Pokémon Sword: Genetic Mutations

Chapter Seven.... Dragon Master Raihan

"I still can't believe you won't at LEAST wear the others for a day." Gloria complained, making me roll my eyes in frustration. I had ultimately decided to go with my baggy, loose look since it was more comfortable, coverage AND movement wise! "We're going to a Fighting Type Gym, do you REALLY think a dress was the appropriate attire for such? Besides, I already promised you back at the Inn that I would switch out before taking on the Fairy Gym." I replied, rubbing my arm in embarrassment. Gloria was like a mother hen, the way she went on about my styling choices, and it drove me a little batty to hear it! We were on the train heading for a place called "Hammerlocke", which was on route to the Fighting Gym in another place called "Stow-on-Side". "Look at you two, going on about clothing and what not! For me, a simple shirt and jeans are a go." Hop snorted teasingly, Victor snickering beside him. Gloria pouted her lip in disapproval, and sternly replied to the two, "For you BOYS! We GIRLS, however, need to dress our best for anything and anyone, and Lele looks like she just woke up for the day." "Because I DID! You took me clothes shopping around four in the morning Gloria, not to mention I hardly slept a wink." I sighed, writing in my journal of all of my encounters and achievements thus far. Gloria's pout became a frown, and her brother laughed, "Careful Glor, you'll get wrinkles on your pretty face if you keep that up!" Hop howled with laughter beside him much to her displeasure, and she snapped back, "You lot are difficult. You'll NEVER understand women if you don't pay attention first to their needs!" "Oh I think we understand plenty." Hop remarked before putting on his best impression of a girl as he said, "Is my hair okay? Oh let me just get my makeup on, I look a fright without it!" "Does this dress suit me? I look horrendous in this color!" Victor added. The boys roared in laughter again as Nessa approached, and said in a teasing manner, "If you cute little boys have had your fun, be a couple sweethearts and get us some snacks would you?" "W-WHA?!" Hop yelped. "H-Huh?!" Victor gulped, clearly caught off gaurd by the sudden shift in atmosphere. "You heard me, now off with you!" Nessa replied, throwing her hair over her shoulder before taking a seat between Gloria and I. The boys shared dumbfounded looks with each other, then obediently left to do what they were asked to do with cheeks redder than Magikarp scales. "See, they think they're funny until a girl starts doing to them what they do to us. After that it's just embarrassing! Ha! Can you believe?" Nessa giggled. "They THINK they know, but they're too full of themselves." Gloria sighed, crossing her legs as she rested her elbow on her knee. "At least they try. Not everyone is perfect y'know!" I said in defense of the duo, and Nessa smirked as she said, "Sounds like what a love stricken little girl would say!" Gloria laughed out loud as my face burned, and I shouted, "I-I already said that I was interested in him, not that I LIKE him!" "So Gloria WAS telling the truth? How cute!" Nessa mused, and I turned my head from them as I puffed out my cheeks in annoyance. Gloria laughed as she went on, "You should've been there! Her cheeks were so cute and pink, and the hearts in her eyes were larger than a Charmander's tail flame." "S-Stop it Gloria...." I murmured, pulling my shirt over my face to hide my embarrassment. "Then again, Miss Champion, you should see the way YOU look at that Hop!" Nessa teased, and now it was my turn to laugh as Gloria stuttered, "N-No! We aren't THAT close!" "Why not? I think you and Hop are adorable together! Mind you that Victor may not be too keen on his best friend taking his sister. What is it that they call it? "Bro Code"?" I said, pulling my shirt back down to smile at her. "Afraid so. What nonsense, this "Bro Code" thing! Honestly, can't we just choose who we please without others getting all miffed?" Gloria sighed with a shrug. "Here, Here!" Nessa groaned, rolling her eyes as though she's experienced this type of behavior before. The door slid open, and Hop peeked his head through the door as he said, "Here you hens are! You weren't too clear on what snacks you wanted, so Victor and I took the lot. We also got you something to drink