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Diaries of Trainer Seth	By : Kerrigor Category: Pokemon > General Views: 10738 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 3
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Chapter List
- 6
- 7
It seemed as though every city that Seth visited was larger than the last. When he emerged from Petalburg Woods, the cityscape of Rustboro clearly rose above the horizon. Seth whistled, realizing that for him to see them from this far away, the buildings must be very large indeed. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised; Rustboro City was the home of Devon Corporation, which according to Tom was developing the latest in mobile technology. No doubt any city with a corporate giant like that in it would have exploded in size.
There was still quite some ways to go. Leaving the forest deposited him at the banks of the Iron Bay, a large body of water that eventually opened out into the ocean. A breathtaking suspension bridge stretched across the water, reaching all the way to the outskirts of Rustboro City. It was a straight shot from here, so Seth broke into a brisk walk. He was enthusiastic to get there as soon as possible, so he could have the rest of the day to explore the city.
While Kyra rode on his shoulders as usual, Seth discovered that Princess had no difficulty keeping up with him. She had retained the ability to levitate from her time as a Feebas, so she was able to float beside the two of them. While moving forward, her body undulated in midair like a snake slithering on the ground. Seth couldn't stop looking at her; the morning sun reflecting off of her iridescent scales was a beautiful sight. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to have her.
When Seth reached the bridge, he immediately moved over to the right side of the walkway, as he was hardly the only one crossing the bridge. People and pokémon who chose to walk stayed to the far sides of the walkway, and those riding bikes remained in the center. Sometimes even a car or two passed by, forcing everyone to move out of its way.
More interesting to him were the looks Princess was getting. Seth quickly realized that the Pokédex wasn't kidding when it stated that Milotic were rare. The people who stared did so as if they'd never seen a Milotic before, which was entirely possible. The attention caused Princess to preen, intentionally moving in such a way to show off as much of her body as possible. Seth felt awkward at all of the attention, but he could feel his ego swell at the thought of acquiring such a rare and beautiful pokémon.
After passing through an elaborate iron fence archway, Seth arrived in Rustboro City proper. Unlike Petalburg, this city was truly urban; the streets were stone gray and the sidewalks a light shade of brown, each paved with granite. The buildings, made of stone brick and steel, towered above him, the windows tinted darkly to obscure the offices or residences within.
"I'd say it's like Olivine, but it's a bit older looking than that," Seth commented aloud to Kyra and Princess. He came to a stop at a street corner and looked around, taking in the sights. This city was much larger than Petalburg, such that it looked to take him multiple days just to see it all. Seth's chest swelled with excitement. "Might as well get started. Coming, Princess?"
Seth first visited a few hotels, searching for one with the most reasonable price. He possessed enough money to keep him well housed and well fed for a few days, but he wouldn't be able to stay here for very long. Large cities tended to have a higher cost of living than towns such as Littleroot.
After finding a hotel with reasonable rates, Seth booked a room and then set out to explore the city, starting by heading to the port and working his way inward. Like Petalburg City, Rustboro City had a port that opened out into the Echo Sea, where ships and barges constantly steamed in and out on their way to the different regions.
As for what they could be transporting, Seth soon found out through his explorations that the primary industry in the town was the production of steel. His progress into the industrial sector was barred by fences and red tape, but he could make out the scores of warehouses and refineries that lay within. Seth had no doubt that this was where the city made the majority of its income.
Seth then moved on to the school districts, finding himself in awe at just how big the city was. There were so many buildings whose purposes he couldn't ascertain, and so many alleyways that he hadn't explored, that he began to wonder if it was even feasible to truly explore and experience the city in its entirety.
"I feel like I'd have to live here to truly understand it," Seth conjectured to himself as he walked along the edge of the trainer school's campus. From here, he could see a few of the classes in session, the trainers facing off against one another with their pokémon. He wondered if he shouldn't stop in himself at some point in order to brush up on type advantages.
Apart from just the trainer's school, there was also multiple normal schools for those intending to study other fields ranging from biology to engineering. Seth looked at these with interest; he would have gone to schools like this, if he hadn't chosen to become a trainer instead.
Eventually, Seth came across one of the single most important buildings in the entire city; the pokémon gym. It stood in the middle of a rocky lot, surrounded by concrete sidewalks. It was a mostly unassuming building, set apart from the surroundings only by the rocky decorative structure along its roof, and the traditional poké ball emblem above the doorway.
"Okay, I'm going inside. I don't plan on challenging it just yet, but I'm curious as to what a real gym is like," Seth decided. He'd seen Norman's gym before, but it had been empty and devoid of challengers at the time. With that, he swallowed and walked up the steps to the double doors.
Seth stepped inside expecting to see something similar to his father's gym. He couldn't have been more wrong. The first thing he noticed were three gigantic sculptures on the far end of the cavernous room in which he stood. The one carved into the back wall was fashioned in the shape of a skeletal Aerodactyl, while another in the shape of a Kabutops jutted out from the left wall. A third that he didn't recognize was the closest to him, resting near the right wall atop a rocky ridge.
"That's…impressive," Seth breathed, wishing more than ever that he had a camera with him. The room in which Seth was standing appeared to encompass the entirety of the building. It was split across its width into two halves. The further half was adorned with walls and scenery akin to that of a rocky wasteland, forming a small maze meant to block the access of any potential challengers. He couldn't see any further than the first wall, but he could hear the sounds of battle from beyond it, along with a constant chorus of cheers.
The half in which Seth stood appeared to be a museum of sorts. Glass display cases filled the room, each of which containing a rock or fossil of some kind. Curious, Seth perused the cases, glancing at their contents with interest. He lingered on the geodes, marveling at the glimmering crystals. The fossils were equally interesting, although he couldn't tell what kind of pokémon to which they once belonged at first glance. Thankfully, each case was equipped with a plaque that explained the characteristics of the exhibit within.
Seth eventually drew near to the room's only occupant; a man wearing a business suit and glasses standing near a significantly large glass case that contained a scaled model of Hoenn. Upon drawing near, the man nodded to him as a way of greeting.
"Where is everyone?" Seth questioned in order to break the silence between them. "You'd think a gym would be busier."
"That's because nobody is gonna be back here when there's a gym challenge going on," the man replied with a grin. "Some poor fool challenged Roxanne just yesterday, so he's in there with her now."
"It wasn't a girl named 'May,' was it?" Seth asked curiously. Depending on his answer, Seth figured that he'd run to watch the battle himself.
"No, it was a man by the name of Randall, I believe," the man answered. Seth nodded; in that case, he decided to stick around the museum a little longer before going to watch. "You're not interested in the battle?"
"I'm more interested in Roxanne," Seth replied. The man raised an eyebrow, causing Seth to correct himself hastily. "I mean I'm thinking about challenging her at some point, but I know almost nothing about her."
"Ah. She's an incredibly talented trainer who recently graduated from the trainer's school nearby. It didn't take her very long to become the new gym leader," the man explained, accepting his explanation. "She uses mostly rock types, so if that serpent of yours is a water type, you may have a chance. If you want to know more, check out the left wall."
"I see. Thank you," Seth replied, and then he moved to check out the left wall. He felt a little better knowing that Princess may well be his trump card in this battle, but he knew he'd likely lead with Kyra. This battle was for her sake, after all.
On the left wall was a large portrait of a girl that Seth assumed must be Roxanne herself. She was a slender girl with a smooth, heart shaped face and a pointed chin. Her hair was long and dark brown, and was pulled back into two distinct braids that spread out to either side. Her magenta eyes were spaced evenly on her face and set beneath two well-groomed brows.
For clothes, she was wearing a gray colored school uniform consisting of a sleeveless dress that ended in a short skirt worn above a white undershirt. Lastly, she wore bright magenta leggings that clung to her legs attractively. Seth had to admit that she was rather appealing, though he couldn't tell her age from the picture.
