Bored

[Sara D. La'Flue]

I jumped from the lowest branch on a tree. I tried landing on my feet, but I stumbled onto my side. I cursed to myself. I had tried to train with Tele, my Abra, but apparently Tele doesn't like getting out of his pokeball because the physic pokemon used teleport and ended up at the top of a tree and wouldn't come down. I frowned at it's pokeball looked down at Tuft, my Pikachu, who had easily gotten down a minute before I had. Tuft seemed to be laughing at me. I held up the Pikachu's pokeball and it stopped laughing immediately. I looked around for something else to do other than chasing freaked out Abras. I sighed and sat down. I had already fed Tuft and Tele. I had gotten exercise and soo had my pokemon. I kicked my feet into the air. Maybe I should try to teach Tuft a move! I looked over at the now sleeping pokemon. I sighed and jabbed it in the side.

"Hey Tuft! You want to learn dig?"

[Umbra]

"You know, in a city the size of this, you'd think there'd be a little more to do." She was bored. Of course she was. She was always bored. And this city was doing little to change that. She had only been here for an hour and was already reduced to releasing her Houndoom, Loki, just so she could have someone to talk to. "I thought I remember there being more to do here." She glanced around the paved city streets, eyeing the buildings to see which, if any, could catch her interest. So far, she was having no luck. The city was big and had a great many rich-looking inhabitants -she was certainly going to be eating well tonight.- but that was it. The city bustled with life, but it was a sharp, systematic type of life. A wheel that always turned in exactly the same way day after day after day. It amazes me that these people can stand this ridiculous level of monotony. I for one find it maddening. She watched a man scurry into a nearby skyscraper, his pace and worried expression suggesting he was late for something. But then again, I really should know better than to compare myself to the commonwealth. Let's face it, we really are nothing alike.

Just as she began to contemplate leaving this sorry excuse for a city behind, a small flash of light a movement caught her eye. "We might as well check it out. It's not like we've got anything else occupying us at the time being." The small disturbance appeared to be coming from the fringes of Jubilife: somewhere among the trees. What was-

Her question was answered even before it finished sweeping through her mind. There was a person in the tree before her, and they looked to be quite young. What are they doing? Interested as she was, she said nothing. She simply watched in silence as the small figure made its way down the tree and as it stumbled when its feet hit the ground. How unusual. Curious about this strange entrance, she allowed her feet to take her a few steps forward. The blurry form of the tree-climber began to shift into focus. The figure belonged to a teenage girl. And she wasn't alone. With her she had a Pokemon, a Pikachu. She must be a trainer. Probably someone from the Trainers' School. That seems to be the only explanation. She frowned. Though I still don't understand why she was up in that tree. Training? Just childish games? For a moment, she considered leaving and forgetting that she had ever seen this odd little girl fall from the tree but, as she turned to walk away, she remembered her previous boredom. Maybe this is the distraction I was looking for.

"Be nice Loki." she murmured before stepping forward. As she moved towards the trainer, who didn't appear to have noticed her yet, she made a soft sound as if she was clearing her throat. Don't want to start out this conversation by scaring the poor little thing. Finally, she stopped, planting herself several feet from the other girl. A kind smile spread across her face and she began to speak, her voice light and friendly. "Hello. I do hope that I'm not being a bother, but I noticed that you stumbled as you came down from that tree." She gestured to the one in question. "I just wanted to make sure that you're all right."

[Sara D. La'Flue]

Tuft and I looked up at the sound of feet crushing leaves and a person voice speaking. Were they speaking to me? I stood with Tuft easily jumping into my over-sized sweatshirt pocket. The Pikachu and I met gazes. We were pondering over whether to trust a stranger to not do anything. We blinked twice at each other and looked back to the woman.

'...stumbled as you came down from that tree...you're alright.' All I could recall from her words were those chopped out parts. I was going to just take it as she saw me fall on my side.

"I'm fine, the reason I fell is because I had to retrieve an over teleport happy Abra." I frowned as I tapped the tips of my fingers on Tele's pokeball. How was I going to train my Abra if it wouldn't even stay around to hear what I have to say? I shook my head slightly, but let it go.

"Thank you for concerning yourself though, there's not much company of a human while traveling by yourself." I referred to myself as I spoke of traveling alone. My statement was true, but not minded much.

[Umbra]

Umbra tilted her head ever so slightly and looked the girl over as she spoke. She took in the girl's Pokemon and clothing as she tried to figure out just what to make of her. She definitely seems to be a trainer. After all, I doubt a breeder would be so...active with their Pokemon, and I doubt a normal civilian would have this much trouble controlling their Pokemon. Pet Pokemon are so tame.

Her attention shifted back to the young woman as she heard her finish up her short explanation. "Oh, is that so?" she replied, her voice still quite welcoming. "Is he a new partner then? I know it can be difficult to control young Pokemon at times. Why, Loki here was a right nightmare for the first year after I got him. Always picking fights and biting; it's hard to believe I ever managed to tame him." She glanced down affectionately at her Houndoom, who let out a soft grunt in return. "I suppose it just takes persistence. Persistence and a fair deal of time."

"Thank you for concerning yourself though, there's not much company of a human while traveling by yourself."

