Changing of the Seasons

Page Sixty-One; The Happiest Place in Maroh

"Y-Yes! I'm sorry, she's never acted like this before!" She looked down as Sophia looked like she was snapping back to reality. "Sophia, what has gotten into you?" She pulled her Floatzel back a bit. "Geez, learn to control your pokemon. Any pokemon that can't listen to its trainer isn't worth having." He huffed. She rolled her eyes at him, and took Sophia back to their table. She knelt in front of her pokemon, and she looked down, a bit ashamed of herself. "Sophia? What was that all about? I've never seen you get so angry before." She asked in a softer voice. "Floa... Float. Floatzel Float Float." She replied, and Brooke's face fell. "That was your old trainer?" 

"Old trainer?" Logan and Charlie looked at her, confused. "It was before I met you guys, when Shophia was still a Buizel. Jordan and i found her alone in a Pokemon Center in Rosa City. Her old trainer had told her that he was coming back in an hour, but after a day, it was clear what had happened." Brooke explained, with a frown. "So that was the trainer that abandoned her?" Logan asked with a frown. "Seems like it." Brooke's frown turned to a glare. "Come on, Sophia." 

"Brooke, what are you thinking?" Jordan asked cautiously. She ignored him and walked off with her Floatzel following her. She slammed her hand down in front of the boy at the table, and they all looked up at her, surprised. "You again?" 

"My name is Brooke Areca, and my Floatzel here is Sophia. What's your name?" 

"...Zeke?" 

"Well, Zeke, I believe my Floatzel here says you left her behind in Rosa City. Is that right?" She asked. He leaned back in his chair and looked them over. "So, you're the lucky trainer that got stuck with her. How's that been working out?" 

"I didn't get stuck with anything. Sophia has been an invaluable member of my team, and has helped me win eight gym badges." 

"Well I tell you, I've had a higher success rate since I took her off my team." 

"How dare you!? Telling her you'd be coming back, and you leave her behind! Who in their right mind abandons a pokemon like that?" 

"Someone who has their own best interest in mind. I know I wouldn't have made it to the Maroh League with that runt on my team." He scoffed. "The least you could do is apologize to her." 

"Apologize? Why would I do that?" She did a double take. She didn't think she'd need to explain. "Because abandoning any pokemon is wrong! You just weren't able to see her potential." 

"I have nothing to apologize for. If anything I did her a favor. Now she's with a trainer who's apparently on her same level. Far below my own." Brooke's blood boiled. "Brooke,--" Jordan began in a warning voice behind her. "Well then, if you're so confident, how about a battle? On that field." She pointed behind her to an empty battlefield. "Sophia, against one of your pokemon." 

"Gladly. Be careful, girls, I'm about to put you in your place." He and his friends stood up, snickering. 

They moved to the battlefield, and Charles volunteered to referee. "This will be a one-on-one battle between Brooke and Zeke. The winner will be determined when one side's pokemon is no longer able to battle. Release your pokemon." 

"Come on, Sophia, let's show him what you're really made of!" 

"Float!" She jumped out in front of Brooke, on all fours, ready to battle. Zeke scoffed again. "May as well use the pokemon I replaced you with. That'd be fitting, right? Let's go, Blastoise!" He released a blastoise from a dive ball, and it roared in front of them, sharing his trainer's confident smirk. "Battle begin!" Charles announced. "Let's get this over with, shall we? Use scald!" 

"Dodge it! Then use bulk up!" She slid out of the way just in time, and her muscles became more defined. "Headbutt!" 

"Bulk up again, Sophia!" She dodged it, and got stronger. "Keep going till you hit it, Blastoise!" He kept trying to hit Sophia, but she was always able to slide out of the way just in time. "Come on! Hit her already!" Zeke was growing impatient. "Hold, Sophia!" Blastoise tried using headbutt again, but Sophia grabbed his head in her paws and held him in place, digging her hind paws into the dirt. "Ice punch!" Her fist was covered in ice and she struck Blastoise in the head, causing him to fall back. "Fine, you want to fight that way? We'll fight that way. Come on, Blastoise! Let's go!" He held up his wrist and touched his fingers to a key stone. Brooke scowled as they mega evolved, and Blastoise became even more powerful. "Don't get discouraged, Sophia, we can handle this." 

