Okay. I've been debating whether to post this or not, and so far I've come up with no reason why I shouldn't. Besides, I'm always trying to find people willing to read it...
Several years ago this wouldn't have been a problem. Now, however, I have developed a style that works for me, and unfortunately this style involves me writing really long fics. In the case of Dreamers, each chapter has been over 20 pages in length when I copy and paste it into any Word-ish program. And I only have three completed chapters thus far. Not to mention the story itself has only just begun. I've also gone as far as to write themes for the series itself as well as a handful of the characters, and if anyone would like to hear them feel free to ask...
So, anyone who can handle the reading and has enough free time, I invite you to take a dive into my fic. It's something I've been working on for a long time. I believe this is the fifth...sixth...maybe even the seventh time the general setting and storyline has been redone, and at least the third time it's been rewritten. Over the strange evolution of the story, more characters than I can count have been thrown out, all but two have been added, only one character has retained the same name since his creation, families have been carefully analyzed and redone, time and space have been warped, entire species of Pokémon have been created and gone extinct...and if I ever stop tweaking it, it will probably be the day I finish it or abandon it for good.
It's been almost a year since I wrote this first chapter, and already I'm annoyed with it in ways. Why did I have Diana talk the way she does? Why?! I wanted her to generally be extremely annoying, but I'm wincing at it for reasons I hadn't intended.
All the unpleasant things are generally very low or nonexistant in this chapter. I've tried to keep it mostly light and fluffy though there are some places where I've made an exception, and there will be warnings for such places.
And in case I didn't leave enough hints, this takes many years after the anime, mostly inspired by the fact that I can't keep track of it anymore. They don't show WB anymore here! Whine whine sob moan. I had to make an assumption in order to do this, which was that Ash eventually does reach his goal of becoming a champion, which is what the plot is supposedly building towards, and what could be considered an end to the series.
Again, I apologize for the length. I will accept any complaints about it, but would prefer solutions to this little problem since this is horribly inconvenient to anyone who wants to skip to what follows this massive chapter. Normally I would link to the page on my website with each chapter, though that was due to a tendancy to get cut off rather than anything else, but seeing as the community rules go against that...well, I'm not much of a rule breaker. I don't know. I can't help but feel that I'm going to get yelled at in some way. I have a bad case of paranoia.
Alright. Enough babbling. Congratulations to anyone who read through that and still desires to read the fic itself.
Edit - Spoiler tag added as a possible solution to my oh-my-goodness-this-thread-will-be-so-frickin-long paranoia.
Dreamers
Chapter 1
Half-Awake
Spoiler tag only to keep this thread from becoming ridiculously long
Several years ago this wouldn't have been a problem. Now, however, I have developed a style that works for me, and unfortunately this style involves me writing really long fics. In the case of Dreamers, each chapter has been over 20 pages in length when I copy and paste it into any Word-ish program. And I only have three completed chapters thus far. Not to mention the story itself has only just begun. I've also gone as far as to write themes for the series itself as well as a handful of the characters, and if anyone would like to hear them feel free to ask...
So, anyone who can handle the reading and has enough free time, I invite you to take a dive into my fic. It's something I've been working on for a long time. I believe this is the fifth...sixth...maybe even the seventh time the general setting and storyline has been redone, and at least the third time it's been rewritten. Over the strange evolution of the story, more characters than I can count have been thrown out, all but two have been added, only one character has retained the same name since his creation, families have been carefully analyzed and redone, time and space have been warped, entire species of Pokémon have been created and gone extinct...and if I ever stop tweaking it, it will probably be the day I finish it or abandon it for good.
It's been almost a year since I wrote this first chapter, and already I'm annoyed with it in ways. Why did I have Diana talk the way she does? Why?! I wanted her to generally be extremely annoying, but I'm wincing at it for reasons I hadn't intended.
All the unpleasant things are generally very low or nonexistant in this chapter. I've tried to keep it mostly light and fluffy though there are some places where I've made an exception, and there will be warnings for such places.
And in case I didn't leave enough hints, this takes many years after the anime, mostly inspired by the fact that I can't keep track of it anymore. They don't show WB anymore here! Whine whine sob moan. I had to make an assumption in order to do this, which was that Ash eventually does reach his goal of becoming a champion, which is what the plot is supposedly building towards, and what could be considered an end to the series.
Again, I apologize for the length. I will accept any complaints about it, but would prefer solutions to this little problem since this is horribly inconvenient to anyone who wants to skip to what follows this massive chapter. Normally I would link to the page on my website with each chapter, though that was due to a tendancy to get cut off rather than anything else, but seeing as the community rules go against that...well, I'm not much of a rule breaker. I don't know. I can't help but feel that I'm going to get yelled at in some way. I have a bad case of paranoia.
Alright. Enough babbling. Congratulations to anyone who read through that and still desires to read the fic itself.
Edit - Spoiler tag added as a possible solution to my oh-my-goodness-this-thread-will-be-so-frickin-long paranoia.
Dreamers
Chapter 1
Half-Awake
Spoiler tag only to keep this thread from becoming ridiculously long
It was quiet that day in the Viridian Forest.
Quiet in the sense that it wasn't particularly noisy, anyway. Even with so much of the wildlife cleared away, there would always be a low, soft hum in the air of bugs buzzing all around. They had returned quickly though their home had not; still, due to the hard work of environmentalists and Beedrill lovers everywhere, it was making a comeback.
A very, very slow comeback. Yes, there were always the large trees spreading their branches to the sky and creating the impression of a thriving shady forest. But any environmentalist could point out a large flaw of this forest: a severe lack of horizontal diversity. The trees were tall and healthy, but the ground was nearly bare now. The argument of how the forest should be kept was easily won when it was pointed out that the bushes they cleared away were well-known Pikachu nesting grounds.
There wasn't much point in complaining about that, since he loved the forest, but why did it have to be the over-adored rodent that swayed them? Why did they love it so much, anyway? What about the other Pokémon that needed bushes like the ones that used to be here to live in? If it wasn't that yellow mouse's home, would they have just cleared it away and let all the species die out?
Flip sighed. Sometimes just thinking about it made shivers run up and down his spine.
He jogged quietly through the forest, just as he did every Saturday. Some of the Rattatas that had moved in lifted their head briefly in his direction, but they took little notice of him and went back to sniffing whatever small edible things had fallen on the ground from the trees or people's lunches. Flip had done this many times, so he was swift and silent on the dirt paths and patches of grass, knowing where saplings were springing up and avoiding them appropriately. Soon, he came to the bank of a river.
Prior to the clearing of the forest, few really knew about the river besides those who had paddled down it from much farther upstream, and they rarely ventured down it as far as the Viridian Forest anyway. It was hidden behind a wall of trees and thorn bushes where only the small forest Pokémon could reach it. Now, however, it was exposed to all and had become a popular fishing spot for starting trainers. Oh, that was not much of a worry. The fishing itself had little impact on the area. But humans had a tendency to just leave their trash at recreational sites and let it fall into the waters or even throw it in instead of holding onto it until they could dispose of it properly. The area was degrading with each soda can and gum wrapper.
Flip stepped carefully onto a flat rock just off the shore of the river, knelt, and took a Pokéball off his belt. He set it on the stone, and in a flash of light a bug-eyed blue and white serpent emerged from it. A smile appeared on his face. "Go ahead, Dratini. I don?t think there are any fishers today."
"Draa!" it squealed, and slid like a snake into the water. Soon there was the sound of splashing as the little dragon played in the wide, slow river.
He sat and shifted his position so he could fold his arms atop his knees and rest his chin on them. His eyes moved to his reflection in the water. His hair, which was a dark shade of dirty blond, seemed to stick out all over but was long enough for it all to generally be affected by gravity and hang towards the ground. He ran a hand over it, as if trying to make it a little less messy, but it didn't seem to help much. The image shattered before him as a wave splashed against his rock. He looked at his smiling Dratini again, knowing it was the source of that wave.
His mind zoned out watching the rare Pokémon jumping around and chasing Magikarp. Dratini was his first and only Pokémon; the creature had been a birthday present from his parents a long time ago. He had always wanted to train it, since he knew it would grow up to be a powerful fighter. After all, it was the child of his father's prize Dragonite, and his father had picked it himself by hand, declaring it would be the best of all the hatchlings. If his father had had his way, Flip would already started on the long road of becoming a Pokémon trainer. Perhaps he would have even begun following in the footsteps of his dad and eventually be known as one of the greatest trainers of all time. His mother, however, would hear nothing of it. She had already lost one son to the world of Pokémon, and nothing would convince her to let her precious little Flip leave as well. Oh, his father had tried to argue otherwise, but it never worked.
"He has amazing potential!" he could recall his dad saying. "Even more than his brother! I wouldn't be surprised if he was the next master!"
"So you keep saying, dear," his mother had replied, barely even looking up, "but he has even greater potential elsewhere. Why, just look at his report card! He's practically a genius. You wouldn't want that wonderful mind of his to go to waste, would you?"
"It wouldn't, dear. It's that tactical mind of his that would make him such a great trainer! Besides, you know he loves Pokémon. He spends all weekend just playing in the forest with his Dratini! Just getting him to come in for dinner is like pulling teeth!"
"It's dangerous out there, though. And there's even better ways he can use his brains and love of Pokémon. I'm sure he'd just love being a Pokémon scientist!"
Flip shuddered just thinking about it.
Sure, he was good at math and science and all that. But he didn't want to spend his life crunching numbers or doing experiments in dark laboratories. He was skilled in the subjects, but they still bored him to tears. He wanted to travel and see the world. He wanted to meet new friends. He wanted to win fame and glory. He wanted to catch all sorts of interesting Pokémon and help them become stronger. After all, most Pokémon loved battling, and did it all the time to play, exercise, or see how strong they were. But there was also one very important goal he had that most trainers did not, one he regarded as more important than any of the others...
Dratini let out a whine of pain, and swam up to him. A hook had punctured his lip with fishing line trailing into the water behind it it.
He wanted to help save the environment.
"Hold still for a moment, Dratini. I'll get it out," he said in his most calm voice, rubbing the serpent's head to help it relax. Slowly, he worked the metal hook out of the flesh. It wasn't really bad, since Pokémon were naturally able to take a lot of pain and such anyway from their fighting; in fact, if Dratini had experience in battle, he probably wouldn't have noticed the hook. It didn't even bleed. But the hook could easily have gotten caught on nearly any part of any creature, and then there was a good chance they would get tangled in the line until they were unable to move. And that was just one possible scenario. He sighed, since this discarded hook and length of line was just another reason why he hated what humans were doing to their world. With one hand he rubbed Dratini's head and with the other he pulled the rest of the line out so he could throw it away at home
He couldn't, however, find the end. In fact, soon the line went taut. "That's funny," he muttered to himself, grabbing the string with both hands and giving it a tug. "Maybe it's caught on something. What do you think, Dratini?"
The dragon gave no response, but Flip found his answer anyway. Something began pulling from the other end. Hard. The hook caught on his sleeve and with a splash he fell off the slippery rock and into the river. His Pokémon chased after him as he was taken upstream.
Figures, he thought to himself as the line dragged him against the currents. Someone is fishing here today after all.
Soon rocks and gravel rubbed against his face as the fisherman began pulling him ashore. Even before he could take over and get out himself, his skin was exposed to the air again. Whoever had hooked his sleeve was strong. A voice instantly came to his ears as he rubbed the water from his eyes.
"Oh my...I am so sorry! I mean, very, very sorry! Are you okay? I'm sorry! Please don't be mad! I have no idea how this happened! Sorry!" Strange. He had expected some grown man with nothing better to do besides try and catch the largest Pokémon he could, but this voice was so light and feminine...?
He sat up and slowly open his eyes. The water was still clearing from them and things were a bit blurred, but he could clearly see this was a girl no older than him and probably even younger. "No, no, it's alright. Just an acci...dent..."
Flip could feel the color flooding his cheeks as everything came into focus. To anyone else, this girl was not much to look at. Her reddish-brown hair was all tied back in two short ponytails, and her mousy face had two large blue eyes that could clearly be seen from behind her small purple shades. Her frame was small even for a girl, and her light, summery clothes were sprinkled with water and mud from the river. There wasn't anything really bad about the way she looked, but there wasn't anything about her that was pleasing to the eye either.
But Flip could have easily mistaken her for a goddess. This was the first girl his age he had seen in a while. To help 'nurture' his 'genius', his mother had taken him from the world of public school and sent him to an all-boy private school. His only contact with females was his family, and even there he only saw his mother and little sister regularly.
"No, it's completely my fault!" she continued. "I mean, I probably shouldn't even be fishing here anyway! My mom had said to only use it when there's nobody swimming, but I had no idea anyone would be here and I thought I could give it a try..." She had turned her gaze towards the ground. "Please-please-please-please-pleeease don't be angry!"
He shook his head rapidly, still blushing furiously. "No! I'm not angry! Of course I'm not angry! I wasn't even swimming anyway! But..."
"Draaa!" his little dragon cried, with a hint of anger in its voice.
Flip glanced over his shoulder. "...my Dratini was."
She looked up, and let out a small gasp. "I never meant to harm your adorable Dratini! There must be something I can do to make it up to you!"
Several inappropriate ideas leaped into his head when he heard those words, but he ignored them. "You don?t really need to do anything. See, look, I'm fine!" he said, standing up. "A little wet, but I don't mind it anyway. Just forget about it." He turned around and looked at Dratini, who had gotten over its grudge already and was splashing around in the river again. He could see in the water's reflection that his face was still growing redder and redder. A silence fell upon the two. He began thinking desperately for something to say, and she was thinking of some way to show her forgiveness since she didn't really buy his story.
Her eyes lit up as a thought popped into her head. "Wait a second...you must be a trainer too! How would you like to battle? I haven't really fought against anybody yet, so it'd probably be an easy win for you..." Flip could easily tell that she wanted to battle someone badly, regardless of the outcome. She smiled so kindly and eagerly that he wanted to say yes.
"I...well...no, I'm not a trainer. I just have Dratini as a pet. Sorry," he muttered, mentally crying at his mother's wishes. If only she knew how much he wanted to be one.
"Oh..." she sighed, and her tone of disappointment caused a pang of guilt to rip through Flip's body. He thought quickly, trying to come up with some way to repent.
"I'm sorry, but...um...maybe...oh! You've been traveling a while, right? I live just outside these woods, a little east from here. Maybe you could, I dunno, dry off there, eat dinner, spend-"
"Dinner?" she asked, interrupting. "It's not even noon yet."
Of course. He really wasn't thinking straight. "Uh...well...even better! Whenever you get hungry, you can stop for lunch at my place, and make it to Pewter City before nightfall! How does that sound?"
There was a short pause as she considered this. Flip's muscles tensed. He didn't know what he would do if she decided otherwise. He could see it now: this glorious image of Venus walking down the forest path, him unlikely to ever lay eyes on her again. There was nothing to stop her from leaving either way, and he would never be able to talk his way into going with her. At the very least, he wanted to keep her in sight as long as possible. The more he was with her, the better he could preserve her memory.
She smirked. "That would be great. The lunch I packed was stolen by some Ratattas an hour or so ago, anyway. You set your bag down for a second..."
His face began to flood with color again. "Really?! I mean, uh, thanks! Wait, no, I mean, you're welcome! I mean, um...it'll be nice to have you over...and..." He trailed off. Great, he thought. She must think I'm a complete idiot by now.
The girl laughed. "Thank you. I hope most of the people I meet on the road are as nice as you."
His heart fluttered, and he mentally breathed a sigh of relief. "So, uh, mind if I ask your name?"
"Not at all. I'm Cascata," she responded, giving him another warm smile. "And you are...?"
"Flip," he said, returning her smile with one of his own. "It's nice to meet you, Cascata."
"Same here, Flip. Y'know, Flip's really not a name you hear everyday."
He pouted playfully. "Well, you?re the first Cascata I've ever met."
She laughed again. It was like music to his ears. "You're right, you're right. I'm sorry. I'm not one to talk about normal names..."
