Post by WARendfeld on Oct 3, 2012 5:42:58 GMT -6
Biding Time
“Feels like forever since I’ve been able to add to this.” A satisfied smile found itself on Alex’s face as she examined her badge case for the Johto League. “Three Johto badges. It’s been way too long in the making.”
“<You make it sound like it was imperative that you get out here again.>” Standing beside his seated trainer in the shade of the Cianwood City Pokémon Center, Surtur glanced over the badges. “<As much as I can appreciate you not wanting to leave a job half-finished, I don’t see the difference in earning this badge versus another one.>”
“The difference is that I’ve earned this one.” The smile turned into a cutesy grin as she continued, “And with time enough, I’ll earn another.”
The Blaziken rolled his eyes at his trainer’s antics before turned his attention to the chime that sounded from the main desk. “<Well I’d attend to this before venturing further, hmm?>”
The grin slowly faded, and Alex got to her feet and approached the main desk as Nurse Joy emerged from the back room, a pair of Poké Balls on a tray in her hands. “Your Pokémon are back to full strength, Alex. Congratulations on your victory, by the way.”
“Thanks, Nurse Joy.” She retrieved her Pokémon and offered, “Hopefully, I won’t have too long to wait for my next battle. Speaking of, when’s the next ferry to Olivine City?”
“Oh, I’m afraid there isn’t another ferry to Olivine today. The next one isn’t until tomorrow morning.” At Alex’s small, disappointed nod, she asked, “I doubt that you’d be able to battle at the Olivine Gym today anyway. By the time the ferry arrived, it would probably be closed.”
“Oh, it isn’t the gym I’m worried about.” Alex showed the nurse her badge case and explained, “I already have the Mineral Badge from an earlier trip through Johto, so my next stop would be Ecruteak City. But getting there from here still means going through Olivine.” She closed the case and tucked it away in one of her vest pockets. “Still, I can stand to wait. After all, there’s plenty of things I can do here in Cianwood, right?”
“Oh, of course! The Safari Zone is a small distance from here, and there’s also a photography studio here in town where you can get a picture taken with your Pokémon.”
Her face briefly perked up at the thought of either activity, and Alex smiled. “Both sound interesting. Thanks for pointing them out.”
-
“Sorry miss, but the Safari Zone’s closed for now.”
Getting to the Cliff Edge Gate from the Pokémon Center had been relatively easy, but upon her arrival, Alex found the area swarming with workmen. Upon being told that by the foreman, she quickly asked, “What happened? Some sort of cave in?”
“No, the caves are sound and stable. We’re checking over the bridges on Route 47. Maintenance purposes and stuff, making sure they’re safe, all that.”
“Ah. Well, keep up the good work.” Alex turned away, Surtur following behind, and she quietly reasoned, “I guess Nurse Joy wasn’t told about the work going on with the bridges.”
“<Either that, or there’s something nefarious going on.>” At his trainer’s quizzical look, Surtur elaborated, “<Well, we do tend to run into trouble. Besides, this is Johto; last I checked, this was Rocket territory.>”
“Just because I have cruddy timing doesn’t mean there’s some nefarious criminal organization operating in the area.” Alex sighed. “Well, we can at least…” Suddenly, a strong breeze blew in from the north, whipping Alex’s hair to the side. She and Surtur looked up as a blue form streaked through the sky, leaping from one rooftop to another before perching itself upon a ledge on the nearby cliff. Eyes wide with awe, she gasped, “Surtur, is that…?!”
“<It most certainly is!>” Equally awestruck, Surtur called out, “<Suicune!>”
Perched high above them upon its ledge, Suicune took a moment to glance out over its surroundings, its purple mane flowing in spite of the wind and its twin streamer-like tails gently rippling at its sides. Its gaze briefly met those of Alex and Surtur before it went on its way, bounding up the cliff face with all the ease of a mountain goat.
