Bout 013 (Video): Time to get this train back on track.

[usedgalacticpunt]

It had been a couple weeks since Yukiko left, for the however-many-th time. This time Naoto and Yumi were gone too, which just added to the pile of suck. But of course Yukiko was the one that hurt the most. Why wasn't Chie allowed to stay with her best friend for more than a few weeks? Even if she did show up again, she probably wouldn't remember anything from before, and then she'd probably just vanish again... Johto was unfair, it was random, it was cruel.

So all in all, Chie was not in good shape.

She'd been keeping to herself lately. Ignoring the Pokégear feeds, doing very little training, and just hanging out in her bedroom most of the time. She could tell that her Pokémon were starting to worry, but she couldn't bring herself to really care. In the back of her mind, she thought maybe if she stopped playing along, Johto would finally give up and send her home too. But mostly she just wasn't thinking much at all.

And then on the 30th, in the early morning, her Hitmonlee came to her with a calendar. "Bruce?" she mumbled, sitting up in bed. "What's up?"

Bruce pointed to the date on the calendar, which he'd helpfully circled in red ink. Chie squinted at it. "November 30? What about it? This isn't a holiday or anything, right? Why the heck --"

It came to her mid-sentence. She tossed her bedspread aside and leapt for her Pokégear, scrolling down the list of the posts she'd made. All the way down to the first one, from way back when she'd arrived: November 30, 2010.

A year. She'd been in Johto for a whole year. Seriously? It was hard to fathom. A whole year of traveling and meeting people and training with her team. And what did she have to show for it, really? She hadn't even gotten more than halfway through the badge hunt.

Bruce stared at Chie, brow furrowed with worry. And Chie stared back. ...What was the matter with her? She was only thinking about herself here, wasn't she? Hadn't she promised to train Bruce, if he could find a good way to use his strength? Hadn't she promised she'd fight at his side, all the way to the top? And all her other partners, too, had their reasons for wanting to grow. She couldn't just give up and let them down.

Chie stood up, filled with resolve again. So Yukiko was gone. There wasn't anything she could do about that. But like Rise had said last time, she could make sure she had plenty of great stories to tell when she finally did make it back home.

She reached out to pat Bruce on the head, grinning at him. "Sorry to worry you, buddy. Let's get moving, huh? I've been slacking off lately, so we've got a lot of ground to make up. You ready?"

"Hitmonlee!" Bruce replied excitedly, following loyally as Chie started her preparations for the first day of the rest of her Johto life.

------

[Chie's dressed up and geared up on the Pokégear feed, jacket zipped up and bag over her shoulder. She looks like she's ready to hit the road. Oddly enough, she's also wearing a small pair of yellow glasses.]

Okay, I'm done. Officially done. I've been sitting around feeling sorry for myself for way too long. I think what I need is to get out of Goldenrod and do something with myself, before I go crazy.

So. Anyone with me?

Comments

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[skillspanner]

[It can't be helped -- Yosuke is looking seriously wary right now. He folds his arms, eyes averting as he lets out a quiet sigh.]

So you're really ready to head out of here, huh.

action;

[herolegs]

[She knows this's probably uncomfortably close to how things went with Souji. But this is something she has to do. If she keeps putting it off, when is she ever going to stop?]

Yeah... I gotta get myself out of this rut. It's seriously been half a year since I did any work on those badges...

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[skillspanner]

[He gives his head a reluctant nod. He knows it is, but he also learned his lesson from last time - not to mention it's a plethora of different feelings that stir up in him than with Souji.]

Just -- you better not disappear when you're gone. I mean, from Johto - oh, you know what I mean! [Yes, he's exasperating himself now. He rubs his eyes a little, giving her a stern look.]

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[skillspanner]

[But then smiles a little and winks.]

If you do, then you'll owe me 10 lunches at Aiya when we're both back in Inaba, hehehe.

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[ofmywill.livejournal.com]

[ It's scary how much that mirrored his own train of thought. Minato had been halfway through stuffing a bag as well, head still full of teenage-boy stupidity fueled in no small part by sadness, and the feed flicks on to a spinning world.

Of course he has to twirl the 'gear before bringing it to his face. Of course. ]

Good idea.

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[herolegs]

[Chie can certainly appreciate a good dramatic gesture.]

