Post by WARendfeld on Sept 12, 2012 11:51:30 GMT -6
A Night to Remember
Much like many other small towns, Canterville had one or two independently owned and operated restaurants, which attracted clientele as much because of good food as due to a family atmosphere. Thanks to that, the restaurant that Alex and Cass found themselves at was comfortable, cozy, and put them both at ease. The company didn’t hurt either.
“I’m sorry about everything you’ve been through, Alex. From everything I’ve heard…”
“Twyla, please.” Alex offered the violet-eyed young woman a reassuring smile. “I know what you’re about to say, and I appreciate it and the sentiment behind it. But the more I get reminded of what I’ve been through, the harder it’ll be for me to move on and let go. I did what I did, and while I’ve accepted that I have to live with it, I don’t want to dwell on it and let what I’ve done be the only thing defining me.” The smile grew wider as she added, “That all said, thank you.”
“Besides, we’ve got a nice meal waiting for us.” Sam beamed as the food was brought out to their table, an assortment of various pastas and Italian cuisine. “Way I see it, we should be enjoying that.”
Annabelle quickly chimed in, adding, “And talkin’ ‘bout what’s to come’s a lot more fun than goin’ on about what’s already happened, sugarcube.”
Twyla relented with an apologetic smile. “Right. Sorry Alex.” She then turned the topic of discussion elsewhere as she began her meal. “So, all eight badges for the Hoenn League. What’s next, preparing for the next tournament?”
“Are you kidding?” Raine excitedly jumped into the conversation and recounted, “She’s already won a small tournament and beaten the Champion!”
Scota quickly chimed in with her idol. “Yeah! Winning in another tournament would just be redundant!”
Alex shook her head. “That small tournament I got into was just that, a small tournament. It was a local thing like the Club events in Unova, not a major regional competition. And I wasn’t battling Wallace in his capacity as the Champion; I battled him in his capacity as a Gym Leader. Totally different situations. Besides, I haven’t heard one word or another about the next Hoenn League competition.” She speared a small piece of chicken coated in marinara before continuing, “What I am going to do is go back to Johto. I’ve got plenty of unfinished business there, and besides, I want to try and fulfill some part of my crazy plan.”
At the assorted Canterville residents’ puzzled looks, Cass grinned and explained, “Alex got it into her head years ago to follow my path as a trainer. I went to Johto, then Kanto, then finally came home to Hoenn before my effective retirement. Trouble is a lot of stuff happened that prompted her to change her plans.”
“Like her goin’ to Orre and what happened to your mama.” At Cass’ nod, Abigail continued, “But that doesn’t mean Alex is gonna just stop after gettin’ the badges in Johto and Kanto, right?”
“Cass retired from the field because she wanted to take a swipe at Pokémon Contests. And while I appreciate them, I know they aren’t for me or my team.” An eager grin appeared on her face as Alex explained, “After Johto and Kanto, I expect I’ll keep moving forward. I’ll tour Sinnoh and Unova, and maybe a few regions beyond, depending on what the future holds. I didn’t start my journey exactly the same way and I didn’t do exactly the same thing, so I don’t see any sense in finishing it the way she did too.”
“Considering Alex started with a stubborn Torchic and I had a loyal and affectionate Larvitar, I don’t expect it to go any other way.”
Felicity’s eyes lit up when Cass mentioned her starter. “Ooh, a Larvitar? I’ve never seen a real live Larvitar before! Do you still have him?”
“Sort of.” Cass shrugged nervously as she explained, “Obsidian’s since evolved into a Tyranitar.” She noticed the rose-haired girl’s saddened expression, and immediately added, “But he’s still affectionate. Instead of being a like a friendly little teddy bear, he’s now a friendly big teddy bear.” She laughed nervously as she qualified, “Albeit one with a rocky hide.”
