Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Rain Dance ❯ Road to Canalave ( Chapter 18 )

[ A - All Readers ]

“Humph.”

As strange a scene as Mia’d seen inside the Old Chateau, nothing would have prepared her for what she witnessed as she exited back into the midday sun. Her appearance was greeted by a whirling spiral of flame followed shortly by a loud squeal as Jet was tossed across her vision, only to rebound in the air and land daintily on his paws, crouching and growling. She looked to where the Quilava had come from to see a Crawdaunt, pincers wide open and spewing a stream of bubbles that assaulted a small Numel.

Three people, all unaware of her presence, locked deadly stares upon each other. Batoy, she recognized immediately, the familiar strain of worry and anxiety across his face. Next to him, far more confident, was a boy around her own age. Despite herself, she grinned. The face was familiar, but she didn’t know where. She automatically liked this newcomer.

But third, however, she did not like. A women slightly older than herself, her face contorted with ugly rage and blind hatred. She’d since lost control over the situation, or perhaps she never had it at all. Regardless, Mia dismissed her. She would never be fun to battle against. Given the situation, she was obviously antagonistic, but Mia contented herself to watch. She wanted to see where this would go.

Jet entered the fray again, and Mia wondered offhandedly what possessed the little fire-type to fight so violently. Between him and his trainer, she supposed that there must have been some history between the two. Her curiosity peaked. She wanted to know, but still she watched. Jet circled around the Crawdaunt, dodging a crabhammer aimed at him. She nodded in approval. Flanking was a great strategy when you are outgunned, and in this situation, numbers were on the side of the fire-types. The Crawdaunt staggered as Jet swiped one of its legs out from under it, and the Numel immediately capitalized, exhaling a sudden gust of heated wind that Mia could feel even from this distance. Rearing, the Crawdaunt flailed its legs and Jet quickly moved beside its partner, barely avoiding getting skewered by the sharp appendages.

Hastily, the women recalled the water-type, shouted a curse and dashed away, hopping over one of the flowered hedges that formed a fence around the Chateau. Batoy’s shoulders lowered and he looked at the other. Mia grinned and moved behind them.

“So, introduce me to your friend!”

---

Batoy shook, trying to calm his nerves. So many things could have gone wrong, and he thanked the sky that they hadn’t. Alisha’s appearance, alone, was enough to unravel him, but when she started spouting off about Chimchars, Infernapes and ‘whatever the hell other flaming monkeys are out there’, he’d nearly panicked. A plethora of thoughts ran through his mind; was this Alisha agent his contact?! He’d dismissed that one immediately. No way would Lizbeth have fallen for internal sabotage like that. Her sources were just too good. No, his contact must’ve been intercepted somehow.

Andrew had been confused by her ramblings, and Batoy feigned innocence. But then Mia’d appeared, and Batoy almost wet himself. The twisting knot in his gut still lingered as he listened as Mia and Andy became acquainted with each other. Was it jealousy? No, it couldn’t have been. But the memory of his gut tightening as Mia expressed her utter detestation of criminals would last with him forever. Andy had been perfectly fine with her statement, or if he were bothered, Batoy couldn’t tell.

The two had taken their leave of Andy shortly after, and now they trudged on their way south towards Canalave. By Mia’s accounts, it would take about three days worth of traveling, depending on their time, barely reaching the full moon. Batoy nodded, his mind still occupied.

“Don’t worry about Max,” Mia said as they picnicked in the flowery fields of Floaroma. Batoy turned his head slightly, muttering a surprised ‘huh?’ then nodded and turned back. While the pokemon played, Max sat alone by a honey tree, gazing down at his paws. Even when Jet approached, Max only offered a passing smile before turning his gaze inwards.

“What happened to him?” Batoy asked, his worry giving him chills despite the pleasant weather.

Mia sighed. “Well, I was hoping he’d recover, but it doesn’t seem like that’s happened yet.”

“What do you mean?”

The girl held up two pokeballs. “These two. Max did exactly what I asked him to, but I really didn’t expect there to be such malevolent spirits there. This one,” she pointed to the ball on the left, “ was just mischievous. He was the one I was looking for. Called a Rotom. But this one,” she nodded to the other ball, “was a lot darker. I don’t really know why it was there. It’s a Haunter.”

