Chapter Three -
Green Town was only about an hour away by foot, but it felt longer. Tsubaki ignored Clyde and I, walking ahead with Euro at her heels. Clyde talked with me for a while, but there wasn’t much to chat about.
Charlotte was what I used for my amusement; she pecked furiously at the ground, looking for any scrap of food. She fell behind a lot. Kumo slept inside my jacket hood that dangled down my back.
“We’re here,” Tsubaki called bluntly from up ahead, and I hurried to her side. Green Town was a pleasant, cheerful place filled with travelers from all over. It was a good place to meet someone. Tsubaki started down the hill, and I followed her, ignoring her angry glances at me. Euro growled so loudly she had to scoop him up into her arms and shush him. Even then, he continued to eye me ferociously. I cringed just as Clyde jogged over to us.
“Where do you think the Poke Center is?” Tsubaki asked. I paused. Huh. That’s a problem. I looked around. I couldn’t see anything from where I stood. I decided to ask a girl my age who was nearby; I was still too nervous to ask anyone older. I weaved through the crowd and tapped my fingers on her shoulder.
She turned. She had long, golden hair slightly lighter than Clyde’s and crystal - blue eyes. A Popplio sat next to her black shoes, watching the crowd with obvious amazement. “Hello,” she sighed dreamily. She was watching the people that swerved to avoid us happily. “I didn’t think towns could get so crowded.”
“Well, it’s rush hour,” I muttered sarcastically under my breath, before asking her where the Poke Center was.
The girl blinked at me. “I’m Sasalia, thanks for asking,” she said, a faint tinge of annoyance bordering her words. “I’m looking for the Poke Center too. Hey,” she exclaimed, “want to look for it together?” She grabbed my wrist and pulled me away.
“Oi! I’m traveling with some people!” I yanked my hand away, but followed her slowly. The Popplio followed quickly. Oh, PLEASE, I prayed, don’t let her be one of the other trainers meeting us. Sasalia shouted excitedly and pointed at a short building painted a creamy white and shocking crimson. I walked up next to her. She was bouncing in a very child - ish way.
“Yay! Okay, bye!” she called, zooming into the building. I stared after her and shook my head. Weirdo. I then remembered Tsubaki and Clyde. I turned and saw the top of Tsubaki’s head a ways back, and I again weaved through the rushing people to grab Clyde’s arm.
He followed me, waving for Tsubaki to accompany us. It was too loud to talk. I shrugged the Poke Center door open and collapsed against it, breathing hard. The loud voices of people were gone, with only the slight murmur of the nurses. Clyde waved to someone, and I followed his gaze towards a blonde man with rectangular glasses. He was strumming on a guitar. I took the time to appreciate that he, too, enjoyed guitar - I myself played electric bass - until I noticed Clyde’s eager eyes.
“Hey,” he called, striding towards the guy. The guitar - player looked up, startled, and subtly placed his hand on the vibrating strings to cease their movement. “That’s a really nice guitar,” Clyde said excitedly. “Could I try it out?” The man, startled, nodded and thrust it towards him. Clyde took it gently, reverently, and sat. I was suprised that he knew how to play.
Tsubaki groaned and walked towards them; I trailed after her. I saw Sasalia talking animatedly to a flustered nurse, and I quickened my pace. I didn’t want to be in her line of fire. Tsubaki was already talking seriously with the man. He glanced at me as I entered his range of sight. “Hey,” he said nervously, holding out his hand. “I’m Mike.” I shook his hand quickly.
“This is one of the trainers that was drafted,” Tsubaki explained to me. I nodded and looked down at Mike. He wore a plaid button - up shirt and grey jeans. He honestly looked a few years older than me - maybe seventeen or eighteen. I smiled encouragingly at him.
A Shinx was perched precariously in his lap - paws hanging off Mike’s stiff knees, tongue out, the picture of ease. It was pretty cute. I felt Kumo crawl gently up my hair, and I watched Mike’s eyes follow him. His hand drifted toward the Shinx. “So, uhm,” I mumbled, looking around the Center. “Where’s the other drafted person?” Mike laughed awkwardly.
“That’s her,” he said, pointing to a couch about twenty feet away. For a moment, I had a fleeting impression that he was pointing at Sasalia, but he wasn’t. Instead, his finger was on a short, brunette girl with a black leather jacket and a pink top. She was watching the people come and go, a strange far - away look in her eyes. “Her name’s Waina,” Mike continued. “She came and said hello to me, but she went and sat over there.” He shrugged. “I don’t know why.”
I shrugged as well and started towards her. I stopped about ten feet away and fumbled with my belt. Riku and Akura popped out, both stretching for being in their balls so long. I bet Tsubaki was suprised. I smiled smugly to myself and continued to walk towards Waina. She peered at me as I sat down.
“Hello,” she said shyly, looking nervously at Akura. Akura chirupped. With a bit more confidence, Waina murmured, “I’m Waina. Do… do you want to meet my Pokemon?” She held to small balls in between her fingers. Quickly, she whipped her hand towards the ground, and a small pink Jigglypuff sat blinking at me, along with an Eevee. “Arson, Sunny, meet…” she trailed off, looking at me to supply my name.
“I’m Wolfe Laurent,” I said, flashing a smile. The Jigglypuff - Arson? What kind of name was that? Well, I guess I wasn’t the one to complain - giggled lightly, and Waina bent off the couch to pick them both up. Suny watched me with friendly - but - cautious brown eyes.
“Let’s go,” I mumbled, standing up. Akura flapped up to my shoulder, and Kumo clung to my hoodie. Riku, long past riding me, stayed on the ground, glancing up occasionally to make sure we were all there. It was going to be hard, with all these new people, to remember names and Pokemon and faces and my goals… but I guess I’ll have to manage.
