Loyal to the Game [Pokemon Fanfic]

The Sad Shade of Purple

Norman got off of the Saffron train station, wincing at how the timing was a bit off. Well, better late than never, and he was certainly around the estimated time behind May's train, though he took maybe a little longer than he thought he would as apparently his train ended up in Saffron, while hers had stopped at Vermillion.

His first thought, as he watched the video of Ash Ketchum one last time on the train, was that she was obviously a pokémon trainer. From the way she handled her pokémon, he just had that gut feeling. She wasn't a Coordinator, despite how well she did in that contest and how actual Coordinators seem to really like her. And she wasn't just someone who owned pokémon either.

And then he found an "uncut" version of the contest, where in fact some odd-looking, short woman had been in a Gyarados submarine and had attacked the contest, and Ash's Espeon had expertly dealt with the matter. That just confirmed to him that she was a trainer, and that she battled, her pokémon knew how to battle, and both had experience in it.

That meant, as a pokémon trainer, if she'd been in Saffron, then she would have definitely gone to the gym for a match to win a badge off of the gym leader there.

Wasting no time, as soon as he left the train station, he headed straight for where the gym would be. He got directions and initially set off on foot to there, until a cab came by and he'd hailed it. He rode the rest of the way, saving time, and was quickly in front of the Saffron Gym. He entered it and found the décor to be a little creepy, but brushed it off and continued on.

He ran into some guy, who demanded to know who he was and why he was there, and before Norman could answer, the man started to rant about psychics and psychic power.

Ah. So this was a psychic-type gym then.

He sweatdropped as he listened to the man, wanting to cut in and just ask his questions, but the guy kept on. Fortunately, someone else cut in for him.

"Artie, why don't you help some of the others on their training? I'll take over from here," another man, this time with dark hair and beard, came around the corner and came over to them, smiling exasperatedly.

"Yes, sir! Of course!" Artie bowed low and then excitedly ran off.

"Excuse him, please," the newcomer directed to Norman. "He's a little…eccentric. Anyway, how may I help you?"

Norman cleared his throat awkwardly. "Um, is the gym leader here? I wanted to ask them something important."

The man smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, sir, but Sabrina's currently busy. She's in the middle of a match right now."

Norman was disappointed, but he decided to at least try asking this man as well, before giving up and waiting another time. "I was wondering if you knew a trainer named Ash Ketchum came by? She's got a Pi –"

"A Pikachu," the man finished. "No, I didn't read your mind. She did, actually, pass through here, and she's known quite well here by everyone, including myself and my daughter –the gym leader Sabrina. She just left Saffron an hour ago, however."

Norman sighed. Damn it all, he'd just missed her.

"There's a bus coming through here in half an hour, that's heading to Lavender Town, where she's heading. You can catch it if you stick around," the man offered. "I'm Robert by the way."

"Norman," he offered up his own name. "And thank you. I appreciate the offer."

"Come on back then. We can have some tea while we wait. You can tell me why you need to see her, and I can tell you about her time here and how she actually helped out my daughter and I."