“They attacked Max?”

“Yes. Max chased the Rotom, but we got separated.” Mia stopped, but Batoy figured there was more.

“So, he’s just really scared?”

“It shouldn’t last too much longer. He just needs to get a bit more relaxation in.”

---

Max sighed to himself. Everyone was worried about him, and he did his best to not be a bother, but yet ever since he’d seen that image, he could not shake a peculiar discomfort.

The sun hung in deep blue skies, marred only by thin silver clouds. Max gazed up through the branches of the honey tree, the melodious hum of Combee floating through the air, but yet he didn’t feel as comfortable as he should. ~Chu~ he whimpered. One of the Combee, curious, dropped down and buzzed around him. Max let the bee rest on his tail and smiled at it. The Combee’s expression changed to a grin, as static as a computer’s monitor, before lifting off again.

“Hey, are you doing okay, Max?” The Raichu lifted his gaze. Batoy kneeled in front of him and gently scratched behind his ears. Max cooed, then gave a weak smile and nod. “Mia told me a bit of what happened. I’m sorry for leaving you alone like that. I want you to feel safe and comfortable.”

Max gave a smile of reassurance and patted Batoy’s hand with a paw. ~Raichu, chu~ he said quietly, and Batoy returned his smile. “We have some food over here if you’re hungry. You should eat before we leave.”

The Raichu watched as the boy walked off. Everything about him seemed familiar; so many aspects of Bethany manifested themselves in him. Yet, the two were so different. Max shook his head and forced himself to rise. No, they were totally different people. He wouldn’t have to live in fear anymore.

A knot tied itself in the Raichu’s gut. He missed Bethany terribly.

---

Batoy stared out a window as the scenery passed by quickly, stifling a relaxed yawn. By lucky circumstance, a passerby had directed them towards a docking station of the Sinnoh Mass Transit Line, and now they sat comfortably on a bus with an expected arrival time at Canalave City in just 5 more hours. Mia took the aisle seat, rewarding Batoy with a lovely view. Vacantly, he gazed, a soft sigh leaving his lips.

In some ways, he was glad they’d found this line. Traveling by foot would have been more enjoyable, but this method bypassed a need to stop in Jubilife City for any extended period of time. The bus only stopped to pick up a few more passengers before setting on its way again, and Batoy watched as the city faded into the distance with nothing more than light murmurs of past events. Another sigh; he wasn’t ready to go back to that city yet.

“So, what’s our plan?” he asked finally as the city faded from view.

Mia, her nose buried in a bag of peanuts, raised her eyebrows in confusion, then blinked. “Oh, right, um. Well, after Canalave, we find a ship to Full Moon Island. We’ve a bit of time before then, so I suppose we could just hang around the city until then. If it’s anything like Vermillion, then this’ll be a fun place.”

“Vermillion?”

“Vermillion City is a port town. The St. Anne docks there. Believe it or not, the port’s still occupied from the war.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, but they’ve merged well, I think. Vermillion’s Gym Leader’s one of them. Lieutenant Surge is his name.”

Batoy frowned. He’d heard that name before, long ago. But where? Why? “Lemme guess… electric pokemon?”

“Yup.”

“Do all Gym Leaders have such silly names?”

“Well, most of them are nicknames. The rest are just coincidences, though I suppose the League puts special care into appointing those that have matching names. Or maybe, they authorize name changes. But it’s not really a big deal if it’s their real name or nickname.”

“I guess it isn’t.”

“Anyways, port towns have the best food. They get people from all over world, so they’re the best places to try different stuff out.”

A stomach’s rumble floated through the air, and Batoy grinned as he turned back to look out the window. He hadn’t enjoyed himself this much since he left Hoenn. It was a wonderful change of pace.

---

As the sun dipped beneath the horizon, Batoy felt his elation slowly fade away, replaced by a burning desire to move and stretch. This ride was exhausting; staying still for such a long period of time was something he just wasn’t used to. Even the cruise to Sinnoh wasn’t that painful. At least, then, he could move around.