I thought so! I've been cooped up in Goldenrod for too long. There's sights to see, and badges to earn!

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[ofmywill.livejournal.com]

Mm. A whole world.

[ God. Now he thinks of it, why had he cooped himself up in Goldenrod so long?

...oh right. Laziness. ]

Need a travelling partner?

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[usedrawr.livejournal.com]

[ squeak. squeak. squeak. that's the sound of familiar footsteps as teddie walks into the room, looking a little sad but also. you know, normal. ]

You're leaving, Chie-chan? [ carefully. ]

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[herolegs]

[Aww, Teddie. Chie gives him a brief smile, walking over to stand with him.]

Yeah, I think it's the best thing for me to do. I need to get myself moving again. I've been standing still for too long.

[nankurunaizer.livejournal.com]

That sounds great! Don't let the cold weather slow ya down!

[herolegs]

I won't! I'm pretty good at handling the cold, and worse comes to worst I can always have Rinty melt a path for me.

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[superrising.livejournal.com]

You're planning on heading out when it's already winter? [Blink.] Gonna be tough traveling in this weather.

[Not that he should say much, given he's planning on heading back to Goldenrod before Christmas.]

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[herolegs]

Yeah, but if I wait until the spring I'll just go crazy with frustration. The cold doesn't bother me much, and I've got a Fire-type who's super strong.

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[stolemyfries.livejournal.com]

You could always hit up that train running back and forth between regions now? That's some serious getting out or something.

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[herolegs]

Oh yeah, that train... I wanna finish getting the badges here in Johto before I go that far, but that's a good idea!

Video ☆

[balancetipping.livejournal.com]

[ Hitomi feels a bit of pity and sympathy for this stranger; just from what she's heard, Hitomi can gather that Chie's been sad. And she can't keep herself from wanting to encourage her resolve. ]

Such an admirable spirit. We have not spoken before, but I will be wishing you the very best of luck, Miss.

Video ☆

[herolegs]

[Oh gosh, you're going to make her blush. Chie chuckles and smiles at the stranger on her gear.]

Ehehe, thanks! Me and my team are all gonna do our best. And it's never too late to say hi, right? My name's Chie!

[video]

[restardom.livejournal.com]

You really should go with Kanji.

[video]

[herolegs]

Kanji-kun? Man, if I'm still feeling down, he must be a wreck... You think he'll want to go too?

[action]

[craftingrebel]

[he sloooowly approaches you with a couple of bags slung over his shoulder.] If you don't mind, I'd like to join you. [he pauses as he looks down and sheepishly rubs the back of his neck.] was gonna ask you, but I didn't know when the right time was.

[action]

[herolegs]

[Until Rise mentioned him, Chie hadn't really given much thought to how Kanji must be feeling. More of that selfishness that she needs to shed. Chie loves Yukiko, sure, but Kanji loves Naoto. There's an undeniable difference there.

Her response is immediate. If there's anything she can do to help him out, she's gonna do it.] Of course you can come, Kanji-kun! I can't think of anybody I'd rather have along.

[Video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[OH HEY CHIE... for all sakes and purposes, Heather REALLY should have called Chie sooner. WAY sooner, in fact-- but things had been a little crazy, and, well, she'd also sort of been trying to... avoid thinking about it.]

[But almost a whole month had passed since it had happened, and it was finally time to accept the facts.]

[She now had a mutant toddler following her everywhere.]

[AND SO, Heather appears on the screen, coughing slightly.]</sub>

Sounds like a plan!

... So, uh.

_{[Way to use this post as a springboard to launch into an uncomfortable topic, Heather.]}

That egg you sent me...

[Video]

[herolegs]

Hey, Heather! [Chie waves cheerfully, not catching Heather's discomfort at first. It takes her a moment to remember the egg in question; it's been so long since that egg-fest, after all.]

Oh, yeah! The Tyrogue egg, right? Man, I almost forgot all about it. Did it hatch okay?

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[flawlesspoison.livejournal.com]

You know, that sounds like a really familiar feeling. [Says the person who just left Goldenrod for similiar reasons.

Yeah, uh. What else to say to that.] Good luck?

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[herolegs]

Yeah, it's easy to get caught up with stuff here, isn't it?

Thanks! I know my team can handle anything Johto throws at us.