-
“Look at them, Geoff. Sitting around, enjoying the fruit of our labor whilst we, true artists, slave away and…”
“Carver, do we really want to do this again?” His shorter partner looked up at him in surprise as he paused in his dishwashing, “That one girl beat us several times, and her friends defeated our Pokémon without breaking a sweat.” He nervously pointed out Felicity and added, “Besides, that one there with the rosey hair was really scary.”
“She stared at you and scolded you like a child!”
Geoff sheepishly shrugged. “It was still scary.”
Carver groaned. “Fine. Let’s just finish up tonight’s shift and move on.” His enthusiasm increased as he valiantly declared, “Still, the day will come when Team Capture is hailed and respected by all the world! And when that day comes, they will recognize us as…!”
“Hey shorty, get back to work!”
The short man groaned and continued with his work.
-
“Now Cassandra, I’m told you made a contest attempt recently.”
“Yeah.” Cass sighed as she admitted to Rachel, “I wasn’t bad, but everyone else was better. Still, I tried, right?”
“Yes, and there’s no shame in that.” Rachel let the matter drop and turned discussion elsewhere. “In any case, from what I’ve heard, you’ve a great deal to be proud of regardless. Earning twenty-four badges across three regions isn’t an easy feat and it’s certainly not something to laugh at.”
“Maybe, but after a while, it got boring.” A sad smile, and Cass continued, “I figured Contest battles would be a brilliant new challenge. It was, and I had fun, but…”
“But that’s what matters most, dearest. Don’t pay it any more heed. Besides, as much as I enjoyed Contests myself, they were more challenging than I’d have liked.” Rachel quickly turned to her sister and added, “But that should in no way discourage you from attempting them if you wish.”
Sarah smiled, glad for her big sister’s encouragement.
“In any case, it doesn’t detract from your earlier accomplishments. Many trainers don’t even manage to win one badge, but you were skilled enough to earn twenty-four.”
“Yeah. Not sure how I feel about Alex eventually earning more, though. I mean, if she does, then awesome, but…”
“Cassandra, dearest…” Rachel hesitated, trying her best to not sound undiplomatic or inadvertently insult the gorgeous redhead beside her. “You have an absolutely wonderful young woman for a sister, and her achievements are just that, her achievements. What she’s done won’t eclipse what you’ve done. If anything, they shall enhance what you’ve done.”
Cass grinned at that thought. “That’s one good way to look at it.” She switched to another topic and found herself asking, “Anyway, I’ve got a lot of free time now. I don’t suppose you can point me at anyone here in town who might be looking for a certain special someone to spend time with?” Emphasizing her point with a gesture, she noted, “And by spend time with, I mean…”
“Date?” Rachel grinned and noted, “Well, I wouldn’t be the one to ask, but Twyla does have a sister-in-law who’s quite the matchmaker…”
At another corner of the table, Abigail sat up and asked, “So Alex, what kinds ‘a Pokémon you think you’ll end up catchin’?”
“Ooh! Maybe she can get a Rapidash, or a Zebstrika!” Patty enthusiastically and gleefully considered aloud, “She can ride ‘em around and look really really cool and…”
“Whoa, steady!” Alex smiled and noted, “As cool as it would be to have a Pokémon I could ride around on the back of that isn’t a flyer, I’m not planning on hunting down a specific Pokémon. Whoever I can find that’s happy to stick with me, I’ll welcome onto the team with open arms.” She then grinned and added, “That said, if there’s ever a non-Legendary Pegasus Pokémon and it’s strong enough to support my weight, then I’ll definitely do what I can to add one to my roster.”
“Well, I don’t know about one not being a Legendary, but there’s no way a Pegasus Pokémon wouldn’t be strong enough to fly while carrying you.” Raine pointed out with some satisfaction, “You gotta have strong muscles to flap wings and sustain flight, after all.”
Alex considered that for a moment and gave a short nod of agreement. “Anyway, we’ll see what the future brings.” She grinned as she thought of the road ahead, and quietly looked forward to the stories to come.
