don't give up! [open]

[PEARL]

"Dodge it to the left! Then use Fire Blast!"

[/color] Pearl yelled as Comet barely missed the enemy Carnivine's Bullet Seed attack. As she moved gracefully to the left side, snow flying up into the air, she let loose a powerful flame that headed straight for the tired Carnivine, who attempted a last minute evasion. Unfortunately, the fire hit the Carnivine at full force, scorching it thoroughly. The opponent trainer cried out in dismay as his Pokémon collapsed into the snow, groaning in defeat. Pearl punched the air in victory, a wide and cheerful grin on his face. "You did it, Comet! You were great!"[/color] Comet snorted appreciatively at her trainer as she galloped over, bending her neck down so that Pearl could gently pat her on the nose. "I think you deserve a good rest, huh? I'll head to the Pokémon Center and get you some food there."[/color] Holding up her Poké Ball, he returned her and placed it back into his bag.

He received his prize money from the reluctant trainer and headed towards the nearest city, Snowpoint City. A few minutes later, as he continued to trek through the thick snow, a blizzard began to stir up. Eventually, it was nearly impossible to see a foot ahead of him and he had to be wary of where he stepped. He narrowly avoided colliding with a couple of other travelers on the way, most of which sent him a grumpy scowl as he hustled past. Although he was frozen to the bone, Pearl didn't stop for a single second. What was most important to him at that moment was getting his Pokémon to a safe and warm shelter, specifically the Snowpoint City Pokémon Center. After what seemed like ages, he could see the outlines of the city through the blowing and raging snowstorm.

Thankfully for the chilly trainer, the Pokémon Center was close to the entrance of the city, nestled in a quiet corner. He stomped his feet dry as soon as he got in, grateful for the warmth that spread through his body as he did. Compared to the outside, the inside of the Pokémon Center was like a toaster. Other trainers were spread throughout the center, chatting with each other and sitting near fireplaces. Others were spending time with their Pokémon, feeding them and allowing them some time outside of their Poké Balls. Pearl stomped noisily up to the counter where Nurse Joy spun around to greet him, a sweet smile on her pretty face. Feeling his face flush at the sight of her, he pulled out six Poké Balls and shoved them at her. "C-Could you heal them, please? Thanks."[/color] A few minutes later, she returned with them and handed them back.

Pearl now took the chance to let all six of his rather large Pokémon out of their Poké Balls as well. Zero, his Floatzel, immediately curled up by the nearest fire and was soon joined by Snoozer, his Snorlax, and Comet, his Rapidash. Tank, his Torterra, laid down close by, shut his eyes, and began to doze off after only a few seconds. Hawk, his Staraptor and Edge, his Heracross, both sat down on either side of Pearl as he took a seat on one of the cushioned benches near the fireplace. He pulled out six bowls and a large bag of Pokémon food. He filled each and set a bowl in front of his Pokémon, watching with a tired smile as they began to eat and enjoy the warm surroundings. He himself could was beginning to feel drowsy from the comfortable atmosphere. Before he even knew it, he was curled up on the bench, fast asleep.

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[RUBY]

The snow was now falling in rapid succession and the wind would pick up suddenly and threaten to blow you away. Barely any sunlight filtered to what was nearing to be (if it already wasn’t) a snow storm and the cold was letting itself be felt in a harsh way. It was nature’s way of letting everyone know that although cities and towns existed it was far from being tame –a fact you could hardly forget as you trudged on almost knee-deep in snow. At this point Ruby was exhausted he had been walking just outside of the town taking a look in the trees and marveling at the icicles that stuck to the needle-thin pine leaves –he had even caught sight of a few Pokémon slinking just out of sight as he walked within the trees –always making sure to know in what direction the town lay and never straying too far. He didn’t plan on getting lost and he had already more or less planned the area he would explore, however the walk wasn’t mostly for him it had been to give his Pokémon a chance to stretch their legs (or wings). So it was that he had been casually walking on the snowy forest with Sam and Erin trailing just behind him. Occasionally the Jolteon would feel the need to stretch her legs a little and in a tiny burst of speed she would flurry ahead, dart amongst the trees then wiggle back to her trainer’s side. Ruby was already used to the Jolteon’s behavior –she was the type to be unable to sit still for very long and her spontaneous actions made him smile. The Absol, however, walked placidly by his side only stopping to look around or sniff at something interesting. Damen on the other hand flapped lazily overhead occasionally ducking between the trees or flying ahead on ahead to explore something.

