ALABASTER DAZE: UNOVA CHRONICLE

Chapter Five: Out like a lamb, back in like a lion, the traveling trainer goes!

Perhaps one of the most memorable moments of Blair Lindsey's life was when he was walking along Route 2, his eyes focused on the ground and his hands in his pockets, mind somewhere on Pluto. He wondered many things, most of them thoughts that were otherworldly to him, foreign to his mind. He stopped in the midst of his walk and fell to one knee, removing Oshawott's Pokeball from his belt.

"Well, little guy, I guess... no," he said, hooking the Pokeball back onto his belt and standing up, continuing his walk. He continued this up until he reached a small section of boscage. He rested up against one of the trees and slid down to the ground, his eyes falling shut.

His hand instinctively moved toward his belt again, removing the ball and pressing the release switch before he could have second thoughts. He felt his heart begin to pound furiously as his hand expanded alongside the tiny ball, which opened up to send forth a flash of light, materializing into the blue otter called Oshawott.

The two had a momentary staredown.

"You can go now," Blair said, finally. "Be free."

Oshawott continued looking at him, anger evident in his beady eyes. "Wott! Osha, oshawottttt!" His mouth opened and sent forth a blast of foamy water, dousing Blair. Blair didn't object.

"I understand. You're angry at me. I'm releasing you. Go."

"Wottt!" Oshawott cried in response. He turned away from Blair, his stubby arms moving over his chest. "Sha! Oshawott!"

Blair smiled sadly. He supposed he would have to make it understood in a better way: Oshawott obviously had trouble understanding the basic english.

"Scram, ya little rat!" Blair exclaimed. "I don't want you! Go!"

Oshawott seemed to understand now. He began to walk north, walking straight out of Blair's sight.

Blair got up and turned toward the south. Now he just had to get back to Nuvema, and he supposed he could go on with his life. He let the tears flow.

-.-.-.-.-

Ava lay on the ground, her hands behind her hair like a sort of pillow, hazel eyes staring into the morning sky and admiring its beauty. She didn't particularly feel like moving, despite the energetic aura Ted seemed to be giving off. She was in a feel-good, lovin'-the-world apathetic mood and couldn't have had it any other way. Her thoughts went back to home: her friends like Sierra, whom she missed dearly, her parents and her pet Meowth... all sorts of things that made her feel homesick. From feel-good to homesick in an instant. She sighed and looked over to Ted. "Well, Ted, so what're we gonna do today?" she mused. "Striaton City sounds like a good target destination."

"Urs! Di." She understood from the sound of his voice that he was throwing his approval to her, grinning happily. His paw was dripping with a yellowish, golden liquid, and after he spoke he stuck it in his mouth, sucking it off.

She grinned. "Stole my honey reserves! You sneaky little bear. C'mere!"

She pulled herself off the ground, grabbed Ted and hugged him tight. He let loose a cry of surprise, but ended up snuggling in close to her. She gave him a peck on the forehead. Having to be so far from home wasn't preferable: but she had to admit that it wasn't so bad either.

She let Ted go and pulled herself up to her feet, dusting off her new pair of jean shorts. They felt odd on her, but she liked how they looked. She would get used to the soon, she supposed. She straightened out her pink cap with the tiny Pokeball that was Unova's national mascot and looked toward the north. "Let's go, Ted."

She began to walk. She felt good and would continue to do so, but her path was cut short when a scream pierced the air. Her senses went hyperactive, her eyes nearly slamming shut, her sense of hearing growing slightly. Whimpers, she heard. A smile crossed her face: west.

"Let's go, Ted!" she exclaimed. The two bolted off to find the source of the problem, moving past trees and swiveling past bushes, until they laid their eyes on the source of the shriek.

"...Really?" she asked. "It's... a..."

"Help me!" the boy screamed. "That thing is... is a little, brown DEVIL! Just walkin' along, minding my own business and it jumps out, roaring like a frickin' lion!"

The boy was an odd dresser. His garb consisted of a pair of jeans, a blue and white jacket and a hat much like her own. He had frightened, somewhat sad, blue eyes.

"...Here," she said, reaching into her pocket. She sighed, tossing him an empty Pokeball. "Toss this thing at him. Catch him. He can be your friend-"

The boy flinched, but grabbed the Pokeball nonetheless. She cocked an eyebrow; at the mention of friendship, he had done his little jerking reaction, prompting her to think he had some bad experience with it.

The "little brown devil" was just that. It was small, quadrupedal and brown, with a mass of pale fur covering its face. It had beady black eyes that echoed innocence.