Flip shook his head. "Well, you're right. Flip's, well...it's just my nickname. My, uh, real name's...well..." He trailed off a second time, and she could barely hear the real name. His face filled with color once more as her beautiful laughs arose again.
"Philip?" she asked, amazed. He slowly nodded twice to confirm it. "You don't look like a Phil to me."
"Well, why do you think I'm called Flip instead?" he quickly retorted, covering up his nervousness and embarrassment with amusement at his own situation.
Her laughter continued, and he couldn't help laughing as well. Flip couldn't remember the last time he felt so happy.
~*~
Several hours had flown by beside the river. Dratini had forgiven Cascata already, and was splashing around in the river with her Squirtle, playing some game which only they knew the rules, while Cascata watched from the shore. Further away, on one of the large, flat rocks that were so abundant by this particular river, Flip observed her in silent thought.
What's wrong with me? he wondered. I've never acted like this. I've always been able to keep my actions, my words, my very thoughts under control...any monster inside me has been kept on a leash. Nothing has cracked me, no human or Pokémon, no miracle or tragedy, nothing...
She laughed as the two Pokémon splashed her. And yet...her! I don't understand it. I lose it around her! I fall to pieces, only to collect myself at the last moment so I may present myself as a fool to her. Why? Why her? Why is she the only thing that can break me?
Cascata stretched and lay down on the soft grass of the shore. Her eyes turned themselves to the sky before them and began searching the treetops and clouds. No one could say what they searched for or if they would ever find it, but still they searched, as is the nature of eyes.
What's so special about her, anyway?
His eyes began wandering to areas of her body more sacred than her face, so he forced them to the ground to attempt stopping them. She plays with my heart as a seductress would, and yet...yet...she seems so pure and warm. Surely she is an angel, or a demon come to enslave me, or perhaps both...
Another thought wandered into his head, so he allowed it to be considered. Perhaps this is love...but could such an emotion, one based on chemicals...could it possibly be so powerful? And again, why her? She seems no different than anyone else...I must be deluding myself. This isn't love! Something so destructive to my nature could not be something so pure as love!
He buried his face into his folded arms. At the very least, she is corrupting my sanity...what on earth is wrong with me? Or is it even me? Is it her? Is it this world?
"Um...Flip? You okay?"
He jumped in surprise. Cascata had walked up to him again. Warm blood again rushed to his face, impossible to be fought. "What? I mean, fine! Fine...just perfect. Don't worry about me!" He was falling apart again. He no longer cared how she made him feel; he wished for this beauty to leave him alone so he could be at peace once more.
She smiled. "I'm getting hungry...could we start heading to your place for lunch?"
His heart soared and his stomach twisted at the same time. "Oh, right, sure. Let's go!" he said, grinning as naturally as he could managed.
Why did I offer that? Why does she do this to me? Why am I acting like this? Why am I so delighted by this misery? Why, why, why?
"Are you sure you're okay?" Cascata asked. "You seemed...worried about something."
"Really, I'm fine," he lied. "Come on, my house is this way." He stood up and began walking the familiar route back home. There was no way for him to look forward to lunch. He deeply regretted ever inviting this nymph to spend more time with him. In fact, he regretted it so much that his mind was tearing his stomach apart over it, and he had no appetite for the food coming either.
~*~
Flip's house was almost as picturesque as one from a fairy tale. It was sitting atop a hill that only rose up slightly from the woods around it, as if it were floating in a dark green sea. The house itself seemed to be floating in the middle of a lake of some sort, because it was surrounded on all sides by wildflowers that were just tall enough to hang over the heads of most small children. This sea, however, was parted by a winding crack where a stone path had been set down for walking on. The house was white with large windows flaunting their blue shutters as best as they could from behind the massive bushes that rose up against the walls. From the angle, Cascata could spot some ivy vines making their way up the chimney.
"Th...this...this is amazing!" she gasped in awe. "Look at all these flowers...they're beautiful!"
"Aren't they, though?" Flip responded, still impressed by the flowers though he had seen them his whole life. "I love their smell. Every morning, I wake up and I can smell them...it makes you wonder who would want to clear any of this away."
She looked surprised. "Clear them away? What do you mean?"
He walked up to one large yellow blossom and touched it gently. "After they cleared out the Viridian Forest, they decided they wanted to begin building houses around ours and make a road right through here. My family managed to prove that a lot of the land around here is actually ours, and in the end they decided there wasn't enough land to develop on." He looked out towards the edge of the forest. "Too bad we don't own the entire forest. Or maybe we could have stopped that, too..."
She stepped beside him and looked at the blossom he had been observing. "You know what I don't get? Why does a place always have to belong to somebody? I mean, I live near Cinnabar Island, and around there, it's the same thing...this island belongs to him, that island belongs to her, and everything else belongs to the government. If an island were to appear out of nowhere, it'd belong to whoever claimed it first. Why can't there be something left offlimits, or something that could belong to everybody..."
"Because humans tend to want as much as possible. If something belongs to no one, then no one will miss it when it's gone. As for belonging to everybody, everyone would want to use it as best fit for their own purposes, and therefore there would be no way for all of them to decide how to use it..."
"Fwip! You're back!" a tiny voice called out from the flowers.
"Diana!" he responded. "You haven't been eavesdropping on me, have you?"
"Nope, just wistenin' t'what chu were sayin'. And whatsa parr-pus-sez?" A little girl emerged from the flowers. She had a similar face to Flip's, although here eyes were bigger, and instead of his strange jagged blond hair which was almost the color of gold, she had large flowing locks of hair the color of pure sunlight.
Flip scooped her up into his arms. "You mean purposes? Well, I could explain it to you, but you probably wouldn't understand..."
The little girl still looked confused. "What's uhn-dur-stan?"
Cascata laughed. "She's so cute! Is she your little siter?"
He nodded, blushing slightly. "Yeah. This is Diana. Diana, meet Cascata."
Diana smiled. "Your name is pretty. Cass-cat-uh..."
"She loves sounding out new words," Flip quickly explained.
"Well, I think your name is very pretty, too," Cascata replied. "It's very nice to meet you, Diana."
The little girl suddenly gasped as if she remembered something. "Are ya hungry? Because Mummy's makin lunch! "
"Actually, that's kinda what I'm here for. Your brother invited me..."
The child broke into impish giggles. "Are you his...GIRLFRIEND?!"
Cascata blushed. "What? Of course not! We only just met!"
"FWIP AND CASSIE, SITTIN INNA TREE! KAY AIE ESS ESS AIE EHN GEE!" she laughed, jumping out of Flip's arms.
Flip's face was bright red. "D-diana, we're not..."
"FIRST COMES WUV, THEN COMES MARRIAGE, THEN COMES-"
"Lunchtime!"
A tall, slender woman with hair so light only a few shadows gave away it was blond and not white was standing at the door of the house. She was smiling very warmly at the three of them.
"Oh, Flip! You're not usually back so soon. And you've brought a friend, I see. Well, there should be enough for all of you anyway. Come on in, dear, what's your name?"
~*~
"I'm sorry I've eaten so much," Cascata said after clearing her plate for the last time. "I guess I was just hungrier than I thought. I didn't mean to be rude..."
Flip's mother just smiled. "It's alright, dear. I can always make more. Now, what was your name again?"
"Cascata," she replied softly. "It's very nice to meet all of you."
"All?" the woman asked, looking at the three children sitting around the dining room table, two of which were still eating. "Then you just met Flip as well?"
The girl nodded. "In the forest. Just a few hours ago."
"And he invited you over for lunch?"
Cascata nodded again. "Yes, he did. And I'm very grateful for it. I probably would have been starving before dinner!"
The tall woman quickly searched her son's face. She could find little trace of the pale boy who was always looking at nothing with that eerie blank expression of a person lost in a trance of thought. Instead, color had finally found its way to his face, and the more he tried to hide the fact that he was watching this girl out of the corner of his eye the more apparent it became that he was doing so. She smiled to herself, knowing all too well what was happening, and sat down at the table with her own plate of food. "Well, that was very nice of him."
Flip face became slightly brighter. Diana giggled.
"Well, I'm guessing you're not from around here, then?" Flip's mother continued, now very interested in this new face.
"No, I'm not. I'm from an island off the coast of Cinnabar...I was registered as a Pokémon trainer a few days ago, and I was heading to Pewter City to see if a new gym leader has been selected yet. And also because I really want to see the museum. Do you know about the new Pokémon fossil they found? I've heard it's around eighteen feet in length..." Cascata said, trailing off.
The woman grew slightly paler. "Oh, yes, I had heard about that one. The fossil that looks like a four-winged dragon." She took a bite of her food. "I wouldn't have guessed that you're a Pokémon trainer," she remarked, the very slightest cold tone of distaste in her voice.
Cascata smiled. "Well, why wouldn't I be? There's just so much that's great about being a trainer. It's a chance to travel to new places and meet new people. Most trainers become closer to nature because they spend so much time in it and with Pokémon that are more sensitive to it than humans. They also usually become smarter, since their wits are tested all the time in battle, and healthier, since they do so much walking and spend so much time away from the comfort of civilization and also change their lifestyles accordingly. Trainers also get a lot of life experience, since they are given independence and have to make choices for themselves while still taking care of their Pokémon. And, if the person decides they don't want to be a trainer, nothing's stopping them from returning back home. They can always give their Pokémon to someone else or keep them as pets. Most of all, I just love Pokémon. There's no way to get closer to Pokémon than to be a trainer." She looked at Flip. "In fact, I'm kind of surprised your son isn't one. He seems to love them very much, or at least his Dratini. Does he not want to be one?"
Flip looked up in surprise at Cascata. Was he deluding himself? At first he had thought Cascata was only trying to defend trainers in general. Yet what she had said at the end, or perhaps only the look she had given him, told him that she somehow understood his situation and was trying to help him out.
His mother, however, was still very reluctant to let her child go so easily. "Well, he does, I suppose. But I don't think he's very, well...suited to being a trainer. For instance, he's not exactly the violent type, if you know what I mean. He would never be able to handle battling Pokémon."
Cascata turned to the woman. "I find that hard to believe. But, if you say he wouldn't be able to battle well..."
Flip's heart sank. He could have sworn he saw a glimmer of hope in this beauty's words.
"...then I propose a test of his skills."
Silence filled the room. Flip's mother seemed as though she were about to twist her fork. She spoke hesitantly "A test? What kind of test?"
The girl smiled. "It's simple. If you think he lacks the skills to be a trainer, we test to see if you're right by testing his skills. And the two most important skills a trainer can have are capturing Pokémon and battling other trainers. If he can do both these things, then he's obviously a good potential trainer and he can come with me to Pewter City to register at the Pokécenter. Does that sound alright?"
Flip looked at his mother as well. "Please, Mom, can I?"
"Well..." She looked into Flip's eyes. They were glimmering with such hope that she had not seen in his eyes since he was a child. It was obvious what he wanted her to say. He wanted the chance to be released and, probably more importantly, not have to watch this girl walk out of his life as swiftly as she had entered. A sigh escaped her lips. She was tired out from having argued so many years with her husband about whether Flip should become a trainer or not anyway. "Alright. Test him. If he passes, then yes, he can become a trainer."
Pure joy adorned Flip's face and tears began forming in his eyes. "Thank you, Mom!" he cried, leaping out of his chair and hugging his mother. "Thank you so much!"
She wrapped her arms around him tenderly. "You're welcome. Better hurry, though, because if you don't catch a Pokémon by bedtime, you're staying right here!"
He quickly escaped from the embrace. "Right! Come on, Cascata, let's go!" he shouted, recalling his Dratini which had been eating in the corner back into its Pokéball and running towards the door.
"Sure thing!" she responded, grabbing her backpack that was leaning against the wall and following behind him.
Diana pouted, having finished her lunch. "If he's a tray-nur, can I be one tooooo?"
Her mother sighed. "Not yet. Maybe when you're older. MAYBE."
"Okay, Mum! I'm gonna go help Fwip kata Pokémon!" she said, leaping up from the table and running towards the door. "WAIT FER ME, FWIP!"
Flip's mother sighed. She had always supported Flip in everything, but she didn't want to be separated from him, even if it was somewhat selfish. For the first time that she could remember, she wanted him to fail a test.
~*~
"How long have we been searching?" Flip asked, wiping the sweat off his forehead as he leaned against a tree.
"An hour, I'd say. This is strange. It's so empty. Where are all the bug Pokémon?" Cascata questioned, looking around for a sign of movement.
"Where people haven't cleared away a large portion of their food and cover, probably," he growled. "This is ridiculous. How am I supposed to capture a Pokémon in a few short hours if I haven't seen a single one yet?"
They both sat in silent contemplation.
"Thanks, by the way," Flip spoke, feeling the rise of warmth into his cheeks again.
"For what?"
He looked up into the branches of the tree above them. "For finally convincing my Mom to give me a chance to be a trainer. I mean, you barely even know me, and I know she's not the easiest person to reason with, and yet..."
Cascata looked at him and gave him that warm smile again. "Don't mention it. Just make sure you don't waste this opportunity! Come on, let's keep looking."
They continued walking through the forest, looking around for any sign of movement. Flip's mind, however, inevitably wandered back to Cascata.
She's so kind...kinder than anyone I have ever met. Did I really wonder if she was a demon?
A knot formed in his stomach. But maybe...have I only fallen deeper into her spell? Am I twisted around her finger even now? Could something so sweet and innocent be a fiend in disguise, plotting to inflict unspeakable torture upon me?
Some familiar giggles came from nearby. "Diana?" Flip asked, looking to where the sound had come from. He could see the little girl with bouncing golden locks running towards him.
And something small and yellow with black ears was running in front of her!
"Fwip! Fwip! Lookie what I found! Lookie what I found!" she laughed, chasing the rodent towards him.
"Piiichau!" it squealed, running up a nearby tree.
"Izit a Pikachu?" Diana asked, looking up at it. The little mouse smiled at her, then began gnawing at some fruit hanging nearby.
Flip shook his head. "It's a Pichu. You almost never see them in the wild...they usually stay in their nests until they've evolved."
Cascata moved closer to the tree. "Maybe something forced this one out?"
The Pichu removed the piece of fruit from the branch with a final tug. It nibbled on it some, decided it didn't really want it after all, and then proceeded to hurl it at Cascata.
She jumped both in surprise and reflex, then glared at the electric mouse. "Hey! That wasn't very nice!"
The Pichu laughed, and proceeded to pull off another piece of fruit. No one was surprised when it threw this one at the people below as well, and laughed at their anger.
Cascata pouted. "Never mind! I bet this one wasn't forced out...it probably came out on its own to bug trainers. How mean!"
"Well, it may be a pain, but at least it's a Pokémon!" Flip took out Dratini's pokéball. "Alright, Dratini, let's go!"
He hurled the red and white ball through the air, and the little serpent was released on the branch next to the Pichu. "Draaa!" it growled.
"Lessee...Dratini's attacks should be..." Flip paused for a moment to think while the two little Pokémon taunted one another.
"Wrap, Leer, and Thunderwave," Cascata said. "And you probably already know what they do, right?
Flip nodded. "Okay, Dratini! Thunderwave!"
Electric bolts shot out of the gem on Dratini's forehead and wrapped around the rodent's muscles, causing them to stiffen. The gold-haired trainer smirked. Whether it had planned to or not, the Pichu released its electricity in a Thundershock, which made Dratini recoil in pain for a moment then bounce back very annoyed.
"Good, good..." Flip nodded to himself. "Leer it, Dratini!"
The serpent smirked evilly at the small mouse, who shivered and seemed to succumb more to the paralyzation, thus leaving it more open to attacks. It began acting cute for a moment, as if to try and pull off a Charm attack, but the paralyzation took effect and he wasn't able to move enough to complete the attack.
"Now, Wrap it!"
The Dratini coiled around the Pichu and began squeezing it like it was some tiny, adorable python. The Pichu tried to shock the Dratini further, but the paralyzation only allowed it to shoot off small sparks. It was, however, able to move well enough to wriggle about in the Dratini's hold and cause the two to go tumbling off the branch. The dragon reacted instantly, releasing its prey and grabbing onto a lower branch with the end of its tail, but the Pichu slammed into the ground below.
