A girl and a boy sat opposite each other on the sixth floor of the Goldenrod department store. Sunlight pooled in from the windows. Maya liked it up there. She was quite a fan of heights. Her cyndaquil dozed in her lap and twitched occasionally in his slumber. She stroked him absentmindedly, trying to make sense of the boy before her.
If Maya knew one thing, it was that Blue was probably the most arrogant trainer she had ever met. Fortunately, he had it going on in the looks department. He glanced up from his lemonade and winked. She never blushed—either all that training in Snowpoint had taken effect or she had a colder personality than she thought— so the action made no impact on her.
“You’re staring at me,” he said.
“I’m afraid your ego is mistaken.” She wrinkled her nose. “Could you stop with the slurping noises?”
He set the can down with exaggerated gentleness. “There.”
“Thank you.”
His green eyes swept over her. She wondered what he thought of her new fandango jacket before dismissing the thought. Boys didn’t know one pink from another. Well, Lance the Dragon Master certainly knew quite a bit when it came to the world of fashion. Not that she cared about the man with a penchant for capes. The simple fact was that his face was everywhere now because of the upcoming tournament. Anyone with eyes could see that he was the best-dressed man on television.
No, she didn’t care about Lance one way or another.
“Yo.” Blue waved a hand in front of her. “It’s not like you to space out.”
“I wasn’t.”
“No way.” He feigned shock. “You’re blushing! Thinking about Lance?”
“Blue?” She sipped her soda pop delicately. “Try harder.”
“You’re pretty good. I’m impressed.”
“Okay, I’ll bite. Good at what?”
“Lying.”
“Whatever.”
“What colour are Lance’s eyes again?”
“Too easy!” She couldn’t help herself. “They’re brown.”
He smirked. “How interesting that you noticed.”
“I’m obviously superior in the finer details department.” She grabbed his lemonade and he only raised an eyebrow to show his protest. “Hey, want to do something after this?”
“Like what?” His fingers trailed along her forearm. “I’m up for anything.”
She finished off the rest of his drink. “Great.”
“I know that look.” He sighed. “We’re gonna be battling, aren’t we.”
“Yes. Not any ordinary battling, either. Terra and Red will be involved.”
Blue snorted. “We’ll crush ‘em. Those two are weak.”
“Well, who said I’d be on your team?”
“I’m impressed, babe. You’re brave to take me on.”
“I’ve beaten you before.”
“Only because I was distracted. I mean, your legs—”
She pressed a finger to his lips. “Don’t be vulgar. Anyway, if you win I’m prepared to give you a nice reward. So try your best, honey!”
“You’re on.” He paused. “The question is, where the hell do we find them?”
“We just call them on our...” Maya furrowed her brow. “Oh.”
“Right. I dunno about Terra, but Red doesn’t get reception up on Mt. Silver. At least that’s what he tells me.” He rolled his eyes. “I think he just wants to be left alone to be all emo.”
“I think it’s impressive how Red’s so focussed.” Her eyes glinted. “Maybe you should follow his lead. I mean, he did beat y—”
“Anyway, where’s your little girlfriend?”
Maya ignored his teasing. “She’s probably at home. Her chikorita has been acting up lately, which makes going out to train tough. Terra spoils that creature to no end. You need to show your pokemon who’s boss and that means keeping them inside their pokeball.”
Blue patted her cheek. “You’re so cute when you’re in denial.”
Cyndaquil hopped onto the table and stretched luxuriously in a puddle of sunlight.
They both observed him for a moment. Maya knew she was beaten.
“He’s getting tubby, ain’t he?”
“Shush.” Maya scooped up the fire pokemon. “He’s just a healthy eater. Besides, we need to stop talking and go find Red and Terra. We’ll only improve our skills by battling. Otherwise, I’ll never be able to beat L— the tournament.”
Blue looked as if he had a whole lot he had to say about that when Maya’s phone rang. She answered it, thanking Arceus that a distraction had come. Blue was generally a tolerant boy, but she had a feeling that he wouldn’t be as accepting towards this last little slip up.
“Hello?”
“Terra here! You won’t believe where I am right now. It’s amazing!”
“Not at home, I assume?”
Terra couldn’t keep the glee from her voice. “I’m at The Whirl Islands! You know how they do this tour once a year? Well, Ethan managed to score tickets, so of course I had to go. Our group’s gathered outside one of the caves right now. Maybe lugia will show itself to me!”
“Maybe,” Maya agreed. “Wait, you’re with Ethan? That sounds painful.”
“We get along quite well, actually. He rants about his marill and I rant right back about lugia. It works out beautifully for both of us. I wish you were with me instead! But I bet you’re doing all sorts of hardcore training with your boyfriend.”
“Mm.” Maya bit her lip. “Listen, when you’re finished stalking lugia, could you call me? We’ll be partners for a double battle against Red and Blue.”
“What? My phone’s cutting off.”
“I said that you....”
A bunch of static filled Maya’s ear before she heard the dial tone. She flipped her phone shut and slid it back into her pocket. Maybe Red was telling the truth about his reception after all. Technology was amazing nowadays, but legendaries still had a way of interfering with manmade creations.
Maya glanced at Blue. He sketched on a napkin, unaware that she had finished her conversation. She couldn’t really tell—art wasn’t the boy’s strong suit— but his drawing seemed to be of Lance getting eaten by a herd of bidoof.
