That's it folks! TOM RELICT IS THE WINNER OF THIS MATCH!
As Kusari sprang back after her Bite, the gaseous Haunter fell down to the earth without a sound. It was over. Rupert had lost. And yet it didn't feel that way. Rupert had never considered himself much of a trainer, although his peers back in Lavender Town insisted that he was a natural. He just never had much of an interest in it. When challenged to a battle he would hesitantly oblige and usually win. But even then battles had always been something to just get over with, almost a necessary evil of having combat-ready pokemon. But this? This was the first battle where Rupert felt that he had actually achieved something.
I wasn't being fair. I always relied on Cubone and Haunter to finish things almost on their own. I was little more than a passive bystander. But that wasn't fair. Against trainers like these, trainers like Tom, I can't do that. I need to be more active. I need to support my team as they have supported me.
Rupert returned the unconscious Haunter to his pokeball. "Don't worry. We'll get even better, the two of us."
The mad cheering of the crowd brought Rupert back from his own little world, and he hunched over with the though of all the people watching him. Rupert looked over to the beaming Tom who was congratulating his pokemon and felt the need to cross the arena. He had to speak to him, he had to congratulate him, and most of all he really needed to thank him.
After trying and failing to take a few steps towards Tom, Rupert abandoned this plan. He just couldn't do it in front of all these people. Instead he turned and without a word hurriedly made his way to the tunnel. Halfway there he had to turn around again because he had forgotten his discarded coat in the blue corner. The embarrassment that burned in his cheeks gave him the appearance of a bizarre half human half tomato hybrid.
Once there though Rupert stopped dead in his tracks. Tom had come over with an outstretched hand.
"Hey Rupert! That was an amazing match! You're really strong! Keep training and we'll have a rematch in the future, ok? Uh... Sorry about your pokemon... I'll go with you to get them healed up alright?"
"I-I... Thank y... B-but I really wanted to t-thank... And that's r-really not um necess... Oh! And I'm sorry t-too. A-about your..."
Rupert was completely tongue-tied. He though that he would have a bit of time to formulate his thoughts before speaking to Tom. Stopping for a moment to take a deep breath Rupert blurted out:
"Yesthankyouthatwouldbeniceshouldwego?"
With that the two trainers walked of, coat retrieved to the tune of a few faint laughs from the audience.
Smooth, Rupert. Real smooth. And you were doing so well.
Rupert actually couldn't help but feel a bit proud. Not because of the battle per se, he had done his best but he knew that his best was nothing amazing, but rather because of his behavior in battle. He had managed to speak clearly for the most part, and even engaged Tom in some in-battle banter. It was almost like he had become another person out there. Rupert thought that he might like that person.
As Kusari sprang back after her Bite, the gaseous Haunter fell down to the earth without a sound. It was over. Rupert had lost. And yet it didn't feel that way. Rupert had never considered himself much of a trainer, although his peers back in Lavender Town insisted that he was a natural. He just never had much of an interest in it. When challenged to a battle he would hesitantly oblige and usually win. But even then battles had always been something to just get over with, almost a necessary evil of having combat-ready pokemon. But this? This was the first battle where Rupert felt that he had actually achieved something.
I wasn't being fair. I always relied on Cubone and Haunter to finish things almost on their own. I was little more than a passive bystander. But that wasn't fair. Against trainers like these, trainers like Tom, I can't do that. I need to be more active. I need to support my team as they have supported me.
Rupert returned the unconscious Haunter to his pokeball. "Don't worry. We'll get even better, the two of us."
The mad cheering of the crowd brought Rupert back from his own little world, and he hunched over with the though of all the people watching him. Rupert looked over to the beaming Tom who was congratulating his pokemon and felt the need to cross the arena. He had to speak to him, he had to congratulate him, and most of all he really needed to thank him.
After trying and failing to take a few steps towards Tom, Rupert abandoned this plan. He just couldn't do it in front of all these people. Instead he turned and without a word hurriedly made his way to the tunnel. Halfway there he had to turn around again because he had forgotten his discarded coat in the blue corner. The embarrassment that burned in his cheeks gave him the appearance of a bizarre half human half tomato hybrid.
Once there though Rupert stopped dead in his tracks. Tom had come over with an outstretched hand.
"Hey Rupert! That was an amazing match! You're really strong! Keep training and we'll have a rematch in the future, ok? Uh... Sorry about your pokemon... I'll go with you to get them healed up alright?"
"I-I... Thank y... B-but I really wanted to t-thank... And that's r-really not um necess... Oh! And I'm sorry t-too. A-about your..."
Rupert was completely tongue-tied. He though that he would have a bit of time to formulate his thoughts before speaking to Tom. Stopping for a moment to take a deep breath Rupert blurted out:
"Yesthankyouthatwouldbeniceshouldwego?"
With that the two trainers walked of, coat retrieved to the tune of a few faint laughs from the audience.
Smooth, Rupert. Real smooth. And you were doing so well.
Rupert actually couldn't help but feel a bit proud. Not because of the battle per se, he had done his best but he knew that his best was nothing amazing, but rather because of his behavior in battle. He had managed to speak clearly for the most part, and even engaged Tom in some in-battle banter. It was almost like he had become another person out there. Rupert thought that he might like that person.