The little mouse tried to stand up, but ended up collapsing to the ground dizzily. "Pichaaaa..." it whined.
Flip grinned. "That's it! Okay, now all I need to do is...throw a..." His momentum trailed to a stop. "...I don't have any Pokéballs!"
Diana, for obvious reasons, found this hilarious.
"It's alright," Cascata replied, taking out an empty Pokéball. "It's my fault for forgetting about that. Here, take one of mine."
His fingers brushed her soft skin as he took the Pokéball from her. "Thank you. Again." He smiled at her, still unable to control the color of his cheeks.
He turned again to the weakened Pichu. Focus. You've weakened it more than enough. Now all that's left is...
Years later, he could still clearly remember each instant of that scene: Brushing his bangs back, even though they fell right back into place when he took his hand away; Taking that step forward before his throw; The angle at which his elbow bent; The very feeling of the Pokéball being carried by momentum out of his hand; Watching it soar away from him, becoming smaller and smaller; The Pichu looking up, and having the red and white object collide with it; The mouse seeming to melt into red energy that was immediately absorbed into the Pokéball; The ball falling to the ground and settling between two tufts of grass.
It wriggled once.
It wriggled again, weaker.
It wriggled again, so weakly and desperate that it almost went unnoticed.
And then it was still. Flip had made his first capture.
~*~
Sunset. The Viridian Forest was flooded with vibrant shades of red and orange which overpowered its normal lush green color and almost made it appear as if it had passed into an early fall.
A lone Pidgey fluttered down into the grass and began searching for a quick snack before its unspoken curfew. If given enough time, it may have found something, considering this was one of its favorite habitats: the very edge of the forest. However, before very long, it heard something and looked down the manmade path nearby. There was nothing, only the barren dirt covered with the footprints of travelers who had long since past, human and Pokémon alike. No, wait! There they were. He could see them coming over the hill. Humans. Three of them.
The Pidgey continued looking for a little food but kept one eye on the group of humans. They continued to approach. His instincts took over, and the Spearow flew back into his nest. He decided he wasn't that hungry anyway.
"So, what are you going to call your Pichu?" Cascata asked.<br>
Flip shrugged. "I haven't really thought about it. It doesn't seem to like me very much, though, does it?"
"It doesn't seem to like any of us. Maybe it just doesn't like humans in general?" she responded, looking at the pokéball Flip held in his hand.
Diana pouted. "Well, I don't wike it etha! It trew stuff at us!"
"How did you find it, anyway?" Cascata asked, shifting her gaze to the little girl.
"We-ell, akchally...he found me!" the child said, smiling. "I was just wookin' for you and Fwip, an' it came up otta nowhere! It sniffed me a copaluv times, an' den it rubbed me, an' den I picked it up, an' den it jumped out of my hands an' it shook its butt at me! So I chased it an' den I found you two..."
"Odd. Why on earth would a Pichu leave its home? They don't leave until they've evolved into Pikachu, don't they?" Cascata wondered aloud.
"...actually, now that I think about it, it probably doesn't have a home."
She turned to Flip in surprise. "What?"
He closed his eyes. "If a Pichu wanders about, it means there are no parents to take care of it. Without someone to bring it food and protect it and keep it warm...the only thing the 'home' does then is protect it from the elements. It's just a roof. So, with no parents, the home doesn't exist..."
A pang of guilt went through the group. The Pichu they had been complaining about was an orphan!
"That's so sad..." Cascata said quietly. "I thought it looked a little beat up. It's amazing the little guy survived out here on its own..."
Diana sniffled. "Are we gonna be home soon, Fwip?"
Flip nodded. "Not much longer now."
"Good," she said. "The widdle guy pwobly will be happy taget warmed up...
~*~
The Pichu glared about the room angrily while Flip's mother tenderly applied a bandage to her son's finger.
"I can't believe it bit me!" Flip ranted. "Throwing fruit is one thing, but biting's another!"
Cascata shook her head. "I'm just impressed it broke the skin."
"Are you sure you're alright, honey? I just hope your rat isn't diseased or something..." his mother said, looking generally concerned.
"CHU!" the Pichu yelled. Its yellow fur bristled and sparks could be seen near its cheeks.
"Mom, I don't think he likes being called a rat..." Flip said, pulling his hand away from her.
"Yeah. Pichu's a mouse Pokémon. And this one really seems to have a nasty temper," Cascata said, kneeling down. "Come here, little guy. We don't want to hurt you..."
The Pichu stared at her for a moment, then relaxed. Very slowly, it began walking across the carpeted floor towards the human.
"See? It's just afraid of us. Come on, don't be shy..." Cascata said, speaking in the most gentle tone of voice she could manage.
"Cascata..." Flip said, awed. She really seemed to be getting through to his new Pokémon. If one person could form a close bond with a Pokémon, then it was almost guaranteed possible that the trainer could as well.
The rodent was approaching very carefully. For a moment it paused, considering the humans with a hint of caution in its expression. Then, it began walking towards them again at a more steady pace.
Flip was amazed. "He trusts us...I think...at least, I don't think he's going to hurt us anymore for a while..."
Suddenly, Diana ran into the room at the speed of a Clefairy on sugar and hug-tackled the Pichu. "Yay! He's so ki-yuuuuuute!" she squealed.
"Diana! Let go before it-" Flip's mother shouted in vain.
Energy flowed freely from its body and into Diana's. The little girl screamed in pain, then collapsed on the ground, twitching slightly. The mouse struggled out of her arms and leaped onto the sofa. It took a defensive pose: teeth clenched, tail raised, on all four legs, cheeks sparking again.
Flip sighed. "So much for that. Way to go, Diana," he said, looking at his little sister.
The little girl sat up, and promptly began crying as loudly as she could. The Pichu was so frightened by this that he abandoned his spot on the sofa and leapt behind the couch. "Mummy! Mummy! I wanna play wit him!" she whined between wails. "Why won't he play wit me, Mummy?! Mummy! I wanna play wit him! He hurt me, Mummy! Mummy! Mummy!"
Her mother sighed. "Come on, Diana, let's go play in your room. The Pichu doesn't want to play right now. Wouldn't you love to play with your dolls?"
Diana screamed. "NONONONONOOOOOO! I wanna play wit tha PICHU!" She fell back down on the floor and began kicking her feet against it.
The woman grabbed the little girl and began walking upstairs, doing her best to keep the kicking and squirming child under control. They vanished from sight, a door closing could be heard, and the screaming was muffled almost entirely.
Cascata sat wide eyed. "What...what on...what just happened?"
He shook his head. "Yeah, you never expect a little girl as sweet as her to have temper tantrums that bad, huh? She does this all the time. Especially in public."
She still looked stunned. "Wonder if I was ever that bad..."
Flip looked over the back of the couch, but the Pichu wasn't there. He dropped down to his knees and checked beneath it, but could see nothing; many dust bunnies and discarded toys of Diana's had made their way underneath the piece of furniture since his mother last cleaned. Before too long, though, a small spark came from the Pichu's cheeks and illuminated the area. Its eyes were wide with fright.
"There it is..." the trainer reached in. He was greeted with a Thundershock, causing him to leap back and clutch his hand in pain.
"I don't think that's going to work," Cascata said. "Maybe we should just wait for him to come out on his own?"
He shook his head. "No, we have to get him out before Diana escapes. I'd just use his Pokéball, but I don't think he trusts me enough to want to go back in there..." He tried reaching in again, but the mouse moved out of his reach.
"Then maybe we could lure him out?" she suggested, squatting beside him.
He looked at her. "Hey...you're right! He's probably hungry, right? They're supposed to love cheese..."
Flip walked into the kitchen, closely followed by Cascata. A large serpentine Pokémon was coiled on the table, alarming the guest.
"Nair..." it spoke in a voice that almost sounded like singing. The creature lifted its head and looked at the two with large gem-like eyes.
"Th-that's a...a..." Cascata stammered, pointing at the Pokémon.<br>
"A Dragonair," Flip said, opening the refrigerator. "I know. It's one of my Dad's. He loves dragon types...ah, here we go!" He pulled out a block of swiss cheese and closed the door. The Dragonair barely noticed him as he walked to the other side of the kitchen.
She was stunned. "It's beautiful...wow..."
He pulled out a knife and began cutting some small pieces. "Yeah, it's gorgeous, but it's also lazy. That one does nothing but sleep most of the time. But, yeah, it has all sorts of awards for beauty contests. I wish you could see his prize Dragonite...come on, let's take this back to the Pichu." He crossed the room again to quickly put the cheese back in the refrigerator while the Dragonair closed its eyes and drifted back to sleep.
She was confused. "Why can't I see his Dragonite? Did something happen to it?"
"Nah, he's just on a business trip right now." The two returned to the living room. Flip set a small plate with a piece of cheese on it on the floor in front of the couch. "Let's hope this works..."
They waited, and soon they could see movement under the couch. It was not long before the Pichu's face emerged from the shadows and began sniffing the cheese left for it. There was a pause, and then the electric rodent devoured the swiss cheese in seconds.
"Wow. He was either very hungry or he really loves cheese..." Cascata spoke. The mouse looked up at them as if begging for more.
Flip smiled. He took out a second piece of cheese and set it halfway between him and the Pokémon. It was quick to eat this one as well. Then, he took out a third piece of cheese. The Pichu waited for him to set this one down as well, but instead he just lowered his hand so the little mouse could reach it.
"If you want it, you have to trust me," he said to the rodent.
It was hesitant. After all, it had been rushed by a smaller human when it tried to trust these humans before. Its dark and dust-filled sanctuary wasn't too far, so it approached his hand and sniffed him.
The rodent paused. It felt strange. A new feeling was coming over it, the mysterious force that connects a trainer and their Pokémon. It had its doubts still, but there was something in him that was telling him to trust this boy. The Pichu quickly ate the cheese, then climbed into its trainer's lap.
"Impressive. That was really clever, Flip," Cascata said.
He rubbed the Pokémon's head gently. "It's a big step in the right direction, at least."
The Pichu let out a small yawn before curling up and letting itself drift off to sleep.
~*~
"Will this do for tonight, dear?" Flip's mother asked. "This used to be Flip's older brother's room, but ever since he left to be a trainer, we've used it for guests..."
"It's...a little large for a guest bedroom, isn't it?" Cascata responded. She had not wanted to mention it before, but the entire house had seemed 'rather large' compared to the small island home she had grown up inside.
"Oh, nonsense, it only looks that way because it's empty. Sleep well!" With that, the woman departed, not giving the girl a chance to get another word in.
Cascata shook her head. "What an odd woman..." she muttered to herself. She dropped her backpack on the bed and began to let her hair down. As she did this, she noted a digital clock on the otherwise barren bureau which read '10:21' in large red letters.
"Has it really gotten so late?" she asked herself, pulling the elastic out of her second ponytail. "And I thought I'd be sleeping in a Pokécenter right now..."
She rummaged through her bag, and pulled out a light blue nightgown and a hairbrush. Leaving her clothes in a pile on the floor, she slipped on the nightgown and began walking around the room while brushing her hair.
"Then again, this is much better anyway. I don't remember the last time I've slept somewhere so nice. Flip is really lucky..."
She stopped nearby the window. Outside, the stars were shimmering brightly. In fact, Cascata couldn't recall the last time she saw the stars so clearly, since the smoke and ash from the Cinnabar volcano always dimmed their light. The moon was bright and clear that night as well, and the moonlight was reflected off the dew gathered on the flowers below. It was like looking out on a sea of sparkling lights.
"It's nice, isn't it?"
Cascata turned around. Flip was standing outside her doorway, wearing some dark blue pajamas. His Dratini was draped over his shoulders, looking ready to fall asleep. The Pichu was nowhere to be seen.
He smiled. "Y'know, how peaceful it is out there at night."
"Oh, yes, it's beautiful here," she remarked, smiling back.
His smile dropped. "Something wrong? You sound kind of...sad."
Cascata turned back around. "It's nothing, really, just...well..."
"I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me. We only just met this morning. I'll let you get some sleep," he said, turning to leave.
"No, stay for a little bit. It's nice to have someone to talk to," she said, turning her head. "It's just...kinda silly."
Flip turned back. "What do you mean?"
"I...I don't want to be rivals with you."
There was an awkward pause. "What?" Flip asked, surprised.
She began playing with her hairbrush. "Y'know...I don't want to think of you as a rival trainer. As...as some kind of enemy." With a sigh, she shook her head. "But, there's not much we can do about that, is there? We're both trainers, and pretty much all trainers are rivals...fighting one another for greatness..."
"Cascata..." he said, starting to walk towards her.
Her depressing tone was cut off by somewhat forced sounding laughter. "Oh, what am I talking about? I'm sorry. I think I'm just tired. Sorry to have worried you. Goodnight, Flip!" She flashed a smile at him and continued brushing her hair.
The boy was about to say something, but stopped himself. "Goodnight, Cassie," he chose to say instead, leaving.
Though her eyes were closed, she knew he was gone because she heard him close the door. "Shouldn't even have brought it up..." she sighed to herself.
As she sighed, her nose was filled with the smell of the wildflowers. She looked out at them once more, then turned off the lights in the room and climbed into bed.
~*~
Flip sat wide-eyed in the darkness, looking around at the familiar shapes and objects of his room. Sleep refused to come for him.
How could he sleep? After all, if all went well the next day, he would never see this room again for a long time.
If all went well...
He shut his eyes tightly. The last thing he wanted was to be half-awake tomorrow. That would screw everything up.
He opened his eyes again. What if he was only half-awake right now? What if he had drifted off by the river bed, and this was all just some beautiful dream, a fantasy that would vanish before his eyes the moment he stopped believing?
He shoved his head underneath a pillow, trying to stop the flow of thoughts and aid his quest to fall asleep.
But, still the more he tried to stop the insane thoughts, the stronger they came. What if Cascata was just a dream, too? Will she still be there tomorrow, with those big, gleaming eyes of hers? That innocent smile? Was she just a figment of the imagination?
"Stop it..." he unintentionally said aloud, though it was mostly muffled by the pillow.
"Draaa?"
Flip uncovered his face. Dratini had woken up and was looking at him with large, worried eyes. "S-sorry, Dratini. I'm okay. Really. Go back to sleep."
The little dragon continued to stare at him for a moment. Then, despite what instincts told it, the Dratini obeyed. It rubbed against his face in a way that seemed to try and make him feel better, then curled back up on his chest and fell asleep.
Flip sighed, wishing he could do the same.
~*~
"Squir?"
A light blue turtle was rested on Cascata's chest, eagerly waiting for her to wake up. It tapped gently on the side of her head for the fifth time, and awaited a reaction.
For once, he got it. She slowly stirred for a moment or two, and eventually confirmed her Pokémon's belief that she would wake up by daintily opening her eyes to let the morning light in.
She sat up and the Squirtle dropped into her lap. Her freshly opened eyes squeezed themselves shut again as she yawned and stretched her arms out. Not a moment later, her attention was back on the creature that woke her up. "Good morning, Wade. Did you sleep well?" she said with a flash of her typical cheery smile.
The Pokémon grinned. "Squirt squirtle squirt!" He hopped off the bed and began pulling some clean clothes for his trainer out of her backpack.
"Looks like it's going to be a really nice day..." There was not a single cloud to be seen over the lush treetops of the Viridian Forest, or at least not from her limited view from the distant window. "That's good..."
She sighed contently. This place was so different from the island she was used to, with its more tropical vegetation and the refreshing sea breeze replacing the dense forest and the smell of wildflowers. But that only made this place seem nicer. It was a change of pace, and it was still a nice place though in different ways.
"I wonder what other nice places are out there..." she wondered aloud, half asking herself and half asking her Squirtle.
For a while, she gazed out the window, daydreaming.
"What do you think Wade?" She turned back to him. "WADE!" In her fantasizing, she had not realized the water Pokémon had gone beyond getting her a change of clothes for the day and was pulling out all her clean clothes in a messy heap on the floor.
Wade looked up and gave her a big, goofy smile. "Squirt!" he responded happily. He apparently thought he was still helping, because he didn't understand why his trainer shook her head and sighed.