Green Town was only about an hour away by foot, but it felt longer. Tsubaki ignored Clyde and I, walking ahead with Euro at her heels. Clyde talked with me for a while, but there wasn’t much to chat about.
Charlotte was what I used for my amusement; she pecked furiously at the ground, looking for any scrap of food. She fell behind a lot. Kumo slept inside my jacket hood that dangled down my back.
“We’re here,” Tsubaki called bluntly from up ahead, and I hurried to her side. Green Town was a pleasant, cheerful place filled with travelers from all over. It was a good place to meet someone. Tsubaki started down the hill, and I followed her, ignoring her angry glances at me. Euro growled so loudly she had to scoop him up into her arms and shush him. Even then, he continued to eye me ferociously. I cringed just as Clyde jogged over to us.
“Where do you think the Poke Center is?” Tsubaki asked. I paused. Huh. That’s a problem. I looked around. I couldn’t see anything from where I stood. I decided to ask a girl my age who was nearby; I was still too nervous to ask anyone older. I weaved through the crowd and tapped my fingers on her shoulder.
She turned. She had long, golden hair slightly lighter than Clyde’s and crystal - blue eyes. A Popplio sat next to her black shoes, watching the crowd with obvious amazement. “Hello,” she sighed dreamily. She was watching the people that swerved to avoid us happily. “I didn’t think towns could get so crowded.”
“Well, it’s rush hour,” I muttered sarcastically under my breath, before asking her where the Poke Center was.
The girl blinked at me. “I’m Sasalia, thanks for asking,” she said, a faint tinge of annoyance bordering her words. “I’m looking for the Poke Center too. Hey,” she exclaimed, “want to look for it together?” She grabbed my wrist and pulled me away.
“Oi! I’m traveling with some people!” I yanked my hand away, but followed her slowly. The Popplio followed quickly. Oh, PLEASE, I prayed, don’t let her be one of the other trainers meeting us. Sasalia shouted excitedly and pointed at a short building painted a creamy white and shocking crimson. I walked up next to her. She was bouncing in a very child - ish way.
“Yay! Okay, bye!” she called, zooming into the building. I stared after her and shook my head. Weirdo. I then remembered Tsubaki and Clyde. I turned and saw the top of Tsubaki’s head a ways back, and I again weaved through the rushing people to grab Clyde’s arm.
He followed me, waving for Tsubaki to accompany us. It was too loud to talk. I shrugged the Poke Center door open and collapsed against it, breathing hard. The loud voices of people were gone, with only the slight murmur of the nurses. Clyde waved to someone, and I followed his gaze towards a blonde man with rectangular glasses. He was strumming on a guitar. I took the time to appreciate that he, too, enjoyed guitar - I myself played electric bass - until I noticed Clyde’s eager eyes.
“Hey,” he called, striding towards the guy. The guitar - player looked up, startled, and subtly placed his hand on the vibrating strings to cease their movement. “That’s a really nice guitar,” Clyde said excitedly. “Could I try it out?” The man, startled, nodded and thrust it towards him. Clyde took it gently, reverently, and sat. I was suprised that he knew how to play.
Tsubaki groaned and walked towards them; I trailed after her. I saw Sasalia talking animatedly to a flustered nurse, and I quickened my pace. I didn’t want to be in her line of fire. Tsubaki was already talking seriously with the man. He glanced at me as I entered his range of sight. “Hey,” he said nervously, holding out his hand. “I’m Mike.” I shook his hand quickly.
“This is one of the trainers that was drafted,” Tsubaki explained to me. I nodded and looked down at Mike. He wore a plaid button - up shirt and grey jeans. He honestly looked a few years older than me - maybe seventeen or eighteen. I smiled encouragingly at him.
A Shinx was perched precariously in his lap - paws hanging off Mike’s stiff knees, tongue out, the picture of ease. It was pretty cute. I felt Kumo crawl gently up my hair, and I watched Mike’s eyes follow him. His hand drifted toward the Shinx. “So, uhm,” I mumbled, looking around the Center. “Where’s the other drafted person?” Mike laughed awkwardly.
“That’s her,” he said, pointing to a couch about twenty feet away. For a moment, I had a fleeting impression that he was pointing at Sasalia, but he wasn’t. Instead, his finger was on a short, brunette girl with a black leather jacket and a pink top. She was watching the people come and go, a strange far - away look in her eyes. “Her name’s Waina,” Mike continued. “She came and said hello to me, but she went and sat over there.” He shrugged. “I don’t know why.”
I shrugged as well and started towards her. I stopped about ten feet away and fumbled with my belt. Riku and Akura popped out, both stretching for being in their balls so long. I bet Tsubaki was suprised. I smiled smugly to myself and continued to walk towards Waina. She peered at me as I sat down.
“Hello,” she said shyly, looking nervously at Akura. Akura chirupped. With a bit more confidence, Waina murmured, “I’m Waina. Do… do you want to meet my Pokemon?” She held to small balls in between her fingers. Quickly, she whipped her hand towards the ground, and a small pink Jigglypuff sat blinking at me, along with an Eevee. “Arson, Sunny, meet…” she trailed off, looking at me to supply my name.
“I’m Wolfe Laurent,” I said, flashing a smile. The Jigglypuff - Arson? What kind of name was that? Well, I guess I wasn’t the one to complain - giggled lightly, and Waina bent off the couch to pick them both up. Suny watched me with friendly - but - cautious brown eyes.
“Let’s go,” I mumbled, standing up. Akura flapped up to my shoulder, and Kumo clung to my hoodie. Riku, long past riding me, stayed on the ground, glancing up occasionally to make sure we were all there. It was going to be hard, with all these new people, to remember names and Pokemon and faces and my goals… but I guess I’ll have to manage.
