Post by WARendfeld on Sept 19, 2012 6:41:09 GMT -6
On The Road Again
The Lilycove City port was bustling with activity as normal, a multitude of people either climbing onto ferries heading elsewhere in Hoenn or, more rarely, heading for another region entirely. As Alex and Cass made their way through, both found themselves reminded of their earlier departures from here, the latter with nostalgia and the former with eagerness to continue on.
“Here I thought this day would never come, you leaving Hoenn and going back to Johto.” A sad though proud smile was on her face as Cass added, “Almost makes me wish I was going with you.”
“You could. I wouldn’t mind the company.”
“Nah. I’ve already traced those steps, I’m fine not going down that road again. But ask me that again when you finally venture off to Sinnoh, and we’ll see what happens.” The two finally stopped at the ticket office, and Cass sighed. “I guess this is it.” She turned to her sister and noted, “I’ll miss you, Alex. The house is gonna be much emptier with you not around.”
Alex smirked. “Not to mention a little more boring.”
“Yeah, but considering the excitement we’ve had lately, I think a little boredom won’t be so bad.” She smiled and said, “I do want you to know something, though. I’m proud of you and everything you’ve done.”
“Even me killing people?”
“Not so much that, but I’m not gonna complain about you killing people who actively wanted you dead. And I know you won’t start going around and randomly killing folks just because you can. Mom raised us better than that.” She affectionately laid a hand on her sister’s shoulder and continued, “I’m also not going to complain if you see and do things that I never experience. It’s a big wide world, and I’d be terrified if the two of us ended up doing things exactly the same way. Besides, that way, I’ll actually be surprised by your stories.” The two laughed, and she finished, “Anyway, you’ll do great. Just call home every once in a while, alright?”
“Oh, trust me, that’ll be the easiest thing I can do.” She wrapped her arms around her sister and smiled. “Gonna miss you, Cass.”
“You too, Alex.” The embrace ended, and the elder sister encouraged the younger, “Now go and show ‘em what you can do.”
“Hold one moment!” The two turned and found themselves looking upon a very familiar pair of twenty-something men, one taller and lankier and effectively glaring at Alex while the shorter, bespectacled one stood by, looking very embarrassed to be there. “You will not be going anywhere and showing anyone anything until we settle unfinished business!”
Cass looked at the tall man, slightly shorter than either of them, with incredible befuddlement. “Alex, do you know this guy?”
Alex’s expression was far less confused and far more annoyed. “Unfortunately.”
“You don’t know of me? Do you not realize who I am?!” The scrawny man haughtily proclaimed, “I’m Doctor Eldon Carter! I have multiple Ph.D.s and I’m a world-renowned theoretical physicist!” As if an afterthought, he gestured to his bespectacled comrade. “This is Dr. Leonard Hardtstaeder. He’s an experimental physicist, hardly worth mentioning.”
Leonard managed a small wave and quickly remarked, “Yeah, hi, just pretend I’m not here.”
Cass quickly cottoned on. “Alex, he’s the crazy Magneto cosplayer that you beat in two double battles, right?” Her sister nodded sadly. “Thought so.”
“This talentless woman that you were just hugging a moment ago didn’t simply beat me! She challenged my innate superiority, and that crime cannot go unpunished!”
“Eldon, please! She beat you in two Pokémon battles! Let it go!”
Eldon turned to his associate with a boggled expression. “Let it go? Let it go?! Leonard, if anyone let things go, nothing would be accomplished! Einstein wouldn’t have formulated the theory of relativity! Hawking wouldn’t have developed his theories related to black holes! Mr. Spock would have remained dead!”
“And Khan would’ve remained alive and Spock wouldn’t have been killed in the first place.” The two geeks turned to Alex as she shrugged. “What, a girl can’t see a science fiction film every once in a while? Fine, I’ll make a literary reference next time.”
Eldon quickly brushed off her knowledge of his favorite science fiction franchise and returned to the subject at hand. “In any case, I’ve come all this way from Mossdeep City on a mode of transport that I absolutely detest to settle this matter once and for all. You, you tiny mortal woman, will engage me in a Pokémon battle!”
Cass quirked an eyebrow. “How is Alex tiny? She’s taller than you, more buxom than I am, probably has more muscle than you ever will…”
“I definitely have more muscle than him right now. I carried him around like an empty suitcase.” Her attention turned away from that point and noted, “Anyway, no thanks, not interested.”
Eldon’s response was swift and indignant. “And why not?”
