sparrow . innocence , big dreamer , waking up too early , walking home , being afraid of meeting new people , slim hands , always cold , reading a book under a tree , the smell of the forest , missing your home .
eagle . independent , caring too much for others , sharp looks , walking down the city late at night , the tallest and more spectacular building , iron , being single and okay in a world that tells you that being single is bad .
swift . falling in love easily and heavily , traveler , the infinity of the bluest sky , storms , broken smiles , forgetting people who used to be your beloved ones , feeling out of place , mistrusting people , a fleeting romance .
crow . feeling as if you have seen so much and as if you know a lot , prejudge , tight hugs that leave you breathless , a grey sky , serenity , intelligence , being left behind , chains , smoke , the pride of someone wise .
dove . petals , jealousy , being tired of living with the same old faces , whispered secrets , marble , sundresses , white clothes , the first sunset of winter , pride in who you are , learning to get over someone .
seagull . family , golden light , the sea murmuring in your ear , summer afternoons , caramel ice cream , collecting seashells and other things and calling them treasures , living breezy and carefree , swimming in sunlight .
canary . artistic , getting excited easily , dancing and singing while you are alone , looking at your friends having fun , no phone , being afraid of judgement , spring , a meaningful gift , the first ray of sunlight .
After the rough stormy day, both he and Kicks were lucky that the weather shifted in their favor. While it was foggy, the sun was still out. They were both wary of the wild Pokemon, but luckily they weren’t as strong as that Onix. They admired the scenery and spotted something..pink, rocky and glowy..like a well? The Scorbunny rushed over, jumped on it, and gazed at the emptiness below.
Juan approached as well, Yet when approaching, his arm in the cast was reacting. Not hurting, but pushing him forward to take a glowing piece. He took it, not recognizing that someone was nearby, “What is this thing...?”
A dark glance watches Juan, “Calm down and just let her out. Now.” Michael sighed, wary about this.
When Balia is popped back out of the pokeball she looks dizzy and staggers a moment. Putting a hand out to Mike’s shoulder.
“Wow… that was some sort of Trip. I don’t recommend you try that anytime soon.” she gives a small laugh.
When Balia appeared out, Juan dropped the ball and crushed it with his foot. And he kept jumping so the pieces would be un-repairable, “I’m so-so sorry. I don’t know what happened. That will NEVER happen again I promise. Yuki warned me, everyone warned me and aaahhh...” Juan flustered and bowed to the both of them.
Juan was a bit hesitant to head to the Wild Area. He had heard that often the new trainers would go through the Wild Area take it on when the weather is a bit more favorable. Especially if this was their first time being a trainer. There was plenty of encouragement from the Poke Center and from the nurse about staying, especially for his hurting arm, but he was curious. Stepping out of the train station and to the open area, Juan took a deep breath. He was out for a couple of days before having a nice break for the holidays with Chiisa and..for once Vee; his step-dad. True to Chiisa’s word, however, he did change.
The whole ordeal has made him re-think a lot of things.
The wind blew strongly from the storm and rains. Clutching at his jacket, Juan stepped forward, “If it gets too rough, we can come back here and--”
“That’s right. Come back here, because this weather is not good for novices, young man. Yer’ a fool to go out now. But..” A woman-one of the workers at the train station, he guessed-sighed, “I know you trainers have a fire that can’t be stopped. So here.” With that, she offered a poke doll. It looked like a clefairy by its simple design. Juan recognized it from the beginning trainings as a ranger. If you or anyone is in danger, you ALWAYS have a doll handy to calm a wild Pokemon down. All Pokemon love gifts, and these pokedolls were infused with certain herbs to calm any pokemon down and make them playful and friendly.
“Thank you.” Juan started, but the woman continued, her gloved fingers up to keep track.
“You’ve got your tent? Cooking gear? Potions? Blankets? Pilows? Food? Water” As she started listing off, Juan confirmed each one, wanting to confirm and calm her about being prepared.
“I have everything in this backpack. We’re going to be okay, I’m sure of it.”
“You mean you and that rabbit that’s running off?”
“Rabbit-..?” Juan tilted his head, then let his gaze follow the woman’s finger pointing at Kicks running head-first into the wild area. He jumped excitedly in the rain, in puddles, and the grass. It looked like he was laughing gleefully.Gasping, Juan rushed over, “Kicks! Careful!” But he was smiling too. When a Pokemon popped out of their pokemon on their own will, it meant they really trusted the trainer. A small glimmer of hope hopped with the Scorbunny. As he ran to catch the fire-type, Juan waved back to the woman, “Thank you for everything!!”
