton took this as his queue to leave. As he exited the cafe the watchful eyes of the mysterious figure studied his every move.
The sun was setting and the sky a light shade of purple as Newton exited the cafe. Grump didn't seem nearly as bothered by his trainer's absence as Newton had expected. Joyfully he lead the way through to route 117, the Muk had an uncanny ability to tell which way his trainer was headed.
Newton took the opportunity of the remaining daylight to study the rod as he travelled. It had an understated design; made from mahogany and oak, the wood had been treated so as to make it appear black and white when both parts are assembled. It was durable enough to withstand a good pull and came with a variety of different hooks and bait as well as three small, blue pokeballs. Newton tried not to think about how much money the old man must have spent on it.
Curiosity got the better of him as he neared the river Sharbane. A river that serenely flowed alongside the route, what it lacked in size it made up for with its beauty. From the grassy riverbank he could see the abundance of Pokemon swimming, hopping, floating. A small congregation of marills bumble along peacefully on the opposite bank. Past them; a wooded area with a few deerlings bouncing, springing in and out of view before hopping off into the green fields in the distance.
Deciding to sit down on a patch of the riverbank sufficient distance away from the marills allowed Newton to see that the wildlife was equally as plentiful below the water. Hundreds of magikarp varying in size darted about, a few other species Newton was unfamiliar with mingled with the plethora of fish.
Taking in his surroundings he decided to screw the rod together. As he did the colours shifted from resembling an old, wooden rod to the black-and-white, sleek, wand-like rod that he quickly began baiting. He eyed up the three pokeballs and wondered how his Entei would fare in them, there was a place in Verdanturf Newton knew that he could make a few repairs. For now he dismissed the idea of letting the entei loose.
In the distance he could see a thin fin swiftly cruising upstream followed by the emergence of several other, larger fins. Violent ripples appeared downstream. Newton watched as blood began tainting the water, creeping up Sharbane alongside the ripples. Beneath the shallow waves he caught a glimpse of magikarp schools desperately fleeing from their predators. With a jerk of his arm he cast his line into the chaos that swiftly commandeered the previously peaceful river. Grump readied himself to fight whatever it would be that Newton managed to pull from the bloodbath.
It took no time at all for a snag. Less powerful than Newton had hoped for but the pesky thing put up a good fight as he wrestled it ashore. With a final yank a wild carvanha came shooting out of the water, snapping it's razor sharp teeth into the air as it went. Grump immediately reacted and began sliming nearer to the panicked fish. All of a sudden the wild carvanha belly-flopped itself off the hard ground and into the air. Grump reacted a little late as the fish shot over him, chomping down into his arm. The Muk retracted into itself as though it had been hurt, he began oozing green liquid, giving himself a thin layer of acidic armour. Once again the fish soared above him violently chomping its jaw, this time missing by a margin.
"That's it. Grump, use gastro acid!"
Grump focused his energy and let out a small burp before covering the fish entirely with his stomach's content. The carvanha flopped around helplessly in pain. The steaming hot bile emitted from the Muk settled quickly, creating a sticky goo that surrounded its foe for a few feet.
"You know what to do, buddy." Newton told Grump. With each passing moment the carvanha's agility fleeted. By the time the Muk was near his opponent lay almost still, only giving an occasional sign of fight. Grump slowly began engulfing the fish, with his geletaenous arm stretched wide he squeezed harder and harder before eventually letting go on Newton's command.
Newton took one of the three blue balls from the fishing case and threw it at the almost lifeless fish. Without a struggle the Pokemon was caught. Newton put the pokeball in his sack, he couldn't help but feel disappointed - he truly had his mind set on a catching a sharpedo. Though, if his knowledge was correct the carvanha he'd just caught would evolve into one of the much larger sea creatures. This pleased him.
Before setting off Newton couldn't help but notice the swathes of marrill being rallied by a few azumarill. One by one they each dived into the bloodbath fearlessly. Newton struggled to make sense of their queer behaviour. As he pondered on the odd suicidal tendencies shown by the marrill one of the small blue Pokemon came splashing from beneath the water. In tow a sharpedo, no matter how many times it tried to chomp, bite and headbutt there was no way it was catching the marrill. Hopping off of the splashing water as it traveled through the air the marrill gave the sharpedo a sharp jab with each motion before eventually shooting a blast of water into the eyes of its opponent. A similar procedure was being performed by other marills, though not all were as skilled as the one Newton eyed.
It didn't take long for the sharpedos to halt their attack and retreat downstream, blinded and disorientated they bashed and bumped into eachother as they went. Newton felt special to have been able to witness such a natural phenomena. Though the aftermath was not nearly as spectacular. Remains of the slain magikarp floated atop the red water, marills were being nursed back to good health by their leaders, a few cheeky carvanha tried their luck at snatching a quick meal but that was swiftly put to an end by the marrill well enough to fight.
The rest of the journey was particularly uneventful. As he'd expected Newton reached Verdanturf before midnight. The fishing trip only delayed him about an hour in the end, well worth it for the Pokemon he'd caught.