As the bus came to a halt, Batoy heaved himself out of his seat and followed the flow towards the front of the bus. His legs quivered with delight as he stepped down onto solid ground, the tingling feeling he’d been ignoring finally disappearing for good. He stretched, his sore joints popping, down from his shoulders through his spine to his hips. “Ugh, so glad that’s over with,” he said absently.

“No kidding.” Batoy turned around, slightly startled. Mia, whom he’d assumed had fallen asleep, stood before him, her ponytail ever so frazzled, but her face glowed with excitement. “Honestly, I’m not really much for things on wheels, but it served its purpose, I guess.” She took a deep breath, then grinned. “Can you smell the ocean air? It’s wonderful!”

Batoy’d noticed the salty breeze, but exhaustion continued to overwhelm him. “I guess so…” he mumbled.

Mia didn’t notice. She spun around, taking in the lights of the port city, before finally turning back to Batoy. “So, where do you wanna go first?”

“Wh-wha?” Batoy stammered, looking at the girl with incredulity. “But it’s already night.”

“So? Night’s when all the fun really starts!” Mia reached and grabbed Batoy’s hand, pulling him forward after her as she started down a walkway leading to a long pier. Her shoes danced lightly on the wood while his stumbled clumsily after. They headed down the pier until they reached a long rail separating them from the canal that ran through the middle of the city. A massive tanker swam, the waters beating roughly at its side as it displaced them. Mia gave a relaxed sigh. “One day, I’ll take a trip around the world on a ship.”

Batoy trembled. “I don’t see what’s so romantic about it…” he said quietly, more to himself than to Mia.

“Have you ever been on a cruise before?” Batoy glanced at Mia. The girl stared down the canal towards the ocean where the tanker sailed. Her tone was earnest.

“Yeah, once. When I left Hoenn for here, I took the S.S. Tidal from Slateport to Snowpoint. I guess it would’ve been a lot better if I weren’t so scared at the time.”

“You mean the disaster that happened? You were fleeing from it?”

Batoy nodded and gazed down at the canal. The waters were relatively calm, lapping against the struts of the pier as the wake of the large tanker came and went. Yet as tranquil as they were now, the destructive maelstroms caused by the same water still haunted his memories. “My dad and I came here to Sinnoh. My mom stayed behind to help with the reconstruction. I wanted to stay , but he said it was too dangerous. Team Aqua still had a big presence in the area.”

“Team Aqua?” Mia’s tone sharpened and her fists curled around the pier’s railings. “Do they have anything to do with Team Rocket?”

“Eh, I don’t think so,” Batoy said, shaking his head slightly. “I mean, I’ve only heard a little about Team Rocket, so I don’t think they have anything to do with each other… why?”

Mia’s hands relaxed a bit. “Back in Kanto, we had an organization that went by the name Team Rocket. No matter what it is, Team Rocket seems to have a role in almost every bad thing that happens. They even tried to take over Saffron City.”

“They sound as bad as Team Aqua, that’s for sure.” Batoy sighed. “They tried to take over one of our major cities, too, but they couldn’t get a foothold. My dad says that if it weren’t for everyone’s hard work, they would’ve gotten a hold of technology that would’ve destroyed our environment.”

“Your dad sounds like a pretty tough guy. Is that why that Aqua grunt was attacking you and your friend?”

Batoy’s heart skipped a beat, but he swallowed and hoped he hadn’t shown his shock. “Erm, yeah, they followed us here in Sinnoh. You knew that woman was from Team Aqua?”

“Well, I just figured it out.” Mia ran a hand through her hair, brushing back an annoying strand. “Team Rocket abused pokemon. I can only hope that Team Aqua didn’t do the same. I can’t stand people who would willing cause pain and suffering on another living being, or even stand by and watch it happen. I don’t think there exists more worthless a person.”

Batoy closed his eyes. The words stung, no, they burned. His gut ached as if he’d been socked by a brawler in a barfight. “I guess you’re right,” he managed to stammer, too queasy to even risk opening his eyes again.

“You alright?”

“Yeah… I guess I just don’t feel well, that’s all.”

Mia’s shoulders sank. “Oh, okay… I guess we could find a hotel or something to stay at. There’s always this city’s center, but I really don’t want to spend the night there. Wouldn’t mind taking a nice hot shower.”

