Ok, this has been fun so far, and although I am now initially enjoying the excessive narration I can tell that I might cut back on that a little as I move along and perhaps just include the pokemon IVs, characteristics and natures, but we will see!
Changing to using mainly the past tense now as I kept automatically swapping into it while trying to use the present tense. Can't be bothered anymore hah.
*
Enimar woke from the whimpering sounds of Orangino the Pansear. In the early morning hours he had gone to look around and was hit by a powerful wave of attraction from a skitty hopping about among the sparkling flowers.
His feral monkey screams were enough to drive anybody crazy, and Enimar was not too far from belonging to that category in the first place, so to shut the primate up he caught the Skitty in a pokeball and promised to let him be in her vicinity at all times.
6th encounter:
Severin the Skitty - Route 4
A Gentle creature that loves to eat, with an irresistible charm.
~IVs: 30/4/16/2/2/6
Despite having ruthlessly charmed Orangino into near-oblivion, she seems to have no interest in him. She remains gentle and polite but distant while he spirals in the dust trying to kiss her dainty pink paws.
Having properly woken up, Enimar could no get his bearings and have a look at his new surroundings. Route 4 was a spectacular site, a wide open road adorned on either side with beautiful flower beds and tall hedges shaped into secretive labyrinths. As the sun rose higher in the sky, their spirit seemed to rise with it, and they faced other trainers, gardeners and keepers of the beds, who seemed to be feisty and full of energy. They had nearly forgotten about the disease by mid-day, and were not aware that such a vibrant living place could still exist in the region of Kalos.
After a short while, Serena caught up with him, and together they walked in a happy daze towards the gate of the capitol city, Lumiose. At the entrance they were stopped by two older kids, a girl and a boy, who eyed them up and down and nodded myseriously.
'Enjoyed your happy happy walk through the flower beds, Enimar?' said the boy. He had a slightly skewed smile, his skin was pale and seemed to glisten in the sunlight.
'We have worked very hard to keep up the facade of the capital, I'll have you know. Isn't it beautiful, Serena? See all this gardeners, the tenders of the land? We have helped them very successfully, can't you tell? Would you not agree?'
'Who are you?' Enimar asked incredulously.
'Come,' the girl said. 'He wants to meet you.'
And so Enimar and Serena got their first view of the grand capital, walking closely behind Dexio and Sina, who had revealed their names and vocation - assistants of the professor and previous pokemon league contestants.
The city was massive, with tall scrapers and wide streets and boulevards. It would be a more gloomy place, Enimar thought, were it not for the huge illuminated tower in the centre, visible from a great distance, casting a thick electric light over the streets. People were rushing here and there - they seemed, rather than bogged down, to be frantic, stopping not for a moment's rest.
They walked for twenty minutes. Enimar slowly began to notice cracks in the bright facade - rats scourging on street corners, slumped figures hiding in the shades of back alleys, and a constant flickering of all the lights - even those from the great tower. Finally they found themselves at the foot of a large, white building adorned with blue and red banners bearing the name Sycamore.
The lab was dark, as if it were not in operation, but they could see several instruments working, and occasionally a bespectacled figure dressed in a white frock tending to them. Dexio and Sina lead them to the elevator, and they took it up to the third floor. Here there were faint lights exuding blue in the corners, so it was slightly, but only sightly, easier to see. There were folders, books and loose papers strewn about on the floor and tables. Various instruments and computers joined together in a cacophony of electronic murmur. The room was otherwise empty, quiet.
'He is waiting for you,' Sina whispered quietly, her voice barely more than an exhalation.
They walked around a corner to a small and secluded section of the room. Here, behind a desk, sat a tall, rough-looking middle-aged man with long black hair and a white coat. The moment he saw them, he smiled and began rubbing his hands excitedly.
'My new subjects!' he exlaimed so loudly Enimar and Serena jolted. 'I'm so proud. So proud of myself for choosing you!'
The children looked at each other in bewilderment. 'You must realise that I am always very right about these things, you know, picking who to endow with power and so forth, oh yes. And now you have come to help me. Of course you have. Oh yes.' It was at this moment that Enimar spotted, even in the sickening light, that the professor's skin was botched and discoloured, his eyes bloodshot. He began slowly backing away, but Dexio's hand found his shoulder and tightened, causing him to stop.
'I've been looking everywhere for it, you see. The Answer! The Cure! My research - my researches - working day, working night - Dexio! My incense!'
Dexio briefly disappeared around the corner and Enimar considered running, but he returned quickly with a small pearl-coloured flask which he handed to Sycamore. The professor opened the lid and sniffed the contents violently three times, then coughed a raspy, painful cough, and whimpered faintly.