Beside the portrait were several plaques listing Roxanne's achievements, including her graduation from the trainer's school as valedictorian. Nowhere did it tell him what kind of pokémon she used, so after Seth finished observing the wall, he decided to go and view the battle. It appeared to be reaching a peak in intensity, if the cheers he heard were anything by which to go.
With that, Seth made his way into the rocky half of the room. He easily navigated the maze and found himself right in front of the battle arena. Before he could even take a good look, a brown blur zipped past his vision and slammed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust and rock in the process. Seth yelped and covered his eyes.
When the dust cleared, a small boulder was revealed, resting atop a thoroughly defeated Beautifly. "Beautifly is unable to continue!" the referee announced, much to the chagrin of the challenger. Randall, a young boy with a net slung over his shoulder, complained in annoyance and withdrew the fallen pokémon, replacing it with a Dustox instead.
On the other side of the field was Roxanne herself, a rocky pokémon Seth didn't recognize standing just in front of her. She wore a neutral expression, nodding as though everything were as she'd expected.
Around the two of them were sets of bleachers that were about halfway filled with other trainers and city residents. All of them were watching the battle with varying degrees of excitement. However, judging from the cheers Seth was hearing, the majority of them were rooting for Roxanne.
A quick discrete scan with the Pokédex revealed Roxanne's pokémon to be a Nosepass, a rock type pokémon with magnetic properties. Supposedly, its nose always faced north, like a compass. Seth leaned against the wall and watched carefully, hoping to get a sense of how Roxanne fought.
"Perhaps it would be best if you conceded. It appears that you've little understanding of type advantages," Roxanne addressed her challenger politely. Her expression was neutral and her tone was polite, so it was difficult for Seth to determine how she was feeling. "To your credit, your Dustox isn't a flying type, but it's still a bug type, and thus weak to every one of my pokémon."
"I know that, but I resolved to beat your despite your advantage!" Randall declared fervently. "Not even your rocks can resist poison! Dustox!"
Roxanne exhaled softly, remaining calm even as the Dustox fluttered towards her. The moth flapped its gossamer wings, releasing a nearly invisible rain of soft violet powder down over Nosepass. Remaining still, the Nosepass briefly glowed, and nearby rocks lifted up from the ground and formed a barrier over its head, protecting it from the falling poison.
"A reasonable plan, but executed without forethought," Roxanne observed, her hand playing with the end of one of her braids. "Nosepass, if you will?"
The rocky barrier hovering above the angular pokémon suddenly exploded upwards, fragmenting into smaller rocks. Dustox was unable to react in time and was battered by a hailstorm of rocks, knocking it to the ground immediately.
"Dustox is down! Challenger Randall is out of useable pokémon!" the referee declared amidst the cheering of the crowd. Randall cursed under his breath and recalled his Dustox. "This gym challenge has ended! Leader Roxanne is victorious!"
"That was an enjoyable performance, nonetheless. Perhaps you should attend my seminar concerning type advantages and defenses tomorrow?" Roxanne suggested to Randall, lightly bowing her head. Randall didn't answer her, choosing instead to scoff and retreat from the field towards where Seth was standing.
Seth watched, but said nothing as Randall passed him, the trainer's annoyance clear to see. He soon put the previous challenger out of his mind, instead analyzing what he'd seen. He didn't think that she would prove an insurmountable obstacle, but Roxanne was clearly above the average trainer.
He noticed the crowds dispersing, so Seth retreated to one of the side passages while they passed by him. When the room was clear, he stepped back into the main path, only to walk out in front of Roxanne.
"Oh, pardon me," Roxanne apologized, coming to a halt just before she ran into him. Seth froze; he hadn't expected to talk to her so soon. Seeing her up close was nothing like looking at her portrait; Roxanne was twice as appealing in person. The way she held herself was formal yet relaxed, betraying a calm inner confidence. Seth found it rather attractive.
"No, it was my fault for just walking out," Seth stammered awkwardly. He couldn't help but flush a bit, finding it difficult to look her in the eyes. Roxanne smiled softly. Her eyes inevitably drifted to Kyra on his shoulder and Princess behind him.
"You must be a trainer as well," Roxanne correctly surmised. Her eyes lingered on Princess. "If I may, I'm interested in that gorgeous pokémon behind you. I've never seen the like before."
Seth reached up and stroked the back of Princess's head affectionately. "Her name is Princess. I'm told she's very rare pokémon," he revealed to her proudly.
"It must be. I'm interested in learning more about it," Roxanne requested. Before Seth could answer however, she sighed and shook her head. "My apologies. You likely didn't arrive to indulge my cupidity. Did you come to challenge the gym?"
"I did, but I'm not quite ready yet," Seth answered. Roxanne nodded understandingly. "Especially not after watching your last battle."
"Of course. Taking time to prepare will never be to your detriment," Roxanne agrees modestly. "However, issuing a challenge does not always result in an immediate battle. If you'd like, we can set a specific time in the future for our battle."
"Is that all there is to it?" Seth asked with surprise. "I'm new to being a trainer, so I don't know how gym battles work."
"Ah, I see! Care to walk with me, then? I can explain the underlying rules to you," Roxanne offered, gesturing down the corridor that led back to the museum.
"You would do that? Aren't gym leaders usually too busy to spend time with random trainers?" Seth questioned with surprise. Roxanne laughed musically at his hesitation.
"We do tend to be busy, but it's not as if we're bereft of down time. I have several hours before my next challenge," Roxanne explained. "Additionally, I'm still a trainer, the same as you. You don't need to differentiate between the two of us merely because of my title."
"That's very kind of you to say." Presented with such an argument, Seth realized it would be rude of him to hesitate any further. He smiled gratefully. "Then I'll gladly listen to your explanation."
"Marvelous!" Roxanne beamed, and then the two of them returned back to the museum area and back out into the city streets. Seth wasn't sure where they were going, but it didn't matter. He was still somewhat in shock that he was spending time with a gym leader. "If I may, did you attend the trainer's school? I don't remember seeing you in any of my classes."
"I didn't. Everything I know, I've learned through experience," Seth admitted. Roxanne blinked with bemusement. Seth wondered if that was the right thing to say to a teacher. "Is…that bad?"
"I'm nonplussed, to be entirely honest. Given the rare pokémon you possess as well as their evident attachment to you, it comes as a shock that you're self-taught," Roxanne relates, a look of interest forming on her face. "Of course, as a teacher, I still recommend that you attend at least one of my seminars. It could only help."
""I'll think about it. I've never been one to stay in one place for too long," Seth conceded. He certainly wasn't comfortable attending a school, as that meant wasting the days away inside a single building. Yet he wasn't about to argue with Roxanne. "By the way, where are we going?"
"I intended to walk along the perimeter of this park just ahead, in order to unwind before my next battle," she answered, pointing ahead. Seth peered ahead to see that the sidewalk wrapped around the fringe of a wooded grassy park. Multiple dirt paths crisscrossed through the park, forming walkways for pedestrians to enjoy nature. Seth found it odd that such a park would be in an industrial city such as Rustboro. "Along the way, I can clarify the rules of a gym challenge to you."
"I would appreciate that. I can't imagine that it's as simple as walking in and saying I want to battle you," Seth remarked.
"In fact, that's precisely how it is. After declaring your intent to challenge, it's as simple as registering your team with the gym and setting a desired time for the battle," Roxanne clarified.
"Why do I need to register my team?" Seth questioned curiously. "Is it common for gyms to keep records of the trainers that challenge them?"
