One Last Look

by **Son_of_Shadows** Thu Jun 13, 2013 8:29 pm

A warm June morning, perfect for the beach, or just chilling in your garden. As for Sands, however... "Um... where did I leave the Revives again?" It wasn't so much him being a scatterbrain as it was nerves. Out into the big bad world, striking out on his own, travelling all over the world, solo. Granted, he was an adult now, theoretically capable of handling himself. Theoretically. His Chinchou, resting on the bed, pointed to his bedside table. His Revives were sitting on top of it. Of course they were. Joshua sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Ah. Well, that... is a thing." Fortunately, they were the last items to go into his backpack. He was prepared to leave. Sort of. Slightly. Not really. Oh God what was he doing with his life.

Chinchou could probably tell that her trainer was freaking out a smidge at the prospect of leaving home, as was common with many trainers. As such, she jumped up onto his head and discharged the most minor jolt she could, hoping to bring him out of his current funk. "Ouch!" Sometimes, she loved her life. "Thanks Chinchou... I think..." He called her back to her Pokéball for that, and put her in his jeans pocket. With his bag packed, it was time to leave. His mother was in wait downstairs, clearly worried.

"Are you sure you'll be ok with just Chinchou?"

"Positive! She's tougher than she looks, and just as capable on land."

"You hear such horrible things these days though, about kids having their Pokémon stolen..." Typical Johto Mail scaremongering.

"I'm not a kid," he shrugged. His mother just rolled her eyes.

"I'd feel better if you had another Pokémon under your belt, that's all."

"I'll have one before long, surely. Heck, Route 39's my first stop, plenty of Pokémon out there. Granted, no Water Types, but still." It was becoming obvious to his mother just how dead set her son was on this. It hadn't really settled in that he was leaving, and it probably wouldn't for a few days. She put a hand to his face.

"Just be careful, son. Call as often as you can, and remember, you can come home any time."

"I will..." he said, dismissively. Feeling slightly mollycoddled like this was another reason he was so willing to get out. Still, now that it was actually happening... Joshua forced his butterflies down, and headed out in search of adventure... Or, so he thought. As he walked out the door, Joshua was overcome by a wave of nostalgia. He wasn't ready to leave Olivine. He still had to, but he couldn't resist just one last look. Who knew how long it would be before he smelled the ocean again, something he'd always had in his life, or feel the sand between his toes.

"One last look... One last look, and then I'm gone for real." He smiled. Surely he could permit that. Chinchou wouldn't mind either. With that in mind, he strolled down to the docks, and took a look over the horizon. Cianwood City was off in the distance; he'd definitely have to make it over there at some point. They had a Safari Zone there too now, so he'd heard. Down to the beach now, and he took off his shoes and socks, feeling the waves crash over his ankles, and wet sand under his heels. The salty air warmed his sinuses as he breathed all the way down to the bottom of his lungs, and felt truly at peace for one last time. Just a few more minutes... Then he could go, with no regrets. Right?

by **Nishwishes** Fri Jun 14, 2013 12:00 pm

It was quiet down at the beach, given that it was still in the morning, and that people were taking care of work at this time on a Friday, or still in class. There were some families and other trainers around, but not too many, the environment peaceful. Wingull circled overhead, swirling by the waves and the lighthouse; a few Krabby were buried into the warm sands. Olivine City’s water types were generally unafraid of humans.

This included a level seven Horsea, loitering near the ocean shallows. It bobbed upon the waters, resting on its curled tail, calling out. At first, she probably appeared quite sweet, blowing bubbles which carried and burst on the refreshing, salty wind. Then, suddenly, a jet of ink was fired straight for the unsuspecting trainer – a Smokescreen attack! Maybe not so sweet after all. He was being engaged in battle!

by **Son_of_Shadows** Fri Jun 14, 2013 2:43 pm

Ah yes, nothing could make this situation any better, surely. Feeling the warm sun on his face, and a cool breeze across his chest, Joshua was overcome by the nostalgic memories of his youth, spending times on the beach, and his initial capture of Chinchou. The Lighthouse and Battle Tower loomed either side of him, and a cruise ship was getting ready to set sail for Vermilion City. Olivine had developed a lot over the last few years. It wasn't the same town he'd grown up in. Maybe that was another reason to get out.