Down at ground level, Alex grinned and laughed. “Wow! Suicune! I didn’t see that coming!”
“<Neither did I.>” Shaking his head as he followed his trainer along, Surtur wondered aloud, “<That’s what, your third encounter with a Legendary Pokémon? And we didn’t even have to go back to Orre.>”
“Probably just as well we encountered Suicune here. I remember the stories from the first time Cipher showed up years ago, and encountering Suicune under those conditions isn’t my idea of a good time.” Alex sighed. “So, you want to see if we have better luck with the photographer, or…?”
“Aw, come on!” Charging up to them in exhaustion was a tall blonde man roughly Alex’s age, who all but collapsed into a heap as he approached. “Suicune! It was right there, and it slipped through my fingers!”
Alex looked at the man before her and asked, “You okay?”
“Yeah, give me a minute.” Taking deep breaths, he explained, “I just ran the entire length of the island chasing after Suicune hoping to battle it and…” He looked up and turned speechless as he realized he was talking to a very good-looking woman. “…And I think I just got one good reason not to feel bad about missing out! Wow!” Recovering in record time, he took a second to straighten himself out and introduced himself. “Sorry about the lousy first impression. Jake Logan, Pokémon Master in the making. You look familiar; I should recognize a young woman as gorgeous as you.”
Alex smirked. “I appreciate the compliment, but I have a boyfriend.”
“Can’t blame a guy for trying, miss…?”
“Masters. Alex Masters.”
“Really? You look like an…” The connection was made in his mind, and Jake realized aloud, “No way! Alex Masters! Holy crap! I saw you battle at the Silver Conference on TV!” Despite himself, he realized aloud, “Wow you’ve changed since then.”
“Yeah, obviously.” Glad that he hadn’t mentioned her crushing defeat, she sighed. “So you watched the Silver Conference on TV? I’d think a Master in the making would be taking part.”
“Eh, long story. I’ll catch the next one, though.” Turning his attention back to her, he asked, “So, where’s this boyfriend you’re talking about?”
“Not here, unfortunately.”
“Really?” Trying his best to be charming, the young man offered, “Well, how about I show you a nice place to have a good meal? Come on, a gorgeous young woman like you shouldn’t be eating a meal on her own.” Noticing the expression on the Blaziken’s face, he amended, “Excepting your Pokémon, I mean.”
Alex considered the offer. As much as she could tell, he was just an average guy hoping to catch the attention of a good-looking woman. Still, she didn’t want to risk tempting fate; for all she knew, her boyfriend was on the island or on his way there. “Thank you but no. But if you’re interested, I wouldn’t object to a Pokémon battle.”
Jake laughed. “You kidding? That’s the next best thing!”
-
Most Pokémon Centers, either by design or thanks to remodeling, were set up to include dedicated outdoor battlefields, the more fortunate ones having judges on hand. Cianwood City, unfortunately, wasn’t among those fortunate ones, but thankfully, Alex and Jake didn’t need one.
“You issued the challenge, so I’ll set the terms!” The two took their places on the field as Jake continued, “A straight-up one on one match, just to get the blood pumping!”
“Works for me!” Alex didn’t know what her opponent would be bringing out, but she wasn’t too worried. She had a nice, balanced team, after all; what sense was there in having one if you weren’t ready for whatever came your way?
“Alright then! Let’s go, Feraligatr!” Jake’s selection took form before him, the Big Jaw Pokémon roaring in challenge.
Alex grinned at the sight of the Johto Water Starter, glad that she had the perfect choice to go against it and equally glad that Surtur was back in his Poké Ball instead of leading the offensive. “Let’s rock and roll, Nadyra!” Her Meganium took form before her.
“Perfect! Feraligatr, Ice Fang!”
“Nadyra, Earthquake!”
As the large crocodile charged into his offensive, Nadyra reared up and stomped down hard, sending shockwaves through the ground and causing rocks to burst into his path. That did little to deter her opponent, as he smashed through the rocks that blocked his way, ice and frost forming between his jaws. While he took damage on the way, he managed to land his attack, biting hard on her flank and causing her to wince with the sudden cold.