"Perhaps I'd best start from the beginning," Roxanne decided. "Each trainer, including myself, is limited to six pokémon at maximum. Therefore, when a trainers declare their intent to challenge the gym, they must register the team with which they intend to battle. This is intended to force the challengers to put thought into their strategy and choice of pokémon, as well as prevent the battle from perpetuating."
"Is there any rule that keeps both teams equal in the number of pokémon? Like, if I entered with two pokémon, would you be limited to two as well?" Seth inquired.
"There is no such rule. It's not uncommon for there to be battles in which either the leader or the challenger may have more pokémon than the other. They must adapt," Roxanne reveals. Seth bit his lip, not liking the sound of that. If Roxanne had more than two pokémon, he would be outnumbered. Yet he didn't want to catch a random pokémon just to be able to keep up. "Are you familiar with the standard battling rules?"
"I think so. I was able to pick up at least that much from standard trainers," Seth replied uncertainly. "One on one battles, and from there anything goes."
"More or less. Yet a few additional rules have been added for the sake of saving time and safety." Now that the two of them had walked to the far end of the park, Roxanne diverted from their current route onto a dirt path that cut through the woods that likely headed back the way from which they came. "As you may have discerned, a judge will be present for the duration of the battle, and will rule when a particular pokémon can no longer participate. This can result when your pokémon is rendered unconscious, although there have been cases when the judge has ruled a pokémon unable to continue for the sake of its own safety."
Seth nodded, finding that to be reasonable. He also couldn't help but notice Roxanne's word choice and sentence structure. Her words were generally formal and advanced; even if he hadn't known beforehand, he would have guessed that she was a teacher or another occupation requiring such an education.
"Furthermore, the use of potions and other such items is allowed for on-site care, but there is a caveat; any pokémon upon which an item is used is no longer able to participate in the battle," Roxanne explained further.
"Oh, so I should only care for my pokémon if they've already been knocked out of the fight," Seth reasoned, quickly discovering the reasoning behind such a rule. "That way I can't just keep feeding potions to a single pokémon to prevent it from fainting."
"Precisely. You catch on swiftly," Roxanne complimented him. "That should cover the major rules. I don't believe I have to explain the easier to grasp rules such as excluding trainers from the battle."
"Definitely not. That's an awful thing to even consider," Seth agreed. He couldn't help but think back to his previous encounter with Team Aqua, who would most certainly have harmed him if he had lost. "Thanks again for taking the time to explain things to me."
Roxanne's lips curved into a small smile. "But of course. It's the least I can do for an aspiring new trainer." Her smile then turned somewhat mischievous. "To be honest, you're getting the better end of the deal; a private lesson with me usually requires some form of prior compensation."
Seth flushed and withdrew his wallet, fishing through it for the money he'd earned. "Sorry, I should have realized that. How much does one of your lessons usually cost? I should have enough," Seth stammered. Roxanne blinked, looking nonplussed.
"You honestly plan to pay me for this? I appreciate your integrity, but there's no need. I was merely engaging in a spot of facetious humor," Roxanne revealed teasingly. Seth paused, his blush deepening when he realized how foolish he looked for not recognizing that. He slowly put his wallet away, resting his head in his hand. Roxanne giggled. "My, but your reaction was excellent. My apologies for teasing."
"No, I'm sorry for being so dense. I don't deal with people that much," Seth admitted, shaking his head and smirking despite himself. When he next looked up, he realized that they had just exited the woods and that the gym was just before them. "I imagine you have to get back to work."
"Indeed I do," Roxanne came to a stop just before stepping onto the sidewalk, a reluctant expression crossing her face. "But before I go, I'd like to ask; are you going to challenge me, or would you rather attend a seminar or two first?"
"I'd rather learn through experience. So to answer your question, I am going to challenge you, but not today," Seth decided. "You said I could register for a time in the future?"
"I did. Just speak with the attendant inside, and he'll guide you through the process," Roxanne answered with a nod of the head. "Now, I must take my leave. I look forward to your challenge, and I hope to speak with you further in the future."
With that, Roxanne turned and retreated back to the gym, leaving Seth alone on the sidewalk. Yet, Seth felt as though he'd gained a lot from that. Now he knew what to expect in the upcoming battle.
"Alright, Kyra. Let's get us ready for that challenge," Seth decided. Kyra cooed happily from her position on his shoulders, clearly excited at the prospect of the upcoming battle. With Princess following close behind, Seth returned to the gym as well.
The attendant, the same man he'd spoken to upon first arriving, was very helpful. Just as Roxanne had said, he'd been required to record which pokémon he intended to use. Being the only pokémon he had, Seth recorded both Kyra and Princess. It wasn't long before Seth found himself slated to battle Roxanne the following afternoon.
Yet, he had no intentions of spending that time idle.
Seth arrived at the gym the next afternoon ten minutes before his scheduled challenge time, Kyra following him close behind. Unlike the previous day, the gym was fairly busy, but they didn't appear to be here for the museum. Seth gulped, realizing that they were likely here to watch his battle with Roxanne. Though, he believed it would be more accurate to say they were here to see Roxanne. Sure enough, none of them even batted an eye when he entered the building.
"Ah, you're right on time." Seth turned when the attendant from yesterday approached him. The man seemed rather excited to see him, despite the fact that he'd seemed less than enthused about Randall's battle previously. "I was a little afraid that you wouldn't show."
"If I say I'm going to do something, I'm going to do it," Seth revealed, unable to keep the reluctance from his voice. He was in this for his pokémon, rather than for the thrill of it like most trainers. "Why are you so excited? You didn't seem to care about Randall's challenge."
"Because trainers like Randall are a dime a dozen," the attendant answered dismissively. "I have a good feeling about you. There's something about you that makes you stand out from the usual challengers."
"Was it Princess?" Seth asked wryly. Unlike yesterday, Princess was in her poké ball; with luck, he wouldn't have to use her.
"You mean that serpent you had yesterday? I suppose that was part of it," the attendant admitted. "I'm being serious, though. I think you might have a chance, and I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do."
"Well, I'll try not to disappoint you," Seth responded uncomfortably, ending that particular conversation. "So what do I do now? Do I just walk into the maze?"
"That's right. Make your way through the rocks, and Roxanne'll be waiting for you," the attendant answered. Seth nodded, and then he made his way towards the maze of rocks.
As he strode forward, some of the other people in the museum area started to take notice of him. It didn't take long for some of them to realize that he was the one challenging Roxanne. It was clear that they didn't think much of him from the looks he was getting.
"You're lucky you're so cute," Seth grumbled to Kyra, who was again resting on his shoulders. Kyra made a small sound of amusement, and then she licked his ear affectionately. Seth stepped into the maze of rocks, sighing. "Alright, let's do this."
Remembering the path forward from yesterday, Seth made his way to the main arena, his anticipation and dread growing with every step. Eventually, Kyra took notice, causing her to hug his neck.
"I can't help it," Seth complained, recognizing that his emotions were on full display to her. "I've never done this kind of thing before…and certainly not in front of all of these people. But I guess it's too late for thoughts like that."
At last, Seth exited the maze of rocks into the arena proper. Last time, his vision had been obscured by the walls of rock, but now he had an unfettered view of the entire room. The arena itself was little more than an expanse of rocky terrain, complete with likely artificial formations and loose gravel. Unlike the maze through which he'd traveled, the coloration of the rock was a shade of dark maroon with ribbons of dark gray mixed in.
The bleachers were not as full as they were yesterday, but Seth had no doubt that they soon would be, due to the people already filtering in through the side entrances to take their seats. Much to his relief, he didn't recognize any of them. That relief was immediately blown away when he noticed the cameras set up at various angles around the arena. He began to sweat, hoping against hope that this battle wasn't going to be televised; it wasn't uncommon for gym challenges to be on TV.
Seth forced himself to breathe as he took his place on one side of the battle arena. Roxanne stood on the other side, her hands clasped behind her back and two poké balls strapped to her belt. She smiled when she saw him, making a small bow of her head.