along with it, so I hope you're pleased. Cheers!" Once he left the tray of snacks, and disappeared behind the door, Nessa took a small baggie of candy in her hands before adding on to Gloria's previous statement, "Then again, they never fail to prove just how far they're willing to go to please a lady." "How sweet of them both! Cheers to being a girl!" Gloria said, rasing a glass of a golden colored juice above her head. "Cheers!" I giggled, then took a deep swig of the sweet smelling liquid. "WOW! This Berry juice is AMAZING! It's sweeter than Nanab berries!" "It's called "Mago Berry Juice"! They seem to be in proper bloom this year. Perhaps when I get one, I'll let you have a bite!" Gloria replied, smirking. "Because I'm a Pokémon hybrid?" I asked, maintaining a smile as I awkwardly furrowed my brow. "Who said Berries were ONLY for Pokémon? Lele, if we meant to take a jab out of you, I feel like you could tell." Gloria sighed, taking another sip of the juice. "Ah! No, I didn't mean it like that, it's just... Oh, nevermind, I'm sorry I brought it up." I replied in embarrassment, taking a sip of my juice as well. As we snacked on cookies, candies, and the like, the announcer came onto the speaker as he signaled, "Now entering: Hammerlocke station. Passengers on board for this destination may prepare to leave the train." "Aww, already? But we were having a good time between us girls, weren't we?" Nessa sighed in disappointment. "Time sure does fly by when you're having fun, eh?" Gloria asked, nudging my arm softly. "Appearantly so. I can't wait to see what Hammerlocke looks like though! I wonder if it's really as grand as Hop said it would be?" I responded, wiggling with anticipation of the new city. "It's grand for those who don't live in Galar.... Or rather, it's grand for those who had never visited it as well! Otherwise, you get too used to the ancient history, and it's no more than a dusty old castle town." Nessa replied with a bored sigh, rolling her eyes in the process. "Castle? Now I'm REALLY hyped! I've always wanted to see a castle in person." I fawned, eyes brighter than a young child's. "Well it's not JUST a meager old castle, it's the Gym of the Dragon Type specialist: the great Raihan himself!" Gloria elucidated. "Dragon Types?! Dragons are the strongest Pokémon that ever stood, and are a real hassel to take down in battle due to their might, and unwavering loyalty to their trainers. If you've a Dragon Type Gym, I'll have to watch my hide around this, what did you call him again? "Raihan"?" I said, meditating on a tactic that could make or break me in the long run.... IF I make it that far, that is.... "Raihan is a toughie alright, but he's also a bit conceited. Sometimes so that the pompous air around his head clouds his ability to truly witness strength and growth, and to properly choose his next target points." Nessa added, closing her eyes in thought as she placed a finger to her chin. "But that's for the future to decide. For now, let's focus on what is ahead before you get too mixed up, yes?" Gloria concluded, standing up to dust off her skirt. "Agreed. It'd get really bad if you chose the wrong form simply because you prepared ahead for something that won't happen for a long bit!" Nessa said, shaking her head as she stood up to join Gloria. She extended her hand out to me, and helped me to my feet. "If you insist, I'll put out the thought. But if I may ask, however, what is the Fighting Type Gym Leader like?" I asked, sifting through my mind to remember what it's weakness was. "The Leader of the Stow-on-Side Gym is none other than Bea. A hot blooded, karate prodigy in her own right, that one!" Nessa described, as we shuffled our way off the train, and onto the platform of Hammerlocke Station. "She sounds a little stern, but she truly does care about how well, and how honourably you battle! She searches for the link between trainer and Pokémon respectively, which will prove more of a challenge since you are your own, self proclaimed trainer to your Pokémon counterpart within!" Gloria affixed to Nessa's previous statement, and a smirk crossed my lips at the thought of being a total mystery to the Fighting Type master. When we left the station to greet the city, my jaw hung low in awe at the decorum. Banners were hung from the lampposts and navy blue bricked walls that were