What's So Great About Being A Trainer Anyways?

Chapter 9 - Why Are People So Hard To Figure Out?

Where did she go?! I ran around Petalburg City, freshly dropped off my my father's Salamence. I knew that I couldn't be much help to Flora, but I felt that I had to do something, and that I shouldn't let her wait any longer for the little sympathy I could give. I checked around the pokemon center, the gym, and main streets, but I was unable to find her anywhere. Think! Where would you go if you were her? Probably a place without many people, natural features...

I ran for one of the town's ponds. There she was sitting with her feet in the water.

"You know, if you do that the pokemon might bite," I said.

She laughed just a little, but didn't turn my way. "I guess that's something that a good trainer would know."

"You are a good trainer though."

"Yeah right... Look at me always losing... I can't do what a child can."

"You're right." I pulled a pokeball out and started tossing it up and down in my hand. "You can do so much more."

"How bad are you at this comforting thing anyways?!" She tossed a small rock in my direction, but missed me entirely.

"Quite bad actually. Say, Mari, come out of your pokeball."

The blue water mouse burst out of its capsule. Flora turned around surprised.

I waited a second. "Well what are you waiting for? Are we going to battle or what?"

She couldn't quite tell what was happening, but nodded and stood up out of the water.

I released my Bagon from his pokeball. "Come on Bagel, let's show them how strong we are!" The little two legged dragon growled and stomped its feet. "Headbutt!"

He charged forward at the opposing Marill, who dodged, sending Bagel plunging into the water. He came up a few seconds later gasping for air in a frantic dog paddle, the pokemon's short arms not letting it do hardly anything.

"Oh man, how nice it would be to have a water pokemon that could take use of the terrain right now!"

She got the hint. Finally smiling, she issued her first command. "Mari, Dive into the water and hit Bagle out, then pelt it with Water Guns using the pond as your cover!"

The mouse lept into its element and a moment later Bagel was sent flying out of the water. I kind of feel sorry for making him the punching bag. A few shots of water later and the poor guy was fainted on the ground. "Well, I guess I lost! Return Bagel." I smiled at Flora. "Looks like I'm the loser here!"

She withdrew Mari. She sighed, but I could tell that I had an impact on her, however small. "You just let me win. I'm still a huge loser."

"Not true! I'm the one who didn't even try to become anything for eight years! You tried, and I'm sure you gained lots of great experiences from it in the process. I have nothing to show for those eight lost years."

She covered up her mouth and tried not to laugh, but some leaked out. "For someone who claims he doesn't like pokemon you sure talk about them a lot!"

Wow, she's right. "Errr... quiet!"

We both smiled and laughed together.

Did I actually just cheer her up?

Standing got awkward quite quickly so I sat down next to the water, and she followed. I just looked out over the water's surface, watching the ripples distort the lowering sun's image. The wind blew lightly, and caused ripples in both the water and the sea of grass that we sat on. It really was a nice day outside.