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Post by scissorhands on Jan 8, 2013 12:44:01 GMT -8
Cairo looked out to the horizon, sun beginning to set, and sending creamsicle streaks throughout the placid sky. He closed the door behind him to the small facility he now ran five days a week.
It was getting to him, though. It was all sort of mundane at this point.
In the three years since he left his friends and his journey, he had placed ninth, eleventh, and, this year, third in the Ever Grande Conferences, an had begun a business working with hopeful Pok?mon trainers, readying them to challenge Hoenn's Elite Four.
It was getting to him, though.
Dani approached slowly, back from a recent stint at her own utopia: her second Grand Festival in three years. She hadn't placed in her first, didn't qualify for the second, but was now coming off a fourth place victory.
He threw his head to her direction, eyes scouring her face and all its jubilance, envy consistently overcoming him. Her smile had grown wide and honest in the past three years, while his became a veritable liar. Dani knew it, too, more than anyone.
"Ready for dinner, Whitter?" She asked as she found her way to his periphery, bubbly, casting her hair lightly from before her face.
"Your hair's short," he managed, smiling after seeing her for the first time in months, "I like it. Kids call that the 'bob,' yeah?"
"My hair's short?" She asked through laughter streaming from a mouth accentuated by warm, orange, setting light, "You're one to talk! Look at you, all mature-looking. No more little emo, boy, that's for sure. No, sir," she taunted, patting his face lightly with her palm as he scrunched it in discomfort, drawing latent wrinkles to fruition, showing his old age at 21.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm excited to talk to you for once in my life," he teased, "Let's hurry to dinner."
The sky arced upward, now completely painted as a warm breeze caressed them, flowing, first at them, and then to curving upward and coaxing Dani's head and eyes to the war between almost completely disappeared blues and victorious hues of orange. A speck, she saw, hundreds of feet in the air descended quickly and ably, becoming a familiar friend as it grew and grew, coming closer and closer.
"Beautifuly!" Dani called out, hands cupped around her mouth as Cairo's youngest Pok?mon rocketed itself around Dani, playfully batting her with its wings, evoking laughter and halcyon gestures.
"Looks like she missed you," Cairo offered, looking, then, ahead to find cobblestone streets bathing in that same light, leading the way to a restaurant neither had visited since their youth.
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Post by funkaslunk on Jan 8, 2013 13:33:04 GMT -8
The air was crisp and fresh as Dekota stepped off the boat into this new region of Hoenn. The atmosphere in Oldale Town was much different than than that of his uncle's farm.
He surveyed his surroundings, shocked to not find the reassuring field of Mareeps playing and his uncle's smile.
Dekota thought back to his conversation with Uncle Martin before he left for Hoenn.
"Are you sure this is what you want, Dekota? Hoenn is a lot different than our little farm we got here" asked Uncle Martin, unsure of whether letting a sheltered 18 boy into the world was a good idea.
"Yes of course this is what I want! I love the farm, but I've been stuck here far too long. I've heard so many amazing stories about Hoenn and I'm positive this is what I want!" said Dekota, almost bursting at the seams with excitement.
"Alright, I suppose then" replied Uncle Martin, almost unsure of himself "but don't let this whole teenage angst thing get the best of you now!"
The phrase "teenage angst" still rang in Dekota's head. He was unsure of exactly what it meant, but rather than letting his curious side take over, his stomach took precedent.
Dekota reached around and fumbled around with his Pok?Balls until he grabbed the one he was looking for.
"Okay!" said Dekota as he tossed the Pokeball and Ralts came scampering out into his arms, "let's go get us some dinner!"
With that, Dekota and Ralts took off down the nearest cobblestone street, searching for a good meal, and maybe somewhere to start their journey while their at it.
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Post by scissorhands on Jan 8, 2013 14:18:36 GMT -8
Cairo and Dani sat down across from one another at a wooden table, boards stained to imply age, and dimly lit by a small, store-bought candle set against the wall between two salt and pepper shakers. Their parents had taken them there together as children, and Cairo reasoned that he may have overlooked some of the child-friendly qualities the restaurant offered before thinking to bring Dani, such as singing, animatronic Chatot, Starly, Wingull, and the like scattered throughout.
