Unfinished CH5

The other trainer’s Pikipek clashed with the ground, bouncing twice on the dirt’s surface before rolling over with a defeated sigh. The boy, who seemed to be only a hair younger than I, called her name out and caught her in his arms. I, on the other hand, called Perch back, giving him a hug as he flew over.
“Good job, Perch!” I yelled, planting a kiss on his fuzzy forehead, “That’s two more, just one left!” I said, ignoring the lamentations of my opponent. I strode up to him, holding my hand out to accept the coin of victory, turning from him and walking away, ignoring the stumbled speech that followed. I think he said something about a number, but I wasn’t sure.
“This isn’t hard at all, is it, Perch?” I asked, nestling him into my chest. He gave off a happy chirp. I had managed to get by without Lily’s help, though I might have had trouble had Perch not found a bush full of berries to munch on between battles. This one, however, he got through without a scratch. I had three coins, now, and just needed the last one. I walked around the school, looking around for another fight. It still wasn’t easy to ask for one, but those who were simply standing around, bored, seemed to ask for it for me, just as I walked by.
I suppose it didn’t really count as me being good at socializing as much as it was scratching an itch everyone had. Still, I felt better. Relaxed, not afraid of the crowd. Not as much, anymore. I still felt my muscles tighten whenever I approached a group of loud students.
I sighed, turning back toward the crowd that had gathered, a smile on my lips. Inside, I felt my nerves bounce around. The only times I had seen a crowd at school before today had usually meant I was going to be bullied in some way, shape or form. Now, they seemed to respect me. I was surprised, more than anything else, about the age range at the school. Kids as young as the one I had fought before were rare, but there, but there were people who must have been my age or more. Trainers don’t have a set age, I thought, setting my hand on my bag.
“So, anyone else?” I said, raising my voice as much as I could, as I knew nerves would force me to speak quietly. “I’ll take on anyone!” I said, puffing my chest out. The crowd didn’t respond, and I gave a sigh. I fought to prevent the pink from touching my cheeks. “Come on, I only need one more.” I said, more quietly. I sighed, not hearing any takers. Plan B, then.
I quietly turned and shuffled away from the crowd, hoping to hide away for the next nine thousand years…or until I stopped feeling embarrassed. Either worked, really, and I just couldn’t believe I said that. I must have sounded like a complete moron. I passed by the fence, giving off a little sigh, only to hear a sharp voice from behind.
“Hold it right there.” A woman, or maybe a girl, yelled. I stopped dead in my tracks, turning around. A girl stood on the other side of the field, the distance giving me only a few details of her person. The thing that stood out to me the most was the shiny blonde hair that reached past her shoulders. That, and the obviously expensive outfit. She had a vest, a dress shirt, a long, striped skirt that reached behind her knees. A bag around her shoulder, too.
Most notably of all was the black and yellow Pokéball in her hands. I had never seen something like that before.
“Um…” I started, only to be cut off immediately.
“Trying to take my title, huh? I see you, new kid, running around my school, stealing my points and my records.” she nearly yelled. I’d never heard the word “my” used so aggressively. As she drew closer, I found she was just a hair taller than me, and yet I felt the way I would if an adult was yelling at me. Her tone was so…authoritative. Yeah, that was a good word for it.
“What’s so funny?” she asked, her hand on her hip. She walked up to me, hips swaying with every step, until she was right in my face. “Is it because you finally get to look at someone who’s pretty?”
“Actually,” I said, “I’m just glad I can finally get that last coin. I have a journey to go on and I really need those four wins.” I said. She huffed, scoffed even, and ran her hand through her hair.
“Wow, girl, you’ve got some serious eyesight issues if you don’t know who I am. And you must not, because if you did, you’d know I’m going to whip you nine times to Sunday.” she practically yelled, her hand gripping the strange ball in her hands.
