"I recognised you," Kori elaborated with a wry smile. "Not so long ago, I visited the circus. I watched you perform. You're very talented."
He directed the last comment towards the twins, who beamed. Kaida felt slightly put out.
"We weren't treated so well there," Torikku explained.
"We wanted to rescue the circus Pokémon," Kaida added, anger colouring her tone at the thought of the mistreatment of Pokémon.
Kori began to pour some Moomoo Milk into four cups. He directed his guests to sit down in front of the fire. Kaida noticed there was a Glaceon curled up in the corner of the room, atop several embroidered cushions.
Kori's hut was small but very cosy. The decor was mostly red and orange hues, giving a sense of warmth. Kaida liked it there.
"It's good that you have Pokémon's best interests at heart," Kori said as he handed them each a glass of Moomoo Milk. Gratefully, Kaida took a sip.
"I wonder, though. What will you do now?"
It was a good question, one that Kaida had been thinking about a lot. She had Pokémon to care for, and felt responsible for the twins too. Pokémon trainers made a lot of money, but Drowzee, Drifloon and Popplio didn't have much experience with battles, and she desperately didn't want them to get any more hurt than they already were.
Kaida sighed. "I don't know," she admitted.
Kori frowned. "Well, maybe you should have thought about that before leaving."
The girl suddenly felt angry. Yes, this guy had helped her out, but why was he being so critical?!
"Maybe I should have," she snapped. "But I didn't, so get off my case."
She stormed out of the room, leaving the twins and her Pokémon with Kori.
I can't deal with this, she thought. I have no idea what to do.
She began to walk into Anistar City, hoping it would clear her mind. Maybe she'd even get some ideas.
There were few people around the city at this time of night, but plenty of lights on in house windows. She took note of a clothing shop- maybe she could get a job there?- a café, and the Pokémon Gym.
Kaida decided to go into the café, which was open late. The only customer was a tall woman with purple hair, dressed in a strangely patterned cloak. She called out to Kaida,
"Come and sit with me.
I have not seen you before
And you seem troubled."
Surprised, Kaida obliged, a little hesitant.
"I want to hear it.
What brings you to Anistar?
What is the matter?"
Kaida blinked. "Um, well... sorry, if you don't mind, who are you?"
"I, Olympia?
Of this beautiful city
Just the Gym Leader."
Kaida ignored the strange way in which Olympia spoke. "Wow!" she exclaimed. "A Gym Leader? That's amazing. What is your specialty?"
"Here in Anistar,
Our battle prowess lies with
Psychic Pokémon."
"I have a Psychic Pokémon! A Drowzee. And my friends- they have a Mr. Mime."
"Perhaps you would like
To visit me in my Gym
And show me your skill."
Kaida shook her head. "I can't do that. My Pokémon... they've been through a lot. I don't want them to get hurt any more."
Olympia nodded approvingly.
"It is clear to me
That you care for Pokémon
And that I admire."
"I want to rescue all the Pokémon," Kaida answered, suddenly feeling like that was what she was meant to do. "I set them free from the circus I performed in. But I know there are others being treated badly too. I want to help."
"A noble mission
Where I advise you start with
The Terminus Cave,
In which Pokémon
And people are being forced
To mine for jewels."
It seemed like a very real dream all of a sudden. "But why me?" Kaida asked.
Olympia beckoned for Kaida to extend her hand, who uncertainly did. The Gym Leader slipped a bracelet onto Kaida's wrist, then withdrew it.
She closed her eyes and appeared to be deep in thought.
"The bracelet shows me
Your future; dedicated to
love for Pokemon."
"You can see my future?!" Kaida exclaimed.
Olympia only smiled serenely.
"Now go and fulfill
What I have just seen to be
your life's destiny."
Kaida thanked the Gym Leader for her words of wisdom. When she left the café, she felt strange, as though everything had become clear. She felt better about the future, knowing she had somewhere to start, and someone who seemed to be on her side.
That reminded her about the person who definitely didn't seem to be on her side, for reasons she couldn't fathom.
She worked up the courage to knock gently on Kori's door, unsure if he'd let her back in. But he did. Wordlessly, he held the door open.
The twins were asleep, Mr. Mime returned to its Pokéball, on the couch.
"I didn't mean to offend you," Kori said gravely.
Kaida shrugged awkwardly. "It's okay. You were right. I should have thought it through, but I wasn't thinking clearly, I just needed to get out."
He looked sympathetic.
"Thanks for letting us stay. We'll be out of your way soon."
"Stay as long as you need," Kori replied. "I'm going upstairs to sleep. Sorry, but you'll have to sleep on the armchair, or the floor."
"It's okay," Kaida quietly answered.
The fire was put out, leaving the room in darkness. She climbed into the armchair.
It was hard to get to sleep, with millions of thoughts racing through her head. She grabbed her backpack and took out Drowzee's Pokéball, summoning it out.
"Drowzeeeee..." it said softly, probably sensing her inner turmoil.
"Can you make me sleep, Drowzee?" she asked unhappily, picking the heavy Pokémon up and settling it on the armchair with her.
"Drooowzee," it responded in the affirmative.
With the help of her Pokémon, Kaida drifted into sleep. Tomorrow, she would decide her next move.