Cairo closed his eyes, smiling with a hand to the back of his head, and offered "I guess I forgot about some of this stuff."
Dani looked on, arms crossed, one brow peaked downward atop a slanted smile before she erupted into hysterics and was calmed only as Cairo began talking about the past three years.
"And I haven't seen Chad or Jessica since then," he seemed to conclude, fifteen minutes or so in. Dani looked on, more sympathetically now. "I'm sorry, Cairo," she began, "I mean, I know how important they were to you. I know what you were doing back then. I'm sorry it happened like it did. You could go find them, though, couldn't you? I mean, do you want to try to find them?" Dani asked, in hopes that, maybe, Cairo would finally find his way to putting Dani first, and traveling with her. "And what is this your mom's been telling me," she started once more, "about traveling back and forth to Johto? To Olivine was it? I'd heard that Jasmine competed in the last Ever Grande Conference, and you'd always had a thing for her, Cairo...But that can't be, right? Did you meet her? You're not going over there to see a Gym Leader, are you?"
Cairo pulled away for a moment, gathering his thoughts before a confused-looking trainer stumbled into the restaurant, sending a Ralts flying from his shoulder and to Cairo and Dani's table, situated conveniently by the entrance, in a confused panic.
Cairo stood and walked to the trainer's side, offering him a hand from the floor while Dani tended to Ralts. "Are you all right?" he asked of the trainer.
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Post by Pastyourbedtime on Jan 8, 2013 14:40:57 GMT -8
"C'mon man, that's just messed up." It wasn't the first critique Davis had received since he'd arrived in Hoenn. He said nothing in response to the man who was staring him down and instead took his prize money from the trainer he'd just beat. "You're seriously taking her money? She's ten years old. You're pathetic." The man shot a sympathetic look to the girl, who didn't seem to understand the situation fully, and walked off. The girl headed out too, to heal her now fainted Treecko at the Oldale Pok?Center.
Davis sighed. As much as he'd hated the man for saying it, what he was doing was indeed pathetic. For the past few days Davis had been staying at Oldale and it hadn't taken him long to notice that many of the trainers passing through had only just begun training their Pok?mon. Spending all day beating ten year olds whose teams usually consisted of weak Pok?mon was obviously wrong on some level, but Davis didn't have much of a choice. It's not like he could beat any trainers his age, and he was desperate for money after spending most of his cash on the boat ride he'd taken here from Vermillion. He put the money away in his wallet and headed back into town. Grimer would need to be healed after the battling they'd done here, but he didn't want to go to the Pok?Center just yet and risk running into any of the ten year olds he'd battled. Or worse, anyone who'd witnessed him doing so.
He'd earned enough money to pay for another night at the bed and breakfast he was staying at, and maybe enough for some food to quiet his rumbling stomach. As the ground beneath him turned to cobblestones he began to look around for somewhere to eat.
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Post by funkaslunk on Jan 8, 2013 18:25:08 GMT -8
The embarrassment of the situation hadn't quite set in yet when Dekota heard the voice ask, "Are you alright?" Without looking at the stranger asking the question, but rather looking for his misplaced Ralts across the room, Dekota retorted with his natural response of "Never better! Where's the grub?"
A puzzled look came across the stranger, a bit intrigued by this blundering young trainer who seemed unfazed by the whole situation despite the dirty looks from the other people dining in the restaurant.
Just as the stranger seemed to catch his breath to half-heartedly answer his question, Dekota spotted Ralts across the room in the care of another stranger.
Although Dekota's stomach took precedent in almost all situations, the well being of his Pok?mon tended to overrule his stomach. Without pausing, he darted across the room and scooped up Ralts into his arms. As Dekota put Ralts back up on his shoulder and gave him a light pat on the head, he turned his attention towards the stranger who ended up with Ralts on her table.
