"You're not doing anything inappropriate with Melia's picture are you?" Ren questions Ava, his voice echoes through the crystal lined caverns.
"Yeah totally is. Lotion and all" Ava backs away.
"Ava!" He barks, startling the trainer
"Alright alright! I'll send you a photo when I'm at Sheridan." Their voice lightens up as they lay eyes on the decently put together shrine—white fur and wood painted purple, in the framing is Melia and a drawing of Materna. Kept me occupied until the voices got louder… In reality neither of you should have died
Ren sighs through the phone with evident exhaustion. "Fine I suppose I can wait a bit longer." His rough voice drags along his words. "Also if you see a Sableye with a vial of mystic water can you catch it for me?"
The young trainer lets out a hearty laugh that booms through the caverns. "Should've just hid it until you were inside somewhere! Venam bought that for you the same day you left and you lost it the same day too huh?!"
"Yea,yeah laugh it up…" Ren chuckles as a camera click echoes, its flash makes the crystals sparkle and shine. "At least I can use my gift, that Feebas of yours won't evolve without some major luck on your part, let alone learn a poison move anytime soon."
"Let alone learn a poisEn moVe anEtim soonn; My nmes Rin and I'm smaet…" Ava mocks while traveling through the occupied caverns.
Ren sharply inhales like he found something lost to him. "You're only making fun of yourself." "I'll see you later." Ren hangs up the call after shoving his pokegear into his pocket and muffling his authoritative yell.
The trainer exhales. I can't wait to unload myself in Sheridan. Ava pauses at the top of the stairs and stretches in a way that pronounces their breasts. Maybe it'll-
"No it won't." The hooded figure interrupts Ava's thoughts with a resounding answer. His raspy voice brings a somber feeling to Ava's heart. "The chief of Sheridan Village will not allow it."
Ava tuts and walks past the figure.
"This version of you will not survive long enough to see revenge for the girl. It's weak, reliant and most dangerous of all, naive." The figure whispers to Ava who freezes right beside him. "Your blind hope has failed you, giving you the scars you fear will stay with you; and they will stay with you."
The trainer's face twitches, switching between a grimace and mild annoyance. "I just want to keep moving forward."
The figure stiffens at Ava's response, like they had told them their parents are dead. "Move forward?" They distantly echo. "You want to move forward?" The figure eeriely chuckles. "There is no such thing, the only path forward will be your trudging through the sludge of pain and despair."
Ava, stuck between themself and reality, stands there frozen; the figure, seeing this, takes their leave.
What if he's right? Through pain and suffering, hope is.. It's not guaranteed. Right? Ava shoves coral strands of hair back as a breeze blows through the otherwise animate cave. A crude and garish shrill of pain sharply pings around the caverns, prompting people to drop everything and run.
"Alright boys drop Big Ben on 'er! Then we can finally have all of Gearen City!" A rough masculine voice barks ecstatically.
Karrina growls from the bottom of the cliff. "That's underhanded even for you, Charly!" She grunts trying to push herself to her feet.
"You misunderstand how we gangs operate!" Charley gets off of his chopper while he digs around in his pocket for a heavy ball. "We don't just protect the people! We protect our sources of income, we want them as low as we can keep them without it being too low that they're useless!" He holds the pokeball over the ledge. "I'd say see ya in heaven but, we both know I got a comfortable reservation in hell." And he releases the pokemon inside; A Snorlax wearing a biker jacket.
no... Ava runs towards Karina with immense heat pouring off of their body. "NOT AGAIN!" The trainer kicks the Snorlax, her leg swiftly raising up, like a spear to the Snorlax's gut and discards him to the side.
"Oh shit it's that lion killer bitch! We gotta go!" Charley hops on his bike and recalls Big Ben.
"Don't ask." Ava turns to Karina. Why the fuck are Snorlax's so heavy?!
Karina stares wide eyed as her savour's leg slowly smoothens before her eyes. "W-wasn't going to…" The gang leader leaves an obvious silence. "Good thing there aren't any outsiders here or you'd be finished."
Karrina limps as she walks towards Ava. "I guess. What happened to Dominik?" Ava guides the gang leader to the entrance.
Karina gives a knowing look to Ava. "He's recovering from his payday."
"Ah.." Ava responds acknowledging the look.
Karina takes out two pokeballs, one summons a Nidoking exuding a sense of experience, and the other is tossed to Ava. "A token of my gratitude, and a pokemon I think fits you more than most in my gang."
Ava's pokegear rings with a notification. " New Pokedex Entry. Number 0228 Houndour 'Trainer Karina' has transferred ownership of Houndour to 'Trainer Ava'. Would you like to name it?"
Ava holds still for a few moments. "... What you trying say about me?" The savior snorts. "I mean it's a female dog, it's basically a hellhound. Is this a back handed complement?"