“Alright! Let’s do it again!”
“Oh, I don’t think so! Nadyra, Energy Ball!”
As Feraligatr attempted another attack, Nadyra prepped and fired off her own, pushing the crocodile backwards with a stumble and slight hop. He recovered, then repeated his attack, successfully connecting. Both were hurt, but had enough strength left to keep going; it would come down to whoever attacked first.
“Alright, one more time! Ice Fang!”
“Another Energy Ball, Nadyra!”
Nadyra charged her attack as Feraligatr charged, sending it off just as her opponent got in close enough to strike. The blow hit, and Feraligatr fell, his eyes aswirl with unconsciousness.
Alex let out a relieved sigh and approached, cradling her Meganium’s head. “Nice work, Nadyra.” She turned to her opponent as he helped his Pokémon back to his feet. “That’s the toughest battle we’ve had in a while. Nice work raising your Feraligatr.”
“Heh. Thanks, but we’ve obviously got a way to go.” One of his Feraligatr’s arms wrapped around his shoulders, he tried to get his Pokémon up, but strained himself. “Jeez! You need to lay off the chicken, man!” His Feraligatr managed a nervous chuckle, but Jake soon found the load lightened. “Hey, whoa, you don’t need to do that.”
“May not need to, but I don’t see why I shouldn’t.” Feraligatr’s free arm over her shoulders, Alex offered, “Come on, I’ll give you a hand.” As the two trainers helped the large croc into the Center, she steered the conversation elsewhere. “So what’s your badge count?”
“Five. You?”
“Three for Johto so far, but this is my second stab at it.”
“Really? What have you been up to since the Silver Conference anyway?”
“Family stuff, getting all the badges in Hoenn, fighting criminal organizations, general craziness.” At Jake’s surprised expression, Alex grinned. “Hey, some of us have more excuses than others.”
“Feels like forever since I’ve been able to add to this.” A satisfied smile found itself on Alex’s face as she examined her badge case for the Johto League. “Three Johto badges. It’s been way too long in the making.”
“<You make it sound like it was imperative that you get out here again.>” Standing beside his seated trainer in the shade of the Cianwood City Pokémon Center, Surtur glanced over the badges. “<As much as I can appreciate you not wanting to leave a job half-finished, I don’t see the difference in earning this badge versus another one.>”
“The difference is that I’ve earned this one.” The smile turned into a cutesy grin as she continued, “And with time enough, I’ll earn another.”
The Blaziken rolled his eyes at his trainer’s antics before turned his attention to the chime that sounded from the main desk. “<Well I’d attend to this before venturing further, hmm?>”
The grin slowly faded, and Alex got to her feet and approached the main desk as Nurse Joy emerged from the back room, a pair of Poké Balls on a tray in her hands. “Your Pokémon are back to full strength, Alex. Congratulations on your victory, by the way.”
“Thanks, Nurse Joy.” She retrieved her Pokémon and offered, “Hopefully, I won’t have too long to wait for my next battle. Speaking of, when’s the next ferry to Olivine City?”
“Oh, I’m afraid there isn’t another ferry to Olivine today. The next one isn’t until tomorrow morning.” At Alex’s small, disappointed nod, she asked, “I doubt that you’d be able to battle at the Olivine Gym today anyway. By the time the ferry arrived, it would probably be closed.”
“Oh, it isn’t the gym I’m worried about.” Alex showed the nurse her badge case and explained, “I already have the Mineral Badge from an earlier trip through Johto, so my next stop would be Ecruteak City. But getting there from here still means going through Olivine.” She closed the case and tucked it away in one of her vest pockets. “Still, I can stand to wait. After all, there’s plenty of things I can do here in Cianwood, right?”
