Matt winced as Speigel and Monferno collided in one last explosive impact, each of them putting their all into that last exchange of blows. The air itself seemed to ripple as the Pokemon laid into each other, and it came as no surprise, especially considering their damaged states, that the Fire-types collapsed simultaneously. Truly an amazing display on strength, on both the Pokemon and their trainers' parts, one that Matt would have loved to see firsthand.
However, the TV in the prep room, while not quite as good as being in the stands themselves, provided a pretty decent view. In HD too!
"I've got one healthy Pokemon left. And so do you. Ready?"
As Daria and Forte readied their final fighters, the fighting seemed to enter a bit of a lull. No doubt the battle would resume its typical ferocity once the Pokemon were out, but for now Matt was more than happy to take advantage of the break. Collapsing into one of the room's plastic chairs, the trainer reached for the four balls strapped to his belt. "Alright guys, come on out!"
A quartet of flashes lit the room, before condensing into a handful of corporeal forms and one gaseous shape.
"Cynda!"
"Rrrrooo."
"Gas-gastly!"
...
"Woop?"
While the rest of the Pokemon gathered around their trainer, the Wooper only glanced around the room, a confused expression on her face. This wasn't the park, or any of her other usual hangouts. In fact, she didn't recognize this place at all! Where on Earth was she?!
Wandering around the room didn't exactly reveal any hints as to her location. So far as she could see, there weren't any exits readily available, and there wasn't anything she could use to orient herself. The few chairs and magazine racks that decorated the small area were as uninteresting as they were uncomfortable and useless; no way any of those things would be helping her. Yeah, there was no doubt about it, she was lost.
"...really got a match this time! It's not gonna be a false start, like the one yesterday, I promise."
Turning around, the befuddled Water Fish Pokemon stared at the only other living things that seemed to occupy the tiny chamber. There was a human, sitting on his heels and saying something about teamwork and perseverance. For some reason, he looked pretty familiar; the Wooper couldn't shake the feeling that she knew him from somewhere. Regardless, he looked nice enough, even considering the fact that he was clearly nervous about something. Moving on, there was a trio of Pokemon clustered around the young man, a Pidgeotto and a couple of others she had never seen before. The Flying-type seemed to be ignoring whatever the human was saying; he had perched on the back of one of the chairs, and was apparently more focused on making sure his feathers were straight than whatever his trainer was trying to tell him. However, even though he tried to hide it, the Pidgeotto would flash the occasional glance over his shoulder, his keen eyes briefly focusing on the human. Yeah, even if he was trying to fake indifference, he was clearly listening.
The first of the other two Pokemon was obviously a Fire-type. Either that, or he just had yet to notice that his back was on fire. Unlike his larger, winged companion, this Pokemon made no attempt to disguise his immersion. It was obvious, from the way he stared at his trainer with half-shut eyes and his anxious, excited posture, that he was hanging onto every word the human said, nodding emphatically every few seconds.
The last of the Pokemon was another the Wooper couldn't recognize. He... she... it looked more like a darkly colored fog than a Pokemon, its vaporous body constantly shifting, spreading, and changing. Like the Fire-type, it was clearly paying close attention to the trainer. But there was something else about this stranger, a sensation of fear that instinctively arose in the Wooper's mind as she stared at the gaseous cloud. She didn't think she liked this one very much, even though she wasn't sure why...
"...can do it! Just because we haven't had the best of luck so far doesn't mean that we can't win today, and I know that you guys will be giving it your all, just like me!"
It looked like the human was concluding whatever it was he was saying. The excited tone in his voice had apparently spread to the rest of his body as well; his words were now accompanied by grand, sweeping gestures, that seemed to irk the Pidgeotto as much as they energized the other two Pokemon. Whatever it was he was talking about, it was apparent that the Trainer felt pretty strongly about it.
"So what'd ya say, guys? Think we can win it?"
"Quil!"
"Gastly!"
The Pidgeotto, while he continued to maintain his silence, was at least looking towards his trainer now.
"Alright, thanks guys. I'm not gonna let you down; promise."
With a slight grunt, the human rose to his feet, stretching out his arms and back as he rose. "Now, for the next order of business."
Reflexively, the Wooper shied away as the lad began making his way towards her. Upon seeing her reaction, the young man quickly brought up his hands, palms open in a sign of non-aggression. "Woah, don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you, okay?"
Although she tried to keep away from the slowly approaching stranger, the Wooper found herself cautiously making her way towards him. It was as though some bizarre sensation was overriding her natural caution, like a sense of loyalty had suddenly been implanted into her head. It wasn't really a bad thing per say, but there was no denying that it was a little weird.
Soon, the young lad was crouching down in front of her, a gentle grin spreading across his visage. Ignoring the thin, sticky film that coated her tiny frame, he gave her a few affectionate pats on the head, his voice soft and kind. "Guys, say hi to our new teammate. I know it's been a while since we've gotten someone else, but I'm pretty sure she'll be great."
As he spoke, the rest of the Pokemon appraised the Wooper, staring at her with curiosity, friendliness, and (in the Pidgeotto's case) a bit of annoyance. Soon, they approached her and began to speak, their tones civil, if a little questioning. "Quil quil? Cyndaquil, cynda cyn. Quil cyndaquil?"
"Gas-gastly! Ga-ga-gastly. Gastly gas?"
"Heh, alright, wait a minute guys. Let's give her some air, alright?"
With a bit of an abashed air, the Fire-type backed off, squeaking an apology. The other, scarier Pokemon merely cackled a bit, albiet in a somehow friendly way, before swooping off. The the Pidgeotto hadn't even bothered to move in the first place, and he continued to maintain his stoicism.
"Hmm..." the lad continued, staring down at the Wooper with a slightly bemused look. "They do have a point though. Can't really just go around calling you Wooper all the time, now can I?"
"Woop?"
"Well, I mean, I guess I could. It's not like I'm gonna have another Wooper anytime soon, now will I?" The trainer laughed a bit, not noticing the confusion that marred the Water-type's face. "Nah, I just like giving you guys nicknames. Makes it a little easier to talk to you, I guess."
"Woop woop?"
"...You're a little ditsy, aren't you?"
The Wooper may not have really understood what the young man was talking about, but judging by the smile on his face it was probably a good thing.
"So, what would you like to be called? Could go with Thetis, or maybe Kairi? Or maybe something easier, like Aqua or Fishy? Or would you like something more like..."