Looking back around, the ranger spotted Kicks in a rocky area. He hopped and skipped allover the tops of the boulders. The Pokemon that had joined Kicks on his hopping fun journey were now gone, the storm was way too much for them, Juan guessed.
“Hey! Wait up! Haha I didn’t know you had this side of you!” Laughing, Juan eventually caught up, but stopped to feel harsh vibrations and quakes in the ground. Below Kicks, the boulders moved and rose to form a large shadow; one belonging to an Onix. Reaching out, Juan called out, “Kicks, watch out-!!”
Looking up, the small bunny squeaked and jumped off to face his new opponent. At first he was shaking, but then Kicks shook his head and started his battle stance.
Juan knew what a strong pokemon looked like, and this was one of them! “Kicks, don’t! She’s stronger than you! I’ll help you, Lyn and I…” He reached for the place where Lyn’s pokeball always was, but wasn’t there. Frozen with fear, Juan knew he was outmatched.
“Bun!” Kicks tried to call out for an attack call from Juan, but a tail flung towards him; flinging the small creature towards a tree. Hearing the rough noise was enough for Juan to bound forward and offer the Onix a toy.
“I’m sorry! Please-we won’t bother you again. I’m sorry-we’re sorry…!” Juan offered the doll to the Pokemon.
Pausing in her efforts, the rock-type lowered its head to examine the toy, nudged it for a bit, then grabbed it in her mouth and slithered away. The ranger turned and took off towards the fire-type, cradling the bunny in his arms, “Kicks..Kicks, are you okay..? Here, here..” He pulled out a potion, and before administering it, Kicks butted it away and gave a big smile. “But..you’re hurt..”
Kicks shook his head, closed his eyes and fell immediately to sleep. From the looks of it, he held off from fainting, but he was very hurt. Holding him, Juan got up, gathered his things, and headed towards the lake. There was a large enough tree to shield them from the storm, so he started to set up camp. Juan returned Kicks back to his pokeball and started the tent building.
Juan decided that from this point on, they’d observe the pokemon first before battling. The wild area could be fun, but it was filled with wild and dangerous Pokemon regardless.
His excitement was infectious. It wasn’t the same as having her brother as a rival; he was always so far away, and she never really had the chance to battle him. So this would be both of their first traditional rivals, ones that would travel alongside each other and test each other’s teams to their limits… How could they not be excited about it? Sitting down in the tabled seats of the train, Mio glanced outside before turning back to Juan.
“Do you have a starter you’re thinking about getting?” She asked with a hum in her tone. “I haven’t read too much on the regional starters, but I think Grookie looks cute.”
Juan sat down, fidgeting with his fingers he thought about the starters that were in Galar. He knew he looked them up in the mini booklet Chiisa had gotten him. Grookey..looked like Monkey.. so it was the grass type starter?
An image popped in his head, then the rest followed, “Oh-! Yeah, Grookey looked really cute you’re right. The one with the beating stick? Beats it like everything’s a drum?”
“I kind of like the water one.” He grinned a little, “Chii says that it reminded her of me since we both are...emotional. And you know-I really like his tail and how cute he is too.” Humming a bit he perked up, “Which-actually they’re all really cute.”
Grass - potted plants. fragrances. dirt under your fingernails. dried flowers. fresh fruit. herbs and spices. “even the mighty oak was once an acorn.” rustling leaves. growth.
Fire - fresh-baked bread. ashes. volcanic glass. hot coffee. “seek what sets your heart on fire.” burning the evidence. hot springs. an explosive temper. leaping before you look.
Water - raindrops. a ferry boat. bubble baths. cool, calm, and collected. coral reefs. the mysteries of dark water. “still waters run deep.” glitter. acoustic guitar. navigating by the stars.
Electric - circuitry. inventions. sparks. “I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.” thunderstorms. spotlights. friendly races. old-fashioned rock-and-roll.
Rock - fossils. sparkling gemstones. “pressure is how coal turns to diamond.” dust in old houses. crumbling castles. secret hiding places.
Ground - solid foundations. living off the land. buried treasure. an expensive watch. muddy boots. “you reap what you sow.” heavy chains. clinking coins.
Normal - studying. cups of hot tea. pink ribbons. singing to yourself. “find magic in the mundane.” leatherbound journals. soft fur.
Fighting - a code of honor. bandaged knuckles. energy drinks. teamwork. “there is good in this world, and it’s worth fighting for.” bells. trophies.
