The Journey of A Champion: A Pokemon Fanfic

Chapter 18: Runaways

Riley couldn’t sleep a wink. She was even more exhausted than she had been the day before and got out of bed with drooping eyelids and foggy vision. The trainer blinked to clear it and yawned. Eevee stirred and slowly awoke as did her other three Pokemon. Riley shook off sleep and grabbed her Pokeballs. “ Mienfoo, Dewott, Manetric, return!” The Pokemon vanished in a sudden flash of red light and Riley turned to Eevee. “ Do you wanna walk around Driftveil with me today?” The Evolution Pokemon purred happily. Riley threw on her clothes, made the bed, and walked out the door of her room with Eevee trotting by her side.

Like usual, Tomas, Sophie, and Riley met in the Pokemon Center lobby. “ You don’t look like you slept to well.” Tomas pointed to Riley as she entered the main room. 

The brown haired trainer rubbed her eyes and frowned. “ I slept fine,” she replied stubbornly and sat down on the couch next to him.

Sophie skipped happily into the room. “ Morning!” She sang and plopped down on the sofa. “ You challenging the gym today?” She asked Riley. Eevee nodded from the trainer’s lap. The breeder jumped up. “ Then what are we waiting for?” Sophie shouted excitedly.

“ Breakfast.” Tomas answered blandly.

After eating, the three headed to northeast side of Driftveil City. They stopped in front of the brown walled gym. The morning sun reflected off the many windows and big glass dome on top of the building, blinding Sophie, Tomas, and Riley. “ It’s looks different than I imagined it.” Tomas muttered. Riley walked up to the red doors and yanked on them, but they stayed shut. A sign hung on the door. The brown haired trainer ripped it off and read it quickly.

“ Clay’s out right now.” The three whirled around to see a filthy miner walking towards them. “ So the gym’s closed to all challengers. I’m not sure when he’ll be back, he never said, but it’ll probably be soon.” The worker turned on his headlamp, unlocked the door, and walked into the gym. Riley rushed to get in but the man had already relocked them. “ Sorry,” he said. “ Maybe tomorrow.”

“ Come on!” Riley groaned.

“ Well...” Sophie started. “ I guess now’s the perfect time to explore the city!” She cried brightly and grabbed Riley’s hand. “ Let’s go!” The breeder pulled her friend down the road laughing and Tomas smiled. 

The purple haired girl dragged Riley through the city at lightning speed. “ I know just where to go.” She stopped in front of an long, high-ceilinged, metal building and waited for Tomas to catch up. “ I saw this yesterday when we were coming in. It’s the Driftveil City Market!” She spread out her arms, beaconed enthusiastically towards the building, and ran inside. 

“ Gems and wood carvings for sale!” “ Specialty herbs to heal and reinvigorate your Pokemon!” Vendors called to potential customers wandering through the building. Sweet incense filled the air and bottles of milk sat on seller’s tables. “Lum Berry and Pecha Berry pies!” The walkway was crowded with people conversing, eating, and looking at items. Well, we found the hub of Driftveil City. “ They say that house near the gym is haunted.” A pair of teenagers whispered to each other in the corner nervously. I guess all towns have their urban legends. She smiled, thinking nothing of it.Sophie bought a Razz Berry pastry and handed Riley and Tomas a small piece.

Tomas plopped it in his mouth and his eyes grew wide. “ My gosh...”

The breeder giggled. “ Delicious, right?” She turned around and started walking to the back of the market. 

Stalls with colorful blankets atop them used to shade the sun stood in a vibrant cluster behind the market building. Even more vendors were out there. A group of musicians played a lively tune and Sophie threw a handful of coins to them. She walked past a booth with flowers and the lady watching it handed her one. The breeder placed the daisy in her hair and thanked the seller.