"Welcome back, Seth. I've been looking forward to this ever since I learned of your challenge request the prior afternoon." Roxanne greeted him calmly, as though they were having nothing other than a simple conversation. "I take it you had time to sufficiently prepare?"
Seth quickly composed himself before answering. "I have. I've spent the entirety of the time since we last met in the forest, training for this battle," Seth revealed, sounding a lot more confident than he felt. "Granted, I still don't think it's enough, but…"
"I admire your determination and dedication. You must possess quite the ambition," Roxanne responded with approval. Despite her positive response, Seth felt he had to correct her.
"Well, that's not quite right. I'm not doing this because I want to. I've never been a fan of pokémon battles," Seth revealed. Roxanne didn't have a response for that at first, her eyes widening slightly. He decided to explain further to head off the question no doubt forming on her lips. "My Ralts, Kyra, likes to battle. I'm doing this for her; I want her to enjoy herself."
"That's…a reason I can wholly respect. To engage in something you dislike for the sake of your pokémon...I don't believe I've met a trainer quite like you," Roxanne uttered with awe evident in her tone. Her smile grew and she reached for one of her poké balls. "Oh my, I do believe I've become somewhat excited for this."
On the sidelines near the center, a small door opened to reveal the same referee who had overseen the previous battle. Roxanne noticed his arrival and then took a deep breath. "It seems the judge has arrived. Shall we commence our battle?"
"It doesn't seem like I can put it off any longer," Seth remarked with a heavy sigh. He turned to look up at Kyra. "Are you ready, Kyra?"
Kyra hummed, her eyes narrowing. She leaped off of his shoulder and landed deftly on the ground in the arena. In the blink of an eye, she appeared in the center of their side of the field. She hopped in place, humming with excitement.
"Excellent. I look forward to seeing how you battle!" Roxanne declared. Unclasping the poké ball she held from her belt, she hurled it into the center of her side of the field, where it released her first pokémon.
It wasn't hard for Seth to recognize the pokémon. It was roughly spherical in shape with a myriad of jagged, angular edges, and it possessed two deceptively slender arms stretching out from either side. As Seth watched, the pokémon opened its eyes, the two slits appearing in the center of the sphere.
"A Geodude. Pure rock-type," Seth observed. The battle from here on could go either way; As far as he knew, neither it nor Kyra had any way of easily overcoming the other's defenses. "Kyra, take care to scout first before going on the offensive."
"Both contestants have revealed their starting pokémon!" The judge announced, the man having already climbed to a higher vantage point in order to get a better view of the battle. "Today, we have Trainer Seth up against Leader Roxanne! First, Trainer Seth has led with his first pokémon, the uncommonly seen Ralts! Let's see how far he can go against Leader Roxanne's meticulously trained pokémon! Let the battle begin!"
Seth did his best to tune out both the announcer and the cheers erupting from the much more crowded bleachers. All that mattered right now was his match with Roxanne, and how he could help Kyra bring down that Geodude.
"Geodude, attack strategy B," Roxanne ordered simply. Seth immediately was able to tell the difference between her and the average trainer. He couldn't discern anything about her strategy just from what she said. He realized he'd have to play this entirely by ear, so to speak.
Geodude immediately leaped to one of the rocky pillar-like formations around the arena and clung to the side with its powerful grip. With its other hand, it smashed the top of the pillar and hurled chunk after chunk of rock down towards where Kyra stood.
Kyra stood firm beneath the veritable shower of rock. She zipped in and out of existence, avoiding those that she could. For those that she couldn't, she grasped them with her telekinesis and sent them hurtling back towards Geodude. Roxanne's pokémon winced whenever one would hit its mark, but it didn't appear to damage it much, if at all.
"Switch to attack strategy C," Roxanne directed, as tersely as before. The Geodude reacted instantly, leaping down from the pillar and clamping its arms around a significantly larger boulder. The pokémon grunted and lifted the boulder clear over its head, and then hurled it directly at Kyra.
Seth knew Kyra would easily be able to dodge, but what concerned him was that the Geodude was zooming around through the field the moment the boulder left its hands.
"Kyra, incoming!" Seth warned just in time. After Kyra teleported away from the boulder, the Geodude was waiting for her. Kyra managed to twist her body away from the pokémon's fist just as it slammed into the ground. Seth's eyes widened when the rocky ground shattered beneath the Geodude's fist, revealing just how much force had been behind the attack. Roxanne wasn't holding back in the slightest. "Attack it now!"
Kyra's body glowed with an ethereal light. She lifted her arms and captured the Geodude within her telekinetic field. She twisted her arms, and the pokémon was sent spinning backwards. The Geodude cried out as it collided with a rock pillar behind it, cracks spidering away from the point of impact.
"Good eye," Roxanne complimented graciously. She then looked at her recovering pokémon. "Geodude, can you keep going?"
When Geodude confirmed its ability to fight, Roxanne gave it yet another generic strategy name that Seth couldn't decipher. Geodude responded by lifting small boulders the size of Seth's head in each of its hands. One after the other, it sent the boulders hurtling into the tops of different rock pillars, shattering them and sending a dangerous hail of rock down upon Kyra.
While Kyra was contending with the falling rocks, Geodude zoomed directly for her, its first shooting forward in a vicious punch. Kyra was forced to ignore the falling rocks and contend with Geodude' sudden assault. As a result, shards of rock pelted her painfully, causing her to wince.
Geodude released a gravely roar and unleashed a flurry of punches at Kyra. Seth bit his lip and watched with evident anxiety, recognizing that taking even a single one of those could knock her out of the fight.
Kyra seemed more than prepared, however. Despite taking damage from the falling rocks, she blinked backwards out of the way of each of Geodude's attacks. It quickly adapted, however, and began anticipating where Kyra would teleport by determining where the shower of rocks was thinnest. Thus, Kyra had to fend Geodude off with her protective field. After using the field to block a few of its punches, the field began to crack.
Seth's eyes scanned the battlefield rapidly during this exchange, looking for anything to help give Kyra the advantage. Looking above, he noticed that one of the rock pillars had become unstable due to the impact with one of Geodude's hurled boulders. It was crumbling at the base, threatening to fall at any moment. Seth suddenly had an idea, but he struggled to find a way to communicate it to Kyra without tipping off Roxanne.
"Kyra, behind you! The arena isn't safe!" He wasn't sure if Kyra would understand him, but that was as explicit as he could afford to be.
Kyra, the moment she saw a gap in Geodude's defenses, teleported towards the pillar that Seth had spotted. Now that the rain of rocks had subsided, Geodude seemed to realize that getting closer would result in getting caught again.
Yet, it wasted no time in continuing the attack. It lifted a sizable rock from the ground and sent it careening through the air towards Kyra, who halted it in place easily with her telekinesis. She sent it right back, only for Geodude to catch it.
Geodude tried a new tack, crushing the rock in its hand. It then hurled what remained towards Kyra in the form of a hail of gravel and dust. Without waiting to see whether it hit, the Geodude rushed forward, one fist zooming forward mercilessly.
Kyra swiftly dipped her head to the side rather than teleporting, such that Geodude's fist surged past her and collided directly with the unstable pillar. The resulting force proved to be too much for the pillar to bear. With a threatening crack, the shadow of the falling pillar fell over the two pokémon. Geodude's eyes widened and it attempted to flee…only to find that it couldn't. Kyra's body glowed, her arms held forward and a small malevolent smile on her lips.
At the last moment, Kyra teleported away. The Geodude made a cry of anguish before the pillar collapsed upon it with a thunderous crash. Seth let out a sigh of relief. Whether or not Kyra understood him, she learned to use the pillar as a weapon regardless. Kyra lifted multiple rocks to use in case Geodude emerged, but it turned out to be unnecessary.