~*~
Someone knocked on the door to Flip's bedroom. "Are you up yet, Flip?" the voice of Cascata drifted through the door.
He shuffled under his blanket, but otherwise made no move to get out of bed. Having trouble falling asleep the night before, he wasn't exactly eager to get out of bed now.
She knocked again. "Flip? You might want to get out of bed soon. You won't get to sleep in like this when you're a trainer."
His eyes reluctantly opened and he let out a small yawn. "Sleep in?" he muttered to himself. It felt rather early.
The knock came again. "Flip, come on. We're not in that much of a rush today, but we should have as much time as possible for your first battle. That way we can head off for Pewter City and get you registered...
He sat up. What could she be talking about? The battle couldn't take that long, Pewter City wasn't too much of a hike away, and registering as a trainer couldn't take that long...
His eyes snapped open as his eyes fell on the clock. It was almost one in the afternoon.
Miraculously and very fortunately, his mother did not hear what he yelled in reaction to this.
He leapt out of bed, sending his Dratini flying across the room and into a basket of dirty clothing. By the time that the little dragon had finished struggling with one of his shirts, Flip had already gotten out of pajamas and was putting on clean clothes. He finished getting dressed with incredible speed and grabbed Dratini's Pokéball off his nightstand. In his haste, he forgot that there were now two Pokéballs, and thus the Pichu's container fell to the floor in a way that caused the rodent to be released. The moment after making his mistake he sought to correct it, but did not realize the Pokémon was already out and ended up stepping on the little creature's tail. It had been sleeping peacefully until then, so it was not surprising that, due to this rude awakening, Flip and everything else in the room was engulfed in electricity.
"Uh...Flip? Are you alright?" Cascata asked, still waiting outside the door. A worried and confused look had settled on her brow.
The door swung open very suddenly, and there stood one lightly toasted Flip. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I just didn't realize how late it was." Dratini slithered out from behind him and flopped on the floor, dazed.
Cascata's mood brightened right away. "I see. So, breakfast and then battle?"
He rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess...uh, what are you staring at?"
"You seem to have your shirt on backwards." She pointed to the collar.
Flip looked down to see a tag poking out the neck of his shirt. "Um...right. Give me a minute." He retreated back into his room and closed the door.
Right away he began pulling off his shirt, but then he remembered the Pichu. It was no longer sitting at the foot of the nightstand where the Pokéball had dropped. With a grumble under his breath, he picked the empty Pokéball off the floor and began searching for the little mouse.
It was one of those things that were easier said than done, though. His room was an absolute mess. Clothes, textbooks, school papers, and Dratini's things were all piled up in random places and there was not a trace of order to be seen. Having no other choice, he began digging through the separate piles one by one.
He slowly made his way around the room only to come up empty-handed. He was about to start checking everything again when a telltale spark caught his eye from beneath his bed. "So, that's where you went..." Flip got down on his hands and knees and peered into the darkness. Just as he expected; there was a familiar looking silhouette that emitted sparks every now and then, lighting up the darkness just enough to let him clearly see the Pichu.
He slowly reached under the bed. The Pichu, in response, gave him a small shock of electricity, causing him to pull his hand back and shake it up and down.
"Come on, Pichu. You can't have forgotten me already. Remember yesterday? When I gave you the cheese?" Flip smiled in an attempt to relax the Pichu. It seemed to emit sparks less frequently.
He could see it shift in some way, and then the form began moving towards him. He let out a small sigh of relief. The Pichu still trusted him...
Or so it seemed. At the last moment the rodent stopped. Its tail had gotten caught on a nail sticking out of one of the pieces of wood that made up the bed, and the tail was now pulled rather tight. Flip caught on to this quickly, and began freeing the little mouse's tail. By doing this, he ended up pulling a little too hard and caused pain to shoot through the Pichu's body, giving it a painful reminder of what had put it in such a foul mood in the first place: Flip stepping on its tail. It sent a much more powerful surge of electricity through Flip's body and retreated to the farthest reaches of beneath Flip's bed.
Flip sighed. "Look's like we're back to square one..."
~*~
Sometime later, Flip stumbled into the living room. His skin and clothes were unusually charred and his hair was sticking out more randomly than usual. Diana was too caught up in watching cartoons to notice him at all, but Cascata saw him and began adding things up in her head right away.
"I thought Pichu trusted you. What happened?" she asked with a concerned expression on her face.
He flopped on the couch, not making eye contact with her. "I...well, I accidentally stepped on his tail this morning."
"Oh..." she said, nodding to herself knowingly. "Well, that's too bad. Getting a Pokémon to trust you at first is never easy, especially with one as moody as that Pichu. You know, after seeing how you calmed him down yesterday, I thought that you wouldn't have any more problems with the little guy,
but...looks like it won't be that easy."
Flip held the rodent's pokéball in one hand. "Anyway, I think he'll have calmed down by now, so..."
Cascata's eyes widens. "You...put him in his pokéball? When he was in a bad mood?"
"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" His finger was still on the button to release the Pichu.
"D-don't you know? Pichu and its evolutions...uh...in general, they dislike being forced into pokéballs and staying in them for extended periods of time..." She began moving away from Flip.
His eyes widened as well. "So...what you're saying is...he'll be in a worse mood than before?" Cascata nodded. "Wh-what do I do, then?! I can't let him out-"
She shook her head. "No! If you leave him in there even longer, he'll just get angrier! Better to deal with him now..." She stood up off the couch and took some steps back from Flip.
He gulped nervously. Cascata was right; avoiding the problem would only make it worse. So, he squeezed his eyes as tightly shut as he could, bracing himself for the charge of electricity, held the pokéball at arm's length and pressed the button...
He remained frozen in that pose for at least ten seconds after the ball had opened, revealing nothing. Slowly, he opened the eye closest to the pokéball and checked to see if the coast was clear. The Pichu, apparently, was already gone.
"Uh, Flip, are you sure that's Pichu's pokéball?" Cascata asked, moving back towards him.
He looked utterly confused, his arm still extended. "I'm positive...where..."
Their questions were quickly answered as Diana laughed in response to the cartoon she was watching. A second, squeakier voice was laughing in harmony with hers, and the two older humans recognized it immediately. The little mouse was sitting on her lap, watching television blissfully.
Diana smiled at the Pichu. "You're so kyu-uuuut! C'mon, what show shoudwjee watch next?"
The Pichu returned the smile. "Pipichupichu!"
"I have absalootly no idea wacha just said, so lez just watch wateva's on next, kay?"
"Pi-CHU!"
The two laughed happily while Flip and Cascata watched in stunned silence.
"Fickle little creature, isn't he?" Cascata said, finally turning back towards Flip.
"Um, yeah...but at least Diana's calmed him down, right?" Flip finally relaxed his arms. "So, uh, I'll just go eat something quickly and then I'll meet you outside. Alright?"
"Sounds fine to me," Cascata responded. Flip stood up and headed off into the kitchen, leaving Cascata to just shake her head.
"How did the Pichu get out...?"
~*~
"Flip!"
He was mere moments from the door with Dratini and Pichu resting on either shoulder when his mother's calling grabbed his attention. He turned around to face her. "What is it, mom?"
She smiled sweetly. "Don't you want your backpack?"
He was confused. "I...don't have a backpack. You threw out my old one because the left strap was ripped, remember?"
"Well, you do now!" She revealed a brand new backpack from behind her back. It was black with gold-colored zippers and already stuffed with clothes and supplies. "Do you like it? I went shopping to get you one this morning and put your things in it while you were eating."
Flip took it from her hands. "I...mom, I thought you didn't want me to become a trainer. What made you change your mind all of a sudden?"
She sighed. "I still don't, but...that doesn't really matter. I always had a feeling you would become a trainer whether I liked it or not, and here you are doing exactly that." She laughed, but Flip could swear he caught the sparkle of a tear in her eye. "I mean, you still have to win one battle, but there's no doubt in my mind you will. I'll always support your decisions, Philip, even if I don't agree with them."
Flip pouted. "Don't call me Philip." Then, he put down the backpack and wrapped his arms around his mother, causing the two Pokémon to jump to the floor. "Thanks, mom."
She returned the hug. "Aw, my baby..."
From the living room, Diana shouted, "I tawt I was your baby!"
Flip's mother laughed, and the two stopped embracing. "Now, Flip, if you're going to be a trainer, you'd better at least be a good one! I expect no less than champion or you're going straight back to school, got it?" She smiled jokingly.
Flip laughed in response. "Okay. Don't worry, mom. Beating the champion should only take a week, maybe two, right?"
She smiled. "That's my boy!" The two laughed together.
Flip picked up his backpack and quickly put his arms under the straps. "I'll see you later, mom." He opened the door and stepped outside, Dratini and Pichu scrambling along beside him.
"Goodbye, Philip..." she sighed, watching him step outside. She wiped away the tear that had been resting at the corner of her eye.
Cascata was sitting on the front steps, waiting for him. She began standing up as soon as the door opened. "So, you ready to battle, Flip?"
"I guess so, but..." He started descending the stone steps that led to the path between the wildflowers. "...who am I fighting?"
She looked at him surprised. "You don't know?"
"You never said."
She laughed. "Isn't it obvious?"
Flip looked confused. "Um...no?"
The girl started walking down the path. "You'll be fighting me, silly. Who else is there?"
Flip suddenly froze. "Y...you?"
"Yes, me. You will be fighting me. That's what I just said." She laughed. "Why, is there something wrong with that?"
He paused. "No, nothing," he lied, while a tight knot began forming in his stomach. Battle her? He was still somewhat occupied sorting out his feelings for her. He did not have the heart or the guts to battle her yet, and began hoping for some sort of miracle to occur so he wouldn't have to fight her...
They reached the end of the path. "We should have plenty of room right here in the forest. Two Pokémon each, obviously, since..." She had begun turning around when she saw Flip's face. "Flip, what's wrong?"
He had not noticed how pale his face had turned. "I...well...I don't..."
"...want to battle me?" she said, looking sad. "Why not?"
"I'm sorry...it's just...I don't like the thought of battling a friend..."
She smiled and laughed again. "Oh, is that all? Listen, there's a big difference between a battle between friends and a battle between rivals. This is mostly for practice. And to make sure you can handle the stress of a battle. In fact, to tell the truth...I was kind of planning on letting you win regardless of whether you actually could or not."
The color returned to his face. "Really?"
She kept walking. "Well, yeah. I'd be kind of a jerk to help you become a trainer and then at the last moment crush your hopes, right?" She stopped again. "But...I don't think I'll win anyway. This is my first real battle, too, to tell the truth. I'm so excited."
Flip had relaxed a great deal, but the knot in his stomach was still there. Cascata wanted to battle him? He hadn't thought that trainers enjoy battling everybody, not just their enemies. Then again, it did make sense. You could battle a friend at any time and not stir up any negative emotions. He had never considered such things before.
"So, you don't want to be rivals either?"
"Huh?" He snapped out of thought quickly. "No, not at all!"
"Great!" She looked relieved. "I don't have any rivals yet, but I don't have any friends who are trainers. You're a nice person, Flip. A little odd, but still nice. I don't want you as a rival."
The knot finally loosened. A smile returned to Flip's face.
"So, anyway, like I was saying, we should use two Pokémon each since that's all we have. Makes sense, right?" Cascata pulled two pokéballs from her pocket and turned to face him again.
"Sure. You choose first," he said, walking away from her. He stopped and turned around. "Think this'll be enough room for a battlefield?"
"More than enough. We're both using low-level, unevolved Pokémon, right? We don't need a large area." She kept one in her left hand and flung the other onto the battlefield with her right. "Go! Cira!"
In a burst of light, a small Pidgey fluttered onto the battlefield and spread its wings in some failed attempt at intimidation. "Purdgey!" it cooed.
Flip had to hold back laughter. "Too easy! Go, Pichu!"
The little rodent scurried from his side and onto the battlefield. The hair raised on its tail and back and it bared its tiny fangs "Pichau!" he said as fiercely as he could, though it still sounded rather cute.
"Tackle it, Cira!" Cascata cried. The little bird began lifting itself into the air to dive on the mouse.
Flip shook his head. "Not a chance. Use your Charm, Pichu!"
The Pichu switched from its battle pose to acting its most adorable, with enormous sparkling eyes and the happiest smile one could ever imagine. This caught the Pidgey completely offguard, and it screwed up its dive, only managing to nick the mouse in the ear with a talon. The Pichu's eyes narrowed and it reverted to a fighting stance once more.
"That's it, Pichu! Now, Thundershock that bird!" Flip said, cheering his Pokémon on.
The Pichu willingly listened, and squeezed its cheeks. Electricity poured out and into the opponent's body, but it still managed to fly around.
"We can still win this...Sand Attack, Cira!" Cascata yelled out.
The bird lowered itself near the ground and began kicking sand into the Pichu's eyes. The Pichu was angered by this, and, without
any command from its trainer, it fired a much larger bolt of energy at the bird. The Pidgey collapsed with a flop.
"C-cira!" Cascata said, surprised. "Come back!" She held out the pokéball, and Cira was surrounded in red light. Almost instantly her body seemed to vanish in the energy, which was then sucked back into the pokéball.
Flip rubbed the back of his head. "Uh, sorry. I think Pichu went a little overboard with the electricity there. Will Cira be alright?"
"Oh, don't worry. She'll be fine. Pokémon are made to fighting like this. But...wow. I was right. I don't need to let you win..." Cascata shook her head and repocketed the pokéball. "Still, this next one won't be so easy. Go, Wade! Start with Tail Whip!" she cried, flinging a second pokéball onto the field.
It burst open to reveal an eager-looking Squirtle who hopped up and down twice and then spun around on its shell before standing back up in its own battle pose. "Squirtle Squirt!" he cried in a voice that almost sounded like a laugh.
"Still too easy. Thudershock, Pichu!" Flip shouted.
The Pichu launched the attack at the Squirtle, but this was easy for the turtle to dodge due to the sand that had been kicked in Pichu's eyes. It leaped to the side of the Pichu and used its tail to flip the mouse onto its back. "CHU!" the Pichu cried, more out of surprise than pain.
"Shoot!" Flip could easily see that the Pichu was now in a much more vulnerable position and wouldn't be able to recover its stance before the Squirtle's next attack. "Use your Charm again, Pichu!"
"Ignore the Charm, Wade! Tackle it!" Cascata cried, smiling brightly. She could see her Squirtle's advantage as well.
The Pichu did its best to look adorable once more, but Wade the Squirtle was too close for it to have enough time. The mouse was slammed into the dirt. This had been a much more powerful blow than the one from Cira's talon. The mouse rose to its feet, but its paws quivered and its legs looked like they would give out at any moment.
;"Alright, Pichu, return!" Flip said, recalling the rodent to its pokéball. "Your turn, Dratini!"
The little dragon leapt eagerly onto the battlefield, shouting, "Tinitinidratiiiniii!" It seemed to be doing a much better job at intimidation than the others; in fact, Flip could swear he saw the Squirtle shiver.
Cascata gulped. "Wade use...use your Tackle again!"
"Leer, Dratini!" Flip called out.
The Dragon narrowed its eyes at the turtle Pokémon, and this time Flip was sure he saw the Squirtle start to shake. Wade leapt at Dratini, and the Dratini was pushed into the dirt like Pichu had been. However, the Dratini was much better off than the electric rodent after the attack.
"Great, Dratini! Now, Wrap it!" Flip yelled to his Pokémon. He was getting excited since he was almost certain he was going to win now. Now he was beginning to understand why Cascata was so eager to battle.
"Tackle it again! Harder!" Cascata cried, but she was too late.
The serpent had already coiled around the Squirtle. For a bit, the two stayed still, with the Dratini slowly increasing the tightness of its coils around the opponent's shell and neck. Finally, it released a very dazed looking Squirtle, who stumbled around a bit before falling over.
"Wade, return!" Cascata shouted, and the pokéball sucked the Squirtle back in. She sighed. "That's that, I guess. You beat me fair and
square, and now we go get you registered as a trainer."