"Oh hey there! The name's Dekota Donner! Thanks for making sure little Ralts here was okay. What's your name? Dekota asked with a joyful smile as he heard the door behind him open and another mysterious stranger enter into the fiasco.
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Post by Pastyourbedtime on Jan 8, 2013 19:02:20 GMT -8
Davis hadn't cared much where he got his food from, as long as it wasn't too fancy for him to afford. After a bit of walking he noticed a restaurant which seemed a little childish at first, but as he glanced through the windows he saw a few older looking trainers and decided to give it a shot.
It didn't seem very busy, however there was a bit of a commotion over, from what Davis could assume, was a lost Ralts. He took a seat at a booth, thinking about the Ralts, which made him wonder what kind of Pok?mon he might encounter now that he was traveling the world. He glanced at the other trainers, checking for Pok?Balls around their waist or anything else that he could use to see how much better they might be than him. It was hard not to feel just a little bit jealous when he'd accomplished so little as a trainer himself.
"Hi, I'll be right with you." A waitress told Davis as she walked by his table and over to trainers he'd been watching.
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Post by scissorhands on Jan 8, 2013 20:08:21 GMT -8
Cairo approached the table alongside Dekota, watching as Dani lightly tickled the small psychic-type before Dekota decidedly took a seat across from her, first thankful and then asking her name.
"Dani Hopper," she said amiably, one hand atop Dekota's Ralts' head, the outstretched for Dekota. He shook her hand before she continued, "It's no problem at all," in response to Dekota's thanking her, "Ralts took a little tumble, but he looks like a tough guy," she concluded, smiling, eyes sealed blissfully, and looking to Ralts himself by her last syllable.
Cairo sat down beside Dekota just as a waitress approached the table. "Do you guys mind if we eat with you?" Dekota asked politely in reference to himself and his Pok?mon. "Not at all," Cairo and Dani responded promptly and simultaneously.
Three waters set down soon enough, streaming condensation quickly littering the table, and orders were placed as Cairo begged the casual question, "What are you doing in Oldale, Dekota?" catching, simultaneously, a glance at a trainer who looked a little out of place wandering around the restaurant.
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Post by funkaslunk on Jan 9, 2013 4:05:00 GMT -8
Dekota tossed Cairo's question around in his head for awhile, thinking of what the appropriate response would be to a stranger without having to drag him into his life too much.
He took a sip of water and said "I suppose I'm here just for a new start. Just looking for something new really, my uncle's farm outside Goldenrod City in Johto wasn't really the best place for me to hone my skills as a trainer."
"Well I'm sure there's something here for you in Hoenn," replied Dani with a smile as a waiter returned to the table to collect the orders from the table. The waiter soon came back with several plates filled with the classic child restaurant foods such as macaroni and pizza. "Looks great to me!" said Dekota as he and Ralts dug right into their respective meals.
Between a mouthful Chatot shaped macaroni, Dekota asked Cairo "So what's your story?"
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Post by scissorhands on Jan 9, 2013 7:14:06 GMT -8
"Yeah Cairo," Dani said between bites of pizza, "what is your story?" she asked facetiously; rhetorically.
"Well, I'm sorry if this is a lot to lay on you, Dekota, but I should say...that I'm feeling a little bored with everything. Maybe not bored," he stalled for a moment, gathering his thoughts and directing them appropriately, "but unfulfilled. See...It's that I used to be this goal-oriented person. This person who travelled the world and collected badges and competed against the best. I was - I am - a Master of the Battle Frontier, third in the Ever Grande Conference this past year. And what have I really been doing since Chad, Jessica, and I went our separate ways?" He asked as rhetorically as Dani had before, eyes on her, "Nothing. I've been doing nothing but training kids to do what I want to do. I've been helping to train other people to get to their dreams, and their aspirations. Other than occasionally taking a ferry to see Jas -" he'd begun before he caught himself, "Other than taking an occasional ferry to Johto, I mean, I've been in Oldale every day."