“Oh, of course! The Safari Zone is a small distance from here, and there’s also a photography studio here in town where you can get a picture taken with your Pokémon.”
Her face briefly perked up at the thought of either activity, and Alex smiled. “Both sound interesting. Thanks for pointing them out.”
-
“Sorry miss, but the Safari Zone’s closed for now.”
Getting to the Cliff Edge Gate from the Pokémon Center had been relatively easy, but upon her arrival, Alex found the area swarming with workmen. Upon being told that by the foreman, she quickly asked, “What happened? Some sort of cave in?”
“No, the caves are sound and stable. We’re checking over the bridges on Route 47. Maintenance purposes and stuff, making sure they’re safe, all that.”
“Ah. Well, keep up the good work.” Alex turned away, Surtur following behind, and she quietly reasoned, “I guess Nurse Joy wasn’t told about the work going on with the bridges.”
“<Either that, or there’s something nefarious going on.>” At his trainer’s quizzical look, Surtur elaborated, “<Well, we do tend to run into trouble. Besides, this is Johto; last I checked, this was Rocket territory.>”
“Just because I have cruddy timing doesn’t mean there’s some nefarious criminal organization operating in the area.” Alex sighed. “Well, we can at least…” Suddenly, a strong breeze blew in from the north, whipping Alex’s hair to the side. She and Surtur looked up as a blue form streaked through the sky, leaping from one rooftop to another before perching itself upon a ledge on the nearby cliff. Eyes wide with awe, she gasped, “Surtur, is that…?!”
“<It most certainly is!>” Equally awestruck, Surtur called out, “<Suicune!>”
Perched high above them upon its ledge, Suicune took a moment to glance out over its surroundings, its purple mane flowing in spite of the wind and its twin streamer-like tails gently rippling at its sides. Its gaze briefly met those of Alex and Surtur before it went on its way, bounding up the cliff face with all the ease of a mountain goat.
Down at ground level, Alex grinned and laughed. “Wow! Suicune! I didn’t see that coming!”
“<Neither did I.>” Shaking his head as he followed his trainer along, Surtur wondered aloud, “<That’s what, your third encounter with a Legendary Pokémon? And we didn’t even have to go back to Orre.>”
“Probably just as well we encountered Suicune here. I remember the stories from the first time Cipher showed up years ago, and encountering Suicune under those conditions isn’t my idea of a good time.” Alex sighed. “So, you want to see if we have better luck with the photographer, or…?”
“Aw, come on!” Charging up to them in exhaustion was a tall blonde man roughly Alex’s age, who all but collapsed into a heap as he approached. “Suicune! It was right there, and it slipped through my fingers!”
Alex looked at the man before her and asked, “You okay?”
“Yeah, give me a minute.” Taking deep breaths, he explained, “I just ran the entire length of the island chasing after Suicune hoping to battle it and…” He looked up and turned speechless as he realized he was talking to a very good-looking woman. “…And I think I just got one good reason not to feel bad about missing out! Wow!” Recovering in record time, he took a second to straighten himself out and introduced himself. “Sorry about the lousy first impression. Jake Logan, Pokémon Master in the making. You look familiar; I should recognize a young woman as gorgeous as you.”
Alex smirked. “I appreciate the compliment, but I have a boyfriend.”
“Can’t blame a guy for trying, miss…?”
“Masters. Alex Masters.”
“Really? You look like an…” The connection was made in his mind, and Jake realized aloud, “No way! Alex Masters! Holy crap! I saw you battle at the Silver Conference on TV!” Despite himself, he realized aloud, “Wow you’ve changed since then.”
“Yeah, obviously.” Glad that he hadn’t mentioned her crushing defeat, she sighed. “So you watched the Silver Conference on TV? I’d think a Master in the making would be taking part.”
“Eh, long story. I’ll catch the next one, though.” Turning his attention back to her, he asked, “So, where’s this boyfriend you’re talking about?”
“Not here, unfortunately.”
