New Year's Date for 'Josh' ((mynameisnotbrad))

[chiron_survivor]

Mid-afternoon on New Year's Day, and Crossroads Café is more or less empty.

The early birds and people nursing hangovers from the previous night's festivities have already cleared out, and the dinner rush has not yet begun. Adia has claimed a table in the corner -- by herself -- although Ice Bear had stopped by to bring her a chai latte and a blueberry muffin while she waits for Josh to join her.

Caspar had made noises about coming, but Adia insisted that he stay home this time. She had a lot of catching up to do with her friend, and Caspar would make it awkward. Her one concession is to keep her PINpoint out, and so when Josh arrives, he'll find her eyes on its smartphone screen instead of the door, texting quietly and smiling at whatever she reads in return.

Comments

[mynameisnotbrad]

"Really now?" He gives her a curious look, hiding his excitement and glee over remembering that day. So much blood and violence; a true serial killer's play-land, even after getting to meet Khan personally. "Sounds like the guy was on a mission..."

His grip tightens around his tea cup, taking smalls sips of it while Adia speaks up, showing false concern when needed. "What happened to the boy? Have you seen him since that day?" The other two Pokemon cause him to frown, then without warning, he lets go of the teacup and reaches into his pocket for his cell-phone. It's hard for him to hide what he's typing, which is the names of the pokemon, into his phone browser. Once the cheerful pink egg and floating flower ring pop onto his screen, he looks back up at Adia.

"Sorry. I was curious to see what your friends looked like." He quickly puts his phone away once more.

[chiron_survivor]

"He was. He didn't stop until nearly the most super-powered people in the Nexus put a stop to him." She shakes her head. "All that to get revenge on one person. I don't think I'll ever understand that level of hate."

She shakes her head when he asks about the boy. "No," she says sadly. "As soon as he was feeling better, he left the Nexus." She wishes she would see him again, to know how he's doing. She has a lot of questions for him, too. Namely, how could he be friends with a pair of pokémon trophy hunters? He's probably ashamed and afraid for his own life. It's too bad, he was the only witness to her stalker.

Rather than be offended by Josh pulling out his phone, she's grateful for the change of subject. "Oh, don't apologize," she says reassuringly. "They're cute, aren't they?" She takes another sip of tea and smiles. "Would you like to go to the poké mart when we're done here? We can see if my friends are around, and maybe meet the professor you mentioned?"

[mynameisnotbrad]

"The obsession people share with one another is truly a force to be recognized with. Good things can be evil in disguise, just as well, bad people might be trying for something good. Who knows?" He merely shrugs his shoulders.

"He should be fine." There's a smile creeping up onto Josh's face, which doesn't linger for very long. Winners sometime get away from him, but he's not about to reveal that the boy may not have survived a second time. Can't have witnesses, after all, especially ones with guilty consciences.

"Of course. I think it would be a fun trip, and better than sitting around all day." He's done enough of that today and the activity might help him show Adia how fortunate trainers are now that their poacher friends have been taken care of. "It'll be great."

[chiron_survivor]

His philosophical statement only gets a thoughtful, somewhat distracted nod from Adia as she finishes her muffin. It's not that she doesn't agree -- she's seen selfless, noble acts come from the worst sorts, and cowardly selfishness from otherwise kind people. And often it does boil down to how someone feels about someone else. But... she can't help but feel like there is a line, and that Khan crossed it.

She sighs and mentally shakes off the heavy thoughts. With any luck, the Nexus won't have to deal with someone like that again. Misinterpreting Josh's brief smile for hopefulness, she nods again. "I'm sure. We did a good job of healing him."

'We.' She means the healing pokémon, right? Or maybe someone else. She didn't go to the murdered couple's home alone, after all.

Any lingering worry is replaced with a bright smile when Josh agrees to her idea. "Great! I'm almost done here, so whenever you're ready." She reaches out and pats Josh's hand fondly. "I can't think of a better way to spend the afternoon than at the Poké Mart with a friend."

[mynameisnotbrad]

Josh is no stranger to this feeling, given his actions are driven by emotions towards other people, and his murder streak months ago was to try and drive home a point to Adia. Maybe hearing about how she's forgiven Caspar gives him hope that she'd forgive him for his past actions.