Batoy nodded, and after a few moments, turned and followed after the girl as she made her way down the pier. They stopped for a moment for Mia to aid a weakened Staryu back into the water. The starfish’s red gem, once dim, glowed with appreciation, before it swiftly disappeared underneath the waves. Mia watched it disappear, as serene a smile as Batoy had ever seen on her face, before she started walking again.

Though sounds of traffic wafted through the air, the street overlooking the pier remained calm and quiet. Batoy yawned, his eyes stinging a bit as the salty air caused small tears to swell up. Mia looked back at him. “You okay back there?” Batoy nodded. “It’s not much further.”

“How do you know?”

Mia held up her arm, the moonlight glinting off a screen on her wrist. “I picked up a ‘tech when we stopped off in Jubilife. Didn’t want to wake you up. It’s got a little GPS thing inside, so I just looked up a hotel.” She glanced at the Poketech. “I got us registered and everything. We just need to pick up our room keys.”

----

Batoy hung back, his cheeks slightly flushed. True, he was exhausted, but more so than that, as he stood in the lobby of the Evergrove Hotel, he was embarrassed. Not so much that Mia was throwing a tantrum, but more so that he felt completely powerless to do anything about it. An input error resulted in the two of them being assigned to a single bed room, and while Mia lightly mentioned it’d be fun to sleep together, her disposition took a turn for the worse when the staff refused to change their rooming assignments.

“I apologize, ma’am, but as we said before, you requested a single-bedroom, not a suite. I assure you that your travel companion and you will be perfectly at home.”

“But I don’t *want* a single bed, I want a suite!” Mia demanded, her hands clenching the reception desk, and Batoy found himself imaging what would happen if she ripped it from its support.

He caught a glance from the receptionist, a fresh brunette girl named Cathy, a pleading look that carried a reluctant warning. Batoy sighed and then tentatively reached out and placed his hand on Mia’s shoulder. “Hey, um… I don’t mind if we just get a single-room. I can sleep on the floor or a chair or something.”

Mia glanced at him, at first with confusion, but then her shoulders sagged. “Ugh, fine.” She glanced at Cathy. “…Sorry. Can I have the keys?” The girl meekly slid the card keys over, and Mia snatched them from the counter before turning and storming off. Batoy nodded apologetically towards Cathy before scurrying after Mia.

“Are you okay, Mia?” he asked as they entered into an elevator, a gentle jazz melody hovering in the air.

Mia sighed as she leaned against the panel, her arms crossed, a finger tapping rapidly. “Yeah… I just let a mood swing get the better of me. I don’t know why, but I guess something got under my skin.”

Ignoring the feeling that something about that wasn’t exactly true, Batoy only nodded as the elevator came to a halt on the third floor, and Mia stepped out. “What’s the room number?”

“312. Should be just past this hall.” They took a step before the girl paused. “Hey, I’m not really tired yet. Why don’t you head to the room and I’ll catch up with you?”

“Uh… okay, I guess,” Batoy said, brows furrowing a bit. Exhaustion stifled his rising curiosity. “Be careful while you’re out there….”

Mia gave a snide grin. “Oh, worried are we? Trust me I can take care of myself.” With a brief flick, she tossed over one of the cards then stepped back into the elevator.

“I guess it isn’t you I should be worried about, huh?” Batoy mumbled after the doors slide closed. He sighed before continuing down the hall. His legs squished the plush carpet; it felt almost like walking on a sponge. Room 312 came into view, right before a balcony that overviewed an atrium. Batoy slid his card, unlocking the door and after a brief fumble, found a knob that raised the lights.

“Wow…”

Either Mia was an incredible bargain shopper or she had access to funds he never even suspected. The room’s walls glowed a friendly pearl, accenting the contemporary coffee table and nightstand. Pressed against the middle of the far wall was a massive flat screen wider than Batoy’s own armspan. An inset kitchen stood opposite where Batoy was, but the one thing that really caught Batoy’s eye was the massive emperor bed. He trotted forward, laying a hand on the soft comforter and almost melted. The mattress was soft and the sheets made of high-grade cotton.

Slinging off his shoes and his backpack, Batoy catapulted onto the bed, immediately sighing with relaxation. Might as well enjoy the sheets before Mia got back.