*TO BE CONTINUED*
He directed the last comment towards the twins, who beamed. Kaida felt slightly put out.
"We weren't treated so well there," Torikku explained.
"We wanted to rescue the circus Pokémon," Kaida added, anger colouring her tone at the thought of the mistreatment of Pokémon.
Kori began to pour some Moomoo Milk into four cups. He directed his guests to sit down in front of the fire. Kaida noticed there was a Glaceon curled up in the corner of the room, atop several embroidered cushions.
Kori's hut was small but very cosy. The decor was mostly red and orange hues, giving a sense of warmth. Kaida liked it there.
"It's good that you have Pokémon's best interests at heart," Kori said as he handed them each a glass of Moomoo Milk. Gratefully, Kaida took a sip.
"I wonder, though. What will you do now?"
It was a good question, one that Kaida had been thinking about a lot. She had Pokémon to care for, and felt responsible for the twins too. Pokémon trainers made a lot of money, but Drowzee, Drifloon and Popplio didn't have much experience with battles, and she desperately didn't want them to get any more hurt than they already were.
Kaida sighed. "I don't know," she admitted.
Kori frowned. "Well, maybe you should have thought about that before leaving."
The girl suddenly felt angry. Yes, this guy had helped her out, but why was he being so critical?!
"Maybe I should have," she snapped. "But I didn't, so get off my case."
She stormed out of the room, leaving the twins and her Pokémon with Kori.
I can't deal with this, she thought. I have no idea what to do.
She began to walk into Anistar City, hoping it would clear her mind. Maybe she'd even get some ideas.
There were few people around the city at this time of night, but plenty of lights on in house windows. She took note of a clothing shop- maybe she could get a job there?- a café, and the Pokémon Gym.
Kaida decided to go into the café, which was open late. The only customer was a tall woman with purple hair, dressed in a strangely patterned cloak. She called out to Kaida,
"Come and sit with me.
I have not seen you before
And you seem troubled."
Surprised, Kaida obliged, a little hesitant.
"I want to hear it.
What brings you to Anistar?
What is the matter?"
Kaida blinked. "Um, well... sorry, if you don't mind, who are you?"
"I, Olympia?
Of this beautiful city
Just the Gym Leader."
Kaida ignored the strange way in which Olympia spoke. "Wow!" she exclaimed. "A Gym Leader? That's amazing. What is your specialty?"
"Here in Anistar,
Our battle prowess lies with
Psychic Pokémon."
"I have a Psychic Pokémon! A Drowzee. And my friends- they have a Mr. Mime."
"Perhaps you would like
To visit me in my Gym
And show me your skill."
Kaida shook her head. "I can't do that. My Pokémon... they've been through a lot. I don't want them to get hurt any more."
Olympia nodded approvingly.
"It is clear to me
That you care for Pokémon
And that I admire."
"I want to rescue all the Pokémon," Kaida answered, suddenly feeling like that was what she was meant to do. "I set them free from the circus I performed in. But I know there are others being treated badly too. I want to help."
"A noble mission
Where I advise you start with
The Terminus Cave,
In which Pokémon
And people are being forced
To mine for jewels."
It seemed like a very real dream all of a sudden. "But why me?" Kaida asked.
Olympia beckoned for Kaida to extend her hand, who uncertainly did. The Gym Leader slipped a bracelet onto Kaida's wrist, then withdrew it.
She closed her eyes and appeared to be deep in thought.
"The bracelet shows me
Your future; dedicated to
love for Pokemon."
"You can see my future?!" Kaida exclaimed.
Olympia only smiled serenely.
"Now go and fulfill
What I have just seen to be
your life's destiny."
Kaida thanked the Gym Leader for her words of wisdom. When she left the café, she felt strange, as though everything had become clear. She felt better about the future, knowing she had somewhere to start, and someone who seemed to be on her side.
That reminded her about the person who definitely didn't seem to be on her side, for reasons she couldn't fathom.
She worked up the courage to knock gently on Kori's door, unsure if he'd let her back in. But he did. Wordlessly, he held the door open.
The twins were asleep, Mr. Mime returned to its Pokéball, on the couch.
"I didn't mean to offend you," Kori said gravely.
Kaida shrugged awkwardly. "It's okay. You were right. I should have thought it through, but I wasn't thinking clearly, I just needed to get out."
He looked sympathetic.
"Thanks for letting us stay. We'll be out of your way soon."
"Stay as long as you need," Kori replied. "I'm going upstairs to sleep. Sorry, but you'll have to sleep on the armchair, or the floor."
"It's okay," Kaida quietly answered.
The fire was put out, leaving the room in darkness. She climbed into the armchair.
It was hard to get to sleep, with millions of thoughts racing through her head. She grabbed her backpack and took out Drowzee's Pokéball, summoning it out.
"Drowzeeeee..." it said softly, probably sensing her inner turmoil.
"Can you make me sleep, Drowzee?" she asked unhappily, picking the heavy Pokémon up and settling it on the armchair with her.
"Drooowzee," it responded in the affirmative.
With the help of her Pokémon, Kaida drifted into sleep. Tomorrow, she would decide her next move.
*TO BE CONTINUED*