"It's really no problem." She paused before allowing her face to grow serious, concern darkening her features. "I take it you're a trainer then? I can't think of any other reason why a girl so young would be wandering around on her own." A slight smile tugged at the edges of her mouth. "But I suppose there's nothing unusual about that. Why, becoming a trainer seems to practically be a right of passage these days." She let her smile grow. I doubt anything can be gained from this little girl, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't check her out. You never know, she might have something valuable. Trainers often do.

[Sara D. La'Flue]

I looked at the woman with interest as she spoke. It was something about her that I didn't trust. I smiled anyway and moved off of it.

"The Abra was the first pokemon I've caught here. He's kind of a shy pokemon." I looked down at Tuft whose cheeks were sparking with electricity as it looked at the Houndoom. I pulled the Pikachu out of my huge pocket and placed it on the ground. Tuft stepped close to the canine fire type and started raising it's back and having more sparks from it's cheek pouches come out. I frowned at it. Tuft looked like it was about to use Thunder Shock. I picked him up before he could start and a huge wave of electricity was sent down and up my spine. I coughed as my oddly colored hair spiked out. I stuck Tuft back in my pocket and started smoothing my hair out. I cringed as my body ached now from the shock.

"I'm not that young...I'm fourteen." I muttered this under my breath as I heard the woman's words.

[Umbra]

"I suppose that makes sense. Some Pokemon just really aren't as outgoing as others." The gentle smile stayed firmly on her face as she spoke, masking the doubt that began to brew underneath. I'm not entirely certain if my ruse is fooling her. I best be careful. The last thing I need is to get in a fight in a major city. Attention is never good.

She opened her mouth to speak again when she saw the girl look down at her Pokemon. Green eyes drifted down, following the gaze of the red. A bolt of shock darted through her chest, brought alive by what she saw the electric Pokemon doing, by what is seemed to be planning to do. Is that Pikachu getting ready to attack? She bit her lip, her earlier shock now being replaced by anger and irritation. Can't that stupid girl control her Pokemon at all? Beside her, she could see Loki bristling in response. Bright flames began to leak out of his slightly parted jaw. That's not good.

"Loki!" she snapped just as the offending Pokemon was snatched away by its trainer. "Calm yourself. Now is not the time." She paused, waiting to see if he would comply, before a loud buzz made her turn away from her Pokemon. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't help but smirk at what she saw. The little girl had managed to get herself shocked by her own Pokemon. She wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't seen it herself. "Excellent job controlling your Pokemon there." Sarcasm dripped from her words. "But you might want to be a bit more careful next time. Your Pokemon should really know better than to attack those who are stronger than them."

[Sara D. La'Flue]

I gritted my teeth at what she said. My eyes icy even though heat still raised in me from the electric shock. Tuft and I looked at her in sync. The electric pokemon jumped from the pocket of my sweatshirt and I didn't have any thoughts on stopping it. We both looked like electricity was going to shoot from our cheeks.

"Just because your pokemon evolved doesn't make it stronger. In no way can you consider us weaker without even having any information on this!" I spit this out and looked at her with distrust. She had no right to call us weaker. She had no right to tell me that I need to handle pokemon better. I had stopped my Pikachu from using an attack on her pokemon! She should at least have kept her trap shut if she had nothing nice to say.

[Umbra]

Umbra's smirk grew as she saw the reaction her words created in both the trainer and her Pokemon. Some people are so easy. The Pikachu jumped from where it had been stashed to back on the ground. Ooh. Looks like we may be getting a fight after all. Her green eyes glanced up and down her younger opponent. She certainly seemed willing for a battle. True, a fight really was not in her best interest at the moment, but she was so bored and she just had to put this silly girl in her place. Let's just see where this goes. I would love to have some fun, but I can't really go around attacking children now can I?

She sighed and rolled her eyes after the girl spoke. "Such a naive little child. Honestly." she murmured to herself, not caring whether she heard her or not. For a moment, she stared at the ground before her eyes flickered up, and she met her opponent's gaze with a cool, yet slightly amused stare. "That would be where you're wrong." Her voice level raised, enough so she could be certain the trainer could hear her words. "I have plenty of information to go on." She paused, allowing her words to sink in before continuing on. "I know that seem to have little control over your Pokemon, due to your Pikachu's impromptu attack which you failed to stop and your Abra's little-teleport-into the tree move. This suggests that these Pokemon are not only young and world-weary -older Pokemon have much better behaviour-, but also that they have yet to completely respect you as a trainer. Now, seeing as you seem to treat your Pokemon with love, this can only mean that you have not been partners for very long and thus would have not had much time to train them. Since these Pokemon are clearly new and young, I came to the conclusion that they are quite low levels and therefore are fairly weak."

"Now Loki, on the other hand," she glanced over at her Pokemon, "Has been my faithful companion for nearly ten years. We have gone through much together during that time, clearly far more than you have experienced with your Pokemon. Even though I do not classify myself as a trainer per se, I have fought countless battles with him by my side. We are anything but weak." Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Loki drawing himself up, preparing for what was to come. He looked almost eager, longing to prove himself to his faithful owner. If she really wants a fight, then she's definitely got one. We will not back down.