"So what, exactly are you saying?" Dani asked for clarity while Dekota sat, looking on interestedly and intently, but undoubtedly in the dark a bit. "I think," he began once more, "I think it's time for me to get my other five Sinnoh badges."
Dani's heart sank a little bit, then. She knew where she had to be going, and it wasn't Sinnoh. It was the first time in a long time that she couldn't just come back and see Cairo whenever she'd need to. She'd been hoping all along that Jasmine may have been reason enough for Cairo to go with her to Johto, where she'd be taking on the contest circuit.
"You sure?" Dani asked, implying a joccular tone, but hoping to dissuade him from heading back to the region that had brought them apart to begin with. "What about Jasmine?" She persisted.
He looked to her, one brow raised and slightly irked. "I don't know what you're talking about, Hopper," he insisted.
"Dekota, how 'bout it?" Cairo asked, managing food still in his mouth, "You're looking for adventure, and I'd rather go with someone than go alone. I mean, Dani, you're going to Johto. We'll take on the Sinnoh League together, it'll be great. I'm sure there's a ferry in a few hours, even, if I head back and get my stuff together now."
"What about the training facility?" Dani was quick to posit.
"I heard Kallen's been in Hoenn looking for a job to support him while he does his thing here. I'll give him a call, ask him to look after it. He's more than capable." Cairo offered, decisively, as Dani exhaled a quick, anxious breath. "What do you say, Dekota?" Cairo started up once more, finishing off a pizza crust, "You ever been to Sinnoh?"
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Post by Pastyourbedtime on Jan 9, 2013 8:09:36 GMT -8
Davis had been eating his food slowly, not because he wasn't hungry but because he didn't want to leave the restaurant and go back to the room where he’d probably stay doing nothing for the rest of the day. He’d been eavesdropping a little on the conversation being held a few tables over. It was as if a fantasy of his was playing out before him only, unlike in his head, it wasn't happening to him. In TV shows and movies, trainers always seemed to just meet and hit it off right away. They’d introduce themselves and suddenly have these amazing adventures together. Deep down, that’s what Davis had always hoped for. He envied the kid with the Ralts.
He was sitting in front of an empty plate waiting for his server to bring him the check when Davis heard the door to the restaurant open. He wouldn't have paid any attention to it if it hadn't been for a loud voice that seemed to be aimed towards him.
“Oh look! It’s the tough guy who thinks he’s really cool for taking money from little kids.”
Davis felt his face either blush from embarrassment, or go white from fear. It was hard to tell. He turned his head and confirmed that the comment was directed at himself. A family of three was stood near the entrance staring at him. They were a couple probably in their early 30’s and it took Davis only a second to recognize the father of the family as the man who’d called him out earlier that day. He was holding a girl about five years of age and he handed her over to his wife.
“I'm so glad I ran into you again. Did you know that this guy has been picking on children?” the man’s loud comment seemed to address the whole restaurant and the waitresses looked to each other awkwardly, avoiding his gaze. “Hey I tell you what, maybe I can give my daughter here a Pokémon and you can have a battle with her!”
Davis didn't know what to do, part of him had worried about something like this but it was worse than he’d imagined. He thought about apologizing but doubted it would do any good as the man continued his rant. His attacker seemed happy to do all the talking as he tried to get the rest of the building to join his side.
“You guys are trainers right?” he had turned to the table Davis had been eavesdropping on. “How about doing me a favor and kicking this guy’s butt for me? Let’s see how he likes it.”
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Post by scissorhands on Jan 9, 2013 8:48:31 GMT -8
"Uh," Cairo managed, "no thanks."
"What do you mean, 'no thanks'?" the man asked, "Don't you care that this guy picks on kids?"
"Not really," Cairo concluded, turning back to his friends before Dani took to her feet. "What do you mean, 'picks on kids'?" she asked as Cairo shook his head, embarrassed.