“Short version? Been there, done that. Long version? Because I’ve beaten you twice already and know your general strategy. Unless you’ve fundamentally altered your way of thinking, then I see absolutely no good reason to battle you a third time.”
“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with my strategy!”
“It relies entirely upon Magnet Rise! Nothing a Pokémon with that attack can do can’t be done as well by a Pokémon that has Levitate as an ability! Besides, of the seven lines that learn it naturally, most can be taken out by a competent Fire-type, just as I demonstrated the first time we battled! You build an entire team around a central theme, and anyone with half a brain can take you down!” Alex groaned. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got tickets to buy and a boat to catch.”
“There, you see? She agrees with me, Eldon, so let’s get on the next ferry and…”
“Silence!” Eldon crossed his arms and noted, “Your logic is excellent and your reasoning is sound. It is, however, flawed.”
“Because it isn’t your reasoning?” A nod from the skinny scientist, and Alex groaned and turned to her sister. “You just can’t reason with some people.”
“Because my reasoning is unassailable.” Sounding positively smug, Eldon noted, “Given a proper chance, I will annihilate you.”
Sounding positively bored, Alex retorted, “Given proper incentive, I can kill you.” She then groaned again and noted, “But if you’re so adamant about battling me again, then fine. Let’s get it straightened out.”
“Whoa, hold on.” Cass grinned and offered, “Why not me? If he thinks he can take you down, then hey, he shouldn’t have a problem with me.”
“I won’t have a problem with either of you.” Entirely convinced of his inevitable victory, Eldon quickly noted, “I’ll gladly take on and defeat both of you.”
Alex threw up her arms and surrendered. “Fine, you can battle both of us.” She and her sister moved into position, glad for the generally wide and open area around them, and she asked, “Don’t trash him too badly, right?”
Cass grinned. “Alex, since when did I use excessive force?”
On the other end of the improvised field, Leonard noted to his charge, “Eldon, you can back off from this.”
“The gauntlet has been thrown, Leonard. I shall not back down from the challenge.” He turned to the two and readied his choices. “You’re ready?” At the two sisters’ nods, he called out, “Very well! Onwards, Forretress! Magnezone!”
“Let’s do it, Obsidian!”
“Surtur!”
A massive Sandstorm kicked up as the Tyranitar and Blaziken appeared on the field, no damage being done to anyone on the field save Surtur himself thanks to their individual types. As he was battered, Surtur grumbled, “<That’s the one thing I wasn’t looking forward to about this!>”
Obsidian made a small laugh. “<Hey, it’s an occupational hazard!>”
“Forretress, Magnezone, both of you, Magnet Rise!”
“Surtur, Blaze Kick against Forretress!”
“Obsidian, Screech! Same target!”
Obsidian’s attack came first, an ear-splitting screech ringing through the air and rattling the floating Bagworm Pokémon before Surtur charged and landed a powerful blow. Between the two attacks, the Forretress dropped, even as his partner managed to Rise up.
As the storm rattled one of his opponents and he recalled his fallen Pokémon, Eldon was undeterred. After all, he still had one Pokémon on the field and a Tyranitar only had so many moves it could use against a Steel-type. “Magnezone, use Discharge!”
“Surtur, Blaze Kick again!”
“Obsidian, Screech again!”
Once more, the Tyranitar Screeched, weakening defenses for the Blaziken to rush in and land a powerful fiery kick. Magnezone’s response was to send massive bolts of lighting to both its opponents, doing more damage to Surtur than to Obsidian. The barrage from Sandstorm did little to help.
“Alex, I don’t know about you, but I think we’d best finish this up.”
“Agreed. Let’s hit him hard. You want to soften him up?”
“Gladly. Obsidian! Hyper Beam!”
“Surtur! Bakunetsu Fire Punch!”
Eldon rolled his eyes as the two readied their attacks. “Oh come now! Hyper Beam is practically useless against Steel-types! It won’t do…!”
An absolutely massive Hyper Beam attack shot forth from Obsidian’s mouth and tore through the Magnezone, rattling it horribly. Nonetheless, it remained afloat.
Eldon was barely shaken as he pointed out, “Well, that elaborate attack of yours will hardly…”
Instead of charging forward and simply punching the floating Magnet Area Pokémon, Surtur simply fired a stream of flame from his open claw, bathing the Magnezone in fire. That last attack finished things, and the Magnezone dropped, unconscious.