'Please. Be my eyes on the road. I would so much rather go myself. I have given you your starers. I want you to give me this in return. Promise me. Be my eyes. I will give you more - take this!' He chucked a pokeball at Enimar, who caught it. 'Take whatever you want.' Then he began to sob, almost inaudibly, and Enimar could take it no longer. He backed off and out, found the stairs and jolted down. He could hear Serena shout from upstairs - 'Café Soleil!'
He made for the front door but then ran straight into someone he had not seen in the dim light. The huge man made a sound of mild surprise. Enimar could see that his hair was spikey and bright red.
'Oi! Watch out where you are going. You must be one of Sycamore's subjects. You look just like all the rest. Seems like you forgot to say goodbye. I will give him your regards. Sycamore is a close friend of mine. I would appreciate it if you showed him due respect. My name is Lysandre. I'm sure we will meet again.'
Enimar could produce no more than a nod, then slipped out the door out into brightness.
7th encounter:
Morla the Squirtle - Lumiose City
A Relaxed and very finicky turtle
~IVs: 25/26/1/29/17/18
Café Soleil was perhaps not radiant with solar light, but managed to radiate a warm and safe feeling unparalleled by anything Enimar had experienced so far on his journey. Serena was waiting, sitting by one of the close tables sipping a black coffee. He came over and began to say something, but she hushed him and nodded to her left, where he saw Lysandre seated next to a young and beautiful woman with short, curly black hair and a simple white dress. He immediately recognised her but from where he could not remember.
'Listen,' she whispered. Lysandre seemed to be in the middle of some extended monologue, as he was the only one talking. He overheard part of it.
'...as you are now... but in time... ugly, nasty... a shroud, the west country... beauty... beauty...'
At that moment he shifted his gaze and looked Enimar straight in the eyes. He rose, and came over to their table. There he stood erect, the enormity of his figure emphasized by the low ceiling and cramped tables.
'Enimar. Serena. It's good to see you both again. I promised the professor to keep a look out for you on your journeys. I expect you will be leaving Lumiose city soon?'
His red haired blazed and dazzled Orangino the pansear, whose eyes grew for every sentence the man spoke.
'Yes, as soon as possible.' Serena smiled effortlessly.
'I was just speaking with Diantha here.' Enimar suddenly realised that the young dazzling woman was someone he had seen many times, but not in real life - she was an up and coming Kalos TV star. 'We are both concerned for the future of our nation, and despite some... slight ideological differences we are committed to being part of a brighter and more beautiful future for Kalos - as are you, I am sure ---' His eyes flared as they sought Enimar's. 'It may be ugly now, but I have great hopes for future perfection... a constant, perfect world where nothing whithers, nothing ages, no one falls into hapless disease.' His face flashed with some half-repressed pain. 'Yes, it will even better than it was before the Shadow, if I can help it. The professor - he is my accomplice but I begin to fear for his efficiency... Perhaps you two will prove to be better partners.'
Then he walked towards the door. Suddenly Orangino leapt from Enimar's shoulder and hopped onto Lysandre's. The man made no gesture that seemed to indicate he had even noticed it. When he shut the door, the monkey was gone with him.
'That orange monkey fell in love too easily,' Enimar said.
'I would not worry,' Diantha sighed. She had joined them at their table. 'Lysandre is compassionate with pokemon, and will take good care of your pansear.' She beamed towards them. Her smile turned her eyes into tiny dots and made her entire face contort, yet she was still radiant, still beautiful, just like they were so used to seeing her, decorating their their TV screens on Saturday evenings.
Diantha smiled again. It looked like her whole face was ready to crack from the effort.
'I may not be beautiful forever. And that's ok... I'd rather grow and... change, and...' her smile faded for each word, and her eyes flickered and kept returning to the front door out of which Lysandre had just disappeared.
'Don't listen to him. He's a perfectionist, smitten with the idea of curing this world. And we may, but not by his will. Oh, what is it you are all looking at?' she sneered abruptly, apparently to everyone in the cafe whose eyes were obviously glued to her. Then she left.
The two trainers were quiet for a while, until the people at the café had lost interest in them.
'We should stick together,' Serena said. 'Already I have lost pokemon to the cold grip of death. And I'm getting the feeling there are more things than just the Shadow lurking at the borders of our vision. Enimar. Let's make each other stronger.'
With that the two trainers left the cafe and the large city behind, to continue on their quest for answers.
______
Progress:
Badges: 1
Current team:
Nettle the Quilladin - Hasty - Lv. 17
Dolimer the Pidgey - Relaxed - Lv. 17
Lune the Fletchinder - Sassy - Lv. 17
Severin the Skitty - Gentle - Lv. 14
Morla the Squirtle - Relaxed - Lv. 10