TBC!
Much like many other small towns, Canterville had one or two independently owned and operated restaurants, which attracted clientele as much because of good food as due to a family atmosphere. Thanks to that, the restaurant that Alex and Cass found themselves at was comfortable, cozy, and put them both at ease. The company didn’t hurt either.
“I’m sorry about everything you’ve been through, Alex. From everything I’ve heard…”
“Twyla, please.” Alex offered the violet-eyed young woman a reassuring smile. “I know what you’re about to say, and I appreciate it and the sentiment behind it. But the more I get reminded of what I’ve been through, the harder it’ll be for me to move on and let go. I did what I did, and while I’ve accepted that I have to live with it, I don’t want to dwell on it and let what I’ve done be the only thing defining me.” The smile grew wider as she added, “That all said, thank you.”
“Besides, we’ve got a nice meal waiting for us.” Sam beamed as the food was brought out to their table, an assortment of various pastas and Italian cuisine. “Way I see it, we should be enjoying that.”
Annabelle quickly chimed in, adding, “And talkin’ ‘bout what’s to come’s a lot more fun than goin’ on about what’s already happened, sugarcube.”
Twyla relented with an apologetic smile. “Right. Sorry Alex.” She then turned the topic of discussion elsewhere as she began her meal. “So, all eight badges for the Hoenn League. What’s next, preparing for the next tournament?”
“Are you kidding?” Raine excitedly jumped into the conversation and recounted, “She’s already won a small tournament and beaten the Champion!”
Scota quickly chimed in with her idol. “Yeah! Winning in another tournament would just be redundant!”
Alex shook her head. “That small tournament I got into was just that, a small tournament. It was a local thing like the Club events in Unova, not a major regional competition. And I wasn’t battling Wallace in his capacity as the Champion; I battled him in his capacity as a Gym Leader. Totally different situations. Besides, I haven’t heard one word or another about the next Hoenn League competition.” She speared a small piece of chicken coated in marinara before continuing, “What I am going to do is go back to Johto. I’ve got plenty of unfinished business there, and besides, I want to try and fulfill some part of my crazy plan.”
At the assorted Canterville residents’ puzzled looks, Cass grinned and explained, “Alex got it into her head years ago to follow my path as a trainer. I went to Johto, then Kanto, then finally came home to Hoenn before my effective retirement. Trouble is a lot of stuff happened that prompted her to change her plans.”
“Like her goin’ to Orre and what happened to your mama.” At Cass’ nod, Abigail continued, “But that doesn’t mean Alex is gonna just stop after gettin’ the badges in Johto and Kanto, right?”
“Cass retired from the field because she wanted to take a swipe at Pokémon Contests. And while I appreciate them, I know they aren’t for me or my team.” An eager grin appeared on her face as Alex explained, “After Johto and Kanto, I expect I’ll keep moving forward. I’ll tour Sinnoh and Unova, and maybe a few regions beyond, depending on what the future holds. I didn’t start my journey exactly the same way and I didn’t do exactly the same thing, so I don’t see any sense in finishing it the way she did too.”
“Considering Alex started with a stubborn Torchic and I had a loyal and affectionate Larvitar, I don’t expect it to go any other way.”
Felicity’s eyes lit up when Cass mentioned her starter. “Ooh, a Larvitar? I’ve never seen a real live Larvitar before! Do you still have him?”
“Sort of.” Cass shrugged nervously as she explained, “Obsidian’s since evolved into a Tyranitar.” She noticed the rose-haired girl’s saddened expression, and immediately added, “But he’s still affectionate. Instead of being a like a friendly little teddy bear, he’s now a friendly big teddy bear.” She laughed nervously as she qualified, “Albeit one with a rocky hide.”