Alex and Cass quickly recalled their selections and the dust settled, the elder sister grinning. “That felt good. I was always hoping you and I could battle together someday.”
Alex grinned right back. “Let’s hope the next time isn’t too long from now.”
As his main opponent went off to the ticket booth, Eldon recalled his defeated Pokémon, strode up to Cass and demanded, “There will be a rematch! This won’t go without incident! You’ll rue the day you dared to question my natural superiority!”
“How are you naturally superior? Yeah, fine, you’re smarter than us, but that doesn’t make you automatically superior to anyone in every respect.”
“I disagree! Superior intelligence gets things done!”
“Yeah, if properly applied. And you aren’t properly applying it.” She turned away from the scientist and called, “Alex, like I said, show ‘em what you can do!”
Alex waved back, ticket in hand, and strode in to board her ferry.
“Wait, hold on! I…!”
“Doctor Carter? Don’t. You push this too far, and you’ll just piss her off.” Cass leaned in and noted, “And frankly, as superior as you think you are, you’re not. The truly superior don’t need to show it off.”
She then turned away and walked off, Eldon calling back, “But what sense is there in being superior if they don’t have it demonstrated?!” She seemingly ignored him as he called, “And where are you going?!”
“Home! And for the record, we’re firm believers in the Castle Doctrine!”
Eldon huffed, and marched over to his friend. “Come on, Leonard. We’re following her.”
Leonard groaned. “Eldon, don’t. You don’t even know where to look for her.”
“Nonetheless, I shall find her! She tasks me! She tasks me and I shall…!”
Leonard groaned again. “Oh come on, Eldon, she isn’t…!” He instantly realized that his associate was suddenly rendered mute. Sure, his lips were moving, and words were no doubt meant to be coming out, but no sound could be heard. “How the hell…?”
“Sound has to have a medium to travel through. Halting the movement of air molecules can effectively render someone mute.” Both their heads turned to a long-haired woman in an elaborate red and black uniform, her expression eerily calm. “It’s not as easy as it seems. The real difficulty is in making certain that the person you’re rendering mute doesn’t choke due to lack of oxygen.” She approached the theoretical physicist and noted, “Doctor Eldon Carter. You aren’t as intelligent as you think you are, and you certainly don’t hold superiority over the rest of humanity. After all, if you were superior, you would be able to stop me from silencing you.” The scientist all but glared daggers at her, but vainly struggled to move his arms. “Don’t even bother. You don’t have the power or the means to cause me to stop breathing, or to blow my head up. The very idea that you can do so is ridiculous; you’re nothing more than a man whose brain is wired slightly differently from everyone else. For someone like me, you’re barely more than a curiosity.”
Leonard looked at her with utter shock. “I’m sorry, who…?”
“Forgive me, my manners are horrible and I enjoy indulging in the dramatic.” She turned and offered a hand. “Sabrina.” The shocked physicist accepted her hand. “Your friend here is an interesting case. Asperger’s Syndrome, yes? Brilliant mind, but utterly lacking in understanding human behavior and incapable of seeing things from another’s perspective. Also far too overconfident. I could change that, but that would be like murder, and arrogance doesn’t warrant something that dire.” She turned back to him and flashed a small grin. “He’s lucky I stopped turning people into dolls a long time ago.” Eldon continued to glare as she added, “Oh stop. I’m almost done. This is just a warning. Not everyone is as tolerant as I or Alexandria. Push the wrong sort of person too far, the sort of person that I’d have no hesitation about changing or that Alexandria would show no hesitation towards killing, and you’ll not have time enough to regret it.”
In contrast to his associate, Leonard was terrified, but he was nonetheless able to speak, “So, why are you here?”
Sabrina took her hand back and answered. “Your friend is a passing interest. Alexandria, however, is something else. She’s something new.” She then turned and walked away. “And I’m looking forward to when she eventually enters my Gym. I’ve never battled one with her background before.”
“Wait, what’s…” Sabrina vanished with a flash, teleporting away, and Leonard found himself wondering aloud, “What’s so different about her background?”
“There’s absolutely nothing different about her background!” His ability to speak and move about restored, Eldon declared, “Remember this well, Leonard! One day, I will battle that girl again, and she will tremble before me!” He then felt a sudden pain in the back of his head, as if he’d been slapped really hard. “Ow!”
Leonard laughed, suddenly wishing that the lesson had stuck. He wasn’t in a rush to see Alex Masters again, but if he did, then maybe he’d see what the Psychic Gym Leader was talking about.