The man threw a sausage-sized finger at the direction of Davis and continued to rant, "This guy thinks he's real tough. Takes money from defenseless trainers in battles!"
"Oh, is that right?" Dani asked, irked and approaching Davis, "Do you want to go battle a trainer your own size?"
"Dani, Jesus..." Cairo muttered, approaching her and grabbing her by the arm.
"What is this?" The man continued, enraged, "Let her go, kid! Let her teach this nobody a lesson!"
"EXCUSE ME," the manager of the restaurant boomed, emerging from a back door at the bidding of a waitress, "I'm going to have to ask all of you to leave. Immediately!"
Cairo rolled his eyes, and filed into a line behind all of the offending parties, filtering out the exit. Dekota quickly followed suit, looking around, aflutter, before shoving the unpaid bill beneath their table.
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Post by Pastyourbedtime on Jan 9, 2013 9:06:55 GMT -8
Davis was a little shaken up as he stood outside the restaurant he'd just been kicked out of. It wasn't all bad, he hadn't paid yet when the manager made him leave so the way he saw it he had just eaten a free meal. And luckily, the angry man's wife had yelled at her husband and forced him to leave before he could say or do anything else. Davis could still see them walking away down the street.
Although he was a bit frightened after the girl from the other table had gone off on him as well, he decided to at least attempt to save face and turned to the other trainers. "I'm really sorry about that. You guys shouldn't have been kicked out. Sorry." It sounded stupid to him as he said it. He made sure to direct his words mostly towards the two boys as he didn't want another confrontation from their friend.
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Post by scissorhands on Jan 9, 2013 9:21:33 GMT -8
"Don't worry about it. I think we just got out of that for free, anyway," Cairo offered, smiling lightly. "Cairo Whitter," he continued, offering his hand to the trainer.
"Davis Kerrigan," he responded, shaking Cairo's hand timidly.
"Nice to meet you, Davis," Cairo began once more, "These are my friends, Dani and Dekota," he seemed to conclude, backing up a bit.
Dani looked perturbed, but eventually Cairo threw a hand to the small of her back, ushering her forward and into shaking Davis' hand just before Dekota followed suit. "What brings you to Oldale, Davis?" Cairo asked, beginning now to walk in the general direction of his house so that he could prepare his things for a trip.
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Post by Pastyourbedtime on Jan 9, 2013 9:38:53 GMT -8
Davis walked with Cairo and the others, feeling a little better now since they were the first real trainers he'd met so far and things seemed to be going okay. "What brings you to Oldale, Davis?"
It was a question Davis wasn't prepared for. He couldn't very well tell the truth about why he was here. Hoenn had never appealed very much to Davis at all, he would have much preferred to stay in Vermilion a while longer. But that would have been way too close to his brothers and he wanted to get as far away from them as quickly as he could. That was the real reason Davis came to Hoenn, because it was the cheapest boat he could find to get a safe distance away from two people who were probably very upset with him.
"Oldale just seemed like a nice little town," Davis lied, "I've always wanted to come here ever since I was little. What about you guys?"
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Post by scissorhands on Jan 9, 2013 9:53:17 GMT -8
"Cairo's a townie," Dani teased, hugging his side as they walked.
"That's funny. You're funny, Hopper," he retorted. "Dani and I were born here, and lived here until we started our Pok?mon journeys. I've travelled through Sinnoh, Orre, the Battle Frontier, and Kanto, but, somehow, I'm back here. But I'm leaving. Yeah, I'm leaving today. I'm going to go back to Sinnoh to take on their Pok?mon League."
"And I think it's absolutely silly that you don't come with me to Johto to see your girlfriend, Jasmine. But, maybe that's just me," Dani chimed in, as was typical. "It's just you," Cairo replied, peevishly, before continuing to address Davis, "What are you doing after this? You must be a trainer if you're ripping off little kids, right?" he teased. "Come with us to Sinnoh. It'll be like a big, manly man's adventure."
Dekota walked along, curious as Cairo clearly presumed he'd be going with him.
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