The wind had picked up suddenly though of course Ruby noticed it perhaps first than the rest because of the Salamence. One moment it was having a bit of a struggle flying and the next it gave a grunt of alarm and made a show of letting Ruby know trouble was brewing. Eris had reacted by standing quite still as if listening to something far away and even Sam had quieted –her fur standing on end as they senses the shifting of the wind. He picked up on their behavior in record time and immediately called Damen back to his Poke ball –the Salamence didn’t have the protection of the trees because of its size and he knew even a skilled flyer such as itself would have difficulty flying in the icy wind, from what he knew of flying he knew that the warm air currents whose name he couldn’t recall where the ones that kept the flying Pokémon afloat, so to speak, the icy wind would dull the muscles and the suddenness of it could easily throw the Salamence not only off course but against a rock or trees were it would be wounded. This turned out to be the right choice to do because as Ruby turned back to walk back to Snowpoint the wind was letting itself be felt. The tops of the trees shook violently and occasionally he would feel the stinging cold.

Aware of the danger he called both Eris and Sam back to their Poke balls and trudged on, wrapping his coat tightly around him to keep off the worse of the biting wind. Their alarms rung true because just as he thought he saw the lights of Snowpoint glinting in the distance snow began falling in thick flurries and he literally had to hold on to his hat so it wouldn’t be blown back by the wind. It took him twice as much as it should’ve to reach the Pokémon Center, even in his haste but he finally made it and with a sigh of immense relief he managed to trudge over to the nearest seats and plant his butt firmly on their cotton-y surface. A contended sigh left his lips and for a minute he simply relaxed, rubbing his hands against each other for a spark of warmth –sure he had reached safety but he was far from warm and toasty. After his light attempt at warmth he looked around the Pokémon Center –it was fairly crowded with both trainers and Pokémon alike but that was to be expected of this particular Pokémon center in the middle of a snow storm, even some civilians lay around with nary a Pokémon to their name. It was then that he decided that he better allow one his Pokémon a breather as well and reached to his side to draw out the Poke ball of the one he expected was the more anxious to stretch her legs.

A flash of red and the light quickly broke out and dispersed to reveal a spiky yellow Jolteon on its place. The Pokémon looked around excitedly and he expected that if she had a tail it would be wagging a mile a minute, as it was her mouth lay open in a kind of happy pant and she looked about, her head whipping rapidly from side to side. She darted around the Pokémon Center, sniffing at trainers and Pokémon alike and he let her –she wasn’t doing any real harm, just startling a few folks and for a lazy minute he watched her dart about before realizing he should probably let the rest out too. But before he could do such a thing the Jolteon rapidly whipped around to face him and her eyes landed on the trainer next to him –just as she looked at him his eyes dropped towards him as well. He was asleep and the only real feature he could register from his was messy blond hair before the Jolteon was running leaping towards him and landing right on his chest with enough force to knock the air out of anyone, a crackle of electricity made her fur stand on end and she gave a happy sort of yip as she bounced again on the trainer’s chest.

In a flash Ruby jumped to a stand and hurried towards the trainer (there wasn’t much distance to walk, however, since Ruby had been sitting next to him) ready to pluck Sam from his chest as soon as he gave any sign of life. “I’m so sorry,” he said hastily, sounding as apologetic as Ruby could possibly sound “She gets really excited and she’s always all over the place,” he continued, eyeing Sam with a look that made her stop bouncing on the trainer’s chest and look at her own trainer in inquiry.