“Really?” Trying his best to be charming, the young man offered, “Well, how about I show you a nice place to have a good meal? Come on, a gorgeous young woman like you shouldn’t be eating a meal on her own.” Noticing the expression on the Blaziken’s face, he amended, “Excepting your Pokémon, I mean.”
Alex considered the offer. As much as she could tell, he was just an average guy hoping to catch the attention of a good-looking woman. Still, she didn’t want to risk tempting fate; for all she knew, her boyfriend was on the island or on his way there. “Thank you but no. But if you’re interested, I wouldn’t object to a Pokémon battle.”
Jake laughed. “You kidding? That’s the next best thing!”
-
Most Pokémon Centers, either by design or thanks to remodeling, were set up to include dedicated outdoor battlefields, the more fortunate ones having judges on hand. Cianwood City, unfortunately, wasn’t among those fortunate ones, but thankfully, Alex and Jake didn’t need one.
“You issued the challenge, so I’ll set the terms!” The two took their places on the field as Jake continued, “A straight-up one on one match, just to get the blood pumping!”
“Works for me!” Alex didn’t know what her opponent would be bringing out, but she wasn’t too worried. She had a nice, balanced team, after all; what sense was there in having one if you weren’t ready for whatever came your way?
“Alright then! Let’s go, Feraligatr!” Jake’s selection took form before him, the Big Jaw Pokémon roaring in challenge.
Alex grinned at the sight of the Johto Water Starter, glad that she had the perfect choice to go against it and equally glad that Surtur was back in his Poké Ball instead of leading the offensive. “Let’s rock and roll, Nadyra!” Her Meganium took form before her.
“Perfect! Feraligatr, Ice Fang!”
“Nadyra, Earthquake!”
As the large crocodile charged into his offensive, Nadyra reared up and stomped down hard, sending shockwaves through the ground and causing rocks to burst into his path. That did little to deter her opponent, as he smashed through the rocks that blocked his way, ice and frost forming between his jaws. While he took damage on the way, he managed to land his attack, biting hard on her flank and causing her to wince with the sudden cold.
“Alright! Let’s do it again!”
“Oh, I don’t think so! Nadyra, Energy Ball!”
As Feraligatr attempted another attack, Nadyra prepped and fired off her own, pushing the crocodile backwards with a stumble and slight hop. He recovered, then repeated his attack, successfully connecting. Both were hurt, but had enough strength left to keep going; it would come down to whoever attacked first.
“Alright, one more time! Ice Fang!”
“Another Energy Ball, Nadyra!”
Nadyra charged her attack as Feraligatr charged, sending it off just as her opponent got in close enough to strike. The blow hit, and Feraligatr fell, his eyes aswirl with unconsciousness.
Alex let out a relieved sigh and approached, cradling her Meganium’s head. “Nice work, Nadyra.” She turned to her opponent as he helped his Pokémon back to his feet. “That’s the toughest battle we’ve had in a while. Nice work raising your Feraligatr.”
“Heh. Thanks, but we’ve obviously got a way to go.” One of his Feraligatr’s arms wrapped around his shoulders, he tried to get his Pokémon up, but strained himself. “Jeez! You need to lay off the chicken, man!” His Feraligatr managed a nervous chuckle, but Jake soon found the load lightened. “Hey, whoa, you don’t need to do that.”
“May not need to, but I don’t see why I shouldn’t.” Feraligatr’s free arm over her shoulders, Alex offered, “Come on, I’ll give you a hand.” As the two trainers helped the large croc into the Center, she steered the conversation elsewhere. “So what’s your badge count?”
“Five. You?”
“Three for Johto so far, but this is my second stab at it.”
“Really? What have you been up to since the Silver Conference anyway?”
“Family stuff, getting all the badges in Hoenn, fighting criminal organizations, general craziness.” At Jake’s surprised expression, Alex grinned. “Hey, some of us have more excuses than others.”