This isn't the time to be thinking about that, however, as he takes small bites of his mini-desserts. "I'm glad you and the pokemon were able to help out." Her eagerness to move on is contagious, as Josh smiles upon feeling her touch.

"Of course. If you haven't already taken care of it, let me pay for your meal and we'll go." He's mostly finished up with his tea and sweets, and is more than willing to abandon them in order to spend time doing things Adia likes.

[chiron_survivor]

Oblivious to his deeper thoughts, she enjoys the rest of her tea while he finishes up his fancy dessert. "Me, too. Pokémon can be so selfless at times." She laughs a little and adds, "I'm surprised that Bucky hasn't found me yet. He must be busy with Steve today."

His offer to pay is met with surprise, and she seems ready to politely defer his offer, but she remembers how he lamented about not getting her anything for the holidays, so she decides to let him pick up the tab. "That's very kind of you, Josh. Thank you. I'm just about done, so whenever you're ready."

[mynameisnotbrad]

"From what I've seen, they seem loyal to whoever they trust. Maybe that's why Bucky is so protective? It's based on his typing or his personality." He's reaching into his pocket for his wallet while speaking with her, making sure to flag down Ice Bear or someone who can drop off the bill.

"Of course." Getting the bill paid and settled hopefully gives her enough time. Maybe he's getting eager to move about as well, putting his jacket back on and offering Adia his hand. Whether she takes it or not, he's already heading to the door, opening it for her.

[chiron_survivor]

"I have read that the braviary is known as 'the solider of the sky' because of how dedicated it is to protecting its friends, but Bucky has been this way ever since he was a rufflet. It takes a lot to earn his trust, but once you do, he's a friend for life."

She waves goodbye to Ice Bear once the bill is settled and slips into her coat, winding her winter scarf around her neck. When Josh offers his hand, she takes it without thinking. Platonic hand-holding has become second nature to her in the Nexus. She steps through the door and gives Josh a smile, letting him lead the way to the poké mart.

[mynameisnotbrad]

"Soldier of the sky, huh? Well, I guess that would make sense, given his nature. To be honest, when I saw Bucky’s colors, he reminded me of the American flag, which is a symbol of justice and pride."

He makes sure that Ice Bear has received the sufficient amount of payment, before heading to the door, back out into the not-overly cold Nexus. Ice Bear also waves goodbye to Adia, but doesn't seem to pay too much attention to her company. It still feels strange seeing some people dressed for winter, while others are walking around in shorts.

Like the cafe, few people are roaming about, making the walk to the Poke'mart easy and fun. However, it seems like a large building is being constructed not too far away from the mart. Josh has to stop and stare at the construction, mainly because a group of Machop and Machoke are running about, carrying stacks of bricks and supplies.

"Huh. Looks like the old Poke'mart is getting an upgrade. Maybe there's been more Pokemon or trainers appearing as of late?" He shrugs his shoulders. "Well, no sense in waiting outside..." He opens the door of the Poke'mart to allow Adia to enter first.

[chiron_survivor]

She listens, her jaw dropping a little, then bursts into laughter. "Like Captain America!" she says, pleased to learn this amusing coincidence. "Oh, I can't wait to share that with Steve."

The machops and machokes catch her attention first, as they remind her of the elusive machamp she had been talking about earlier. But soon enough, her eyes are drawn to the structure itself. "Wow, it's huge!" She looks at Josh and gives him a thoughtful nod. "Yeah, must be. I wonder why."

But there's time to speculate within the mart itself. She gives her friend a smile for holding the door, then steps inside. "Hi, Adia," says an older gentleman with a thick mustache and a head as shiny as a cue ball. He's busy stocking shelves near the entrance. "Here to pick up more of Ethel's head polish?"

"Not this time, Louis. I'm just looking around." She smiles at the employee before turning to Josh. "He's given me some great advice on steel pokémon."

[mynameisnotbrad]

"Yeah, that's a pretty good comparison." is she talking about the real Captain America when she mentions Steve's name? Doesn't matter to Josh in the long run, as he closes the shop door behind them.

It's disarming to be immediately approached by the store employee, and Josh is half-tempted to tell the old man to go away, but bites his tongue. "Steel Pokemon? I really need to get up to date on the different types." He's already glancing around at the different items on the shelf, almost nervous to ask about what toys would be good for a cat pokemon.

