"Why can't we just go through the forest? Why do we have to go through Meteor Falls?" If there's one thing I'm certain about, it's that I had a completely different impression of Flora than before we started this journey. Call it what you want, but the best word I could come up with was childish. I guess it was the simple impression that she gave off during our schooldays that made me like her: pretty and nice. After spending about a week with her, though, my perception of her began to change. I was beginning to see her more for the energetic and emotional girl that she turned out to be, and I was beginning to like those sides of her instead. I wouldn't admit it though.
"It's easier to navigate the cave than a forest that looks the same in every direction. Also, you don't see any people when you go through the forest!" Flora looked quite confident in her reasoning.
"Do we even have a light source? Last time I checked none of your pokemon knew any light based moves."
She procured a flashlight from her bag and held it triumphantly into the air. "Don't worry, I got it covered! Plus, I'll have you know that I've been through this cave before!"
Somehow I get the feeling that that won't help.
5 Minutes Later
Flora plopped down on the cave floor, dead flashlight in hand. Our eyes had adjusted to the little light permeating throughout the reflective, golden cave, but we couldn't make out enough to actually navigate it.
I sighed. "Come on now, just sitting isn't going to solve anything. Are we going to wander around until we get out or not?" I held out my hand to help her out, and Aaron sensed the move. He popped out of his pokeball and tried to tackle me, but his eyes weren't adjusted yet and he headed in the wrong direction: straight into the wall of the cave that is.
"Aaron! Are you okay?!" She jumped up in surprise and bent down to pat him consolingly on his head.
I wasn't even trying to make a move, you dumbo. I shook my head and sighed. "He's fine. Return. Now that you're up, let's go."
We wandered around for a while, when all of a sudden we saw light up ahead. "That must be the exit! Let's get out of here!"
We ran for the light, but as we got closer we soon saw its true nature. We came to a clearing, where a Sceptile was standing with an orb of light hovering above it. Alongside it was a cape wearing man, dressed in all purple, staring out into an abyss of rock that lay before him, almost like an indoor cliff.
When the man saw them approaching, he turned to them and struck a pose with his hands on his hips. "How unusual for people to come visit this neck of the woo- errr... cave! What brings you this way, fine travellers?"
I'd rather not admit how unprepared we were, even if it was Flora's fault and not my own...
"Our flashlight ran out so we've been wandering around trying to find the way out," explained Flora without hesitation.
He man's laugh echoed off the walls and bellowed through the whole structure. "Rookie mistake! Always bring a pokemon that knows Flash when travelling to dark places! I'll tell you what..." He pulled back his cape to reveal a backpack, which he rummaged in until he managed to find a golden disc. "Here," he said, walking over to us to hand us the object. "Surely one of your pokemon can learn it. It's Flash."
"Thanks..." I said, receiving the Hidden Machine. I let Aaron and my Bagon out of their pokeballs. They both looked up at me with big eyes full of curiosity. I placed the disc on their heads, but first Aaron, then Bagon, shook their heads 'no'. "Guess it's a no go for my pokemon. See if any of yours will learn it Flora."
The unusual man's face lit up. "Where'd you get that Bagon?! Are you perhaps a fellow dragon type enthusiast?!"
"Oh, him? Na, he was just given to me."
His face was still just as bright. "Nevermind that! Having a dragon type makes us brothers, at least in a fellowship sense. Say, why don't you guys stay for a while? There will be something that I think you'd like to see here before long. Oh." He did a 360 degree turn so that his cape caught air and fluttered around. "And the name's Ryuusuke!"
We decided, or I should say Flora decided, that we should stay and see what it was that was so interesting. Turns out the only one of our pokemon that could learn Flash was little old Tiffiny the Beautifly, who was more than happy to stay outside of her pokeball for a while.
After a little bit of waiting, and a few tales of Ryuusuke's dragon exploits, he hushed us and pointed out towards the edge of the chasm. A small Bagon was looking over the edge, and after convincing itself to follow through, stepped back and ran forwards, jumping right off the edge, diving down headfirst.