"That's enough, Geodude," Roxanne called before the judge had a chance to say anything. The rocks rustled and the heavily battered Geodude emerged just in time to be called back into Roxanne's poké ball. "Clever, Seth, to use my own terrain against me. You're quite exceptional."
"Leader Roxanne has called back her Geodude, leaving her with only a single pokémon! Will Trainer Seth maintain his newly gained lead for long?" the judge announced for the cheering crowd.
Seth took a deep breath, recognizing that he was halfway through this battle. Yet, he knew that Roxanne still had her Nosepass left. He had a basic idea of what it could do, but he hadn't enough time to observe its abilities in its previous battle.
Sure enough, when Roxanne cast out another poké ball, the Nosepass was revealed. Standing a little over a meter tall, the imposing pokémon remained stalwart and unmoving. Roxanne scanned the arena, which was now littered with rocky debris from the previous battle.
"Nosepass, the field has been prepared for you. Perform strategies A and D, if you will," Roxanne directed. Seth was just questioned what she meant by that first sentence when a veritable storm of rocky debris lifted itself from the ground and began swirling around the pokémon. Roxanne indicated the arena with a sweep of her hand. "Seth, are you familiar with the type of rock from which the arena is constructed?"
"I'm not too familiar with geology," Seth admitted, even as he stared at Nosepass's power, feeling somewhat intimidated.
"That's perfectly fine; I'll explain. The arena consists of a particular igneous rock known as rhyolite. You can think of it as the extrusive variant of granite," Roxanne began. "This strain of rhyolite was excavated from a vein particularly rich in magnetite content. I trust you recognize the significance of this?"
It took a few moments for Seth to realize at what she was getting. When it hit him, he gulped. This meant that the entire arena was essentially magnetic; this explained how Nosepass was able to control all of those rocks as though it possessed telekinesis.
"Kyra, the field is your enemy. Tread carefully," Seth immediately warned his Ralts without giving Roxanne an answer. The moment after the words left his mouth, the rocks surged through the air towards Kyra like a swarm of angry hornets. Seth quickly realized that Kyra wouldn't be able to defend herself from so many rocks at once. "Take cover!"
Despite his warning, Kyra was quickly driven into a corner. Taking cover behind pillars or boulders proved useless, as Nosepass simply destroyed them through manipulating the magnetite content within. Once Kyra was forced into the open, she found herself surrounded by a circular field of rocks.
From there, Kyra and Nosepass engaged in a chaotic telekinetic battle. Seth couldn't keep track of the countless rocks flying in either direction. Kyra's small arms were constantly in motion, her body glowing with psychic power as she struggled to keep her foe's rocks away from her. Unfortunately, she was on the defensive, and Nosepass was stacking the odds against her by adding more and more rocks. Before long, she was surrounded by them.
"Nosepass, rock tomb," Roxanne directed, extending her hand and clenching it into a fist. Seth watched crestfallen as all of the rocks converged on her at once. Kyra attempted to teleport, but upon reappearing, the rocks hurtling through the air pelted her all at once, making her unable to avoid the hail of rocks. Moments Later, Kyra was enveloped purely by rocks, completely unable to move.
"Trainer Seth's Ralts is down!" the judge announced. Seth's spirits plummeted. He wasn't sorry for himself, but for Kyra, whom he'd know would be upset by this. She'd likely hoped to handle this on her own. "The field is now even once more, with both Trainer Seth and Leader Roxanne possessing one pokémon each!"
Roxanne snapped her fingers, and Nosepass released the fainted Kyra from its prison of rocks. "Your next pokémon I'm most curious about. I don't believe I've had the privilege to see one of that species in action," Roxanne stated.
Before answering, Seth ran out and scooped Kyra up from the ground in his arms, a potion already in his hand. A few squeezes of the trigger later, and Kyra was conscious again. The moment she realized she'd lost, she pouted and glared at the Nosepass.
"You did well, Kyra," Seth praised her nonetheless. "Shall we concede and try again another day? I know you wanted to…"
He couldn't even finish his sentence before she turned her glare on him. She jerked one of her limbs out at Nosepass, and then crossed her limbs. Seth winced, recognizing what she was trying to tell him.
"Okay, okay. I won't give up. I just knew you wanted to be the one to take the win," Seth conceded. He was surprised when Kyra shook her head. Seth could only reason that she perhaps had some other motive to challenge the gym that he didn't understand. However, he knew he didn't have the time to play twenty questions with her. Instead, he withdrew his second and final poké ball. "You didn't? Well, I guess I'll ask you about that later."
With a flick of his wrist, Princess appeared in the center of Seth's side of the field. The Milotic took a quick glance around, recognizing where she was and what was going on, but she didn't appear concerned. She yawned widely and leisurely stretched out her body on the rocky ground.
"What's this? Trainer Seth releases a rare pokémon onto the field; a Milotic!" The judge correctly identified Princess's species for the rest of the crowd.
The crowd appeared to be in awe of Princess, as Seth could hear them reacting to her favorably with cries of admiration. Princess drank in the attention at first, her eyes closing and her tail idly swaying back and forth. Yet, she wasn't oblivious to the presence of her foe. She turned her gaze towards Nosepass, and the already rising storm of rocks around its form.
"Same as before, Nosepass," Roxanne prompted her pokémon. Without a sound, Nosepass sent the storm of rocks hailing down upon Princess. Despite Seth's yells, Princess didn't bother to dodge as Nosepass once again executed the "rock tomb" technique.
Just as the rocks converged upon her, Princess repulsed them with an eruption of clear water that seemed to come from nowhere. Any rocks that managed to make it through left bruises, but like before, the injuries slowly faded away as though they'd never existed.
"Regeneration? Most intriguing; I've never seen a pokémon capable of such!" Roxanne exclaimed. Her eyes widened when the ribbon of water surrounding Princess landed on the ground and became a wave of water that rushed across the arena towards Nosepass. "Nosepass! Defend!"
Nosepass immediately recalled the storm of rocks and arranged them into a solid barrier several feet in front of it just in time to intercept the flood heading its way. The water surged into the rocky barrier with the force of an ocean wave. The barrier held briefly, but due to being made up of several smaller fragments, gaps were inevitably present. Water trickled in through these gaps, increasing the pressure on the barrier such that it soon collapsed.
Nosepass seemed distinctly uncomfortable as the water rushed over it, yet it didn't budge even an inch. Seth reasoned that it must be anchored to the ground through magnetism. Yet, the distraction was enough to leave an opening. At Seth's direction, Princess seized the opportunity and slithered forward on a trail of water, heading directly for Nosepass.
To retaliate, Nosepass caused each and every one of the rocky pillars in the arena to crumble and fall towards Princess. Yet, the serpent nimbly slid from side to side in order to avoid the debris. Seemingly nothing Nosepass did could prevent Princess from advancing.
"Nosepass, move!" Roxanne commanded, but it was too late. Princess reached the rocky pokémon and coiled tightly around it. Without giving Nosepass a chance to retaliate, Princess suffused the trapped pokémon with an endless cascade of water contained within its coils.
"Nosepass is no longer able to continue the battle! Trainer Seth has triumphed!" The judge called out with an air of finality. The crowd erupted in cheers around him, and Roxanne recalled her pokémon for treatment, a smile on her face despite her loss. She didn't even seem surprised.
Even as the reality of his victory sank in, Seth released a heavy sigh. He moved forward to greet Princess. "You were amazing, Princess," he complimented her, embracing her neck briefly. Princess crooned softly and nuzzled the side of his head.
"Seth, approach me, if you will," Roxanne requested. When Seth looked over to her, he spotted her accepted a gilded lacquer box from the judge. When she met his gaze, she beckoned to him. Seth sighed again and hesitantly did as he was told. "Excellently battled, my fellow trainer. I do believe you've passed my gym challenge with flying colors."