"So..where should we go first? Anything you want to look at in particular?" His eyes dart from her to a trainer walking out the door with his partner, a happy-looking Trubbish. What. Was that really a trash bag pokemon? This visit might take some getting used to...

[chiron_survivor]

Pokémon retailers are an overall gregarious group. It took Adia a bit of time to overcome her shyness, but now she seems quite comfortable as she walks down the aisle, smiling at the occasional familiar face. "There are eighteen types," she tells him. "I started by learning the types that Steve's pokémon are, and then branched out from there. It's an unusual ontology, but considering how different they all look, it might be the only consistent way to classify them."

She turns to answer Josh's question, then follows his gaze to the trubbish. "I know, it looks like a trash bag," she murmurs. "I should show you a picture of a klefki sometime." But, anyway, back to the matter at hand. "I wouldn't mind looking in the enrichment aisle. They always have fun stuff there. What would you like to see?"

[mynameisnotbrad]

"Eighteen? I only really remember fifteen of those. Steel, dark and fairy are the ones that don't seem familiar to me." He shakes his head lightly. "Maybe I should pick up a book or two while I'm here." At least he's open to the idea and concept on learning about Pokemon, instead of being close-minded at all the different types. He could see how some people might be scared off by psychic or dark types or favor cute water and fairy types.

"I wonder what it looks like..." His interest is piqued, equally so at the realization that a trash bag walked by. "Me? I'm okay with checking out a little bit of everything. But speaking of types, do you have a favorite, Adia?" He's allowing her to lead the way, completely uncertain on where he wants to specifically go.

[chiron_survivor]

"The library has some good books, too," she tells him. "In the reference section." It's where she did most of her learning. "You'll be starting with more knowledge than I did, at least. The only reason I started looking into different types is because I was worried Sarah would start a fire."

If it's books he's interested in, she'll take him down the aisle that has reading material. There are magazines with glossy covers about the latest training tips and gym circuits, as well as books about different types and even caring for specific pokémon. "That's a klefki," she says, pointing to an image of an adorable.. keychain? Seriously?

"A favorite type?" She has to think about this for a moment or two, with eighteen types to choose from. "I suppose I'm partial to fairy, because they often have healing powers. But I have yet to meet a pokémon that I didn't like. Each one is cute in its own way. What about you, do you have a favorite type?"

[mynameisnotbrad]

"I guess I'll have to stop by there when my schedule isn't so hectic. Although, I have to ask, what kind of Pokemon is Sarah? My guess is a Charmarder." Because he can imagine a lizard with a flaming tail could cause some concern.

Josh's eyebrows raise upon seeing the keychain Pokemon, completely dumbfounded at the fact that a floating keyring is an actual pocket monster. "I've got nothing. It seems like Pokemon can be just about anything."

He has to think about her question carefully, shoving both hands into his pockets. "I'm not sure. Maybe grass types? They seem to be friendly with nature and kind of fit my personality. I was always told I liked the girly stuff, so maybe a bit of fairy typing as well?" He shrugs his shoulders. "So, if you like every type, does that also include some of the scarier ones, like dark and ghost?"

[chiron_survivor]

"She's a growlithe," she replies. "Although I've seen charmanders before. They are very cute."

Josh's reaction makes her giggle. "Sorry," she says. "I think I was making your expression the first time I saw one of them, too. They're sweet, although I've heard they'll steal keys when you aren't looking."

She gives him the same patience that he gave her when answering the question. "Hmm," she says. "I would have thought you'd prefer the psychic type, because of your trivia show. But I don't think there's anything girly about liking fairy type. They're as tough as any of the other ones."

That's a fair question. She knows that the dark and ghost types get a bad rap in some circles. "Of course!" she answers without hesitation. "They're only scary if you don't understand them."

[mynameisnotbrad]

"Oh, Growlithe are pretty cute too. Both Pokemon evolve into some really neat forms a well, a giant dragon and a giant puppy. Hmmm...I'm starting to think all evolutions involve large growth spurts." Which isn't even true in the slightest. Adia's laughter causes him to blush and turn away quickly, not in a bad way, but her kindness is contagious.

"Stealing keys sounds like something they'd do. As for psychic types, I'm not too sure how that would work out. Having a Pokemon that could pry into my mind is kinda daunting." He nods in agreement at the idea of Fairy-type Pokemon being stronger than they look.