TBC!
The Lilycove City port was bustling with activity as normal, a multitude of people either climbing onto ferries heading elsewhere in Hoenn or, more rarely, heading for another region entirely. As Alex and Cass made their way through, both found themselves reminded of their earlier departures from here, the latter with nostalgia and the former with eagerness to continue on.
“Here I thought this day would never come, you leaving Hoenn and going back to Johto.” A sad though proud smile was on her face as Cass added, “Almost makes me wish I was going with you.”
“You could. I wouldn’t mind the company.”
“Nah. I’ve already traced those steps, I’m fine not going down that road again. But ask me that again when you finally venture off to Sinnoh, and we’ll see what happens.” The two finally stopped at the ticket office, and Cass sighed. “I guess this is it.” She turned to her sister and noted, “I’ll miss you, Alex. The house is gonna be much emptier with you not around.”
Alex smirked. “Not to mention a little more boring.”
“Yeah, but considering the excitement we’ve had lately, I think a little boredom won’t be so bad.” She smiled and said, “I do want you to know something, though. I’m proud of you and everything you’ve done.”
“Even me killing people?”
“Not so much that, but I’m not gonna complain about you killing people who actively wanted you dead. And I know you won’t start going around and randomly killing folks just because you can. Mom raised us better than that.” She affectionately laid a hand on her sister’s shoulder and continued, “I’m also not going to complain if you see and do things that I never experience. It’s a big wide world, and I’d be terrified if the two of us ended up doing things exactly the same way. Besides, that way, I’ll actually be surprised by your stories.” The two laughed, and she finished, “Anyway, you’ll do great. Just call home every once in a while, alright?”
“Oh, trust me, that’ll be the easiest thing I can do.” She wrapped her arms around her sister and smiled. “Gonna miss you, Cass.”
“You too, Alex.” The embrace ended, and the elder sister encouraged the younger, “Now go and show ‘em what you can do.”
“Hold one moment!” The two turned and found themselves looking upon a very familiar pair of twenty-something men, one taller and lankier and effectively glaring at Alex while the shorter, bespectacled one stood by, looking very embarrassed to be there. “You will not be going anywhere and showing anyone anything until we settle unfinished business!”
Cass looked at the tall man, slightly shorter than either of them, with incredible befuddlement. “Alex, do you know this guy?”
Alex’s expression was far less confused and far more annoyed. “Unfortunately.”
“You don’t know of me? Do you not realize who I am?!” The scrawny man haughtily proclaimed, “I’m Doctor Eldon Carter! I have multiple Ph.D.s and I’m a world-renowned theoretical physicist!” As if an afterthought, he gestured to his bespectacled comrade. “This is Dr. Leonard Hardtstaeder. He’s an experimental physicist, hardly worth mentioning.”
Leonard managed a small wave and quickly remarked, “Yeah, hi, just pretend I’m not here.”
Cass quickly cottoned on. “Alex, he’s the crazy Magneto cosplayer that you beat in two double battles, right?” Her sister nodded sadly. “Thought so.”
“This talentless woman that you were just hugging a moment ago didn’t simply beat me! She challenged my innate superiority, and that crime cannot go unpunished!”
“Eldon, please! She beat you in two Pokémon battles! Let it go!”
Eldon turned to his associate with a boggled expression. “Let it go? Let it go?! Leonard, if anyone let things go, nothing would be accomplished! Einstein wouldn’t have formulated the theory of relativity! Hawking wouldn’t have developed his theories related to black holes! Mr. Spock would have remained dead!”
“And Khan would’ve remained alive and Spock wouldn’t have been killed in the first place.” The two geeks turned to Alex as she shrugged. “What, a girl can’t see a science fiction film every once in a while? Fine, I’ll make a literary reference next time.”
Eldon quickly brushed off her knowledge of his favorite science fiction franchise and returned to the subject at hand. “In any case, I’ve come all this way from Mossdeep City on a mode of transport that I absolutely detest to settle this matter once and for all. You, you tiny mortal woman, will engage me in a Pokémon battle!”
Cass quirked an eyebrow. “How is Alex tiny? She’s taller than you, more buxom than I am, probably has more muscle than you ever will…”
“I definitely have more muscle than him right now. I carried him around like an empty suitcase.” Her attention turned away from that point and noted, “Anyway, no thanks, not interested.”
Eldon’s response was swift and indignant. “And why not?”