lined with golden accents, and smackdab in the center was the alleged castle that housed the mighty Dragon Pokémon, it's proud towers looming over the ancient city, and it's spires scraping the very clouds above it. "WOW! It's AMAZING here!" I declared, running ahead of the others in my exhilarated bliss. In fact, I was SO enthralled by the city's grandeure that I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings any longer, and I bumped into someone from behind, sending them nearly falling to the ground as I spun around in horror. "Goodness! I'm so, SO sorry!" I quickly apologized, and the man I had bumped into turned to face me with his head down. "Nah, it was my fault! I didn't see you coming." He replied cooly, and looked up to reveal a pair of gentle Cyan colored eyes, and a casual smirk upon his shapely face. His hair seemed to be pulled back by his bandana like hat, and everything on his person seemed to be entirely Dragon themed, and from my stand point, he was the height of a Nanab Berry tree, if not taller! I feared that he may have been a Pokémon fanatic, and I felt hesitant to speak to him when Gloria called, "Lele! There you are!" "Eh? Oh! If it isn't Galar's new undefeated champion. How's it going kid?" The man asked, giving a slight wave to Gloria as she joined my side. "I've been well! Just taking my friend Lele here to challenge the Gym Leader in Stow-on-Side. How're things at the Gym, Raihan?" "R-Raihan?! Wait a sec, YOU'RE the Dragon master Raihan?!" I gasped, eyes going wide as I blushed in humiliation at the thought of bumping into, and nearly knocking over THE Dragon Gym Leader. "The one and only kiddo! Say, you wouldn't happen to be the Lele that Kabu was going on about, would you? The same one who took on, and defeated Milo and Nessa by "Changing their form"?" He asked inquisitively, seemingly intrigued by the nature of which I chose to battle. "Kabu told you?" I asked nervously, crinckling my shirt as he said, "He didn't just tell me about you. He told whichever Gym he COULD! We know what to expect, and what your conditions are, and we highly anticipate your future arrivals to our Gyms. Not every day that a trainer with Pokémon blood asks to take on a Gym with their own wits, eh? We've agreed to meet up with you lot in Ballonlea after, and if you manage to defeat Bea to witness your strength, and power ourselves, so give it your all, yeah?" He pat me on the shoulder as he smiled encouragingly, and on that note, he spun on his heel, and walked away. "Some introduction THAT was. Didn't even say it was a pleasure, right, Lele?" Gloria asked, but to be honest, I was in a state of absolute panic. "He didn't just tell me, but told whichever Gym he could!" Raihan had said, and now the pressure to prevail was REAL! "Lele, you look like you've had a run in with a wild Gengar. Are you ill?" She asked, digging into her backpack for a handkerchief. She dabbed my face and forehead as I mumbled, "Kabu... how could he do that to me...?" "Oh, it's not as bad as you're making it out to be. Besides, I'm sure he's only trying to intimidate you!" Gloria reassured, but I shook my head as I cried, "Easy for YOU to say, you don't have the eyes of FIVE other people trained on YOU! Not to mention, I'm only a beginner trainer, and now I'm being expected to put up a front for GYM LEADERS no less. Stars above, is there NO privacy here?! Great, now we need to find seclusion before I transform right here in the middle of Hammerlocke in front of EVERYONE." "Keep yourself together! Don't let that fool get under your skin, because that's what Gym Leaders WANT. They WANT to intimidate you; to put you off your game! Don't let them thwart your progress to victory." Gloria ordered, but it was no use. I trembled at the thought of them in the stadium, silently judging, not knowing whether or not they're impressed, shocked, or displeased. Kahunas were the same way when they observed a potential trainer, or a next generation Kahuna, and I've always wondered how it didn't drive them up the wall. Gloria dragged me along beside her as we caught up with Nessa, and it wasn't long before we met up with Milo and the others. "Gee, what's got into her?" Victor asked Gloria under his breath, and Gloria waved him off as she said, "She'll be fine." All I could do in return was hope, and PRAY that Gloria was right.