"I guess I did," Seth responded listlessly. Roxanne's brow wrinkled with confusion at his rather lackluster response, but she didn't comment on it. "So, what happens now?"
"Are you familiar with the concept of gym badges?" Roxanne asked as she unfastened the clamps on the glossy box she carried. Seth had a general idea, but he figured it wouldn't hurt to have her explain, so he shook his head. "Very well. Then I'll explain. For completing a gym challenge, you receive a commemorative badge. In this case, I'm pleased to present you with the Stone Badge."
Roxanne opened the lid of the box to reveal a shiny bronze badge consisting of two off-center right triangles resting atop a bed of black velvet. Seth gazed at the badge, enjoying the way the light reflected off of its surface. He realized she was waiting for him to take it, so he lifted it from its case to get a closer look.
The badge was thicker than he'd expected at first glance. On the back of the badge was a pin that would allow him to fasten it to clothing. Upon looking even closer, Seth noticed a string of numbers etched into the metal. He guessed it was a serial number of some sort.
"Once you've collected all eight from this region, you'll be granted access to a special tournament in Ever Grande City, where the winners will be able to challenge the top four trainers in Hoenn and perhaps even the champion," Roxanne continued. She closed the box and handed it back to the judge, who then left the area with it after offering his congratulations to Seth.
"Yeesh. Sounds like I have a lot of work ahead of me," Seth lamented with a wry smile as he pinned the Stone Badge to his shirt. He felt something tapping on his shin, which could only be Kyra. Seth chuckled, knelt down, and returned the Ralts to her favorite position on his shoulder. "I guess I should get going then."
"No doubt you must have plans to celebrate after this," Roxanne assumed with a nod of her head.
"Not really. I traveled here only with my pokémon," Seth corrected her with a shrug. "Instead, I plan to explore a bit more of the city. I've spent a few days here and I still feel as though there's lots more to see."
"Ah, I see. You wouldn't be wrong; Rustboro isn't Slateport by any means, but it has its fair share of attractions," Roxanne replied. She brought a finger to her chin, seeming to ponder something for a brief moment. "Might I assist in your endeavors?"
"Pardon?"
"I consider myself to be rather knowledgeable, as far as city attractions go. If you'd like, I could show you to one of my favorite restaurants for dinner," Roxanne offered. "After all, I have the rest of the evening free of challenges."
Seth couldn't answer at first. He was too busy trying to process the fact that Roxanne, a rather attractive gym leader, had just asked him to dinner. He wasn't sure how she should take this; according to May, societal standards and accepted practices here were very different than what he remembered, so he had no idea what the connotations of dinner with a girl were.
"Is something the matter? You look rather flushed," Roxanne pressed when she didn't get a response. The corners of her mouth curved upwards ever so slightly at the reaction she received.
"What? Oh, no. I mean, yes, I'll do it. The dinner, I mean," Seth stammered out in a rather undignified manner. Roxanne just laughed, making Seth blush even more. "What's so funny?"
"My apologies; I'm not laughing at you. I just didn't expect you to get so flustered over the concept of a dinner date," Roxanne explained, making her intentions rather clear. That clarification didn't help Seth's problem; his heart started to pound when he heard that she indeed view her offer as a date. "That's too cute. In all seriousness, however, I'd like to talk with you about that battle over a meal."
"Th-That's fair, I guess." Seth managed to compose himself, though his heart still raced in his chest.
"Then, shall we go? I do believe the crowd will have mostly dispersed by now," Roxanne suggested. Seth nodded, and after recalling Princess to her poké ball, he followed Roxanne back through the gym.
While Roxanne was mostly correct about the crowd, a few lingering onlookers approached them along the way to offer their praise and congratulations. Seth thanked them to be polite, but their words only made him more uncomfortable.
"Is something the matter?" Roxanne questioned as the two of them walked outside into the evening light. "You have been acting rather strange. Aren't you pleased with your victory?"
"Well, yes and no, really." Seth was surprised that she'd manage to pick up on his feelings so quickly. He was about to explain further when his phone began to ring. He thought to ignore it, but one look at the screen revealed the caller to be his mother. "I'm sorry; I should take this."
"Of course; take your time. There's plenty of time between now and the restaurant. Just follow me," Roxanne replied graciously. Seth gave her a grateful look and then pressed the answer button.
"Seth! Oh my gosh, I can't believe you took on a gym…your first gym…and won!" Seth held the phone slightly away from his ear as Caroline's excitement spilled through the speaker such that even Roxanne could hear. He was about to ask how she knew, but she wouldn't let him get a word in. "I'm so proud! Did you know you were on TV? I'm not kidding; check the Gyms of Hoenn channel for reruns! Have you called your father yet!? He'll be ecstatic to hear that…"
"I'm sorry about that," Seth apologized as he and Roxanne were seated at the restaurant.
"Don't be. Any mother would be excited to see their son attain glory on television," Roxanne responded kindly. "She seemed rather surprised that you decided to challenge a gym in the first place."
"She probably was. She knows I don't care for battling," Seth answered. His mind returned to her previous question about his gym victory. He wanted to ignore that topic, but judging from the look on Roxanne's face, she was likely going to bring that up next. "Going back to your earlier question, I'm not too satisfied with my victory."
"Why ever not? You trained your pokémon exceedingly well, and you adapted to the changing situation perfectly," Roxanne asked curiously. Just then, the waiter arrived, and the two of them took a moment to place their orders before continuing their conversation.
"It's hard to explain. I challenged you in the first place because I wanted Kyra to enjoy herself, but she didn't make it all the way through," Seth did his best to explain. "I feel as though there was something else I could have done to help her get through."
"Seth, it's hardly fair for you to expect a single pokémon to make it through an entire gym challenge on their own," Roxanne pointed out with a hint of incredulity in her tone. "Besides, your Ralts…Kyra…did an incredible job defeating my Geodude. Her loss to Nosepass was a result of a bad matchup; that's all."
"How is Kyra supposed to enjoy herself if she can't win against a certain pokémon?" Seth demanded, finding that idea rather unfair. He suddenly felt a tap on his head, coming from an annoyed Kyra. There was something in her mind that Seth didn't quite understand.
"I don't believe you're thinking about pokémon battles quite right. A pokémon's job is to battle to the best of their capabilities when sent out into the field. Kyra did that quite well," Roxanne explained. "The trainer's job is to ensure that each pokémon in his repertoire is used in the best possible fashion. He must recognize when a situation or match-up is unsuited for his pokémon, and switch to adjust. Sometimes this can mean not using a pokémon at all in a particular battle."
"Hold on; you're saying I should have pulled Kyra out against your Nosepass?" Seth questioned. When Roxanne nodded, he gave a light scoff. "But I told you, the whole reason I'm doing this is for her."
"I heard you. Does it seem like Kyra is dissatisfied with that outcome to you?" Roxanne indicated Kyra, who hopped off of Seth's shoulder onto the table. Kyra seemed rather annoyed with him for not understanding what was in her head, but Seth could tell that she was pleased with the previous battle.
"I don't get it. You lost, didn't you?" Seth expressed helplessly. Kyra's only response was a nonchalant shrug. "You don't care? So just the act of battling itself was what you wanted?"
Kyra nodded, a smile returning to her face. Seth once again had to revise the way he thought about battles and how to best make Kyra happy.
"So, if I'm understanding you correctly, you'd be happy as long as I just battled to win?" Seth tried once more. Kyra nodded again, causing Seth to sigh. "This is more difficult than I'd ever thought it would be."
"No one said training pokémon was easy," Roxanne pointed out with a smile as the waiter arrived with their drinks. She lifted her glass of iced tea and sipped at it.