Crash!
Flora let out a yelp, and we all ran over to the edge to see what happened. The Bagon had landed on a rock probably twenty or thirty feet down, leaving cracks, but not quite shattering it. It wobbled around, dizzy from its jump.
"Bagons dream of flying, and will occasionally jump from high places in an attempt to do just that. This is one of the few places in the world where one can see such a thing happen." Ryuusuke crossed his arms and smiled in appreciation of the Bagon's efforts.
I looked at him and saw his satisfaction, and for a moment I truly appreciated the beauty of the natural occurrence. Then I heard the familiar sound of a pokeball drawing in a pokemon.
Shocked, I looked down and saw a pokeball rock side to side, then click.
"Woohoo!" Flora cheered. "Now I have one too!"
The dragon trainer and I turned our heads, facing the perpetrator.
"Y-you just took such a pristine moment in a dragon's life, a-and took advantage of it?! After it had weakened itself and left itself exposed, you tried to catch it?!" Ryuusuke seemed shaken to the core by the development.
Seriously, though. That's ice cold, and that's coming from me.
"Yeah, so? Anything wrong with trying to catch a wild pokemon?" Flora's triumphant smile didn't indicate any regret what-so-ever.
"N-no... It's... It's..." He threw his hand up into the air and shouted. "GENIUS!! Why have I been trying to catch them normally when I can just do that?! It's so much easier than trying to corner and battle those little suckers!"
You too?!
She flipped her hair back. "If she didn't want to be caught she should've reconsidered jumping with people around. Anyways, now that we both have one, Elron, we need to give ours nicknames for sure! I'll name mine Baguette, and yours can be Bagel!"
"Sure, why not..." I slumped down onto the floor. I think I appreciate nature more than the human race now.
-----
"Fresh air!!!" Flora burst out of our rocky captor at the top of her lungs.
Ryuusuke had stayed behind, I guess you could say in his natural environment, but had given us his pokegear number, so I doubt it'll be the last we see of him. "Be sure to call me up when your dragons become more powerful, so that we can battle!"
We stood upon a grassland, with our goal not too far ahead. Flora plopped down regardless. "Time for lunch!"
"Can't you just wait until we get to Rustboro?"
"No! Don't stand between a girl and her food!" She rustled in her backpack for her food.
Good grief. I sat down at did the same.
"I could really go for a baguette right now, I wonder why..."
That's what you get for naming your pokemon after food. "I guess a bagel doesn't sound that bad right now."
"I know right? Oh, and let's feed the pokemon too."
We released our pokemon and poured food into bowls for them. They quickly consumed their portions and began playing in the fields. The Bagons got along instantly, and were running around together as if they were in a game of tag.
Flora and I simply ate in silence and watched the pokemon play. It wasn't long before we finished eating.
"I suppose it's time to recall them and get going," I said, pulling out my pokeballs.
"Let them be. We're so close that it doesn't matter if we stay here a little while longer. They need their fresh air too you know?"
I gave in and put the balls away. We continued to sit in silence, eyes focused on our nonhuman companions. She leaned back and supported herself with her hands behind her. Eventually I got tired of sitting up and did the same. Our hands touched. Aaron's sixth sense kicked in and he glared back at both of us, but he was too late.
Flora quickly pulled her hand back, and in doing so lost balance and fell over. Her face turned bright red. Her hands quickly went to cover the blushing. Her body rolled over to further hide her embarrassment.
"Oops! Sorry." I didn't think it was that big of a deal, but I could feel my face turn red as well. I guess she still has her nice side too.
***
Hey guys! Thanks a ton for sticking with the story this long, I hope you're liking it! I'd just like to let you guys know that this will be competing in the Pokemon Wattys in the Adventure category this year (if you didn't notice the tag), so I'm very serious about updating this every week, even if I did miss one week because of an anime convention (heehee, I actually got third in a writing contest there, but that's a story for another time). That's all the announcements for now, but you can expect to hear more from me later on. Thanks for your support!!!