“Short version? Been there, done that. Long version? Because I’ve beaten you twice already and know your general strategy. Unless you’ve fundamentally altered your way of thinking, then I see absolutely no good reason to battle you a third time.”
“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with my strategy!”
“It relies entirely upon Magnet Rise! Nothing a Pokémon with that attack can do can’t be done as well by a Pokémon that has Levitate as an ability! Besides, of the seven lines that learn it naturally, most can be taken out by a competent Fire-type, just as I demonstrated the first time we battled! You build an entire team around a central theme, and anyone with half a brain can take you down!” Alex groaned. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got tickets to buy and a boat to catch.”
“There, you see? She agrees with me, Eldon, so let’s get on the next ferry and…”
“Silence!” Eldon crossed his arms and noted, “Your logic is excellent and your reasoning is sound. It is, however, flawed.”
“Because it isn’t your reasoning?” A nod from the skinny scientist, and Alex groaned and turned to her sister. “You just can’t reason with some people.”
“Because my reasoning is unassailable.” Sounding positively smug, Eldon noted, “Given a proper chance, I will annihilate you.”
Sounding positively bored, Alex retorted, “Given proper incentive, I can kill you.” She then groaned again and noted, “But if you’re so adamant about battling me again, then fine. Let’s get it straightened out.”
“Whoa, hold on.” Cass grinned and offered, “Why not me? If he thinks he can take you down, then hey, he shouldn’t have a problem with me.”
“I won’t have a problem with either of you.” Entirely convinced of his inevitable victory, Eldon quickly noted, “I’ll gladly take on and defeat both of you.”
Alex threw up her arms and surrendered. “Fine, you can battle both of us.” She and her sister moved into position, glad for the generally wide and open area around them, and she asked, “Don’t trash him too badly, right?”
Cass grinned. “Alex, since when did I use excessive force?”
On the other end of the improvised field, Leonard noted to his charge, “Eldon, you can back off from this.”
“The gauntlet has been thrown, Leonard. I shall not back down from the challenge.” He turned to the two and readied his choices. “You’re ready?” At the two sisters’ nods, he called out, “Very well! Onwards, Forretress! Magnezone!”
“Let’s do it, Obsidian!”
“Surtur!”
A massive Sandstorm kicked up as the Tyranitar and Blaziken appeared on the field, no damage being done to anyone on the field save Surtur himself thanks to their individual types. As he was battered, Surtur grumbled, “<That’s the one thing I wasn’t looking forward to about this!>”
Obsidian made a small laugh. “<Hey, it’s an occupational hazard!>”
“Forretress, Magnezone, both of you, Magnet Rise!”
“Surtur, Blaze Kick against Forretress!”
“Obsidian, Screech! Same target!”
Obsidian’s attack came first, an ear-splitting screech ringing through the air and rattling the floating Bagworm Pokémon before Surtur charged and landed a powerful blow. Between the two attacks, the Forretress dropped, even as his partner managed to Rise up.
As the storm rattled one of his opponents and he recalled his fallen Pokémon, Eldon was undeterred. After all, he still had one Pokémon on the field and a Tyranitar only had so many moves it could use against a Steel-type. “Magnezone, use Discharge!”
“Surtur, Blaze Kick again!”
“Obsidian, Screech again!”
Once more, the Tyranitar Screeched, weakening defenses for the Blaziken to rush in and land a powerful fiery kick. Magnezone’s response was to send massive bolts of lighting to both its opponents, doing more damage to Surtur than to Obsidian. The barrage from Sandstorm did little to help.
“Alex, I don’t know about you, but I think we’d best finish this up.”
“Agreed. Let’s hit him hard. You want to soften him up?”
“Gladly. Obsidian! Hyper Beam!”
“Surtur! Bakunetsu Fire Punch!”
Eldon rolled his eyes as the two readied their attacks. “Oh come now! Hyper Beam is practically useless against Steel-types! It won’t do…!”
An absolutely massive Hyper Beam attack shot forth from Obsidian’s mouth and tore through the Magnezone, rattling it horribly. Nonetheless, it remained afloat.
Eldon was barely shaken as he pointed out, “Well, that elaborate attack of yours will hardly…”
Instead of charging forward and simply punching the floating Magnet Area Pokémon, Surtur simply fired a stream of flame from his open claw, bathing the Magnezone in fire. That last attack finished things, and the Magnezone dropped, unconscious.
Alex and Cass quickly recalled their selections and the dust settled, the elder sister grinning. “That felt good. I was always hoping you and I could battle together someday.”