Tagged&& Pearl
Lyrics&& Too lazy
OOC&& You can push Sam off xD
Words&& 1,123
Pokemon&&
Moves&& Sam; N/A

[PEARL]

In Pearl's nightmare, he had reached the end of the Sinnoh League only to be easily beaten down by the champion. He had fought and fought the Elite Four for absolutely nothing, but he hadn't given up. He went back, time after time, the process repeating each time. As he continued to dream, his face scrunched up with obvious upset, he felt a sudden weight on his chest. Being a light sleeper to begin with, he woke at once, instinctively whacking at whatever was on him, trying to push it off with excessive force. "Get off, get off! Can't you see I'm trying to sleep?"

[/color] he growled tiredly. Seeing Ruby's face through his blurry vision, he brought his hands up to rub his eyes as he listened to his apology. "She?"[/color] he asked, glancing around only to spot the Jolteon. "Oh. OH! I didn't mean to push her like that, sorry. I know how curious Pokémon can get."[/color]

Smiling sheepishly, he rubbed the back of his head. One by one, each of his own Pokémon began to rouse with all of the abrupt commotion. Everyone except for Snoozer, of course. He continued to sleep away, happy and drowsy now that he was with a full stomach. The only thing that could wake him now was the smell of food or Pearl's yelling and persistence. Comet unfolded her legs slowly and stood, sauntering over to Sam to sniff at her curiously and get acquainted. Pearl watched the two of them for a long moment before turning his attention back to Ruby, who appeared to be around his age or just a bit older. "Are you passing through?"[/color] he asked with loud yawn. "I am. I'm going to challenge the Sinnoh League soon, but I need to train a fair bit more... Hey, are you from around here?"[/color]

By looking at him, he could distinguish that he certainly wasn't from the area, if from Sinnoh at all. But then again, his mother had told him time after time that he shouldn't judge people by their appearances. It was awfully hard to do, especially when a nervous person looked nervous or an angry person looked angry, but he tried. "Oh, my name's Pearl!"[/color] he shouted suddenly, shoving his hand at Ruby with a wide grin on his face. "Born and raised in Twinleaf Town. Been in Sinnoh for as long as I can remember, but I'm going to conquer the other regions sooner or later. It's just a matter of time... Speaking of time, what time is it? I might have to get going..."[/color]

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[RUBY]

For just a fraction of a second Ruby had been sincere about his apology. He was completely aware it was his fault for not having Sam under control and although he didn’t blame his little furred friend for being the excitable thing she was he knew damn well apologies were due. He himself would never appreciate getting woken up so abruptly so it only emphasized the point that he should apologize even if the situations were even slightly swapped around he wouldn’t offer one. However all sense of good-will that Ruby might have had was immediately swept away when he saw the blond guy manage Sam. One minute he was worried about how he would take the situation and the next the fellow took a swipe at Sam which was enough to make the Jolteon see stars. The Lightning Pokémon was so dazed she made no move to protest or complain when the other trainer proceeded to forcibly push her aside and she simply let herself be manhandled in such a way and lay sprawled on the seat, getting tangled in her own four paws before realizing how rudely she was being handled. Sam might be the lovable dolt most times but she knew the difference between a loving caress and a forced push and as soon as she realized what was happening she leapt on all fours, still standing on the seat and gave the trainer a tiny huff of contempt. She shook her fur then and made another huffing sound that only hinted at her injured pride. Well, at least she didn’t whine, Ruby thought shooting the other trainer a glare that threatened to sprout laser beams.