"Float." She nodded, keeping her eyes on her opponent. "Pretty cool, huh? Too bad your precious "Sophia" here can't do the same thing." He taunted. "Don't get cocky! Sophia, use hydro pump!" 

"Ice beam!" It hit Sophia and she was sent flying back. Since mega evolving, Blastoise's special attack went way up. "Sophia! Are you okay?" 

"Float...zel." She stood back up and glared at her opponent. "Good girl. Now, iron tail!" Her tail turned silver and she rushed at Blastoise. "Scald, Blastoise!" Sophia was able to duck around the attack and jumped in the air, slamming her tail down on top of Blastoise's head. "Ice punch while you're in close range!" Before Blastoise could recover, she punched the back of its head. "Headbutt!" Before Sophia could flee, it spun around and knocked her with his head. She skid to a stop and shook herself to clear her focus. "Don't let up, Sophia! Hydro pump!" It was a direct hit and Blastoise fell back from the force of the water, and changed back to its original form. "Blastoise is unable to battle! Sophia is the winner!" The Floatzel ran back to Brooke and they high-fived. 

"What!? How is that possible!?" Zeke exclaimed, in shock that he lost. "It's not my fault you couldn't see the potential you had with Sophia, but you gave that up because she lost one battle." Brooke scowled at the other trainer as he returned his Blastoise. "Turns out she's not as "below your level" as you thought." She gave Sophia a sitrus berry. "But my Blastoise has never lost a battle before! Much less to a pokemon like Sophia." 

"You're right. Cause there's no other pokemon like Sophia. You were so caught up in power that you forgot about actually training them. It's not about what level they're at. It's about working together to better the both of you. Maybe its a good thing Sophia came with me, now she doesn't have a trainer that doesn't value their pokemon anymore. Come on, guys, we still have a park to enjoy." She and her friends walked off, leaving Zeke and his friends behind. 

"Are you okay, Sophia? I know it must be tough seeing him again after so long." Brooke looked over at her pokemon as they walked. "Float... Float, Floatzel." She smiled up at Brooke, and she smiled back. "Good. Why don't you take a rest? You've had a long day, and you need to be refreshed before the League." Brooke returned her to her pokeball, and they all continued to have fun and enjoy the park. 

The sun had set, and the fireworks were going to start soon, and they all stood in line for the Ferris Wheel, wanting the best view. They got to the front of the line. "Two riders at a time only." 

"Charlie, you go ahead with Brooke, we'll take the next car." Jordan smiled. Charlie shot a quick look at them, and he got in the car with Brooke. 

As they were taken up, everything below them became smaller, and they could almost see the whole park. "I'm sorry my battle with Zeke took so long this afternoon. I was really looking forward to having fun with you today. Since you said you'd never been here and all." Brooke said out of nowhere. Charlie looked up at her. "Brooklyn, you don't have to apologize. You were standing up for Sophia. I did have fun today. Because I was with my friends, and my pokemon." She smiled at him. "Good." 

"So..." 

"So?" 

"The Maroh League day after tomorrow. Are you ready?"

"You're always so worried about me." She laughed a bit. "I'm going to be ready. This is what I've been training for, since even before I came to Maroh. Lukas and I have been dreaming of going to a league since we met. Right, buddy?" She looked down at her partner. "Umbre!" He nodded enthusiastically. "Good. I know you're all capable of great things, Brooke." 

"Come on," She smiled, a bit bashfully. "I mean it. Why do you think I finally left my parents and joined you? Because I believe in you, Brooke. By nature, I'm a typically skeptical person. I don't believe in a lot of what I can't see, but I believe in you. I believe in the bond you share with your pokemon, and even other people. You're unique, Brooke, and I believe you and your team deserve to be Champions some day. If not in a few days, then in another region. And wherever you go, I'll follow you there, because I believe you can do amazing things." He smiled at her, his hazel eyes displayed nothing but sincerity, and she was at a loss for words. Before she could reply anything, the fireworks started, and they watched the bright colors light up the sky. 

As the exploded, she stole a look over at Charlie and saw the lights brighten up his face, and she smiled a bit. He really believed in her. 

With her friends behind her, she knew she could do this after all.