Ruriko had been planning this trip for ages. Her father had at first been against it, but in the end had relented and agreed on letting her go on the longest journey she has ever done, but only after Ruriko had gotten her cousin Nicholas to help her out in persuading her father to give his permission. After a frustrating month of persuading and moping, her father had finally given a green light on the journey, with some conditions of course. For one: her cousin would join her on the journey, and two: she would have to take her late mothers Blaziken with her. She would also have to stay in contact with her father via e-mail and Holo Caster calls on regular basis. All of this was more than fine with her, although she was a bit apprehensive on having the old Blaziken join her party.
The old Blaziken, Pharos, had been Seiko Fairfields starter Pokemon and the only fire type creature she had owned. When Seiko had passed away nineteen years ago, Pharos had been devastated. As a result he had withdrawn from the family, preferring to spend time alone, usually found with a book in the garden, sometimes tending to the flowerbed Rurikos mother had cherished. Nowadays Pharos was a quiet and moody shadow-member of the family, glaring at anyone and everything that dared to approach him. Ruriko had been a little afraid of the firebird since she was little and while Mathias, Rurikos father, could see that the pokemon cared for the girl, the birdlike creature seemed equally afraid of approaching Ruriko who was almost a spitting image of her mother, if not for the green eyes she had inherited from Mathias. So, for years now, the only contact Pharos had within the family was Mathias and his old Samurott, Theodore. Rurikos own starter, Greninja Loki, had always disliked the firebird and had gotten in to couple of fights with Pharos due to misunderstandings in the past, hence the young womans apprehension towards having Pharos come with them on the journey.
"Ruri, darling, did you remember to pack that packet of revivals I gave you last week?", came Mathias' voice from downstairs, probably from the kitchen if the clatter of cutlery and delicious scent of waffles was any indication.
"Yes, da!" Ruriko answered as she crammed a couple of extra knit sweaters in her bag, shaking her head to Heika, her Ninetales, as he offered her a large red scarf. "No, the green one." The Ninetales huffed, disappearing back to the walk-in closet in search of the right colored scarf, even if he thought that the red one would go better with the blue winter jacket the trainer had packed earlier.
"Crrio?" Fenrir pointed askingly at the stuff he had just dumped on the bed, next to Rurikos small duffle bag. Two notebooks, two pencil cases and a sketchbook. Ruriko nodded at her Lucario and the pokemon packed the stuff to the duffle bag, but not before leafing through the sketchbook and stopping to admire an old sketch of himself when he was still Riolu. Ruriko couldn't help but giggle at her pokemon a bit, patting Fenrirs head as he packed the sketchbook, a soft blush on his cheeks.
"There, done!" Ruriko declared happily, zipping the bag containing her clothes closed and... facepalming when Heika returned with the green scarf. Chuckling at herself, she opened the bag, placed the scarf on top of everything and closed the bag again. She was done packing. Well, mostly. She knew her father would have some things to give her before she left the house, but those would go to her duffle bag so, for now she declared herself ready for the journey, her clothes in one big bag, camping stuff in another and the smaller necessities and gadgets in the light blue duffle bag.
"If you're done packing, come have some breakfast!", her fathers voice echoed from downstairs again. She hefted one of the bags over her shoulder while Fenrir grabbed the other two and together the trio moved out of Rurikos room, across the hall and down the stairs. They deposited the bags near the front door to wait for their departure before venturing towards the kitchen. "All done?"
"All done," the young woman confirmed, coming up to hug her father. "Only thing missing are the pokemon." The man gave her a quick hug, before ushering her to the table, stacking her plate with waffles. Ruriko reached for a jar of homemade jam, spooning amble amount of the stuff on her waffles, earning slightly disgusted look from the Ninetales who settled down behind her chair. He preferred spicy food, unlike his trainer who had the biggest sweet tooth in perhaps all of Kalos region. Ruriko made a face at Heika, giggling as she got a huff in return and a light slap in the face by one of the pokemons nine tails.
