Pokemon Special: Protector's Code

Chapter Seven

The following morning started late. Contrary to Amber’s serious exterior, she actually possessed numerous qualities that suggested that she was far more careless than one would suspect. In fact, the day would have most likely have started even later if it had not been for Peach’s interference with Amber’s sleep. He spent the first half of his morning padding aimlessly around the room, lightly and carefully prodding the Misdreavus who hovered in his sleep and peeping into the pokéballs of Amber’s snoozing team. By 10 o’clock, neither trainer nor fellow Pokémon showed any signs of stirring and at this point, the freshest member of the team had lost all patience and he pounced upon Amber.

“Wha…oh it’s Peach,” murmured Amber feebly, half opening one eye to glimpse at her assailant. “What time is it?”

The Pichu glanced around the room before seizing the alarm clock on the bedside table and tapping it with a cry.

“Ten?” said Amber, squinting at the dull glow of the numbers. “Maybe it’s time to get up…”

Peach mewed eagerly, jumping onto Amber and shaking her, but she was already beginning to doze back into sleep. The movement caused Mister to abruptly rouse, who had been hovering at low altitude just above the blankets. He shook himself awake before taking in a quick assessment of the room and drifting next to Peach, piping a cheerful greeting. Peach returned the greeting with sparks discharging from his cheeks before pointing a paw and Amber. Mister only shook his head in exasperation before closing his eyes. When he opened his eyes once more, they glowed in pink and purple and a similar shade wrapped around the blankets that Amber had cocooned herself in. At once, the blankets suddenly flew across the room, leaving Amber with no coverage.

“Ahh!” she screamed, pulling up clumsily and staring groggily around at Mister and Peach. Her chestnut-coloured hair was disheveled and fell in slight waves to her shoulder and face. Her shirt was still unbuttoned, leaving her chest and stomach completely exposed though during the night, it had fallen off her shoulders and the sleeves crumpled at her wrists.

“Alright, I’m up,” she grumbled before yawning widely and stumbling out of bed. Mister grinned at Peach who was staring up at his trainer with wide eyes of disbelief. He could hardly believe that cool and levelheaded girl who had saved him yesterday was now in such a state. In some ways, he had half believed that she woke up with the same perfect disposition that she seemed to eternally possess. Yet here she was, stumbling across the room with dazed and half-asleep eyes that made him wonder how exactly it was that she came to be the girl who possessed that overwhelming aura.

Mister let out a quiet yet high-pitched giggle and bumbled lightly into Peach. Just wait and see, he seemed to be saying and Peach looked at him with perplexity before seating himself comfortably on the pillow as Amber finally found her way into the bathroom. She slammed the door behind her, still grumbling at the time, but the sound of the shower bursting into action soon took over. It took hardly half an hour as the sound of the shower changed into the sound of running water from the sink to the blowing of the hair dryer and then finally a moment of complete silence. Finally, there was a single giant yawn before the bathroom door slammed open once more and when Amber stepped out, Peach was once more shocked into disbelief.

She seemed like a completely different person, her hair completely straight and carefully parted, her clothes free of any wrinkles and properly buttoned and her piercing amber eyes sparkling with the same strength they had possessed when they had first met. Mister smirked at Peach before wafting over to his trainer, carrying her tie in his mouth.

Smiling gratefully, Amber took the tie and flung it around her neck, having it in a knot in a flash. She sat down carefully next to Peach, grinning down at him as she reached to stroke his head.