With all this navel-gazing, it was little wonder that he was vulnerable to a blast of ink from the ocean. The black gunk hit him square in the face, temporarily blinding him. Joshua, being Joshua, staggered from the jet, and managed to trip on some seaweed, making him fall face first into the ocean. This, however, had the fortunate effect of washing a bit of the ink off his face, so that when he looked up, he saw his assailant: a female Horsea. It was evidently looking to pick a fight. Bad, bad idea. Slightly wet from his fall, Joshua rose to his feet, enlarging his Chinchou's Pokéball as he did so. He tossed it into the air, releasing the electric angler fish into the ocean in front of him. He, fortunately, had the sense to step out of the water as he gave his orders. "Chinchou, time to fight! Paralyse that Horsea with Thunder Wave, and follow up with Charge Beam, before going into a Psybeam attack."

by **Nishwishes** Fri Jun 14, 2013 3:11 pm

The Horsea watched as Joshua withdrew his Poke Ball, throwing it forth, releasing his battle-obsessed Chinchou in a beam of red light. Stepping out of the water, so as to avoid zapping himself, the Pokemon obeyed his orders: a wave of electricity sparked through the liquid, catching Horsea straight on, the blue mini horse squealing with displeasure before reeling backwards through the air due to Charge Beam! Psybeam, unfortunately, missed.

Horsea dropped with a splash, but managed to bring herself back upright, unhappy with how things had turned out. The Smokescreen she had attempted to fire back with in mid air had completely been off point, but the bubble attack made seconds later struck – to minimal effect. That wasn’t the only problem, though. Joshua had been stupidly unaware of his surroundings, and people were now looking on at him with disgust and fright – it seems the Thunder Wave had spread, unsurprisingly, catching a few children playing in the water and other Pokemon! A Magikarp lay some distance away, tail twitching, a few Krabby spasming and Staryu ominously still... A few concerned parents, with their children, were talking on Pokegear or to the lifeguard atop on his chair...

Whether that had to do with him or not remained to be seen. Good start to an adventure either way, that.

by **Son_of_Shadows** Fri Jun 14, 2013 5:05 pm

Ah. Now that hadn't gone exactly as planned. While he'd managed to do some fair damage to Horsea and taken very little back in return, his final attack had completely missed, and now people were staring at him. Either they were unimpressed with his battling, or they were admiring the comedy of errors. Or he'd ballsed up completely.

Then again, it could easily just be all three. And examining the situation closer, it probably was. See, while Joshua had fully expected his Thunder Wave to affect the water around Chinchou and Horsea, what he had completely missed, due to being a dumbass, was that other things were in the water. Duh. Some Magikarp, Staryu and Krabby appeared to be suffering the effects of the jolt, and probably some minor paralysis, and so had some children playing in the water...

Oops.

No wonder nobody around him looked happy. Several people were talking to the lifeguard, or making some calls from their Pokégear. He was so going to get arrested, wasn't he? Then again, surely it was a weak jolt, and some kids would be used to it by now... Wild Pokémon weren't too uncommon around here, especially Tentacool, and with the likes of those and Chinchou, injuries incurred due to playing in the water were really kind of your own fault.

At least, that was how he was going to rationalise it for now. He gave a sheepish grin to some of the people glaring at him and scratched his head. "Maaaaaaybe we'll stay away from the Electric moves for now, Chinchou... Try to hit Horsea with your Supersonic, then go for another Psybeam! Lock it down with a small Whirlpool!" Joshua had a plan, and this Horsea might be a good Pokémon for his team after all. Had to start building his Water Type armada somewhere.

by **Nishwishes** Fri Jun 14, 2013 6:26 pm

That grin of Joshua's had gone unappreciated by most of the community, by the way, if the scowls and intense glares had gone unnoticed. And to say that the battle had been ballsed up completely was a nice insight into the future, given that all three of Chinchou's attacks missed. Horsea had even evaded the whirlpool, which was now drawing in some of the struggling Pokemon hit by the Thunder Wave. Good job. At least they couldn't drown, right?

Well, people can, but thankfully for him, they had the insight to get out of the water, and those that hadn't were far enough away from the metaphorical train wreck to get sucked in. Horsea was chortling to herself, as if aware of the pain, and promptly resorted to assaulting with another Smokescreen, which got the starter Pokemon accurately in her cross-eyes. Her accuracy was down, but at least the Bubble attacks which followed had missed as well! That was something!

Yeah. Maybe Joshua should just go home. And cry.

by **Son_of_Shadows** Fri Jun 14, 2013 6:54 pm

Wow, now this was really just getting quite embarrassing. Not only were people still rather annoyed with him, but Chinchou had missed all three of her attacks. This was an unmitigated cockup of a last look at the ocean, and it was only making him all the more keen to leave Olivine behind, if only out of shame. And now some wild Pokémon had got caught in Chinchou's whirlpool.

Again, it was a cockup of unmitigated proportions. Perhaps God had just woken up and decided he disliked Joshua for some reason. Regardless, he needed to press on. Going home to cry was not an option. The first order of business was clearing that Smokescreen from Chinchou's eyes. Not a problem with all this water around, and water she was used to, no less. Still, all he could think was Please don't balls this one up, I'm going to struggle showing my face around here as is.

