Teach Me How To Feel 黒竜

Chapter 4

Oki lifted his head skyward, releasing a Water Gun into the air like a spout from a small fountain, causing Jisuru to chirp delightedly from his perch on Touko's shoulder. The water splashed Cheren, who had been walking just a bit too closely beside the Water Pokémon, and he groaned in frustration as he removed his glasses and proceeded to wipe them dry.

"We get it already! Your Pokémon learned to spit water. Great! Very impressive! Now make him stop!"

Touko chuckled mischievously. "Fine, fine. Oki?"

Oki stopped the waterworks, but cast a knowing glance towards a rather disgruntled Cheren. Perhaps it hadn't been as much of an accident as it seemed...

"There it is!" Bianca suddenly exclaimed, pointing ahead. "Accumula Town!"

Exchanging a look, Cheren and Touko followed the direction of Bianca's hand to see the rise of grey buildings from the formerly rural setting. While the town was noticeably more urban than the modest rural hamlet of Nuvema, there weren't that many buildings, and none that were so big as to tower intimidatingly over the three new trainers. The main square was brought to life by the bustle of the everyday life of the inhabitants: a mother rushed to and fro, gathering groceries and trying to simultaneously keep her two young children in check; two men sat on a side bench, sipping coffee and exchanging stories; there was even a musician outside of a small cafe, playing lighthearted tunes to those who passed by. Overall, the location gave off a very pleasant vibe, and was certainly a great atmosphere for a first destination.

They soon located the Pokémon Centre, which to be frank wasn't a particularly difficult task, as the distinctive red roof stood out amidst the monotone grey of the other buildings. The group of trainers were eager to restore their Pokémon and to meet up with the professor once again, but the increasing unrest of a nearby crowd drew their attention. A sizeable crowd had gathered around the main square, and they seemed to be observing the strangely dressed men and women, wearing medieval style armour, who were setting up flags in the centre of the park plaza.

"What's going on?" Bianca asked, turning to her friends and tilting her head quizzically, as though she though she'd missed something.

Cheren shrugged. "Some kind of public demonstration? I thought campaigns for the Elite Four would be over by now."

"Looks kinda dodgey to me," Touko stated, scrutinising the scene in front of her. "Maybe we should go and check it out."

Bianca looked troubled. "But...the professor..."

Cheren stared, still and silent. Then he appeared to make a conscious decision. "You go on ahead and meet up with Professor Juniper. Touko and I will go and see what's happening."

Seeing Bianca's reluctance, Touko put her hand on the blonde's shoulder and gave her a reassuring closed eye smile. "It won't take long. We're just curious, it's fine."

Hesitantly, Bianca made her way towards the Pokémon centre, looking back briefly at her two friends before ducking through the automatics doors of the building. Cheren nodded at Touko, and the duo moved in the direction of the ruckus. The people in the crowd muttered to themselves, confusion and anxiety rife. Cheren found a spot that was relatively out of the way so that they could see, and Touko gazed at the park plaza and the tall, green haired man who stood there. His left eye was obscured by a peculiar looking eyepiece, and he wore a collared, purple robe that reached his ankles. From her position in the crowd, Touko could just make out the presence of a lightning blue 'P' on the side of the robe. Somehow, his features seemed familiar...

Who...who is this guy? She was getting a bad feeling about this whole affair, not least because of the hostile glares that the armour-clad 'knights' were now giving the crowd.