Chapter Four - (Sorry about the grammar errors, guys.)
Waina slowly walked next to me, Sunny lounging on her shoulder. “What do you plan to evolve Sunny into?” I asked, and Waina raised her hand to her chin. Her eyes were once again far away. I had found that when she was thinking hard, her eyes seemed to glaze over.
“Well,” Waina started, then paused. “I think… maybe a Sylveon. Or a Leafeon.” I nodded and looked down at Kumo. He had been sleeping for a while now. Clyde was behind us, talking to poor, flustered Mike about what he liked to do, and Tsubaki was walking alone with Euro, cooing and scratching his belly.
We were in Green Forest. Green Town had started to get pretty boring, and we had decided to leave. I watched the sun filter through the emerald leaves as we walked on the hard dirt path. According to MIke’s map, we were to get to Vineyard City in about two days. What a grand old time we were about to have. Sighing, I pushed aside a heavy branch in the way of the path and gasped. A big Phanpy, startled, stood directly in our path. I heard Tsubaki gasp, and she pushed me out of the way. “Hey!” Waina cried as I fell to the ground. She reached for my hand to help me up. Tsubaki took no notice of this and was watching the Phanpy with big eyes.
“That. Is mine,” she hissed. “Euro! Come on!” Euro lept forward, a scarily happy smile on his lips. Waina clutched my hand, squeezing so hard I worried my blood stream would be cut off. Ahh, I thought. She doesn’t like battles. That was strange for a trainer. Sunny whimpered. I watched Tsubaki call out instructions to Euro. They worked well together. Euro seemed to know what Tsubaki was going to say, and he was very graceful.
“Fury Swipes, Euro!” Tsubaki shouted. The Phanpy was no watch for the Meowth’s claws. Staggering, it aimed for another attack, but Tsubaki was too fast. She whipped a Pokeball - where did that come from? - at the poor Pokemon’s head, and it was instantly sucked in. Tsubaki grinned. She flew over and scooped up the ball. It lay, cold and silent, in her hands.
“Jealous much?” she said smugly to me. I muttered something very rude under my breath. Akra giggled from her perch on my shoulder.
“Well, uhm,” Mike said slowly, looking at me. “Good catch, Tsubaki.” I snorted and stalked away. Tsubaki laughed. Waina followed me, looking confused. She didn’t say anything, which I appreciated. I wouldn’t have been able to tell her why I was mad, anyway.
Clyde strolled happily along the sidewalk. “I love this city,” he said to me. “My father used to take me here all the time when I was younger.” He was observing the tall buildings with an excited gleam in his eyes. Vineyard City was almost exploding with thousands of people, all going every which way. I was starting to get claustrophobic, with all these strangers brushing against me. I shivered.
“Hey! What’re you…” I heard Mike shout. I turned. A burly man was snarling at Mike, who was glaring back. I was surprised to see shy Mike’s face start to fade to a deep red in anger. I stepped forward hesitantly. “Go back to the hole you came from, slug,” the other man muttered, and Mike raised his fist, his eyes glowing with repressed rage.
Making up my mind, I charged to Mike’s side and grabbed his arm. He stared at me with blinded eyes. “Cool it, Mike,” I whispered. I watched as his anger faded, and he looked at his clenched fist. He seemed confused.
“Sorry,” he whispered back. His hand slowly opened, and he cringed. The skin around his knuckles was pure white from his tension. “Really, sorry,” he said again. “I get mad.” I nodded, let go of his wrist and peered behind us. Tsubaki had completely ignored the situation and was playing with her new Phanpy. Waina was staring at us with terrified green eyes. Clyde had a slightly smug look on his face as he watched me. I cleared my throat. I had a headache.
“Let’s go,” I murmured. Even Akura looked confused as I called her back into her ball.
The next morning, we left the hotel before the sun rose. I had been grateful that there had been three beds in each room. It would have been awkward to share a bed with some girl you barely knew. Riku had slept with me. The hotel room had been freezing, and though Kumo was warm he didn’t expel much heat. Waina slept with both Arson and Sunny, and Tsubaki returned both of her Pokemon to their balls before she went to bed. Yet another thing I didn’t understand about her.
Snapping out of my thoughts, I realised Clyde was right next to me, staring at someone across the street. A suprised grimace outlined his face. “Uhm,” he said, scratching his neck. “Incoming.” I looked at him in confusion and followed his glance. A tall, slightly heavy man was lumbering towards Clyde his arms outstretched. I stared - rudley, but I couldn’t help myself - as the man swept Clyde into a bear hug.