"I guess you're right. Thanks, Roxanne," Seth returned, feeling much better about the situation. "I mean that. You've really gone above and beyond to help me out, even though I'm sure you're very busy."
"Oh, please don't worry. It's an honest pleasure to help an aspiring trainer such as yourself along his way. Though you're somewhat of a unique case, as there's something about you that catches my eye. I believe you have the potential to make it through the league if you really put your mind to it," Roxanne responded encouragingly. Seth blinked; he hadn't been expecting something like that from a gym leader. "There's nothing more enjoyable to me than seeing someone I've helped educate strive to ever greater heights."
"I appreciate the kind words," Seth returned, reaching for his glass of water. Roxanne pondered for a moment, and then she leaned forward, resting her chin on a hand.
"Additionally, you're quite cute, if I may say so." It was as he was drinking that Roxanne chose to drop this particular bombshell. Seth choked on his drink, the blush returning to his cheeks. Between the previous revelation that he was on a dinner date as well as her compliments, Seth began to see that he was being flirted with. He had no idea how to react. "That's precisely what I mean. You get flustered quite easily; it's adorable."
"Pardon me if I can't fathom why a pretty gym leader like yourself would take an interest in me," Seth retorted with what little of his pride he had left, yet it only seemed to make Roxanne more amused. "Besides, I'm not cute…"
"If you say so." Roxanne didn't seem convinced in the slightest. Seth huffed, doing his best to ignore both her and Kyra, who also seemed rather amused. Despite this, Seth could feel Roxanne's gaze resting on him. "I appreciate you calling me pretty, by the way. Don't think I missed that."
Before Seth could muster a proper response, their food arrived, providing him with a much needed escape from that awkward conversation.
"What did you think? That was one of my favorite restaurants in the city," Roxanne asked once the two of them had paid and left the building. Seth was already starting to walk back towards his hotel room, and Roxanne was keeping pace with him.
"It wasn't bad; I'm stuffed. I'm gonna try and work some of this off on my way back tonight," Seth replied, heaving a satisfied sigh. The restaurant had been somewhat expensive, eating out of his ever dwindling supply of money. Thankfully the gym had rewarded him with enough money to fund his travels for quite some time. When Roxanne didn't answer, he looked over to see her looking at him with an expression he couldn't quite place, her eyes tracing down across his body. It felt odd, so he had to ask. "What is it?"
"Hm?" Roxanne appeared distracted, but she quickly composed herself. "Oh, my apologies. I was merely…considering what to do with the rest of my night."
"I was just planning on walking back to my hotel room. It won't be long until I'll be leaving town," Seth supplied. Despite saying that, Roxanne made no attempts to break away from him. His mind started to race. "Did…you come up with anything?"
"I have a few ideas." Roxanne bit her lip, eyeing him appreciatively. Seth nearly leapt out of his skin when he felt her hand brushing against his shoulder. If it hadn't already been clear, Seth knew now without a doubt that Roxanne had some interest in him. He had never pictured a girl with her intellect being into that sort of thing, but then again there was much he didn't know about Hoenn society. "Would you mind if I…tarried with you a while longer?"
"Is that…I mean…are you sure? I wouldn't want to…that is, I…" Seth once again cursed his inability to form a coherent thought when he was embarrassed or uncertain.
Roxanne appeared uncertain herself at his response, her hand retreating somewhat. "Oh, was I too bold? Are you not interested?" she questioned anxiously. It made Seth feel a little better to know that it wasn't just him that had trouble talking about this sort of thing openly. "I'm terribly sorry if that's the case."
"It's not that I'm not interested; I just didn't see it coming. After all, I'm a newbie trainer and you're gym leader," Seth pointed out. Roxanne let out a sigh of relief.
"Don't worry about that. Position means little when it comes to the needs of the flesh," Roxanne reassured him rather bluntly. Seth couldn't help but chuckle a bit at how formal she was being about this. "We've both had a long, trying day, so shall we relieve some of that stress together as friends?"
"How can I say no to that?" Seth conceded, scratching the back of his neck out of embarrassment. "I'm still getting used to the way this kind of thing is treated here in Hoenn."
"Understandable. It can be quite the shock to those from other regions. But enough about that." A mischievous glimmer appeared in Roxanne's eyes. Before he knew it, she had latched onto one of his arms and pulling him forward. "Come on, I believe I know which hotel you're in."
They hardly spoke for the remainder of the walk back to the hotel. Seth was attempting to mentally prepare himself for what was about to happen…with mixed results. The more he thought about it, the more nervous…and turned on…he became. He couldn't believe this was happening.
As the reality of the situation sank in, Seth found himself becoming more aware of Roxanne's more enticing aspects – the way her leotards clung tightly to her shapely legs, the way the her plush lips were ever so slightly parted as her breath quickened, and the way she her fingers were already loosening her collar. By the time they reached the hotel room, Seth found that he had trouble fitting the key into the lock.
There was no further conversation. No other words needed to be spoken. The moment the door closed behind them, Roxanne pressed Seth up against the wall, her lips rushing to capture his in the blink of an eye. His thoughts abandoned, Seth closed his eyes and kissed her back fervently, his clothes suddenly feeling too warm.
Roxanne wasted no time in unzipping Seth's jacket. He offered her no resistance, letting his arms fall limp so she could remove it without much trouble. As they kissed, articles of clothing fell to the floor one by one, neither one paying much attention where they landed. Seth found it hard to breathe, but he couldn't tear himself away from her for very long.
While all of this was going on, Kyra hopped to the floor and onto the dresser, recognizing the situation for what it was. She watched with interest as her trainer made out with the gym leader with a fervent passion.
Seth couldn't wait any longer. He grasped Roxanne's shoulders and turned the two of them around so that she was the one up against the wall. He pressed his body up against hers, planting his lips against her neck as his hands worked to slide off her shirt. Roxanne emitted a soft moan, leaning her head back against the wall.
On the outside, Roxanne appeared prim and proper, with a modest uniform and meticulously styled hair. Thus, seeing her heaving chest laid bare before him protected only by a thin pink bra was driving him wild.
"You're gorgeous." Seth couldn't help but compliment her as he let her bra fall to the floor. If he had to compare, her breasts were somewhat smaller than May's, but just as attractive. He cupped one of them with one hand, feeling the soft flesh beneath his fingers.
"I'm glad you think so. Some don't find the bookish sort very attractive," Roxanne replied breathlessly. Despite her flushed cheeks and the compromising situation they were in, she still stuck to her stiff and formal speech. "Luckily for you, I find the fair of face equally as attractive."
"You're calling me effeminate, aren't you?" Seth grumbled a bit, much to Roxanne's amusement.
"That wasn't the word I used, but you clearly see that in yourself, or you wouldn't have mentioned it," Roxanne pointed out. She wiggled her hips, grinding up against Seth's crotch as she slowly rolled down her pink leotards. She chuckled at Seth's annoyance. "Don't complain. It's clearly done you some favors."
"Can't argue with that," Seth muttered. His annoyance melted away instantly, however, as he felt Roxanne's fingers tugging at his pants. He blushed and breathed in sharply as she pulled them down to expose his fully hardened shaft that had been begging to get free. "Roxanne…"
"Don't be shy…I'm observant enough to know that you desire this," Roxanne soothed him with soft words. They shared another brief kiss, and then Roxanne turned around, pressing her butt against his shaft. He could see that she wanted it just as much as he did, as a clearly visible wet spot was visible on her pink panties. She hooked one thumb into her underwear and pulled them down just far enough to reveal herself to him. "It's been quite some time, so I'd appreciate if you took it slow at first. I'll let you know when you can speed up."