Psychic - books. glasses. intuition. restful sleep. “knowledge is power.” velvet curtains. masks. incense smoke. knowing things that are impossible for you to know.
Dark - sunglasses. leather jackets. “if someone thinks they have the upper hand, break it.” fighting the only way you know how. black cats. gray hair. the full moon.
Ghost - walking alone at night. the wind in the trees. shivering. cups of tea left to grow cold. “the past doesn’t stay dead.” being shy. being scared. being brave.
Poison - sickly sweet. look, don’t touch. glass bottles. “it is the dose that makes a thing poison.” punk rock. purple eyeshadow. carefully styling your hair to look messy.
Bug - butterfly wings. scrapbooks. “though she be but little, she is fierce.” stringed instruments. feeling small. swarms. stained glass. protecting the little ones.
Flying - lattes. airplanes. “what would you do if you knew you could not fail?” clear skies. nice hats. goggles. sunglasses. riding off into the sunset.
Ice - snowflakes. “cold hands, warm heart.” hot cocoa. fluffy coats. ice skating. being elegant yet threatening. impermanence. preservation.
Steel - a knight in shining armor. gadgets. shifting gears. cold iron. silk. polished mirrors. “concision in style, precision in thought, decision in life.” defense.
Dragon - swords. shields. scales. roaring. “you are a force of nature.” breathing fire. hoarding old. dark chocolate. a sky full of stars. sharp teeth.
Fairy - pastels. lillies. sweet dreams. royalty. gilded cages. silver keys. enchantments. winding paths in the forest. “and they all lived happily ever after.”
tagged by: no one :B
tagging: you
“Of course I can make time for that! Peracha can help, and I can ask Mr. Blackmore and his boyfriend to come help, and Dad and Grandpa will be there! I’ll even get Smogon and Azazel to help!” Chii puffed her cheeks out, as if she felt challenged by Juan’s concern. She knew he meant well, but she was a Ranger now! She can do things!
“And dad is doing so well, he can even do full days of work at the office!” She paused, hearing the hesitation in his voice, “He’s always been good, Juan. He’s our dad. I wish you’d come home and talk to him.”
Oh great the grandparents will be there too. Juan bit his tongue, though. Chii was excited and that’s what mattered..and happiness and relationships took work. By Arceus Juan was going to do his best for her.
“Chii...there’s just- a lot. With him that I knew a bit more. -And there’s some things that I can’t..” Sighing at himself, Juan shook his head, “But-if you say he has, then he has. You’ve been the one that’s been by his side the most.” He gave a small assuring smile, “I’ll come home and talk to him, then. When we all meet up as a family, we’ll talk.”
Taking a deep breathe, Juan felt the brief heat of his hatred burn a bit. He knew that feeling a bit well, but let it become pressed down by his own forced calmness, “You’re a great sister, you know that? And a fantastic daughter, Chiisa.”
“Eh?” She turned to Juan with a look of surprise on her face. It was funny how things of this nature often happened by chance. Had she arrived only a moment too soon or too late, she wouldn’t have met Juan. The conversation they shared that she would remember for years to come would have been words unspoken, dust in the wind. They would have simply passed each other by without another thought. But fate had its own plan, and now they stood in the train station with a question that weighed on both of their futures. Despite the weight, her answer was crystal clear, not even a second guess passing through her mind.
“I think that’s a great idea.” She replied in a firm but cheerful tone, a fiery grin spreading across her features. “ Other than my brother, I haven’t really had a rival of any kind. After talking with you though, I think I found the sort of rival I had been hoping for.” Mio turned to face him fully with her hands on her hips, beaming with confidence. “So if you’d have me as yours, I’ll gladly have you as mine.”
A moment of silence for her surprised face. Oh jeez, he screwed up! Juan knew that he had to have at least needed a starter. All great rivals always battled with their starters as their first battle after all! Now? Now it was just silly.
“Listen sorry I know I --” Mio’s turn caught the Ranger off guard, and what she said as well. Her face switched to a wide grin marked by happiness and excitment. Juan blinked, took it all in and laughed out,
“Alright! That’s great! That’s...this is going to be so much fun!” They had shown the tickets to the ticket master and was well on the train to Motosoke. Realizing he was inside the train, he quieted his voice and himself. It was a bit much, “That’s awesome. My first rival. I can’t wait to challenge you. And against an experienced trainer too..!”
Briefly he looked at the train, “O-oh-guess we’ll need to head out. Starters and all. Hah.. and look-if we both want the same starter, you can definitely have first pick.” If Mio was walking in, Juan did as well, especially to find their seats and ready themselves for the nice train ride.