Dratini beamed victoriously.
~*~
The sun had already begun setting again by the time Flip and Cascata set off for Pewter City. Dratini was sitting on Flip's shoulder again, but the rest of the Pokémon were in their pokéballs.
"Goodbye, Flip!" Flip's mother called out, waving. "Take good care of yourself! Call me every day! And be careful! I love you!"
"Bye, Fwip!" Diana said, waving as well. "Don't ferget to wite! And bwing me back a pwesent!"
Flip stopped and waved back. "Bye, mom! Bye, Diana!" He smiled, taking one last look at them, then continued walking.
"So!" Cascata started. "We should make it to the Pewter City Pokécenter by nightfall, and we can get you registered there, too, but we might not be able to do that until morning. Is that alright?"
Flip grinned at her. "Sounds great! Y'know, I still can't believe I'm doing this. It's like...I dunno, like this whole weekend has just been a long, strange dream."
"Mmm-hmm," Cascata said. "I think all trainers feel like that when they're first starting. Usually it's not just a weekend, but..."
For a while the two walked in silence. The sky was now a great variety of colors, from a bright reddish-orange to the deep indigo color of the night. The distant cries of various Pokémon could be heard every now and then. It was a very peaceful evening.
"Say, Cascata..." Flip began saying.
"Yes?"
He stopped and looked up at the sky as if to collect his thoughts. "Are we only going to travel together until Pewter City?"
She stopped beside him. "What do you mean?"
"I've heard that some trainers will travel in groups and help eachother out. Since we're both just starting, maybe we could travel together as well? At the very least, until we get past Mount Moon. I've heard that it's not a good place to be running around in alone. But maybe longer than that..." He looked back at her. "Well? What do you think?"
She smiled that beautiful smile of hers at him again. "I think that that's a great idea. Sure." She began walking again. Flip paused for a little bit longer, then continued following.
"Oh, no...I just remembered..." Flip said, looking very worried.
"What is it? Did you leave something behind?"
"No, it's not that...it's..." He slowly held up a pokéball. "I called Pichu back when he was injured, remember? I never let him out again..."
Cascata stopped for a moment, then ran a few feet ahead. "My sympathies to you, Flip!" she said, turning back around.
He braced himself for the second time that day and opened the pokéball. This time, the shock came. Cascata, despite the distance she had placed between Flip and herself, still had to jump back to avoid the electricity. Once the light show had ended, Flip fell to the ground with the Pichu sitting on his head looking very angry.
"Y'know, I think I just thought of a name for my Pichu..." Flip muttered.
"Oh?"
"Hazard..."
Quiet in the sense that it wasn't particularly noisy, anyway. Even with so much of the wildlife cleared away, there would always be a low, soft hum in the air of bugs buzzing all around. They had returned quickly though their home had not; still, due to the hard work of environmentalists and Beedrill lovers everywhere, it was making a comeback.
A very, very slow comeback. Yes, there were always the large trees spreading their branches to the sky and creating the impression of a thriving shady forest. But any environmentalist could point out a large flaw of this forest: a severe lack of horizontal diversity. The trees were tall and healthy, but the ground was nearly bare now. The argument of how the forest should be kept was easily won when it was pointed out that the bushes they cleared away were well-known Pikachu nesting grounds.
There wasn't much point in complaining about that, since he loved the forest, but why did it have to be the over-adored rodent that swayed them? Why did they love it so much, anyway? What about the other Pokémon that needed bushes like the ones that used to be here to live in? If it wasn't that yellow mouse's home, would they have just cleared it away and let all the species die out?
Flip sighed. Sometimes just thinking about it made shivers run up and down his spine.
He jogged quietly through the forest, just as he did every Saturday. Some of the Rattatas that had moved in lifted their head briefly in his direction, but they took little notice of him and went back to sniffing whatever small edible things had fallen on the ground from the trees or people's lunches. Flip had done this many times, so he was swift and silent on the dirt paths and patches of grass, knowing where saplings were springing up and avoiding them appropriately. Soon, he came to the bank of a river.
Prior to the clearing of the forest, few really knew about the river besides those who had paddled down it from much farther upstream, and they rarely ventured down it as far as the Viridian Forest anyway. It was hidden behind a wall of trees and thorn bushes where only the small forest Pokémon could reach it. Now, however, it was exposed to all and had become a popular fishing spot for starting trainers. Oh, that was not much of a worry. The fishing itself had little impact on the area. But humans had a tendency to just leave their trash at recreational sites and let it fall into the waters or even throw it in instead of holding onto it until they could dispose of it properly. The area was degrading with each soda can and gum wrapper.
Flip stepped carefully onto a flat rock just off the shore of the river, knelt, and took a Pokéball off his belt. He set it on the stone, and in a flash of light a bug-eyed blue and white serpent emerged from it. A smile appeared on his face. "Go ahead, Dratini. I don?t think there are any fishers today."
"Draa!" it squealed, and slid like a snake into the water. Soon there was the sound of splashing as the little dragon played in the wide, slow river.
He sat and shifted his position so he could fold his arms atop his knees and rest his chin on them. His eyes moved to his reflection in the water. His hair, which was a dark shade of dirty blond, seemed to stick out all over but was long enough for it all to generally be affected by gravity and hang towards the ground. He ran a hand over it, as if trying to make it a little less messy, but it didn't seem to help much. The image shattered before him as a wave splashed against his rock. He looked at his smiling Dratini again, knowing it was the source of that wave.
His mind zoned out watching the rare Pokémon jumping around and chasing Magikarp. Dratini was his first and only Pokémon; the creature had been a birthday present from his parents a long time ago. He had always wanted to train it, since he knew it would grow up to be a powerful fighter. After all, it was the child of his father's prize Dragonite, and his father had picked it himself by hand, declaring it would be the best of all the hatchlings. If his father had had his way, Flip would already started on the long road of becoming a Pokémon trainer. Perhaps he would have even begun following in the footsteps of his dad and eventually be known as one of the greatest trainers of all time. His mother, however, would hear nothing of it. She had already lost one son to the world of Pokémon, and nothing would convince her to let her precious little Flip leave as well. Oh, his father had tried to argue otherwise, but it never worked.
"He has amazing potential!" he could recall his dad saying. "Even more than his brother! I wouldn't be surprised if he was the next master!"
"So you keep saying, dear," his mother had replied, barely even looking up, "but he has even greater potential elsewhere. Why, just look at his report card! He's practically a genius. You wouldn't want that wonderful mind of his to go to waste, would you?"
"It wouldn't, dear. It's that tactical mind of his that would make him such a great trainer! Besides, you know he loves Pokémon. He spends all weekend just playing in the forest with his Dratini! Just getting him to come in for dinner is like pulling teeth!"
"It's dangerous out there, though. And there's even better ways he can use his brains and love of Pokémon. I'm sure he'd just love being a Pokémon scientist!"
Flip shuddered just thinking about it.
Sure, he was good at math and science and all that. But he didn't want to spend his life crunching numbers or doing experiments in dark laboratories. He was skilled in the subjects, but they still bored him to tears. He wanted to travel and see the world. He wanted to meet new friends. He wanted to win fame and glory. He wanted to catch all sorts of interesting Pokémon and help them become stronger. After all, most Pokémon loved battling, and did it all the time to play, exercise, or see how strong they were. But there was also one very important goal he had that most trainers did not, one he regarded as more important than any of the others...
Dratini let out a whine of pain, and swam up to him. A hook had punctured his lip with fishing line trailing into the water behind it it.
He wanted to help save the environment.
"Hold still for a moment, Dratini. I'll get it out," he said in his most calm voice, rubbing the serpent's head to help it relax. Slowly, he worked the metal hook out of the flesh. It wasn't really bad, since Pokémon were naturally able to take a lot of pain and such anyway from their fighting; in fact, if Dratini had experience in battle, he probably wouldn't have noticed the hook. It didn't even bleed. But the hook could easily have gotten caught on nearly any part of any creature, and then there was a good chance they would get tangled in the line until they were unable to move. And that was just one possible scenario. He sighed, since this discarded hook and length of line was just another reason why he hated what humans were doing to their world. With one hand he rubbed Dratini's head and with the other he pulled the rest of the line out so he could throw it away at home
He couldn't, however, find the end. In fact, soon the line went taut. "That's funny," he muttered to himself, grabbing the string with both hands and giving it a tug. "Maybe it's caught on something. What do you think, Dratini?"
The dragon gave no response, but Flip found his answer anyway. Something began pulling from the other end. Hard. The hook caught on his sleeve and with a splash he fell off the slippery rock and into the river. His Pokémon chased after him as he was taken upstream.
Figures, he thought to himself as the line dragged him against the currents. Someone is fishing here today after all.
Soon rocks and gravel rubbed against his face as the fisherman began pulling him ashore. Even before he could take over and get out himself, his skin was exposed to the air again. Whoever had hooked his sleeve was strong. A voice instantly came to his ears as he rubbed the water from his eyes.
"Oh my...I am so sorry! I mean, very, very sorry! Are you okay? I'm sorry! Please don't be mad! I have no idea how this happened! Sorry!" Strange. He had expected some grown man with nothing better to do besides try and catch the largest Pokémon he could, but this voice was so light and feminine...?
He sat up and slowly open his eyes. The water was still clearing from them and things were a bit blurred, but he could clearly see this was a girl no older than him and probably even younger. "No, no, it's alright. Just an acci...dent..."
Flip could feel the color flooding his cheeks as everything came into focus. To anyone else, this girl was not much to look at. Her reddish-brown hair was all tied back in two short ponytails, and her mousy face had two large blue eyes that could clearly be seen from behind her small purple shades. Her frame was small even for a girl, and her light, summery clothes were sprinkled with water and mud from the river. There wasn't anything really bad about the way she looked, but there wasn't anything about her that was pleasing to the eye either.
But Flip could have easily mistaken her for a goddess. This was the first girl his age he had seen in a while. To help 'nurture' his 'genius', his mother had taken him from the world of public school and sent him to an all-boy private school. His only contact with females was his family, and even there he only saw his mother and little sister regularly.
"No, it's completely my fault!" she continued. "I mean, I probably shouldn't even be fishing here anyway! My mom had said to only use it when there's nobody swimming, but I had no idea anyone would be here and I thought I could give it a try..." She had turned her gaze towards the ground. "Please-please-please-please-pleeease don't be angry!"
He shook his head rapidly, still blushing furiously. "No! I'm not angry! Of course I'm not angry! I wasn't even swimming anyway! But..."
"Draaa!" his little dragon cried, with a hint of anger in its voice.
Flip glanced over his shoulder. "...my Dratini was."
She looked up, and let out a small gasp. "I never meant to harm your adorable Dratini! There must be something I can do to make it up to you!"
Several inappropriate ideas leaped into his head when he heard those words, but he ignored them. "You don?t really need to do anything. See, look, I'm fine!" he said, standing up. "A little wet, but I don't mind it anyway. Just forget about it." He turned around and looked at Dratini, who had gotten over its grudge already and was splashing around in the river again. He could see in the water's reflection that his face was still growing redder and redder. A silence fell upon the two. He began thinking desperately for something to say, and she was thinking of some way to show her forgiveness since she didn't really buy his story.
Her eyes lit up as a thought popped into her head. "Wait a second...you must be a trainer too! How would you like to battle? I haven't really fought against anybody yet, so it'd probably be an easy win for you..." Flip could easily tell that she wanted to battle someone badly, regardless of the outcome. She smiled so kindly and eagerly that he wanted to say yes.
"I...well...no, I'm not a trainer. I just have Dratini as a pet. Sorry," he muttered, mentally crying at his mother's wishes. If only she knew how much he wanted to be one.
"Oh..." she sighed, and her tone of disappointment caused a pang of guilt to rip through Flip's body. He thought quickly, trying to come up with some way to repent.
"I'm sorry, but...um...maybe...oh! You've been traveling a while, right? I live just outside these woods, a little east from here. Maybe you could, I dunno, dry off there, eat dinner, spend-"
"Dinner?" she asked, interrupting. "It's not even noon yet."
Of course. He really wasn't thinking straight. "Uh...well...even better! Whenever you get hungry, you can stop for lunch at my place, and make it to Pewter City before nightfall! How does that sound?"
There was a short pause as she considered this. Flip's muscles tensed. He didn't know what he would do if she decided otherwise. He could see it now: this glorious image of Venus walking down the forest path, him unlikely to ever lay eyes on her again. There was nothing to stop her from leaving either way, and he would never be able to talk his way into going with her. At the very least, he wanted to keep her in sight as long as possible. The more he was with her, the better he could preserve her memory.
She smirked. "That would be great. The lunch I packed was stolen by some Ratattas an hour or so ago, anyway. You set your bag down for a second..."
His face began to flood with color again. "Really?! I mean, uh, thanks! Wait, no, I mean, you're welcome! I mean, um...it'll be nice to have you over...and..." He trailed off. Great, he thought. She must think I'm a complete idiot by now.
The girl laughed. "Thank you. I hope most of the people I meet on the road are as nice as you."
His heart fluttered, and he mentally breathed a sigh of relief. "So, uh, mind if I ask your name?"
"Not at all. I'm Cascata," she responded, giving him another warm smile. "And you are...?"
"Flip," he said, returning her smile with one of his own. "It's nice to meet you, Cascata."
"Same here, Flip. Y'know, Flip's really not a name you hear everyday."
He pouted playfully. "Well, you?re the first Cascata I've ever met."
She laughed again. It was like music to his ears. "You're right, you're right. I'm sorry. I'm not one to talk about normal names..."
Flip shook his head. "Well, you're right. Flip's, well...it's just my nickname. My, uh, real name's...well..." He trailed off a second time, and she could barely hear the real name. His face filled with color once more as her beautiful laughs arose again.
"Philip?" she asked, amazed. He slowly nodded twice to confirm it. "You don't look like a Phil to me."
"Well, why do you think I'm called Flip instead?" he quickly retorted, covering up his nervousness and embarrassment with amusement at his own situation.
Her laughter continued, and he couldn't help laughing as well. Flip couldn't remember the last time he felt so happy.
~*~
Several hours had flown by beside the river. Dratini had forgiven Cascata already, and was splashing around in the river with her Squirtle, playing some game which only they knew the rules, while Cascata watched from the shore. Further away, on one of the large, flat rocks that were so abundant by this particular river, Flip observed her in silent thought.
What's wrong with me? he wondered. I've never acted like this. I've always been able to keep my actions, my words, my very thoughts under control...any monster inside me has been kept on a leash. Nothing has cracked me, no human or Pokémon, no miracle or tragedy, nothing...
She laughed as the two Pokémon splashed her. And yet...her! I don't understand it. I lose it around her! I fall to pieces, only to collect myself at the last moment so I may present myself as a fool to her. Why? Why her? Why is she the only thing that can break me?
Cascata stretched and lay down on the soft grass of the shore. Her eyes turned themselves to the sky before them and began searching the treetops and clouds. No one could say what they searched for or if they would ever find it, but still they searched, as is the nature of eyes.
What's so special about her, anyway?
His eyes began wandering to areas of her body more sacred than her face, so he forced them to the ground to attempt stopping them. She plays with my heart as a seductress would, and yet...yet...she seems so pure and warm. Surely she is an angel, or a demon come to enslave me, or perhaps both...
Another thought wandered into his head, so he allowed it to be considered. Perhaps this is love...but could such an emotion, one based on chemicals...could it possibly be so powerful? And again, why her? She seems no different than anyone else...I must be deluding myself. This isn't love! Something so destructive to my nature could not be something so pure as love!
He buried his face into his folded arms. At the very least, she is corrupting my sanity...what on earth is wrong with me? Or is it even me? Is it her? Is it this world?
"Um...Flip? You okay?"
He jumped in surprise. Cascata had walked up to him again. Warm blood again rushed to his face, impossible to be fought. "What? I mean, fine! Fine...just perfect. Don't worry about me!" He was falling apart again. He no longer cared how she made him feel; he wished for this beauty to leave him alone so he could be at peace once more.
She smiled. "I'm getting hungry...could we start heading to your place for lunch?"