"Chinchou, dive underwater to clear your vision, and go for two more Psybeams!" He crossed his fingers and bit his lip before shooting some more apologetic looks around.

by **Nishwishes** Sat Jun 15, 2013 7:58 am

Chinchou swam out a little further, closing the distance between them until they were both submerged. The first, colourful laser missed its mark, but Horsea was not swift enough to dodge the second, and it sent her backwards. As it was, her Smokescreen assault was well evaded by Chinchou, and the streams of bubbles barely did a thing - especially given their battlefield.

Joshua's luck had turned around, thankfully. But for long enough to catch the Horsea, or...?

by **Son_of_Shadows** Sat Jun 15, 2013 6:54 pm

Well, things were starting to look up... He thought. He couldn't really see Horsea or Chinchou through the water, but the Psybeams and Smokescreens were distinctive enough for him to detect them. And Chinchou was doing a damned good job at keeping the pressure on her opponent, as per usual. A little more and it would probably be time for the capture...

"Good work so far, Chinchou!" he called out, hoping she could hear. "Try to get behind Horsea and attack it with another Psybeam - push it towards the shore!" As he spoke, he readied his first Pokéball. If Horsea poked her head out of the water, or if he could get a better look, he'd throw the ball, ready to finish this. It should still be paralysed after all, so it shouldn't be too bad...

by **Nishwishes** Sat Jun 15, 2013 9:00 pm

Joshua was cautious, but relieved that things appeared to be taking a turn for the best. Taking out a Poke Ball, he watches as Horsea fails an attack due to paralysis, allowing his Pokemon to swim behind and blast her towards the shore with Psybeam. Horsea doesn't take well to this, blasting the trainer in the face with a skillful and resentful bubble attack, before turning and once again obscuring Chinchou's sight with Smokescreen. Her low level meant that she had very little to work with, unlike the trainer - another way that he and his battle-hungry sidekick had the upper hand.

Horsea was beginning to weaken, too, that much was clear by her desperate measures and lashing out. To catch, or not to catch?

by **Son_of_Shadows** Sat Jun 15, 2013 9:16 pm

Now or never. As Chinchou exploited her opponent's moment of weakness, Joshua prepped and enlarged his first ball, waiting for his moment to strike. Horsea, perhaps less than thrilled by the beatdown it was currently receiving for some strange reason that was completely beyond Joshua, took the opportunity to blast him in the face with yet another stream of bubbles before he could throw it, and then blind Chinchou with another Smokescreen.

"Gettin real tired of your shit, Horsea," he grumbled. This was now a serious matter of pride, as if it wasn't already. He quickly rubbed the foam out of his eyes, and with a deep breath, he threw his Pokéball directly towards the tiny blue seahorse.

by **Nishwishes** Sat Jun 15, 2013 9:41 pm

Funny that. Horsea was getting pretty tired of Joshua's shit, too, although to be fair, it had been the one to start the brawl in the first place. Chinchou's electrical antannae and small blue arms were rubbing hastily at her own eyes, and she had ducked beneath the waves again, trying to clean herself off whilst the young man hurled his Poke Ball. It hit the mark, swallowing the water-type in a beam of light, and landed in the waters.

Bobbing and rocking, for a moment, it seemed like Horsea would escape - but she didn't. The button in the centre turned white again, and Joshua's Chinchou smirked with pride, gathering the first capture up to bring it back. It was prideful because it had won, of course. But, well, Joshua knew that it had a problem with other Pokemon. And people. Just other things in general.

But Horsea get! And that's what's important.

Along with the fact that a few police officers had arrived. Well, then.

by **Son_of_Shadows** Sat Jun 15, 2013 9:54 pm

He bit his lip as the ball collided with its target, swallowing it whole in a burst of light as time stopped. The ball bobbed in the waves, once... twice... thrice... At this point, he fully expected Horsea to jump out and scream some kind of Poké-obscenity at him, but no. The ball stopped moving, and with a satisfying "DOONPH!", Horsea had officially been captured. Joshua just grinned proudly. His first real capture since starting his journey, and on a Water Type no less. Not a bad start. He stepped into the water in order to scoop up the ball and put it in his pocket. Meanwhile, Chinchou had finished cleaning her eyes, and only she spotted the people all dressed in official-looking blue uniforms behind the trainer. Oh dear.

"Good work Chinchou, you've earned yourself a rest. Wait, why are you looking at me like that? Do I still have some of Horsea's ink on my face or something?"

And then he turned around.

"...................... Oh. Um... The Horsea started it?"

by **Nishwishes** Sun Jun 16, 2013 12:23 am

The excuse wasn't going to fly by the looks of things, making Joshua's victory a short-lived one indeed. Officer Jenny was making her approach, ruby lips pursed with impatience, brown eyes narrowed, the woman the hot image of justice. Following her down the beach was an obedient Growlithe and two men, their hair trimmed short, of lower ranking.