Having returned to the stove, Mathias just shook his head at the antics of his daughter and her pokemon, all the while finishing up the food for their non-human family members. He had made some extra of everything, to give it to Ruriko to take with as lunch. Dishing out food to the pokemon arriving in the kitchen and packing the rest in various lunch boxes, Mathias sighed, still worried about the upcoming journey his daughter had decided to go on. But, as there was nothing he could do to stop the young trainer, he decided to just send her off with a smile on his face. Sighing yet again, he took some food outside to give to those creatures that lived in the garden or in the stable next to the main house.
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The breakfast over and done with, Ruriko ran out of the house to the stable to check up on Bailey, her Gogoat who seemed to be patiently waiting for her at his pen, all ready to go. Entering the large pokemons pen, Ruriko gave the Gogoat a hug before busying herself with his bridle. Soon the two of them joined the group standing near the front door of the mainhouse, the group consisting of her own pokemon that would be coming with her, her father and Theodore and couple of the other family pokemons. She frowned as she couldn't see the old Blaziken anywhere.
"Where's Pharos?"
"Blazz...," came an answering growl from behind her, making her jump a bit, as she hadn't heard the pokemon approach. Loki bristled, quickly moving between the large firebird and the woman, glaring at the Blaziken. Ruriko placed a calming hand on Lokis shoulder before the frog creature could do anything else.
"Loki," she said with a warning tone in her voice, "behave. Pharos is coming with us." Before her long time companion could react in anyway at the news, she stepped up to the firebird and tentatively held out her hand. The Blaziken looked at the offered appendage for a while, before taking it in his hand and shaking hands with the young trainer. "Welcome to the party." He inclined his head at her, muttering his acknowledgement, before locking eyes with Loki who was glaring daggers at the older pokemon. Ruriko sighed as she could feel the tension between the creatures. They really needed to come along with each other if they were to travel together.
"Ruri," Mathias walked up to his daughter, enveloping he in to a warm and loving hug. "Stay safe. And stay out of trouble," he murmured in to her hair, pressing a kiss to her temple. She hugged him back tight, for a while just pressing her forehead against his shoulder. When they separated, Ruriko quickly turned away from him, to hide and eliminate any evidence that she was on verge of tears. For nineteen long years, her father had taken care of her and he meant the worlds to Ruriko, even if she didn't tell him that outright. "You two!" Mathias just patted his daughters head as he turned to the two pokemons, still glaring at each other. "You're in charge of keeping her out of harms way, alright. Whatever disagreements you might have, I need you to put them aside and just look after my daughter." He looked at the two sternly, his voice full of authority.
Pharos and Loki looked at the man, then each other, then the girl in question before looking back again at each other. Pharos, being older and far wiser than the young Greninja, sighed as he softened his gaze and offered a hand to the other pokemon. Loki glared at him for a while still, but hearing Ruriko clear her throat meaningfully, he heaved a sigh and shook hands with the firebird. They would work together, even if grudginly, to keep the young trainer safe.
Feeling the tension dissipate between the two, no completely, but to an agreeable level, Mathias nodded at them, getting answering nods in return. He then gave his daughter another hug, this one shorter, but still full of warmth and love. "Alright, darling. Have a nice journey. And say hi to your cousin and aunt for me, alright?"
"Thanks, da." Ruriko smiled at him widely, signaling Fenrir to get the larger bags on the ever patient Gogoats back, strapping the securely on either side. Ruriko then climbed on the pokemon, reaching to take the duffle back from the Lucario as he offered it. "You guys keep da safe, ok?" Ruriko grinned at the other pokemon milling around, seeing her team off. She sent an apologetic smile towards Auron, her Fraxure who seemed a bit put out for being left behind with others, even though he was usually one of her main team members. Trigger, Rurikos Jolteon, headbutted Auron gently on his side before trotting after the Gogoat now slowly heading out of the gate towards the main road, a team of pokemon trailing after it.
Mathias looked her and the group of pokemon go until they disappeared around a bend in the road. His Samurott stepped up next to him, ever the quiet support at his side. "She'll be alright, won't she?" Mathias asked his companion, not really expecting an answer. She'll be alright. After all she had her best pokemons with her; Loki, the ever watchful Greninja, Fenrir, the young and hardheaded Lucario, Heika, the loyal but stubborn Ninetales, Bailey, the calm and patient Gogoat and Trigger, the ever excited and affectionate Jolteon. And of course her mothers Blaziken, the old, but not less strong and wise firebird, Pharos. Yes, she'll be alright with them, they'll look after Mathias' most precious star in the whole world.