Seth swallowed, gazing at her tantalizingly pink slit that oozed steadily with her own arousal. He placed his hands on her butt, finding it to be rather easy to grip. He looked up at her one last time. Seeing Roxanne bent over and naked like this in front of him, with her arms braced against the wall and her head turned just slightly with a lustful expression on her face, made him marvel once again at her beauty as well as his own luck.
He licked his lips and gently pushed his hips forward. It took a moment to find Roxanne's entrance, but she was patient enough to guide him to it. Once he'd found it, he humped forward, spreading her folds and entering her at last. Roxanne let out a soft gasp, her face tensing up while she got used to Seth's girth.
"Nngh…ah! I…I believe you're in," Roxanne panted just as Seth's hips pressed firmly against her butt. Now that he was all the way in, Seth could feel her velvety inner walls closing about him, a comfortable heat enveloping his crotch. She looked back at him, a blush permanently etched onto her cheeks. "Okay…I believe I'm ready."
Seth didn't need any more encouragement. Squeezing her butt with one hand while bracing against her shoulder with the other, he began to thrust into her, starting at a slow pace as she'd requested. She wasn't nearly as tight as Kyra was, but that couldn't be avoided; Kyra was much smaller. Despite this, it wasn't any less pleasurable.
"Ahh, I needed this…" Roxanne moaned. She responded to his thrusts by rocking her hips back to meet him, helping him get even deeper. She leaned forward even further, grinding up against him every time their hips came up against one another. "You may move faster, if you want."
Seth complied, moving at a more comfortable pace for him. Roxanne shuddered beneath his grip, clearly enjoying his efforts. After spending time with multiple girls like this, Seth found it that it was getting easier to tell when they reached a climax. Roxanne in particular would screw up her face and moan loader, her body convulsing and clamping down on him.
The longer they went at it, the more Roxanne's hair went into disarray. Eventually, her hair slipped out of their well-maintained curls and fell down around her back and face in a curtain of silky brown strands. Seth gazed at her in awe as he pounded her, unable to believe he was looking at the same girl.
"You look really…ngh…hot with your hair down…" Seth had to tell her, though it was getting harder to talk as he grew closer to his own climax.
"I'd like…aah…to think so…but I don't let it down…nn...often…aah, I'm cumming again!" Roxanne gasped, her crotch growing every warmer with her juices. She squirmed uncomfortably against the wall. "Do you mind if we move to the bed?"
"Not at all," Seth replied gratefully. It was getting harder to find leverage in his current position, as he was starting to sweat and his feet were slipping on the floor. He gently withdrew from Roxanne and allowed her to stand. He once again watched her, marveling at her beauty. When she stood up, her hair fell down her back, revealing its true length to be nearly at her waist.
Roxanne climbed onto the bed, kicking away her panties in the process. She laid on her back and lifted up her legs to reveal her waiting entrance. Seth couldn't resist that view. He climbed up after her, descending upon her and grasping her ankles with both hands. He scooted in close and after taking a moment to position himself, plunged back inside of her. The room was once against filled with the slapping of flesh on flesh and the moans of both trainers.
Roxanne came once again with a high pitched cry, wetting the sheets. "Kyaaaa! That's…five times now… are you close?" Roxanne asked softly as Seth returned to his previous pace.
"Y-Yeah…I've been told…I last…a while!" Seth gasped. He held onto her thighs as leverage as he continued to thrust, her shins resting atop his shoulders. He couldn't help but speed up even further. Then, all of a sudden, his climax snuck up on him, and he came all at once. "Ahh! Mmmhh…Roxanne! C-Cumming…!"
Roxanne screwed her eyes shut and smiled, her legs crossing over Seth's back to hold him there as he emptied himself inside of her, his shaft throbbing and his body surging with pleasure.
Seth panted heavily and leaned against Roxanne as he came down from his orgasm. He then felt his own warm seed trickling down over his shaft, causing him to realize what he'd just done.
"I…I came inside of you. Is that okay?" Seth asked timidly, his heart pounding. It would be really bad if he got her pregnant.
"Of course. I believe that should I want to have a fling, I should take the necessary steps to prepare myself, and prevent any unwanted accidents," Roxanne reassured him, much to his relief. She tilted her head in confusion when Seth chuckled as a response. "What's so funny?"
"Just you. We just had sex, and you're still talking so formally," Seth answered. "I'm jealous…I can't string two words together when I'm…you know…horny."
"I…I can't help it. This is just how I normally talk," Roxanne defended herself, pouting somewhat. She puffed up, looking somewhat haughty in her expression. "It comes with being educated."
Seth shook his head wryly and pulled out of Roxanne, his seed spilling out of her and dripping onto the sheets as he did so. He laid on the bed beside her and attempted to catch his breath.
"This has been…a day," Seth commented, unable to think of any other way to describe it. "I went from training the forest, to battling you, to being in bed with you. I wonder if I should buy a lotto ticket too and see if my luck holds."
"You'll have to share the winnings with me," Roxanne joked. She glanced down between her legs at the mess the two of them had made. She licked her lips and brushed her lengthy hair away from her face. "That was quite enjoyable. Would you like to go again?"
"Again? That's possible?" Seth cluelessly asked. At Roxanne's confused expression, he hastily explained. "Sorry, I'm still rather new to all this. I uh…lost my virginity only this month."
"You don't say? Well, I do suppose that explains it." Roxanne reached over, and before Seth realized what was going on, she grasped his length and gave it a stroke, her fingers sliding over the still damp flesh. He winced, finding it to be much more sensitive than it was before. "Men do sometimes have trouble going more than once, but it's certainly possible. It may just take a little longer to climax…which works in my favor."
"I guess it does…" Seth let out a soft sigh, feeling himself starting to harden again due to Roxanne's ministrations. He picked himself up, even as the gym leader was starting to mount him. "I think I can give it another shot."
"That's good to hear. You're not bad, for someone new to sex," Roxanne complimented him, and then she lowered herself down on him. Seth grasped her butt, and the two of them began to make love once again.
He couldn't even remember when they stopped having sex and when he actually fell asleep.
Author Notes:
Ohmigosh, hi! I'm still alive, I promise! I know I took a month or so off but I have a (not?) so good excuse! Persona 5 and Tales of Berseria. I think that speaks for itself!
Back on track, thank you all so much for sitting through this ginormous chapter! It seems that I'm hitting my minimum word count rather early before I'm even halfway through what I have planned for the chapter. This chapter was just meant to be beating Roxanne and then doing the naughty with her, but silly me couldn't bring myself to skip past any possible character interaction.
I also wanted to thank you for your lovely reviews and your suggestions for other pokemon for Seth to have fun with. I do have to tell you all, however, that Seth's team is more or less set in stone (though there is one new opening because I no longer need an HM slave). So most of your suggestions will go unheeded (unless you got lucky enough to guess one of my favorites), I'm sorry to say. That doesn't mean I can't try to work them in as another trainer's pokemon!
Also, a super important shoutout to the only person that guessed (and guessed correctly) who the four fishermen were. They were from Final Fantasy XV: Noctis as Connie, Gladiolus as Douglas, Gin as Ignis, and Prompto as Tom. As I promised, he gets to have a kiss from one of Seth's pokemon! Unfortunately, he reviewed as a guest, so I don't have a name. So I'm giving you a name. You are from here on out, Mr...uh, I'm not good with names...Hidden Mystery. There, that's the best I've got.
Princess curls around Hidden's body, slowly moving her head up and around until she was looking into his eyes. She crooned softly, and pressed her lips up against his.
There! When I say I'm gonna do something, I'm gonna do it!
Anyway, everyone knows that after this comes another battle with May and with Team Aqua! Provided I haven't lost all my readers by now. Thanks again for reading this far, and I hope to hear from some of you! I always like to know if my readers are having a good time~
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Diaries of Trainer Seth