“O-oh, really?” I asked, more of a curious tone to my voice than anything else, “I’m afraid I’m new around here, I mean, you even said that, so I’d have assumed you’d know I don’t know who you are.” I said. Silence dawned, and she glared at me. “Y’know?” I added, earning a laugh from the crowd around me.
“Oh, you are so dead.” the girl said, wheeling away from me and marching across the field. I couldn’t help but notice, once more, that she walked with a sway, never closing her legs together. If she was trying to look hot, it wasn’t working. If anything, it looked a bit childish. I caught myself staring, next, at her backside, and the cloth that laid smoothly over the top side, though the skirt seemed to twist and brush as she walked, and so it never quite revealed the form.
The moment she turned around, though, I shot my eyes right to hers. Staring was one thing. Getting caught, well, that’s when it’s wrong.
“How about I just educate you here and now?” she exclaimed, wheeling her hand back, “You can fight me as many times as you want, I’ll take your coins whenever you want. Go, Trail Blazer!” she threw the strange ball at blazing speeds, the object curving in the air until it burst open some ten feet in front of me. It bounced on the ground, landing in her hands before the red light had even gained a shape. Quadruped, with a high head and something fluctuating and twisting on the head and tail, the shape it finally showed was more than a bit frightening. Then the color, and everything else came.
Fire burned from its head and tail, and it released an angry puff from its snout. White fur, red fire, and black hooves that sparked when it took a step. For just a moment, I felt my heart stop, like I was facing an angry Mom, but I shook it off.
“Ponyta.” Dex whispered, “Fire type.”
“Right…” I said, pulling a ball from my belt. “Then I’ll send out Aristotle!” I yelled, following the girl’s example. Aristotle burst from his ball, slow even on materializing, and stared at the Ponyta with a dumb look on his face.
The girl laughed a laugh that was near indescribable. It was too loud to be a snicker, and too arrogant to be a chuckle. The word “guffaw” sprang into my mind. It was the only way to describe the way she laughed, her hand hovering a few inches from her mouth.
“A lowly Slowpoke like that won’t have a chance of beating my imported team. They’re trained far better than that pest you probably grabbed out of some push on the way here, aren’t they?” she said, a cruel smile on her lips. I could see it from here. More importantly, I could feel it from here. I knew I was blushing, blushing because, on some level, she was right. I had just gotten him.
But I wasn’t going to let some rich airhead belittle my precious team, not now, not ever!
“Say whatever you want, it won’t change the result. Aristotle, soak it with Water Gun!” I ordered. Aristotle released a lazy noise of affirmation.
“Don’t let him get you, Trail Blazer, send in an Ember!” she demanded, her finger stuck up in the air, pointed directly at my precious Slowpoke. It was on.
Aristotle released a noise of acknowledgement. I wasn’t sure how to describe it. It wasn’t a bay, nor was it a bark or a moan. If I had to sound it out, I’d say it sounded like “Ba-dum,” or something. Before I could think of a proper descriptor, the enemy Ponyta pranced to the right, sending a bolt of fire from its maw. It smashed right into Aristotle’s face, though the Slowpoke didn’t seem to pay it any mind. He opened his own mouth in return, and send a current of water flying toward Trail Blazer.
The Ponyta leaped to the side, the water bursting a hole through its burning mane. It let out a war cry, fire balling up in its mouth before launching it right at Aristotle. It smashed into his face, though he didn’t seem to register the hit at all until after it dissipated in hissing steam.
“Water Gun, again!” I yelled, throwing my finger in the Pokemon’s direction. Once more Aristotle let out his mysterious noise, slowly aiming his shot. I paused for a moment. It’d end the same, with him missing, and the Ponyta smashing him again with fire. Sure, it wouldn’t do too much damage, but Aristotle couldn’t take them forever...right?
“Don’t fire until it’s up close!” I said, sporting a grin. My opponent, even from far away, visibly furrowed her brow.
“I don’t think you need to tell that sluggish thing that,” she said, letting out a huff, “but if you really want me to come up close, then fine, alright Trail Blazer, hit him with a Stomp!”