His heart soared and his stomach twisted at the same time. "Oh, right, sure. Let's go!" he said, grinning as naturally as he could managed.
Why did I offer that? Why does she do this to me? Why am I acting like this? Why am I so delighted by this misery? Why, why, why?
"Are you sure you're okay?" Cascata asked. "You seemed...worried about something."
"Really, I'm fine," he lied. "Come on, my house is this way." He stood up and began walking the familiar route back home. There was no way for him to look forward to lunch. He deeply regretted ever inviting this nymph to spend more time with him. In fact, he regretted it so much that his mind was tearing his stomach apart over it, and he had no appetite for the food coming either.
~*~
Flip's house was almost as picturesque as one from a fairy tale. It was sitting atop a hill that only rose up slightly from the woods around it, as if it were floating in a dark green sea. The house itself seemed to be floating in the middle of a lake of some sort, because it was surrounded on all sides by wildflowers that were just tall enough to hang over the heads of most small children. This sea, however, was parted by a winding crack where a stone path had been set down for walking on. The house was white with large windows flaunting their blue shutters as best as they could from behind the massive bushes that rose up against the walls. From the angle, Cascata could spot some ivy vines making their way up the chimney.
"Th...this...this is amazing!" she gasped in awe. "Look at all these flowers...they're beautiful!"
"Aren't they, though?" Flip responded, still impressed by the flowers though he had seen them his whole life. "I love their smell. Every morning, I wake up and I can smell them...it makes you wonder who would want to clear any of this away."
She looked surprised. "Clear them away? What do you mean?"
He walked up to one large yellow blossom and touched it gently. "After they cleared out the Viridian Forest, they decided they wanted to begin building houses around ours and make a road right through here. My family managed to prove that a lot of the land around here is actually ours, and in the end they decided there wasn't enough land to develop on." He looked out towards the edge of the forest. "Too bad we don't own the entire forest. Or maybe we could have stopped that, too..."
She stepped beside him and looked at the blossom he had been observing. "You know what I don't get? Why does a place always have to belong to somebody? I mean, I live near Cinnabar Island, and around there, it's the same thing...this island belongs to him, that island belongs to her, and everything else belongs to the government. If an island were to appear out of nowhere, it'd belong to whoever claimed it first. Why can't there be something left offlimits, or something that could belong to everybody..."
"Because humans tend to want as much as possible. If something belongs to no one, then no one will miss it when it's gone. As for belonging to everybody, everyone would want to use it as best fit for their own purposes, and therefore there would be no way for all of them to decide how to use it..."
"Fwip! You're back!" a tiny voice called out from the flowers.
"Diana!" he responded. "You haven't been eavesdropping on me, have you?"
"Nope, just wistenin' t'what chu were sayin'. And whatsa parr-pus-sez?" A little girl emerged from the flowers. She had a similar face to Flip's, although here eyes were bigger, and instead of his strange jagged blond hair which was almost the color of gold, she had large flowing locks of hair the color of pure sunlight.
Flip scooped her up into his arms. "You mean purposes? Well, I could explain it to you, but you probably wouldn't understand..."
The little girl still looked confused. "What's uhn-dur-stan?"
Cascata laughed. "She's so cute! Is she your little siter?"
He nodded, blushing slightly. "Yeah. This is Diana. Diana, meet Cascata."
Diana smiled. "Your name is pretty. Cass-cat-uh..."
"She loves sounding out new words," Flip quickly explained.
"Well, I think your name is very pretty, too," Cascata replied. "It's very nice to meet you, Diana."
The little girl suddenly gasped as if she remembered something. "Are ya hungry? Because Mummy's makin lunch! "
"Actually, that's kinda what I'm here for. Your brother invited me..."
The child broke into impish giggles. "Are you his...GIRLFRIEND?!"
Cascata blushed. "What? Of course not! We only just met!"
"FWIP AND CASSIE, SITTIN INNA TREE! KAY AIE ESS ESS AIE EHN GEE!" she laughed, jumping out of Flip's arms.
Flip's face was bright red. "D-diana, we're not..."
"FIRST COMES WUV, THEN COMES MARRIAGE, THEN COMES-"
"Lunchtime!"
A tall, slender woman with hair so light only a few shadows gave away it was blond and not white was standing at the door of the house. She was smiling very warmly at the three of them.
"Oh, Flip! You're not usually back so soon. And you've brought a friend, I see. Well, there should be enough for all of you anyway. Come on in, dear, what's your name?"
~*~
"I'm sorry I've eaten so much," Cascata said after clearing her plate for the last time. "I guess I was just hungrier than I thought. I didn't mean to be rude..."
Flip's mother just smiled. "It's alright, dear. I can always make more. Now, what was your name again?"
"Cascata," she replied softly. "It's very nice to meet all of you."
"All?" the woman asked, looking at the three children sitting around the dining room table, two of which were still eating. "Then you just met Flip as well?"
The girl nodded. "In the forest. Just a few hours ago."
"And he invited you over for lunch?"
Cascata nodded again. "Yes, he did. And I'm very grateful for it. I probably would have been starving before dinner!"
The tall woman quickly searched her son's face. She could find little trace of the pale boy who was always looking at nothing with that eerie blank expression of a person lost in a trance of thought. Instead, color had finally found its way to his face, and the more he tried to hide the fact that he was watching this girl out of the corner of his eye the more apparent it became that he was doing so. She smiled to herself, knowing all too well what was happening, and sat down at the table with her own plate of food. "Well, that was very nice of him."
Flip face became slightly brighter. Diana giggled.
"Well, I'm guessing you're not from around here, then?" Flip's mother continued, now very interested in this new face.
"No, I'm not. I'm from an island off the coast of Cinnabar...I was registered as a Pokémon trainer a few days ago, and I was heading to Pewter City to see if a new gym leader has been selected yet. And also because I really want to see the museum. Do you know about the new Pokémon fossil they found? I've heard it's around eighteen feet in length..." Cascata said, trailing off.
The woman grew slightly paler. "Oh, yes, I had heard about that one. The fossil that looks like a four-winged dragon." She took a bite of her food. "I wouldn't have guessed that you're a Pokémon trainer," she remarked, the very slightest cold tone of distaste in her voice.
Cascata smiled. "Well, why wouldn't I be? There's just so much that's great about being a trainer. It's a chance to travel to new places and meet new people. Most trainers become closer to nature because they spend so much time in it and with Pokémon that are more sensitive to it than humans. They also usually become smarter, since their wits are tested all the time in battle, and healthier, since they do so much walking and spend so much time away from the comfort of civilization and also change their lifestyles accordingly. Trainers also get a lot of life experience, since they are given independence and have to make choices for themselves while still taking care of their Pokémon. And, if the person decides they don't want to be a trainer, nothing's stopping them from returning back home. They can always give their Pokémon to someone else or keep them as pets. Most of all, I just love Pokémon. There's no way to get closer to Pokémon than to be a trainer." She looked at Flip. "In fact, I'm kind of surprised your son isn't one. He seems to love them very much, or at least his Dratini. Does he not want to be one?"
Flip looked up in surprise at Cascata. Was he deluding himself? At first he had thought Cascata was only trying to defend trainers in general. Yet what she had said at the end, or perhaps only the look she had given him, told him that she somehow understood his situation and was trying to help him out.
His mother, however, was still very reluctant to let her child go so easily. "Well, he does, I suppose. But I don't think he's very, well...suited to being a trainer. For instance, he's not exactly the violent type, if you know what I mean. He would never be able to handle battling Pokémon."
Cascata turned to the woman. "I find that hard to believe. But, if you say he wouldn't be able to battle well..."
Flip's heart sank. He could have sworn he saw a glimmer of hope in this beauty's words.
"...then I propose a test of his skills."
Silence filled the room. Flip's mother seemed as though she were about to twist her fork. She spoke hesitantly "A test? What kind of test?"
The girl smiled. "It's simple. If you think he lacks the skills to be a trainer, we test to see if you're right by testing his skills. And the two most important skills a trainer can have are capturing Pokémon and battling other trainers. If he can do both these things, then he's obviously a good potential trainer and he can come with me to Pewter City to register at the Pokécenter. Does that sound alright?"
Flip looked at his mother as well. "Please, Mom, can I?"
"Well..." She looked into Flip's eyes. They were glimmering with such hope that she had not seen in his eyes since he was a child. It was obvious what he wanted her to say. He wanted the chance to be released and, probably more importantly, not have to watch this girl walk out of his life as swiftly as she had entered. A sigh escaped her lips. She was tired out from having argued so many years with her husband about whether Flip should become a trainer or not anyway. "Alright. Test him. If he passes, then yes, he can become a trainer."
Pure joy adorned Flip's face and tears began forming in his eyes. "Thank you, Mom!" he cried, leaping out of his chair and hugging his mother. "Thank you so much!"
She wrapped her arms around him tenderly. "You're welcome. Better hurry, though, because if you don't catch a Pokémon by bedtime, you're staying right here!"
He quickly escaped from the embrace. "Right! Come on, Cascata, let's go!" he shouted, recalling his Dratini which had been eating in the corner back into its Pokéball and running towards the door.
"Sure thing!" she responded, grabbing her backpack that was leaning against the wall and following behind him.
Diana pouted, having finished her lunch. "If he's a tray-nur, can I be one tooooo?"
Her mother sighed. "Not yet. Maybe when you're older. MAYBE."
"Okay, Mum! I'm gonna go help Fwip kata Pokémon!" she said, leaping up from the table and running towards the door. "WAIT FER ME, FWIP!"
Flip's mother sighed. She had always supported Flip in everything, but she didn't want to be separated from him, even if it was somewhat selfish. For the first time that she could remember, she wanted him to fail a test.
~*~
"How long have we been searching?" Flip asked, wiping the sweat off his forehead as he leaned against a tree.
"An hour, I'd say. This is strange. It's so empty. Where are all the bug Pokémon?" Cascata questioned, looking around for a sign of movement.
"Where people haven't cleared away a large portion of their food and cover, probably," he growled. "This is ridiculous. How am I supposed to capture a Pokémon in a few short hours if I haven't seen a single one yet?"
They both sat in silent contemplation.
"Thanks, by the way," Flip spoke, feeling the rise of warmth into his cheeks again.
"For what?"
He looked up into the branches of the tree above them. "For finally convincing my Mom to give me a chance to be a trainer. I mean, you barely even know me, and I know she's not the easiest person to reason with, and yet..."
Cascata looked at him and gave him that warm smile again. "Don't mention it. Just make sure you don't waste this opportunity! Come on, let's keep looking."
They continued walking through the forest, looking around for any sign of movement. Flip's mind, however, inevitably wandered back to Cascata.
She's so kind...kinder than anyone I have ever met. Did I really wonder if she was a demon?
A knot formed in his stomach. But maybe...have I only fallen deeper into her spell? Am I twisted around her finger even now? Could something so sweet and innocent be a fiend in disguise, plotting to inflict unspeakable torture upon me?
Some familiar giggles came from nearby. "Diana?" Flip asked, looking to where the sound had come from. He could see the little girl with bouncing golden locks running towards him.
And something small and yellow with black ears was running in front of her!
"Fwip! Fwip! Lookie what I found! Lookie what I found!" she laughed, chasing the rodent towards him.
"Piiichau!" it squealed, running up a nearby tree.
"Izit a Pikachu?" Diana asked, looking up at it. The little mouse smiled at her, then began gnawing at some fruit hanging nearby.
Flip shook his head. "It's a Pichu. You almost never see them in the wild...they usually stay in their nests until they've evolved."
Cascata moved closer to the tree. "Maybe something forced this one out?"
The Pichu removed the piece of fruit from the branch with a final tug. It nibbled on it some, decided it didn't really want it after all, and then proceeded to hurl it at Cascata.
She jumped both in surprise and reflex, then glared at the electric mouse. "Hey! That wasn't very nice!"
The Pichu laughed, and proceeded to pull off another piece of fruit. No one was surprised when it threw this one at the people below as well, and laughed at their anger.
Cascata pouted. "Never mind! I bet this one wasn't forced out...it probably came out on its own to bug trainers. How mean!"
"Well, it may be a pain, but at least it's a Pokémon!" Flip took out Dratini's pokéball. "Alright, Dratini, let's go!"
He hurled the red and white ball through the air, and the little serpent was released on the branch next to the Pichu. "Draaa!" it growled.
"Lessee...Dratini's attacks should be..." Flip paused for a moment to think while the two little Pokémon taunted one another.
"Wrap, Leer, and Thunderwave," Cascata said. "And you probably already know what they do, right?
Flip nodded. "Okay, Dratini! Thunderwave!"
Electric bolts shot out of the gem on Dratini's forehead and wrapped around the rodent's muscles, causing them to stiffen. The gold-haired trainer smirked. Whether it had planned to or not, the Pichu released its electricity in a Thundershock, which made Dratini recoil in pain for a moment then bounce back very annoyed.
"Good, good..." Flip nodded to himself. "Leer it, Dratini!"
The serpent smirked evilly at the small mouse, who shivered and seemed to succumb more to the paralyzation, thus leaving it more open to attacks. It began acting cute for a moment, as if to try and pull off a Charm attack, but the paralyzation took effect and he wasn't able to move enough to complete the attack.
"Now, Wrap it!"
The Dratini coiled around the Pichu and began squeezing it like it was some tiny, adorable python. The Pichu tried to shock the Dratini further, but the paralyzation only allowed it to shoot off small sparks. It was, however, able to move well enough to wriggle about in the Dratini's hold and cause the two to go tumbling off the branch. The dragon reacted instantly, releasing its prey and grabbing onto a lower branch with the end of its tail, but the Pichu slammed into the ground below.
The little mouse tried to stand up, but ended up collapsing to the ground dizzily. "Pichaaaa..." it whined.
Flip grinned. "That's it! Okay, now all I need to do is...throw a..." His momentum trailed to a stop. "...I don't have any Pokéballs!"
Diana, for obvious reasons, found this hilarious.
"It's alright," Cascata replied, taking out an empty Pokéball. "It's my fault for forgetting about that. Here, take one of mine."
His fingers brushed her soft skin as he took the Pokéball from her. "Thank you. Again." He smiled at her, still unable to control the color of his cheeks.
He turned again to the weakened Pichu. Focus. You've weakened it more than enough. Now all that's left is...
Years later, he could still clearly remember each instant of that scene: Brushing his bangs back, even though they fell right back into place when he took his hand away; Taking that step forward before his throw; The angle at which his elbow bent; The very feeling of the Pokéball being carried by momentum out of his hand; Watching it soar away from him, becoming smaller and smaller; The Pichu looking up, and having the red and white object collide with it; The mouse seeming to melt into red energy that was immediately absorbed into the Pokéball; The ball falling to the ground and settling between two tufts of grass.
It wriggled once.
It wriggled again, weaker.
It wriggled again, so weakly and desperate that it almost went unnoticed.
And then it was still. Flip had made his first capture.
~*~
Sunset. The Viridian Forest was flooded with vibrant shades of red and orange which overpowered its normal lush green color and almost made it appear as if it had passed into an early fall.
A lone Pidgey fluttered down into the grass and began searching for a quick snack before its unspoken curfew. If given enough time, it may have found something, considering this was one of its favorite habitats: the very edge of the forest. However, before very long, it heard something and looked down the manmade path nearby. There was nothing, only the barren dirt covered with the footprints of travelers who had long since past, human and Pokémon alike. No, wait! There they were. He could see them coming over the hill. Humans. Three of them.
The Pidgey continued looking for a little food but kept one eye on the group of humans. They continued to approach. His instincts took over, and the Spearow flew back into his nest. He decided he wasn't that hungry anyway.
"So, what are you going to call your Pichu?" Cascata asked.<br>
Flip shrugged. "I haven't really thought about it. It doesn't seem to like me very much, though, does it?"
"It doesn't seem to like any of us. Maybe it just doesn't like humans in general?" she responded, looking at the pokéball Flip held in his hand.
Diana pouted. "Well, I don't wike it etha! It trew stuff at us!"
"How did you find it, anyway?" Cascata asked, shifting her gaze to the little girl.
