Pokemon - From the Brink

Chapter 7 - Bond Phenomenon

"That's all. Now go get some sleep."

We all graciously obeyed, dragging our suitcases towards the stairs. There was a brief wait as everyone funnelled through, but eventually we made it up. Nelly and I sleepily walked over to room 12, and she unlocked the door with a satisfying click.

Within five minutes, we were in our pyjamas, our cases on the floor. Unpacking could wait.

"Do you know what you have to do tomorrow?" I asked, fighting a yawn as I adjusted my watch.

"I have to meet up with Coach Kudou and the others, so I'll have to get ready before you." Nelly rubbed her eyes, climbing into bed.

"Better rest up, then." I said, turning off the lamp.

The last hour or so had been a blur as I had fought to keep my eyes open. But now, finally in a bed again, I let myself fall asleep.

*

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of the shower running. I opened my eyes to find the bed empty next to me, and slowly sat up. Nelly must have quietly gotten up at some point and had managed not to wake me up in the process. I let out a yawn and looked around. Light was beaming against the curtains, and, though they tried to keep it out, the room was fairly bright. A look at my watch told me it was just before midday. I had slept longer than I usually did, but that was to be expected considering the late flight. All in all, I didn't feel too bad. Given a few minutes, I would be up and about, but for now, I just sat there, my back propped against my pillow. All I could hear was the rushing water from the bathroom to my right, and it was almost soothing, pattering down rhythmically.

Nelly's suitcase was open on the floor, and I could see that she had removed her toiletries and a set of clothes for the day.

"I suppose I should get ready." I said aloud, getting out of the bed with another yawn. The sound of the water was shut off, and I heard the shower door slide on its hinges. Soon after, the sound of a hair dryer began to whir as I made my way to the curtains and pulled them apart, revealing a clear blue sky. From the window, I could see right out onto the pitch outside the building. It was a replica of a classic battlefield found in the World Tournament, and it was slightly lower in the ground than the rest of the village. The whole pitch was surrounded by grassy slopes that reminded me of the riverbank back in Fuchsia City. There were sets of steps on each side, making it accessible from four places – or anywhere if you were willing to slide down a slope. Shifting my gaze, I could just about make out the shopping district before my line of sight was cut off. We would be able to buy almost anything we needed there. It had proven particularly useful the last time we had been here, having been the place where I had bought the hold items for my Pokemon prior to the final battle, as well as the Sun Stone for Solaris to evolve.

"Oh?" A movement caught my eye. Down by the pitch, someone was climbing the steps down. It was Midorima, the former Korean captain. Apparently, he had gotten up early and was already out to practice.

I was broken from my sightseeing daze as the hair dryer shut off, and I decided to pick out some clothes of my own. As I opened up my suitcase, I wondered when we would be getting our team uniform. Last time, Destiny Angel had a deep blue kit for all of its members, and I could only assume that Aegis would get something too.

Regardless, for now, I picked out a pair of black tracksuit bottoms, a striped, short-sleeved blue shirt, and a thin, dark blue zip-up hoodie.

"It shouldn't be, but hopefully it's not too hot..." I thought as I pulled the clothes out and put them on the bed.

The bathroom door clicked open and a moment later, Nelly appeared.

Her outfit was a new one I hadn't seen, presumably chosen for her new role as an advisory team member. She was wearing a long-sleeved white shirt with a black vest over the top, and a pale pink circle skirt that ended just above her knees, with black tights covering her legs. A cute and thin yet smart brown belt ran through the loops in the skirt and presented itself with a simple gold buckle at the front. Gone was the purple bow at her neck, but instead, she had her gold heart-shaped pendant resting visibly on her chest as opposed to beneath her shirt.