"Get off, get off! Can't you see I'm trying to sleep?" the trainer growled at the insulted Sam. The Jolteon gave a tiny growl that should be enough to warn the trainer back –it might have also been a warning to apologize but which one of them was beyond Ruby. "She?" the tone of his voice had changed now and he glanced around to see Sam looking ruffled and upset in the best way a beady-eyed Jolteon could and some great realization seemed to dawn in his eyes. "Oh. OH! I didn't mean to push her like that, sorry. I know how curious Pokémon can get," he said but in Ruby’s eyes he had already lost any dignity he might have gained with the trainer. It seemed Sam’s thoughts were going along the same line because she gave another huff and promptly turned so the trainer was facing her spiky-furred behind. Her black eyes landed on the Rapidash however and she immediately seemed to forget her woes and her ears snapped forward to let know the Pokémon had her full attention. Soon enough the two started to give each other curious sniffs.

Ruby turned away from the two Pokémon and gave the other trainer a glance. They were about the same age, his hair stuck around his head at odd gravity-defying angles and his eyes were only several shades darker than his hair. The trainer was dressed for the cold weather as was Ruby himself –the eldest trainer was wearing a thick black coat to protect him from the cold and more weather-appropriate clothing instead of the usual travelling clothes he usually wore which were meant to provide movement and keep away as much as the heat as possible so its wearer would tire more slowly. Safe is to say Ruby was hardly impressed and the only answer he offered to let the other trainer know he had even listened to him was a glare and a “Hmmph,” to let him know he was hardly pleased with how he shoved the Jolteon aside. At least Sam was now distracted with the Rapidash, when his eyes turned to the pair again Sam had butted her head playfully against the Rapidash’s nose to make the horse-like Pokémon either sneeze or throw its head back –whatever was on her mind was beyond him but he figured something of the like must be what she had planned.

After a long time of inspecting the two Pokémon the blond trainer turned his attention back to Ruby, however. "Are you passing through?" he inquired. For a minute Ruby actually considered if to give him one of the famous sarcastic replies that made him world famous (exaggerating, of course) or if just not beat around the bush and tell him straightaway in an attempt to walk away from him as quickly as humanely possible short of flipping off the guy and telling him to go screw himself somewhere. Before he could make up his mind however the trainer quickly added to his previous statement. "I am. I'm going to challenge the Sinnoh League soon, but I need to train a fair bit more... Hey, are you from around here?" the trainer asked. Maybe Ruby should go for the quick-answer-and-get-away approach.

“Yes. No.” he answered in quick succession and it was up to the trainer if he understood Ruby’s one-worded answers or not. He didn’t deserve much else having pushed Sam aside without even offering the Jolteon an apology (yes, he had apologized to Ruby, but Ruby wasn’t the one that got pushed aside so rudely).

"Oh, my name's Pearl!" he shouted, shoving his hand at Ruby.

The eldest trainer was mystified as to what he was expected to do and for a minute he just stared at the hand as if it were a particularly nasty Murkrow that kept beating as his window every night when he tried to go to sleep. Eventually however he replied with a grunt that sounded suspiciously like “Ruby,” and left it at that making no effort to return Pearl’s greeting gesture and rather turning a glance towards Sam. Feeling eyes on her the Jolteon looked up and gave a happy yip when she realized it was Ruby looking at her. He smiled in return glad to know the Jolteon had seemed to forgotten he way the other trainer pushed her aside –or rather ignored it since she found something that amused her. However she turned back to the Rapidash and he turned back to look at the trainer.

"Born and raised in Twinleaf Town. Been in Sinnoh for as long as I can remember, but I'm going to conquer the other regions sooner or later. It's just a matter of time... Speaking of time, what time is it? I might have to get going..."

Boy, wasn’t this one the talkative one?

“Why the hell are you telling me your life story?” he inquired, sounding sincerely half-shocked because that’s what he was. Greatly puzzled when the blond trainer and him had come in life-story-sharing terms, he wasn’t aware pushing Pokémon aside created such a bond. Oh, yes and it also didn’t hurt that he ignored Pearl’s question.

Tagged&& Pearl
Lyrics&& Still too lazy.
OOC&& Erm, nothing I suppose.
Words&& 1,144
Pokemon&&
Moves&& Sam; N/A