"We-ell, akchally...he found me!" the child said, smiling. "I was just wookin' for you and Fwip, an' it came up otta nowhere! It sniffed me a copaluv times, an' den it rubbed me, an' den I picked it up, an' den it jumped out of my hands an' it shook its butt at me! So I chased it an' den I found you two..."
"Odd. Why on earth would a Pichu leave its home? They don't leave until they've evolved into Pikachu, don't they?" Cascata wondered aloud.
"...actually, now that I think about it, it probably doesn't have a home."
She turned to Flip in surprise. "What?"
He closed his eyes. "If a Pichu wanders about, it means there are no parents to take care of it. Without someone to bring it food and protect it and keep it warm...the only thing the 'home' does then is protect it from the elements. It's just a roof. So, with no parents, the home doesn't exist..."
A pang of guilt went through the group. The Pichu they had been complaining about was an orphan!
"That's so sad..." Cascata said quietly. "I thought it looked a little beat up. It's amazing the little guy survived out here on its own..."
Diana sniffled. "Are we gonna be home soon, Fwip?"
Flip nodded. "Not much longer now."
"Good," she said. "The widdle guy pwobly will be happy taget warmed up...
~*~
The Pichu glared about the room angrily while Flip's mother tenderly applied a bandage to her son's finger.
"I can't believe it bit me!" Flip ranted. "Throwing fruit is one thing, but biting's another!"
Cascata shook her head. "I'm just impressed it broke the skin."
"Are you sure you're alright, honey? I just hope your rat isn't diseased or something..." his mother said, looking generally concerned.
"CHU!" the Pichu yelled. Its yellow fur bristled and sparks could be seen near its cheeks.
"Mom, I don't think he likes being called a rat..." Flip said, pulling his hand away from her.
"Yeah. Pichu's a mouse Pokémon. And this one really seems to have a nasty temper," Cascata said, kneeling down. "Come here, little guy. We don't want to hurt you..."
The Pichu stared at her for a moment, then relaxed. Very slowly, it began walking across the carpeted floor towards the human.
"See? It's just afraid of us. Come on, don't be shy..." Cascata said, speaking in the most gentle tone of voice she could manage.
"Cascata..." Flip said, awed. She really seemed to be getting through to his new Pokémon. If one person could form a close bond with a Pokémon, then it was almost guaranteed possible that the trainer could as well.
The rodent was approaching very carefully. For a moment it paused, considering the humans with a hint of caution in its expression. Then, it began walking towards them again at a more steady pace.
Flip was amazed. "He trusts us...I think...at least, I don't think he's going to hurt us anymore for a while..."
Suddenly, Diana ran into the room at the speed of a Clefairy on sugar and hug-tackled the Pichu. "Yay! He's so ki-yuuuuuute!" she squealed.
"Diana! Let go before it-" Flip's mother shouted in vain.
Energy flowed freely from its body and into Diana's. The little girl screamed in pain, then collapsed on the ground, twitching slightly. The mouse struggled out of her arms and leaped onto the sofa. It took a defensive pose: teeth clenched, tail raised, on all four legs, cheeks sparking again.
Flip sighed. "So much for that. Way to go, Diana," he said, looking at his little sister.
The little girl sat up, and promptly began crying as loudly as she could. The Pichu was so frightened by this that he abandoned his spot on the sofa and leapt behind the couch. "Mummy! Mummy! I wanna play wit him!" she whined between wails. "Why won't he play wit me, Mummy?! Mummy! I wanna play wit him! He hurt me, Mummy! Mummy! Mummy!"
Her mother sighed. "Come on, Diana, let's go play in your room. The Pichu doesn't want to play right now. Wouldn't you love to play with your dolls?"
Diana screamed. "NONONONONOOOOOO! I wanna play wit tha PICHU!" She fell back down on the floor and began kicking her feet against it.
The woman grabbed the little girl and began walking upstairs, doing her best to keep the kicking and squirming child under control. They vanished from sight, a door closing could be heard, and the screaming was muffled almost entirely.
Cascata sat wide eyed. "What...what on...what just happened?"
He shook his head. "Yeah, you never expect a little girl as sweet as her to have temper tantrums that bad, huh? She does this all the time. Especially in public."
She still looked stunned. "Wonder if I was ever that bad..."
Flip looked over the back of the couch, but the Pichu wasn't there. He dropped down to his knees and checked beneath it, but could see nothing; many dust bunnies and discarded toys of Diana's had made their way underneath the piece of furniture since his mother last cleaned. Before too long, though, a small spark came from the Pichu's cheeks and illuminated the area. Its eyes were wide with fright.
"There it is..." the trainer reached in. He was greeted with a Thundershock, causing him to leap back and clutch his hand in pain.
"I don't think that's going to work," Cascata said. "Maybe we should just wait for him to come out on his own?"
He shook his head. "No, we have to get him out before Diana escapes. I'd just use his Pokéball, but I don't think he trusts me enough to want to go back in there..." He tried reaching in again, but the mouse moved out of his reach.
"Then maybe we could lure him out?" she suggested, squatting beside him.
He looked at her. "Hey...you're right! He's probably hungry, right? They're supposed to love cheese..."
Flip walked into the kitchen, closely followed by Cascata. A large serpentine Pokémon was coiled on the table, alarming the guest.
"Nair..." it spoke in a voice that almost sounded like singing. The creature lifted its head and looked at the two with large gem-like eyes.
"Th-that's a...a..." Cascata stammered, pointing at the Pokémon.<br>
"A Dragonair," Flip said, opening the refrigerator. "I know. It's one of my Dad's. He loves dragon types...ah, here we go!" He pulled out a block of swiss cheese and closed the door. The Dragonair barely noticed him as he walked to the other side of the kitchen.
She was stunned. "It's beautiful...wow..."
He pulled out a knife and began cutting some small pieces. "Yeah, it's gorgeous, but it's also lazy. That one does nothing but sleep most of the time. But, yeah, it has all sorts of awards for beauty contests. I wish you could see his prize Dragonite...come on, let's take this back to the Pichu." He crossed the room again to quickly put the cheese back in the refrigerator while the Dragonair closed its eyes and drifted back to sleep.
She was confused. "Why can't I see his Dragonite? Did something happen to it?"
"Nah, he's just on a business trip right now." The two returned to the living room. Flip set a small plate with a piece of cheese on it on the floor in front of the couch. "Let's hope this works..."
They waited, and soon they could see movement under the couch. It was not long before the Pichu's face emerged from the shadows and began sniffing the cheese left for it. There was a pause, and then the electric rodent devoured the swiss cheese in seconds.
"Wow. He was either very hungry or he really loves cheese..." Cascata spoke. The mouse looked up at them as if begging for more.
Flip smiled. He took out a second piece of cheese and set it halfway between him and the Pokémon. It was quick to eat this one as well. Then, he took out a third piece of cheese. The Pichu waited for him to set this one down as well, but instead he just lowered his hand so the little mouse could reach it.
"If you want it, you have to trust me," he said to the rodent.
It was hesitant. After all, it had been rushed by a smaller human when it tried to trust these humans before. Its dark and dust-filled sanctuary wasn't too far, so it approached his hand and sniffed him.
The rodent paused. It felt strange. A new feeling was coming over it, the mysterious force that connects a trainer and their Pokémon. It had its doubts still, but there was something in him that was telling him to trust this boy. The Pichu quickly ate the cheese, then climbed into its trainer's lap.
"Impressive. That was really clever, Flip," Cascata said.
He rubbed the Pokémon's head gently. "It's a big step in the right direction, at least."
The Pichu let out a small yawn before curling up and letting itself drift off to sleep.
~*~
"Will this do for tonight, dear?" Flip's mother asked. "This used to be Flip's older brother's room, but ever since he left to be a trainer, we've used it for guests..."
"It's...a little large for a guest bedroom, isn't it?" Cascata responded. She had not wanted to mention it before, but the entire house had seemed 'rather large' compared to the small island home she had grown up inside.
"Oh, nonsense, it only looks that way because it's empty. Sleep well!" With that, the woman departed, not giving the girl a chance to get another word in.
Cascata shook her head. "What an odd woman..." she muttered to herself. She dropped her backpack on the bed and began to let her hair down. As she did this, she noted a digital clock on the otherwise barren bureau which read '10:21' in large red letters.
"Has it really gotten so late?" she asked herself, pulling the elastic out of her second ponytail. "And I thought I'd be sleeping in a Pokécenter right now..."
She rummaged through her bag, and pulled out a light blue nightgown and a hairbrush. Leaving her clothes in a pile on the floor, she slipped on the nightgown and began walking around the room while brushing her hair.
"Then again, this is much better anyway. I don't remember the last time I've slept somewhere so nice. Flip is really lucky..."
She stopped nearby the window. Outside, the stars were shimmering brightly. In fact, Cascata couldn't recall the last time she saw the stars so clearly, since the smoke and ash from the Cinnabar volcano always dimmed their light. The moon was bright and clear that night as well, and the moonlight was reflected off the dew gathered on the flowers below. It was like looking out on a sea of sparkling lights.
"It's nice, isn't it?"
Cascata turned around. Flip was standing outside her doorway, wearing some dark blue pajamas. His Dratini was draped over his shoulders, looking ready to fall asleep. The Pichu was nowhere to be seen.
He smiled. "Y'know, how peaceful it is out there at night."
"Oh, yes, it's beautiful here," she remarked, smiling back.
His smile dropped. "Something wrong? You sound kind of...sad."
Cascata turned back around. "It's nothing, really, just...well..."
"I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me. We only just met this morning. I'll let you get some sleep," he said, turning to leave.
"No, stay for a little bit. It's nice to have someone to talk to," she said, turning her head. "It's just...kinda silly."
Flip turned back. "What do you mean?"
"I...I don't want to be rivals with you."
There was an awkward pause. "What?" Flip asked, surprised.
She began playing with her hairbrush. "Y'know...I don't want to think of you as a rival trainer. As...as some kind of enemy." With a sigh, she shook her head. "But, there's not much we can do about that, is there? We're both trainers, and pretty much all trainers are rivals...fighting one another for greatness..."
"Cascata..." he said, starting to walk towards her.
Her depressing tone was cut off by somewhat forced sounding laughter. "Oh, what am I talking about? I'm sorry. I think I'm just tired. Sorry to have worried you. Goodnight, Flip!" She flashed a smile at him and continued brushing her hair.
The boy was about to say something, but stopped himself. "Goodnight, Cassie," he chose to say instead, leaving.
Though her eyes were closed, she knew he was gone because she heard him close the door. "Shouldn't even have brought it up..." she sighed to herself.
As she sighed, her nose was filled with the smell of the wildflowers. She looked out at them once more, then turned off the lights in the room and climbed into bed.
~*~
Flip sat wide-eyed in the darkness, looking around at the familiar shapes and objects of his room. Sleep refused to come for him.
How could he sleep? After all, if all went well the next day, he would never see this room again for a long time.
If all went well...
He shut his eyes tightly. The last thing he wanted was to be half-awake tomorrow. That would screw everything up.
He opened his eyes again. What if he was only half-awake right now? What if he had drifted off by the river bed, and this was all just some beautiful dream, a fantasy that would vanish before his eyes the moment he stopped believing?
He shoved his head underneath a pillow, trying to stop the flow of thoughts and aid his quest to fall asleep.
But, still the more he tried to stop the insane thoughts, the stronger they came. What if Cascata was just a dream, too? Will she still be there tomorrow, with those big, gleaming eyes of hers? That innocent smile? Was she just a figment of the imagination?
"Stop it..." he unintentionally said aloud, though it was mostly muffled by the pillow.
"Draaa?"
Flip uncovered his face. Dratini had woken up and was looking at him with large, worried eyes. "S-sorry, Dratini. I'm okay. Really. Go back to sleep."
The little dragon continued to stare at him for a moment. Then, despite what instincts told it, the Dratini obeyed. It rubbed against his face in a way that seemed to try and make him feel better, then curled back up on his chest and fell asleep.
Flip sighed, wishing he could do the same.
~*~
"Squir?"
A light blue turtle was rested on Cascata's chest, eagerly waiting for her to wake up. It tapped gently on the side of her head for the fifth time, and awaited a reaction.
For once, he got it. She slowly stirred for a moment or two, and eventually confirmed her Pokémon's belief that she would wake up by daintily opening her eyes to let the morning light in.
She sat up and the Squirtle dropped into her lap. Her freshly opened eyes squeezed themselves shut again as she yawned and stretched her arms out. Not a moment later, her attention was back on the creature that woke her up. "Good morning, Wade. Did you sleep well?" she said with a flash of her typical cheery smile.
The Pokémon grinned. "Squirt squirtle squirt!" He hopped off the bed and began pulling some clean clothes for his trainer out of her backpack.
"Looks like it's going to be a really nice day..." There was not a single cloud to be seen over the lush treetops of the Viridian Forest, or at least not from her limited view from the distant window. "That's good..."
She sighed contently. This place was so different from the island she was used to, with its more tropical vegetation and the refreshing sea breeze replacing the dense forest and the smell of wildflowers. But that only made this place seem nicer. It was a change of pace, and it was still a nice place though in different ways.
"I wonder what other nice places are out there..." she wondered aloud, half asking herself and half asking her Squirtle.
For a while, she gazed out the window, daydreaming.
"What do you think Wade?" She turned back to him. "WADE!" In her fantasizing, she had not realized the water Pokémon had gone beyond getting her a change of clothes for the day and was pulling out all her clean clothes in a messy heap on the floor.
Wade looked up and gave her a big, goofy smile. "Squirt!" he responded happily. He apparently thought he was still helping, because he didn't understand why his trainer shook her head and sighed.
~*~
Someone knocked on the door to Flip's bedroom. "Are you up yet, Flip?" the voice of Cascata drifted through the door.
He shuffled under his blanket, but otherwise made no move to get out of bed. Having trouble falling asleep the night before, he wasn't exactly eager to get out of bed now.
She knocked again. "Flip? You might want to get out of bed soon. You won't get to sleep in like this when you're a trainer."
His eyes reluctantly opened and he let out a small yawn. "Sleep in?" he muttered to himself. It felt rather early.
The knock came again. "Flip, come on. We're not in that much of a rush today, but we should have as much time as possible for your first battle. That way we can head off for Pewter City and get you registered...
He sat up. What could she be talking about? The battle couldn't take that long, Pewter City wasn't too much of a hike away, and registering as a trainer couldn't take that long...
His eyes snapped open as his eyes fell on the clock. It was almost one in the afternoon.
Miraculously and very fortunately, his mother did not hear what he yelled in reaction to this.
He leapt out of bed, sending his Dratini flying across the room and into a basket of dirty clothing. By the time that the little dragon had finished struggling with one of his shirts, Flip had already gotten out of pajamas and was putting on clean clothes. He finished getting dressed with incredible speed and grabbed Dratini's Pokéball off his nightstand. In his haste, he forgot that there were now two Pokéballs, and thus the Pichu's container fell to the floor in a way that caused the rodent to be released. The moment after making his mistake he sought to correct it, but did not realize the Pokémon was already out and ended up stepping on the little creature's tail. It had been sleeping peacefully until then, so it was not surprising that, due to this rude awakening, Flip and everything else in the room was engulfed in electricity.
"Uh...Flip? Are you alright?" Cascata asked, still waiting outside the door. A worried and confused look had settled on her brow.
The door swung open very suddenly, and there stood one lightly toasted Flip. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I just didn't realize how late it was." Dratini slithered out from behind him and flopped on the floor, dazed.
Cascata's mood brightened right away. "I see. So, breakfast and then battle?"
He rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess...uh, what are you staring at?"
"You seem to have your shirt on backwards." She pointed to the collar.
Flip looked down to see a tag poking out the neck of his shirt. "Um...right. Give me a minute." He retreated back into his room and closed the door.
Right away he began pulling off his shirt, but then he remembered the Pichu. It was no longer sitting at the foot of the nightstand where the Pokéball had dropped. With a grumble under his breath, he picked the empty Pokéball off the floor and began searching for the little mouse.