-
“Look at them, Geoff. Sitting around, enjoying the fruit of our labor whilst we, true artists, slave away and…”
“Carver, do we really want to do this again?” His shorter partner looked up at him in surprise as he paused in his dishwashing, “That one girl beat us several times, and her friends defeated our Pokémon without breaking a sweat.” He nervously pointed out Felicity and added, “Besides, that one there with the rosey hair was really scary.”
“She stared at you and scolded you like a child!”
Geoff sheepishly shrugged. “It was still scary.”
Carver groaned. “Fine. Let’s just finish up tonight’s shift and move on.” His enthusiasm increased as he valiantly declared, “Still, the day will come when Team Capture is hailed and respected by all the world! And when that day comes, they will recognize us as…!”
“Hey shorty, get back to work!”
The short man groaned and continued with his work.
-
“Now Cassandra, I’m told you made a contest attempt recently.”
“Yeah.” Cass sighed as she admitted to Rachel, “I wasn’t bad, but everyone else was better. Still, I tried, right?”
“Yes, and there’s no shame in that.” Rachel let the matter drop and turned discussion elsewhere. “In any case, from what I’ve heard, you’ve a great deal to be proud of regardless. Earning twenty-four badges across three regions isn’t an easy feat and it’s certainly not something to laugh at.”
“Maybe, but after a while, it got boring.” A sad smile, and Cass continued, “I figured Contest battles would be a brilliant new challenge. It was, and I had fun, but…”
“But that’s what matters most, dearest. Don’t pay it any more heed. Besides, as much as I enjoyed Contests myself, they were more challenging than I’d have liked.” Rachel quickly turned to her sister and added, “But that should in no way discourage you from attempting them if you wish.”
Sarah smiled, glad for her big sister’s encouragement.
“In any case, it doesn’t detract from your earlier accomplishments. Many trainers don’t even manage to win one badge, but you were skilled enough to earn twenty-four.”
“Yeah. Not sure how I feel about Alex eventually earning more, though. I mean, if she does, then awesome, but…”
“Cassandra, dearest…” Rachel hesitated, trying her best to not sound undiplomatic or inadvertently insult the gorgeous redhead beside her. “You have an absolutely wonderful young woman for a sister, and her achievements are just that, her achievements. What she’s done won’t eclipse what you’ve done. If anything, they shall enhance what you’ve done.”
Cass grinned at that thought. “That’s one good way to look at it.” She switched to another topic and found herself asking, “Anyway, I’ve got a lot of free time now. I don’t suppose you can point me at anyone here in town who might be looking for a certain special someone to spend time with?” Emphasizing her point with a gesture, she noted, “And by spend time with, I mean…”
“Date?” Rachel grinned and noted, “Well, I wouldn’t be the one to ask, but Twyla does have a sister-in-law who’s quite the matchmaker…”
At another corner of the table, Abigail sat up and asked, “So Alex, what kinds ‘a Pokémon you think you’ll end up catchin’?”
“Ooh! Maybe she can get a Rapidash, or a Zebstrika!” Patty enthusiastically and gleefully considered aloud, “She can ride ‘em around and look really really cool and…”
“Whoa, steady!” Alex smiled and noted, “As cool as it would be to have a Pokémon I could ride around on the back of that isn’t a flyer, I’m not planning on hunting down a specific Pokémon. Whoever I can find that’s happy to stick with me, I’ll welcome onto the team with open arms.” She then grinned and added, “That said, if there’s ever a non-Legendary Pegasus Pokémon and it’s strong enough to support my weight, then I’ll definitely do what I can to add one to my roster.”
“Well, I don’t know about one not being a Legendary, but there’s no way a Pegasus Pokémon wouldn’t be strong enough to fly while carrying you.” Raine pointed out with some satisfaction, “You gotta have strong muscles to flap wings and sustain flight, after all.”
Alex considered that for a moment and gave a short nod of agreement. “Anyway, we’ll see what the future brings.” She grinned as she thought of the road ahead, and quietly looked forward to the stories to come.
TBC!