They definitely had a problem.
If Maya knew one thing, it was that Blue was probably the most arrogant trainer she had ever met. Fortunately, he had it going on in the looks department. He glanced up from his lemonade and winked. She never blushed—either all that training in Snowpoint had taken effect or she had a colder personality than she thought— so the action made no impact on her.
“You’re staring at me,” he said.
“I’m afraid your ego is mistaken.” She wrinkled her nose. “Could you stop with the slurping noises?”
He set the can down with exaggerated gentleness. “There.”
“Thank you.”
His green eyes swept over her. She wondered what he thought of her new fandango jacket before dismissing the thought. Boys didn’t know one pink from another. Well, Lance the Dragon Master certainly knew quite a bit when it came to the world of fashion. Not that she cared about the man with a penchant for capes. The simple fact was that his face was everywhere now because of the upcoming tournament. Anyone with eyes could see that he was the best-dressed man on television.
No, she didn’t care about Lance one way or another.
“Yo.” Blue waved a hand in front of her. “It’s not like you to space out.”
“I wasn’t.”
“No way.” He feigned shock. “You’re blushing! Thinking about Lance?”
“Blue?” She sipped her soda pop delicately. “Try harder.”
“You’re pretty good. I’m impressed.”
“Okay, I’ll bite. Good at what?”
“Lying.”
“Whatever.”
“What colour are Lance’s eyes again?”
“Too easy!” She couldn’t help herself. “They’re brown.”
He smirked. “How interesting that you noticed.”
“I’m obviously superior in the finer details department.” She grabbed his lemonade and he only raised an eyebrow to show his protest. “Hey, want to do something after this?”
“Like what?” His fingers trailed along her forearm. “I’m up for anything.”
She finished off the rest of his drink. “Great.”
“I know that look.” He sighed. “We’re gonna be battling, aren’t we.”
“Yes. Not any ordinary battling, either. Terra and Red will be involved.”
Blue snorted. “We’ll crush ‘em. Those two are weak.”
“Well, who said I’d be on your team?”
“I’m impressed, babe. You’re brave to take me on.”
“I’ve beaten you before.”
“Only because I was distracted. I mean, your legs—”
She pressed a finger to his lips. “Don’t be vulgar. Anyway, if you win I’m prepared to give you a nice reward. So try your best, honey!”
“You’re on.” He paused. “The question is, where the hell do we find them?”
“We just call them on our...” Maya furrowed her brow. “Oh.”
“Right. I dunno about Terra, but Red doesn’t get reception up on Mt. Silver. At least that’s what he tells me.” He rolled his eyes. “I think he just wants to be left alone to be all emo.”
“I think it’s impressive how Red’s so focussed.” Her eyes glinted. “Maybe you should follow his lead. I mean, he did beat y—”
“Anyway, where’s your little girlfriend?”
Maya ignored his teasing. “She’s probably at home. Her chikorita has been acting up lately, which makes going out to train tough. Terra spoils that creature to no end. You need to show your pokemon who’s boss and that means keeping them inside their pokeball.”
Blue patted her cheek. “You’re so cute when you’re in denial.”
Cyndaquil hopped onto the table and stretched luxuriously in a puddle of sunlight.
They both observed him for a moment. Maya knew she was beaten.
“He’s getting tubby, ain’t he?”
“Shush.” Maya scooped up the fire pokemon. “He’s just a healthy eater. Besides, we need to stop talking and go find Red and Terra. We’ll only improve our skills by battling. Otherwise, I’ll never be able to beat L— the tournament.”
Blue looked as if he had a whole lot he had to say about that when Maya’s phone rang. She answered it, thanking Arceus that a distraction had come. Blue was generally a tolerant boy, but she had a feeling that he wouldn’t be as accepting towards this last little slip up.
“Hello?”
“Terra here! You won’t believe where I am right now. It’s amazing!”
“Not at home, I assume?”
Terra couldn’t keep the glee from her voice. “I’m at The Whirl Islands! You know how they do this tour once a year? Well, Ethan managed to score tickets, so of course I had to go. Our group’s gathered outside one of the caves right now. Maybe lugia will show itself to me!”
“Maybe,” Maya agreed. “Wait, you’re with Ethan? That sounds painful.”
“We get along quite well, actually. He rants about his marill and I rant right back about lugia. It works out beautifully for both of us. I wish you were with me instead! But I bet you’re doing all sorts of hardcore training with your boyfriend.”
“Mm.” Maya bit her lip. “Listen, when you’re finished stalking lugia, could you call me? We’ll be partners for a double battle against Red and Blue.”
“What? My phone’s cutting off.”
“I said that you....”
A bunch of static filled Maya’s ear before she heard the dial tone. She flipped her phone shut and slid it back into her pocket. Maybe Red was telling the truth about his reception after all. Technology was amazing nowadays, but legendaries still had a way of interfering with manmade creations.
Maya glanced at Blue. He sketched on a napkin, unaware that she had finished her conversation. She couldn’t really tell—art wasn’t the boy’s strong suit— but his drawing seemed to be of Lance getting eaten by a herd of bidoof.
They definitely had a problem.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Behave yourself, now. ;)