"It doesn't matter who started this battle, young man!" She insisted, only just looking down at the rookie, thanks to her black pumps. "There is nothing unusual about beach battling, it happens all the time! However, every trainer knows to take care of their surroundings or else it counts as a public disturbance! Not only that, but you've hurt people around you! I'm afraid you're going to be coming with me!"

This wasn't how the adventure was meant to kick off...

by **Son_of_Shadows** Sun Jun 16, 2013 8:36 am

There was no way he was getting out of this one, was he? But come on, nobody had really gotten hurt, it was such a minor jolt, like putting your tongue on a battery. If you were going to get in the ocean with Pokémon, you kind of had to take the chance of an occasional Tentacool sting, or Chinchou jolt... Still, being talked down to like this was really making him feel like a child. Joshua was sorely tempted to have Horsea create a Smokescreen for them to escape, but there was no way that would end well. Besides, it was probably still annoyed about being captured. And having the stuffing Psybeamed out of it.

Simultaneously embarrassed and triumphant, Joshua gave a sigh and willingly went with the officer. All being well, he'd just get a quick caution and be heading off to Route 39 in a couple of hours... Right?

by **Nishwishes** Sat Jun 22, 2013 7:04 am

Being taken to the police station was not one of the best experiences in one’s life, although it did mean being able to cross one thing off life’s bucket list, according to the rebellious and funny posters that one tended to find in record shops and other establishments of popular culture. With all details logged and fingerprints taken, Joshua would struggle if he ever became a criminal, given that he was now quite identifiable and on record, unless he invested in some gloves and stealth abilities.

There was some sitting around in a very plain room to be done for a few hours, eyes given the choice of staring at a dull table, wearing away white bricks or the bars of a guarded window, taunting the prisoner with the opportunity of sunlight and sea and freedom. Officer Jenny, apparently the same one as before, eventually came in, still wearing that same disciplinary expression as she held open the door.

“Alright, it’s time to go.” She said, brown eyes hardy as she watched Joshua closely, “I hope you’ve learned to be more careful from now on. Otherwise, on a Pokemon journey, you won’t last very long. A trainer has to keep all of this in mind, or they end up causing a lot more trouble than they intend for. Now, stay safe, won’t you?” By the front desk, a few corners ahead, a boring tray of belongings – including the balls containing water-types – awaited collection.

by **Son_of_Shadows** Sun Jun 23, 2013 10:07 am

Fingerprinted and everything. This was an absolute joke, his Chinchou had only let a minor Thunder Wave off into the water... Needless to say, Joshua was becoming increasingly frustrated with the beginning of his journey. A string of misses against Horsea, several jets of ink to the face, and an arrest.

Still, it was an eventful start, he supposed. Though at the moment, there was nothing he wanted more than an ice cold MooMoo Milk. Or maybe a strawberry daiquiri.

... Yeah, definitely the daiquiri. It was what he always turned to in times of crisis.

It was just as he was considering whether he had a slight alcohol dependency that Officer Jenny re-entered the room. He was free to go apparently. Tres bien. Well, if nothing else, it was better to learn the lesson of being more careful now, rather than later. With that, it was time to pick up his belongings, including his two Pokéballs, Horsea included, thankfully. Joshua took a moment to enlarge the seahorse's Pokéball, and release it into his arms.

"Well, hello there darling. It's been an... eventful start, wouldn't you say?" Horsea just kind of squeaked at him in response. "Quite. But regardless of the... trouble that we've been through this morning, I'd like it if we could be partners. See the world and whatnot. I could use a Pokémon with your obvious spirit." His Horsea didn't really know what to say. The fact was, he was her trainer now, so realistically, it wasn't like she had much choice. But nevertheless, there were so many oceans to swim in across the world and Pokémon to meet. After some deliberation, she nodded. "Wonderful!" Joshua grinned. Well, this should make mum happy at least. He had a second partner.

It was at that moment he realised that his phone had a text from his mother: "U've been ARRESTED? U LEFT 4 HOURS AGO. X" Biting his lip, Joshua tapped out a quick reply.

"The Horsea started it. At least I have a second mon now, like you wanted?"

by Sponsored content

One Last Look

One Last Look

Re: One Last Look

Re: One Last Look

Re: One Last Look

Re: One Last Look

Re: One Last Look

Re: One Last Look

Re: One Last Look

Re: One Last Look

Re: One Last Look

Re: One Last Look

Re: One Last Look

Re: One Last Look

Re: One Last Look

Re: One Last Look

Re: One Last Look

Re: One Last Look

Re: One Last Look