It was one of those things that were easier said than done, though. His room was an absolute mess. Clothes, textbooks, school papers, and Dratini's things were all piled up in random places and there was not a trace of order to be seen. Having no other choice, he began digging through the separate piles one by one.
He slowly made his way around the room only to come up empty-handed. He was about to start checking everything again when a telltale spark caught his eye from beneath his bed. "So, that's where you went..." Flip got down on his hands and knees and peered into the darkness. Just as he expected; there was a familiar looking silhouette that emitted sparks every now and then, lighting up the darkness just enough to let him clearly see the Pichu.
He slowly reached under the bed. The Pichu, in response, gave him a small shock of electricity, causing him to pull his hand back and shake it up and down.
"Come on, Pichu. You can't have forgotten me already. Remember yesterday? When I gave you the cheese?" Flip smiled in an attempt to relax the Pichu. It seemed to emit sparks less frequently.
He could see it shift in some way, and then the form began moving towards him. He let out a small sigh of relief. The Pichu still trusted him...
Or so it seemed. At the last moment the rodent stopped. Its tail had gotten caught on a nail sticking out of one of the pieces of wood that made up the bed, and the tail was now pulled rather tight. Flip caught on to this quickly, and began freeing the little mouse's tail. By doing this, he ended up pulling a little too hard and caused pain to shoot through the Pichu's body, giving it a painful reminder of what had put it in such a foul mood in the first place: Flip stepping on its tail. It sent a much more powerful surge of electricity through Flip's body and retreated to the farthest reaches of beneath Flip's bed.
Flip sighed. "Look's like we're back to square one..."
~*~
Sometime later, Flip stumbled into the living room. His skin and clothes were unusually charred and his hair was sticking out more randomly than usual. Diana was too caught up in watching cartoons to notice him at all, but Cascata saw him and began adding things up in her head right away.
"I thought Pichu trusted you. What happened?" she asked with a concerned expression on her face.
He flopped on the couch, not making eye contact with her. "I...well, I accidentally stepped on his tail this morning."
"Oh..." she said, nodding to herself knowingly. "Well, that's too bad. Getting a Pokémon to trust you at first is never easy, especially with one as moody as that Pichu. You know, after seeing how you calmed him down yesterday, I thought that you wouldn't have any more problems with the little guy,
but...looks like it won't be that easy."
Flip held the rodent's pokéball in one hand. "Anyway, I think he'll have calmed down by now, so..."
Cascata's eyes widens. "You...put him in his pokéball? When he was in a bad mood?"
"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" His finger was still on the button to release the Pichu.
"D-don't you know? Pichu and its evolutions...uh...in general, they dislike being forced into pokéballs and staying in them for extended periods of time..." She began moving away from Flip.
His eyes widened as well. "So...what you're saying is...he'll be in a worse mood than before?" Cascata nodded. "Wh-what do I do, then?! I can't let him out-"
She shook her head. "No! If you leave him in there even longer, he'll just get angrier! Better to deal with him now..." She stood up off the couch and took some steps back from Flip.
He gulped nervously. Cascata was right; avoiding the problem would only make it worse. So, he squeezed his eyes as tightly shut as he could, bracing himself for the charge of electricity, held the pokéball at arm's length and pressed the button...
He remained frozen in that pose for at least ten seconds after the ball had opened, revealing nothing. Slowly, he opened the eye closest to the pokéball and checked to see if the coast was clear. The Pichu, apparently, was already gone.
"Uh, Flip, are you sure that's Pichu's pokéball?" Cascata asked, moving back towards him.
He looked utterly confused, his arm still extended. "I'm positive...where..."
Their questions were quickly answered as Diana laughed in response to the cartoon she was watching. A second, squeakier voice was laughing in harmony with hers, and the two older humans recognized it immediately. The little mouse was sitting on her lap, watching television blissfully.
Diana smiled at the Pichu. "You're so kyu-uuuut! C'mon, what show shoudwjee watch next?"
The Pichu returned the smile. "Pipichupichu!"
"I have absalootly no idea wacha just said, so lez just watch wateva's on next, kay?"
"Pi-CHU!"
The two laughed happily while Flip and Cascata watched in stunned silence.
"Fickle little creature, isn't he?" Cascata said, finally turning back towards Flip.
"Um, yeah...but at least Diana's calmed him down, right?" Flip finally relaxed his arms. "So, uh, I'll just go eat something quickly and then I'll meet you outside. Alright?"
"Sounds fine to me," Cascata responded. Flip stood up and headed off into the kitchen, leaving Cascata to just shake her head.
"How did the Pichu get out...?"
~*~
"Flip!"
He was mere moments from the door with Dratini and Pichu resting on either shoulder when his mother's calling grabbed his attention. He turned around to face her. "What is it, mom?"
She smiled sweetly. "Don't you want your backpack?"
He was confused. "I...don't have a backpack. You threw out my old one because the left strap was ripped, remember?"
"Well, you do now!" She revealed a brand new backpack from behind her back. It was black with gold-colored zippers and already stuffed with clothes and supplies. "Do you like it? I went shopping to get you one this morning and put your things in it while you were eating."
Flip took it from her hands. "I...mom, I thought you didn't want me to become a trainer. What made you change your mind all of a sudden?"
She sighed. "I still don't, but...that doesn't really matter. I always had a feeling you would become a trainer whether I liked it or not, and here you are doing exactly that." She laughed, but Flip could swear he caught the sparkle of a tear in her eye. "I mean, you still have to win one battle, but there's no doubt in my mind you will. I'll always support your decisions, Philip, even if I don't agree with them."
Flip pouted. "Don't call me Philip." Then, he put down the backpack and wrapped his arms around his mother, causing the two Pokémon to jump to the floor. "Thanks, mom."
She returned the hug. "Aw, my baby..."
From the living room, Diana shouted, "I tawt I was your baby!"
Flip's mother laughed, and the two stopped embracing. "Now, Flip, if you're going to be a trainer, you'd better at least be a good one! I expect no less than champion or you're going straight back to school, got it?" She smiled jokingly.
Flip laughed in response. "Okay. Don't worry, mom. Beating the champion should only take a week, maybe two, right?"
She smiled. "That's my boy!" The two laughed together.
Flip picked up his backpack and quickly put his arms under the straps. "I'll see you later, mom." He opened the door and stepped outside, Dratini and Pichu scrambling along beside him.
"Goodbye, Philip..." she sighed, watching him step outside. She wiped away the tear that had been resting at the corner of her eye.
Cascata was sitting on the front steps, waiting for him. She began standing up as soon as the door opened. "So, you ready to battle, Flip?"
"I guess so, but..." He started descending the stone steps that led to the path between the wildflowers. "...who am I fighting?"
She looked at him surprised. "You don't know?"
"You never said."
She laughed. "Isn't it obvious?"
Flip looked confused. "Um...no?"
The girl started walking down the path. "You'll be fighting me, silly. Who else is there?"
Flip suddenly froze. "Y...you?"
"Yes, me. You will be fighting me. That's what I just said." She laughed. "Why, is there something wrong with that?"
He paused. "No, nothing," he lied, while a tight knot began forming in his stomach. Battle her? He was still somewhat occupied sorting out his feelings for her. He did not have the heart or the guts to battle her yet, and began hoping for some sort of miracle to occur so he wouldn't have to fight her...
They reached the end of the path. "We should have plenty of room right here in the forest. Two Pokémon each, obviously, since..." She had begun turning around when she saw Flip's face. "Flip, what's wrong?"
He had not noticed how pale his face had turned. "I...well...I don't..."
"...want to battle me?" she said, looking sad. "Why not?"
"I'm sorry...it's just...I don't like the thought of battling a friend..."
She smiled and laughed again. "Oh, is that all? Listen, there's a big difference between a battle between friends and a battle between rivals. This is mostly for practice. And to make sure you can handle the stress of a battle. In fact, to tell the truth...I was kind of planning on letting you win regardless of whether you actually could or not."
The color returned to his face. "Really?"
She kept walking. "Well, yeah. I'd be kind of a jerk to help you become a trainer and then at the last moment crush your hopes, right?" She stopped again. "But...I don't think I'll win anyway. This is my first real battle, too, to tell the truth. I'm so excited."
Flip had relaxed a great deal, but the knot in his stomach was still there. Cascata wanted to battle him? He hadn't thought that trainers enjoy battling everybody, not just their enemies. Then again, it did make sense. You could battle a friend at any time and not stir up any negative emotions. He had never considered such things before.
"So, you don't want to be rivals either?"
"Huh?" He snapped out of thought quickly. "No, not at all!"
"Great!" She looked relieved. "I don't have any rivals yet, but I don't have any friends who are trainers. You're a nice person, Flip. A little odd, but still nice. I don't want you as a rival."
The knot finally loosened. A smile returned to Flip's face.
"So, anyway, like I was saying, we should use two Pokémon each since that's all we have. Makes sense, right?" Cascata pulled two pokéballs from her pocket and turned to face him again.
"Sure. You choose first," he said, walking away from her. He stopped and turned around. "Think this'll be enough room for a battlefield?"
"More than enough. We're both using low-level, unevolved Pokémon, right? We don't need a large area." She kept one in her left hand and flung the other onto the battlefield with her right. "Go! Cira!"
In a burst of light, a small Pidgey fluttered onto the battlefield and spread its wings in some failed attempt at intimidation. "Purdgey!" it cooed.
Flip had to hold back laughter. "Too easy! Go, Pichu!"
The little rodent scurried from his side and onto the battlefield. The hair raised on its tail and back and it bared its tiny fangs "Pichau!" he said as fiercely as he could, though it still sounded rather cute.
"Tackle it, Cira!" Cascata cried. The little bird began lifting itself into the air to dive on the mouse.
Flip shook his head. "Not a chance. Use your Charm, Pichu!"
The Pichu switched from its battle pose to acting its most adorable, with enormous sparkling eyes and the happiest smile one could ever imagine. This caught the Pidgey completely offguard, and it screwed up its dive, only managing to nick the mouse in the ear with a talon. The Pichu's eyes narrowed and it reverted to a fighting stance once more.
"That's it, Pichu! Now, Thundershock that bird!" Flip said, cheering his Pokémon on.
The Pichu willingly listened, and squeezed its cheeks. Electricity poured out and into the opponent's body, but it still managed to fly around.
"We can still win this...Sand Attack, Cira!" Cascata yelled out.
The bird lowered itself near the ground and began kicking sand into the Pichu's eyes. The Pichu was angered by this, and, without
any command from its trainer, it fired a much larger bolt of energy at the bird. The Pidgey collapsed with a flop.
"C-cira!" Cascata said, surprised. "Come back!" She held out the pokéball, and Cira was surrounded in red light. Almost instantly her body seemed to vanish in the energy, which was then sucked back into the pokéball.
Flip rubbed the back of his head. "Uh, sorry. I think Pichu went a little overboard with the electricity there. Will Cira be alright?"
"Oh, don't worry. She'll be fine. Pokémon are made to fighting like this. But...wow. I was right. I don't need to let you win..." Cascata shook her head and repocketed the pokéball. "Still, this next one won't be so easy. Go, Wade! Start with Tail Whip!" she cried, flinging a second pokéball onto the field.
It burst open to reveal an eager-looking Squirtle who hopped up and down twice and then spun around on its shell before standing back up in its own battle pose. "Squirtle Squirt!" he cried in a voice that almost sounded like a laugh.
"Still too easy. Thudershock, Pichu!" Flip shouted.
The Pichu launched the attack at the Squirtle, but this was easy for the turtle to dodge due to the sand that had been kicked in Pichu's eyes. It leaped to the side of the Pichu and used its tail to flip the mouse onto its back. "CHU!" the Pichu cried, more out of surprise than pain.
"Shoot!" Flip could easily see that the Pichu was now in a much more vulnerable position and wouldn't be able to recover its stance before the Squirtle's next attack. "Use your Charm again, Pichu!"
"Ignore the Charm, Wade! Tackle it!" Cascata cried, smiling brightly. She could see her Squirtle's advantage as well.
The Pichu did its best to look adorable once more, but Wade the Squirtle was too close for it to have enough time. The mouse was slammed into the dirt. This had been a much more powerful blow than the one from Cira's talon. The mouse rose to its feet, but its paws quivered and its legs looked like they would give out at any moment.
;"Alright, Pichu, return!" Flip said, recalling the rodent to its pokéball. "Your turn, Dratini!"
The little dragon leapt eagerly onto the battlefield, shouting, "Tinitinidratiiiniii!" It seemed to be doing a much better job at intimidation than the others; in fact, Flip could swear he saw the Squirtle shiver.
Cascata gulped. "Wade use...use your Tackle again!"
"Leer, Dratini!" Flip called out.
The Dragon narrowed its eyes at the turtle Pokémon, and this time Flip was sure he saw the Squirtle start to shake. Wade leapt at Dratini, and the Dratini was pushed into the dirt like Pichu had been. However, the Dratini was much better off than the electric rodent after the attack.
"Great, Dratini! Now, Wrap it!" Flip yelled to his Pokémon. He was getting excited since he was almost certain he was going to win now. Now he was beginning to understand why Cascata was so eager to battle.
"Tackle it again! Harder!" Cascata cried, but she was too late.
The serpent had already coiled around the Squirtle. For a bit, the two stayed still, with the Dratini slowly increasing the tightness of its coils around the opponent's shell and neck. Finally, it released a very dazed looking Squirtle, who stumbled around a bit before falling over.
"Wade, return!" Cascata shouted, and the pokéball sucked the Squirtle back in. She sighed. "That's that, I guess. You beat me fair and
square, and now we go get you registered as a trainer."
Dratini beamed victoriously.
~*~
The sun had already begun setting again by the time Flip and Cascata set off for Pewter City. Dratini was sitting on Flip's shoulder again, but the rest of the Pokémon were in their pokéballs.
"Goodbye, Flip!" Flip's mother called out, waving. "Take good care of yourself! Call me every day! And be careful! I love you!"
"Bye, Fwip!" Diana said, waving as well. "Don't ferget to wite! And bwing me back a pwesent!"
Flip stopped and waved back. "Bye, mom! Bye, Diana!" He smiled, taking one last look at them, then continued walking.
"So!" Cascata started. "We should make it to the Pewter City Pokécenter by nightfall, and we can get you registered there, too, but we might not be able to do that until morning. Is that alright?"
Flip grinned at her. "Sounds great! Y'know, I still can't believe I'm doing this. It's like...I dunno, like this whole weekend has just been a long, strange dream."
"Mmm-hmm," Cascata said. "I think all trainers feel like that when they're first starting. Usually it's not just a weekend, but..."
For a while the two walked in silence. The sky was now a great variety of colors, from a bright reddish-orange to the deep indigo color of the night. The distant cries of various Pokémon could be heard every now and then. It was a very peaceful evening.
"Say, Cascata..." Flip began saying.
"Yes?"
He stopped and looked up at the sky as if to collect his thoughts. "Are we only going to travel together until Pewter City?"
She stopped beside him. "What do you mean?"
"I've heard that some trainers will travel in groups and help eachother out. Since we're both just starting, maybe we could travel together as well? At the very least, until we get past Mount Moon. I've heard that it's not a good place to be running around in alone. But maybe longer than that..." He looked back at her. "Well? What do you think?"
She smiled that beautiful smile of hers at him again. "I think that that's a great idea. Sure." She began walking again. Flip paused for a little bit longer, then continued following.
"Oh, no...I just remembered..." Flip said, looking very worried.
"What is it? Did you leave something behind?"
"No, it's not that...it's..." He slowly held up a pokéball. "I called Pichu back when he was injured, remember? I never let him out again..."
Cascata stopped for a moment, then ran a few feet ahead. "My sympathies to you, Flip!" she said, turning back around.
He braced himself for the second time that day and opened the pokéball. This time, the shock came. Cascata, despite the distance she had placed between Flip and herself, still had to jump back to avoid the electricity. Once the light show had ended, Flip fell to the ground with the Pichu sitting on his head looking very angry.
"Y'know, I think I just thought of a name for my Pichu..." Flip muttered.
"Oh?"
"Hazard..."
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