The old Blaziken, Pharos, had been Seiko Fairfields starter Pokemon and the only fire type creature she had owned. When Seiko had passed away nineteen years ago, Pharos had been devastated. As a result he had withdrawn from the family, preferring to spend time alone, usually found with a book in the garden, sometimes tending to the flowerbed Rurikos mother had cherished. Nowadays Pharos was a quiet and moody shadow-member of the family, glaring at anyone and everything that dared to approach him. Ruriko had been a little afraid of the firebird since she was little and while Mathias, Rurikos father, could see that the pokemon cared for the girl, the birdlike creature seemed equally afraid of approaching Ruriko who was almost a spitting image of her mother, if not for the green eyes she had inherited from Mathias. So, for years now, the only contact Pharos had within the family was Mathias and his old Samurott, Theodore. Rurikos own starter, Greninja Loki, had always disliked the firebird and had gotten in to couple of fights with Pharos due to misunderstandings in the past, hence the young womans apprehension towards having Pharos come with them on the journey.
"Ruri, darling, did you remember to pack that packet of revivals I gave you last week?", came Mathias' voice from downstairs, probably from the kitchen if the clatter of cutlery and delicious scent of waffles was any indication.
"Yes, da!" Ruriko answered as she crammed a couple of extra knit sweaters in her bag, shaking her head to Heika, her Ninetales, as he offered her a large red scarf. "No, the green one." The Ninetales huffed, disappearing back to the walk-in closet in search of the right colored scarf, even if he thought that the red one would go better with the blue winter jacket the trainer had packed earlier.
"Crrio?" Fenrir pointed askingly at the stuff he had just dumped on the bed, next to Rurikos small duffle bag. Two notebooks, two pencil cases and a sketchbook. Ruriko nodded at her Lucario and the pokemon packed the stuff to the duffle bag, but not before leafing through the sketchbook and stopping to admire an old sketch of himself when he was still Riolu. Ruriko couldn't help but giggle at her pokemon a bit, patting Fenrirs head as he packed the sketchbook, a soft blush on his cheeks.
"There, done!" Ruriko declared happily, zipping the bag containing her clothes closed and... facepalming when Heika returned with the green scarf. Chuckling at herself, she opened the bag, placed the scarf on top of everything and closed the bag again. She was done packing. Well, mostly. She knew her father would have some things to give her before she left the house, but those would go to her duffle bag so, for now she declared herself ready for the journey, her clothes in one big bag, camping stuff in another and the smaller necessities and gadgets in the light blue duffle bag.
"If you're done packing, come have some breakfast!", her fathers voice echoed from downstairs again. She hefted one of the bags over her shoulder while Fenrir grabbed the other two and together the trio moved out of Rurikos room, across the hall and down the stairs. They deposited the bags near the front door to wait for their departure before venturing towards the kitchen. "All done?"
"All done," the young woman confirmed, coming up to hug her father. "Only thing missing are the pokemon." The man gave her a quick hug, before ushering her to the table, stacking her plate with waffles. Ruriko reached for a jar of homemade jam, spooning amble amount of the stuff on her waffles, earning slightly disgusted look from the Ninetales who settled down behind her chair. He preferred spicy food, unlike his trainer who had the biggest sweet tooth in perhaps all of Kalos region. Ruriko made a face at Heika, giggling as she got a huff in return and a light slap in the face by one of the pokemons nine tails.
Having returned to the stove, Mathias just shook his head at the antics of his daughter and her pokemon, all the while finishing up the food for their non-human family members. He had made some extra of everything, to give it to Ruriko to take with as lunch. Dishing out food to the pokemon arriving in the kitchen and packing the rest in various lunch boxes, Mathias sighed, still worried about the upcoming journey his daughter had decided to go on. But, as there was nothing he could do to stop the young trainer, he decided to just send her off with a smile on his face. Sighing yet again, he took some food outside to give to those creatures that lived in the garden or in the stable next to the main house.