"Okay, I'll..."

"PPPPPUUUUUPPPPP!"

The boy shrieked at the sound. Ava didn't blame him. Ted hung onto her leg, figuring her much more apt to protect him than the shrieking boy. That small, dog thing had just let loose the most fierce roar that Ava had ever heard.

"...Okay, this may be a bit more serious than I thought," she whispered. She unhooked a Pokeball from her belt and let it expand in her hand, crying out, "Let's go, Ruby!"

In a flash of white light, her gray bird appeared. It let loose its signature cawing cry, flapping lightly in the air.

Ava pulled out her Pokedex, flipping it to the section on moves. She examined the list with mild interest, before nodding and slipping it back into her pocket.

"Alright, Ruby! Gust! Blow that thing into a tree or something!"

"Doooo!" Ruby flapped her wings fiercely, flying higher into the air and creating a small twister. Leaves and twigs from the ground swirled around inside it. With a second shriek, Ruby sent the gust toward the dog Pokemon.

"Pokedex Model U2, Dexera. How can I help you today?" Ava heard. She paid no attention to it, hyperfocused on the battle at hand.

The dog was hit by a few stray twigs from the gust, but was otherwise unmoved. She scowled. "Alright!"

She looked down to the ground and motioned for Ted to pay attention to her. She nodded toward Ruby, doing the same thing. Her commands were given, both Pokemon seeming to understand (albeit Ruby showed a bit of confusion: but wasn't that what the 'dex entry had said?).

Ted rushed forward, and Ruby dashed through the trees and out of sight. Her attention focused on Ted, who was now standing in front of the tiny dog Pokemon, claws barred like swords.

"Ursa! Ted! Di Teddi!"

"Puppp! Lil! Lilipup!"

The two exchanged dialogue that Ava understood none of. But it sounded fierce, and that was enough.

She snapped her fingers.

Ruby came down through the trees, performing a full-force tackle on the distracted Pokemon. It buckled under the pressure, sliding forward a few inches: Ted took this opportunity to deliver a quick scratch attack on its stomach. It crumpled down to the ground, unconscious.

She grinned. "Good job, you two!" With another nod, she returned Ruby and pulled her attention toward the boy.

"Now catch it. C'mon! I'm sure you'll love him."

The boy shook his head slowly. "...No. I can't."

Ava cocked an eyebrow. "Why not-"

As if by some miracle on its part, the downed dog Pokemon stood again and let loose an angry roar. It leaped toward the boy with jaws wide open, prepared to take a nice little chunk of human meat home for dinner tonight: only to be blasted aside by a blue "beam" of dripping water.

This time, it crumpled down to the ground for real, soaking wet. From the thicket of trees nearby, a small blue otter stepped forth, drying off its dripping mouth with a stubby arm.

"Wott."

-.-.-.-.-

Blair shut his ees only after a few moments of trying to force himself. Then he opened them again, his frozen muscles too strong for him to fight against. "Oshawott?"

"Wott!" the Pokemon cried.

The gil looked at him, seeing his confusion. She smiled slyly. "Looks like your Pokemon missed you... where was it?

Blair ignored her, continuing to stare at Oshawott. "What're you doing here, OshawottT? I... I let you go..."

Oshawott walked over to Blair and extended his right arm, as if asking for a handshake, or offering his hand for leverage in getting off the ground. Blair wasn't sure which it was, but both confused him.

But he understood the basic meaning well enough. He smiled softly, grabbed Oshawott's small arm with two of his fingers and shook it gently.

"Name's Blair Lindsey, girl," he said, standing up. He picked up Oshawott, drawing him in close before setting him down. The blue otter looked mildly annoyed, but didn't actually object. "And thanks."

Blair looked at the downed dog Pokemon, and grinned, tossing the empty Pokeball the girl had given him at it. It bonked it upside the head, sucking it in with a flash of red light. There was no struggle.

"Name's Ava. Ava Hilda Kodach, in full. A pleasure, Mister... wait, Mister LINDSEY? Blair Lindsey-... oh my god that is priceless."

"Ursa! TEDDIII!" the small bear Pokemon beside her roared in laughter.

"...Shut up. Both of you."

"Oshaaaaa...wott!"

Blair grinned simply. He felt renewed, realizing that his Pokemon didn't quite hate him. He looked toward the mid-day sky and let his grin widen, before he simply burst out into laughter as well. Before long, Oshawott joined in, more than likely just to fit in (but he laughed nonetheless), and then they were all in a state of nonsensical, hysterical giggles and they wouldn't have it any other way.