Alex grinned right back. “Let’s hope the next time isn’t too long from now.”
As his main opponent went off to the ticket booth, Eldon recalled his defeated Pokémon, strode up to Cass and demanded, “There will be a rematch! This won’t go without incident! You’ll rue the day you dared to question my natural superiority!”
“How are you naturally superior? Yeah, fine, you’re smarter than us, but that doesn’t make you automatically superior to anyone in every respect.”
“I disagree! Superior intelligence gets things done!”
“Yeah, if properly applied. And you aren’t properly applying it.” She turned away from the scientist and called, “Alex, like I said, show ‘em what you can do!”
Alex waved back, ticket in hand, and strode in to board her ferry.
“Wait, hold on! I…!”
“Doctor Carter? Don’t. You push this too far, and you’ll just piss her off.” Cass leaned in and noted, “And frankly, as superior as you think you are, you’re not. The truly superior don’t need to show it off.”
She then turned away and walked off, Eldon calling back, “But what sense is there in being superior if they don’t have it demonstrated?!” She seemingly ignored him as he called, “And where are you going?!”
“Home! And for the record, we’re firm believers in the Castle Doctrine!”
Eldon huffed, and marched over to his friend. “Come on, Leonard. We’re following her.”
Leonard groaned. “Eldon, don’t. You don’t even know where to look for her.”
“Nonetheless, I shall find her! She tasks me! She tasks me and I shall…!”
Leonard groaned again. “Oh come on, Eldon, she isn’t…!” He instantly realized that his associate was suddenly rendered mute. Sure, his lips were moving, and words were no doubt meant to be coming out, but no sound could be heard. “How the hell…?”
“Sound has to have a medium to travel through. Halting the movement of air molecules can effectively render someone mute.” Both their heads turned to a long-haired woman in an elaborate red and black uniform, her expression eerily calm. “It’s not as easy as it seems. The real difficulty is in making certain that the person you’re rendering mute doesn’t choke due to lack of oxygen.” She approached the theoretical physicist and noted, “Doctor Eldon Carter. You aren’t as intelligent as you think you are, and you certainly don’t hold superiority over the rest of humanity. After all, if you were superior, you would be able to stop me from silencing you.” The scientist all but glared daggers at her, but vainly struggled to move his arms. “Don’t even bother. You don’t have the power or the means to cause me to stop breathing, or to blow my head up. The very idea that you can do so is ridiculous; you’re nothing more than a man whose brain is wired slightly differently from everyone else. For someone like me, you’re barely more than a curiosity.”
Leonard looked at her with utter shock. “I’m sorry, who…?”
“Forgive me, my manners are horrible and I enjoy indulging in the dramatic.” She turned and offered a hand. “Sabrina.” The shocked physicist accepted her hand. “Your friend here is an interesting case. Asperger’s Syndrome, yes? Brilliant mind, but utterly lacking in understanding human behavior and incapable of seeing things from another’s perspective. Also far too overconfident. I could change that, but that would be like murder, and arrogance doesn’t warrant something that dire.” She turned back to him and flashed a small grin. “He’s lucky I stopped turning people into dolls a long time ago.” Eldon continued to glare as she added, “Oh stop. I’m almost done. This is just a warning. Not everyone is as tolerant as I or Alexandria. Push the wrong sort of person too far, the sort of person that I’d have no hesitation about changing or that Alexandria would show no hesitation towards killing, and you’ll not have time enough to regret it.”
In contrast to his associate, Leonard was terrified, but he was nonetheless able to speak, “So, why are you here?”
Sabrina took her hand back and answered. “Your friend is a passing interest. Alexandria, however, is something else. She’s something new.” She then turned and walked away. “And I’m looking forward to when she eventually enters my Gym. I’ve never battled one with her background before.”
“Wait, what’s…” Sabrina vanished with a flash, teleporting away, and Leonard found himself wondering aloud, “What’s so different about her background?”
“There’s absolutely nothing different about her background!” His ability to speak and move about restored, Eldon declared, “Remember this well, Leonard! One day, I will battle that girl again, and she will tremble before me!” He then felt a sudden pain in the back of his head, as if he’d been slapped really hard. “Ow!”
Leonard laughed, suddenly wishing that the lesson had stuck. He wasn’t in a rush to see Alex Masters again, but if he did, then maybe he’d see what the Psychic Gym Leader was talking about.
TBC!