“Dad,” he mumbled into the big guy’s shoulder. “Geroff, dad.” I stared in disbelief at Clyde’s father. His face was creased with laughter lines, and his squinted eyes sparkled with happiness. He reminded me so much of Clyde.
“Well! Hello!” He boomed, peering at Tsubaki, Waina, Mike and I. It was slightly funny; Waina looked terrified, as always; Mike nervous but polite; Tsubaki observing the man with a skeptical look. I wanted to sock her in the jaw, for no real reason.
Clyde pulled himself away from his dad and said, “Guys, this is my dad. He’s the Gym Leader in Legore City. Uhm… call him…” Clyde look at his father.
“Call me Mr. Lycan,” he said playfully. He winked at me, and I giggled.
I really, honestly enjoyed this man as I replied, “Nice to meet you, sir. I’m Wolfe.” Mr. Lycan looked at me curiously and turned to Clyde, who flushed and looked at his shoes. Waina chuckled nervously, and I turned to see her smiling at Mike, who grinned back. “What?” I asked, getting a bit annoyed.
“Nothing!” Clyde replied hastily. I narrowed my eyes at him. He scratched his neck again. “So,” he asked his father, turning his reddened face away from me. “What’re you doing here?”
Mr. Lycan laughed - the laugh was loud and joyful. It made me feel warm, but that was a stupid thing to say out loud. “Well, I came to get Arcanine groomed, but none of those salon owners would do his hair. Just because he wasn’t “cute!” I mean, really? Arcanine is the cutest thing I have ever seen.” Tsubaki snorted and covered her mouth.
“Anyway, dad, my friends and me are gonna take off,” Clyde said, punching his father in the shoulder. Mr. Lycan laughed and hugged him again.
“Good luck, Clyde. I’ll be seeing you again soon!” And with that, he looked me over one more time, waved, and hurried down the sidewalk. I blinked.
“Well, he was nice,” Waina said in satisfaction. “Not many people are these days.” I shrugged and looked at Clyde, who was worrying at his collar.
“Well…” he started, when a big man charged towards me, grabbed my neck, and pulled me away. I heard Waina scream and Clyde and Mike shout. Nothing from Tsubaki, as usual, but I could hear her pounding feet fade away as my kidnapper ran faster. The man suddenly swung me around and set me on my feet.
“Girl,” he whispered. “Help me.”
To be continued….
Waina slowly walked next to me, Sunny lounging on her shoulder. “What do you plan to evolve Sunny into?” I asked, and Waina raised her hand to her chin. Her eyes were once again far away. I had found that when she was thinking hard, her eyes seemed to glaze over.
“Well,” Waina started, then paused. “I think… maybe a Sylveon. Or a Leafeon.” I nodded and looked down at Kumo. He had been sleeping for a while now. Clyde was behind us, talking to poor, flustered Mike about what he liked to do, and Tsubaki was walking alone with Euro, cooing and scratching his belly.
We were in Green Forest. Green Town had started to get pretty boring, and we had decided to leave. I watched the sun filter through the emerald leaves as we walked on the hard dirt path. According to MIke’s map, we were to get to Vineyard City in about two days. What a grand old time we were about to have. Sighing, I pushed aside a heavy branch in the way of the path and gasped. A big Phanpy, startled, stood directly in our path. I heard Tsubaki gasp, and she pushed me out of the way. “Hey!” Waina cried as I fell to the ground. She reached for my hand to help me up. Tsubaki took no notice of this and was watching the Phanpy with big eyes.
“That. Is mine,” she hissed. “Euro! Come on!” Euro lept forward, a scarily happy smile on his lips. Waina clutched my hand, squeezing so hard I worried my blood stream would be cut off. Ahh, I thought. She doesn’t like battles. That was strange for a trainer. Sunny whimpered. I watched Tsubaki call out instructions to Euro. They worked well together. Euro seemed to know what Tsubaki was going to say, and he was very graceful.
“Fury Swipes, Euro!” Tsubaki shouted. The Phanpy was no watch for the Meowth’s claws. Staggering, it aimed for another attack, but Tsubaki was too fast. She whipped a Pokeball - where did that come from? - at the poor Pokemon’s head, and it was instantly sucked in. Tsubaki grinned. She flew over and scooped up the ball. It lay, cold and silent, in her hands.
“Jealous much?” she said smugly to me. I muttered something very rude under my breath. Akra giggled from her perch on my shoulder.
“Well, uhm,” Mike said slowly, looking at me. “Good catch, Tsubaki.” I snorted and stalked away. Tsubaki laughed. Waina followed me, looking confused. She didn’t say anything, which I appreciated. I wouldn’t have been able to tell her why I was mad, anyway.
