A shopping trip [ALYSSA]

For the first time in a long time, Alyssa could say she was genuinely excited to be seeing an old friend. She hadn’t felt the anticipation bubbling in her veins as it was now for a long time. Her lips were pulled in a smile that even flashed her teeth as she exited the small inn in Slateport to meet Wattson. They would be shopping in the open-air market, and honestly Alyssa couldn’t have asked for anything better. There was nothing like getting back into a training program with ones pokémon without some Protein, Iron, Carbs, Calcium, and Zinc. They were expensive, yes, but they were well worth the price. The performance of her pokémon in the war was vital as ever. Without the nutrient drinks they reached less than their potential.

The vendors had all gathered for the weekend sale in the outdoor market square. It was just like old times. The Leader couldn’t help but let a nostalgic wave of déjà vu come over her. Pushing her hair onto her back over her shoulders, she strode towards the old Gym Leader that she’d spotted a few yards away from the market ‘entrance’. ”Wattson!” she called, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice, and she even jogged a little – her beloved Espeon following on her heels – to greet him. Sliding to an abrupt stop just before him, she spoke again ”Arceus, it’s been too long.”

The bark from his Manectric made the words from the old Gym Leader sink in quicker than they would have on their own. Of course. She should have guessed from his stare what had caught his attention and kept it so easily. She decided it would be a bit fun to play dumb with the old Gym Leader. ”I don’t think I know what you mean. It’s only been....seventeen years.” She tried to keep a straight face while she spoke, but her lips twitched despite her attempts.

The Espeon at her heels extended her neck some to sniff at the Manectric. It had been a long time since Daybreak had seen the pokemon, and like most he was one Manectric of many encountered. However, his individual scent was different and memorable. It was at this pokemon’s defeat that Alyssa had managed to win a Gym Badge that was longer-fought than any other. She stepped forward and gently brushed her long fluffy whiskers on the side of the electric dog-like pokemon’s face, her two-tipped tail waving happily.

”Oh, really?” she asked, smiling some. ”I’m glad to hear it. I’m sure you make a great grandfather.” she told him, the smile softening. It was good to know that the family of an old friend like Wattson had not yet been torn apart by the war as the families of so many people she knew had been. ”If they get into pokémon training and battling at all I’m sure you’ll be an ideal person to train them…being a Gym Leader and all.” A thought came into her mind and she entertained it briefly before speaking, ”And you know, when they finally beat you you’re going to have to give them a Dynamo Badge…it would probably be a present like no other.”

The Leader glanced down at their pokémon, and her Espeon had sat down beside the Manectric and was swishing her tail back and forth happily, nuzzling the other pokémon. It had been a long while since Alyssa had flet an area was safe enough to let her out of her pokeball.

Alyssa pulled her blue eyes up to look at Wattson again, ”I know that if you challenge them anything like you challenged me all those years ago it will be one hell of a fight, eh?”

Too late did she realize what sort of joke Wattson could make from her word choice there.