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The breakfast over and done with, Ruriko ran out of the house to the stable to check up on Bailey, her Gogoat who seemed to be patiently waiting for her at his pen, all ready to go. Entering the large pokemons pen, Ruriko gave the Gogoat a hug before busying herself with his bridle. Soon the two of them joined the group standing near the front door of the mainhouse, the group consisting of her own pokemon that would be coming with her, her father and Theodore and couple of the other family pokemons. She frowned as she couldn't see the old Blaziken anywhere.
"Where's Pharos?"
"Blazz...," came an answering growl from behind her, making her jump a bit, as she hadn't heard the pokemon approach. Loki bristled, quickly moving between the large firebird and the woman, glaring at the Blaziken. Ruriko placed a calming hand on Lokis shoulder before the frog creature could do anything else.
"Loki," she said with a warning tone in her voice, "behave. Pharos is coming with us." Before her long time companion could react in anyway at the news, she stepped up to the firebird and tentatively held out her hand. The Blaziken looked at the offered appendage for a while, before taking it in his hand and shaking hands with the young trainer. "Welcome to the party." He inclined his head at her, muttering his acknowledgement, before locking eyes with Loki who was glaring daggers at the older pokemon. Ruriko sighed as she could feel the tension between the creatures. They really needed to come along with each other if they were to travel together.
"Ruri," Mathias walked up to his daughter, enveloping he in to a warm and loving hug. "Stay safe. And stay out of trouble," he murmured in to her hair, pressing a kiss to her temple. She hugged him back tight, for a while just pressing her forehead against his shoulder. When they separated, Ruriko quickly turned away from him, to hide and eliminate any evidence that she was on verge of tears. For nineteen long years, her father had taken care of her and he meant the worlds to Ruriko, even if she didn't tell him that outright. "You two!" Mathias just patted his daughters head as he turned to the two pokemons, still glaring at each other. "You're in charge of keeping her out of harms way, alright. Whatever disagreements you might have, I need you to put them aside and just look after my daughter." He looked at the two sternly, his voice full of authority.
Pharos and Loki looked at the man, then each other, then the girl in question before looking back again at each other. Pharos, being older and far wiser than the young Greninja, sighed as he softened his gaze and offered a hand to the other pokemon. Loki glared at him for a while still, but hearing Ruriko clear her throat meaningfully, he heaved a sigh and shook hands with the firebird. They would work together, even if grudginly, to keep the young trainer safe.
Feeling the tension dissipate between the two, no completely, but to an agreeable level, Mathias nodded at them, getting answering nods in return. He then gave his daughter another hug, this one shorter, but still full of warmth and love. "Alright, darling. Have a nice journey. And say hi to your cousin and aunt for me, alright?"
"Thanks, da." Ruriko smiled at him widely, signaling Fenrir to get the larger bags on the ever patient Gogoats back, strapping the securely on either side. Ruriko then climbed on the pokemon, reaching to take the duffle back from the Lucario as he offered it. "You guys keep da safe, ok?" Ruriko grinned at the other pokemon milling around, seeing her team off. She sent an apologetic smile towards Auron, her Fraxure who seemed a bit put out for being left behind with others, even though he was usually one of her main team members. Trigger, Rurikos Jolteon, headbutted Auron gently on his side before trotting after the Gogoat now slowly heading out of the gate towards the main road, a team of pokemon trailing after it.
Mathias looked her and the group of pokemon go until they disappeared around a bend in the road. His Samurott stepped up next to him, ever the quiet support at his side. "She'll be alright, won't she?" Mathias asked his companion, not really expecting an answer. She'll be alright. After all she had her best pokemons with her; Loki, the ever watchful Greninja, Fenrir, the young and hardheaded Lucario, Heika, the loyal but stubborn Ninetales, Bailey, the calm and patient Gogoat and Trigger, the ever excited and affectionate Jolteon. And of course her mothers Blaziken, the old, but not less strong and wise firebird, Pharos. Yes, she'll be alright with them, they'll look after Mathias' most precious star in the whole world.