Clyde strolled happily along the sidewalk. “I love this city,” he said to me. “My father used to take me here all the time when I was younger.” He was observing the tall buildings with an excited gleam in his eyes. Vineyard City was almost exploding with thousands of people, all going every which way. I was starting to get claustrophobic, with all these strangers brushing against me. I shivered.
“Hey! What’re you…” I heard Mike shout. I turned. A burly man was snarling at Mike, who was glaring back. I was surprised to see shy Mike’s face start to fade to a deep red in anger. I stepped forward hesitantly. “Go back to the hole you came from, slug,” the other man muttered, and Mike raised his fist, his eyes glowing with repressed rage.
Making up my mind, I charged to Mike’s side and grabbed his arm. He stared at me with blinded eyes. “Cool it, Mike,” I whispered. I watched as his anger faded, and he looked at his clenched fist. He seemed confused.
“Sorry,” he whispered back. His hand slowly opened, and he cringed. The skin around his knuckles was pure white from his tension. “Really, sorry,” he said again. “I get mad.” I nodded, let go of his wrist and peered behind us. Tsubaki had completely ignored the situation and was playing with her new Phanpy. Waina was staring at us with terrified green eyes. Clyde had a slightly smug look on his face as he watched me. I cleared my throat. I had a headache.
“Let’s go,” I murmured. Even Akura looked confused as I called her back into her ball.
The next morning, we left the hotel before the sun rose. I had been grateful that there had been three beds in each room. It would have been awkward to share a bed with some girl you barely knew. Riku had slept with me. The hotel room had been freezing, and though Kumo was warm he didn’t expel much heat. Waina slept with both Arson and Sunny, and Tsubaki returned both of her Pokemon to their balls before she went to bed. Yet another thing I didn’t understand about her.
Snapping out of my thoughts, I realised Clyde was right next to me, staring at someone across the street. A suprised grimace outlined his face. “Uhm,” he said, scratching his neck. “Incoming.” I looked at him in confusion and followed his glance. A tall, slightly heavy man was lumbering towards Clyde his arms outstretched. I stared - rudley, but I couldn’t help myself - as the man swept Clyde into a bear hug.
“Dad,” he mumbled into the big guy’s shoulder. “Geroff, dad.” I stared in disbelief at Clyde’s father. His face was creased with laughter lines, and his squinted eyes sparkled with happiness. He reminded me so much of Clyde.
“Well! Hello!” He boomed, peering at Tsubaki, Waina, Mike and I. It was slightly funny; Waina looked terrified, as always; Mike nervous but polite; Tsubaki observing the man with a skeptical look. I wanted to sock her in the jaw, for no real reason.
Clyde pulled himself away from his dad and said, “Guys, this is my dad. He’s the Gym Leader in Legore City. Uhm… call him…” Clyde look at his father.
“Call me Mr. Lycan,” he said playfully. He winked at me, and I giggled.
I really, honestly enjoyed this man as I replied, “Nice to meet you, sir. I’m Wolfe.” Mr. Lycan looked at me curiously and turned to Clyde, who flushed and looked at his shoes. Waina chuckled nervously, and I turned to see her smiling at Mike, who grinned back. “What?” I asked, getting a bit annoyed.
“Nothing!” Clyde replied hastily. I narrowed my eyes at him. He scratched his neck again. “So,” he asked his father, turning his reddened face away from me. “What’re you doing here?”
Mr. Lycan laughed - the laugh was loud and joyful. It made me feel warm, but that was a stupid thing to say out loud. “Well, I came to get Arcanine groomed, but none of those salon owners would do his hair. Just because he wasn’t “cute!” I mean, really? Arcanine is the cutest thing I have ever seen.” Tsubaki snorted and covered her mouth.
“Anyway, dad, my friends and me are gonna take off,” Clyde said, punching his father in the shoulder. Mr. Lycan laughed and hugged him again.
“Good luck, Clyde. I’ll be seeing you again soon!” And with that, he looked me over one more time, waved, and hurried down the sidewalk. I blinked.
“Well, he was nice,” Waina said in satisfaction. “Not many people are these days.” I shrugged and looked at Clyde, who was worrying at his collar.
“Well…” he started, when a big man charged towards me, grabbed my neck, and pulled me away. I heard Waina scream and Clyde and Mike shout. Nothing from Tsubaki, as usual, but I could hear her pounding feet fade away as my kidnapper ran faster. The man suddenly swung me around and set me on my feet.
“Girl,” he whispered. “Help me.”
To be continued….