"Understanding..." He's about to say more but the shelves behind them suddenly shake for a brief second. A few aisles away, a group of trainers are talking loudly to themselves, visible from the end of the store. The group seems lost in thought, staring down one aisle hesitantly.

"What should we do?" A young girl speaks up, immediately being interrupted by a male trainer.

"It's obvious! We battle it!" He's eagerly reaching for a Pokeball on his waist.

Josh can't help but look over in the general direction of the conversation, then back to Adia. Should they go check it out?

[chiron_survivor]

"They do tend to get bigger," she agrees. "Not always, but definitely in Sarah's case. I don't know what Steve is going to do when she evolves into an arcanine. Or Ethel becomes a bastiodon. He already had to rearrange his apartment when Bucky evolved..."

Yes, telepathy seems to be a big concern around here. Adia rubs the back of her head self-consciously, thinking of the moon rune granted to her during the Nightmare. "I guess that's true. I've never had one read my mind, though."

She listens expectantly for what he's going to say, but the commotion also catches her attention. Is there a wild pokémon loose in the store? She meets Josh's gaze, then bites her lip and nods. Sure, they can check it out. She trusts the the group of trainers to handle the situation properly.

[mynameisnotbrad]

"Maybe it's time to look into a house if the Pokemon are outgrowing the apartment. That or Steve can just keep them in their Pokeballs." And he says this completely unaware if Steve even has that capability or wants to do something like that.

Josh isn't going to comment on the psychic subject matter any further, his attention is all but on the arguing trainers nearby. He walks over to the group, peering past them to see what exactly has them rattled. Adia's guess is pretty spot on, as in the middle of the aisle (which seems to be for Pokemon food), a dinosaur like Pokemon seems to have dragged an entire bag of food onto the floor.

The Pokemon has torn out a sizable hole in the bag, spilling kibbles everywhere, and is content with eating any food it can sniff out. Which means everything. It's a literal vacuum cleaner with an insatiable appetite.

"Hey Adia...Does the anti-violence field apply to Pokemon?" Josh had no idea if it does, but his words deter the male trainer from releasing his Pokemon. Instead, the trainers turn to face Adia and Josh, the boy looking somewhat annoyed at their appearance. His attitude doesn't stop him from lashing out at either of them either, while the female trainer hides behind him fearfully.

"You got a better idea, smarty-pants? Or are you going to have your girlfriend do all the work for you?"

[chiron_survivor]

"I think he is looking to move into a bigger space," she replies. "He's not a fan of keeping them in pokéballs. Neither am I, actually, although most of them don't seem to mind."

There are a few things about pokémon culture she's not a fan of, especially the fighting. It's why she keeps her attention on the ready-to-battle trainer a moment longer than Josh before switching her gaze to the cause of the trouble. What she sees makes her smile; a little dinosaur, or maybe a dragon? She's not familiar with this particular species.

She turns to answer Josh when the trainer rudely interrupts. She's about to apologize for interrupting, but the girl cowering behind him catches her attention. That used to be her, once upon a time. She's older and wiser now. She doesn't have to stay silent to keep the peace.

Ignoring the attitude, she looks the male trainer in the eye and smiles politely. "I think you forgot that they don't allow battles in the mart," she says kindly. "Besides, it's not being aggressive. We can probably shoo it out of the store if we move the bag of food... or I can get Louis, he'll take care of it."

[mynameisnotbrad]

If Adia hates battling, then Josh is the opposite, always craving some form of violence or combat. Pokemon battling doesn't bother him in the slightest, but teenagers with attitude do rub him the wrong way.

The dragon stops eating upon hearing the commotion, not looking at the group, but sticks his long face up in the air, sniffing around cautiously. One can logically assume the Pokemon has poor eyesight, if any, based on the Beatles-style fur covering most of his face.

The female trainer seems happy to hear what Adia's saying, but the older sibling isn't too pleased. He's still got a frown on his face, arms crossed over his chest. To the shock of no one, Josh is personally not amused by what's going on or things that have been said and this kid's attitude is only angering him further.

"Fine. Why don't you go try to move the bag of food first? If you think you're so smart, handle the situation without having to call that old man over here."

Josh is just watching, not wanting to step on Adia's toes and get overly protective. He sees that she's taking the initiative and will intervene if stuff gets really chaotic. Or he loses his temper. The latter is most certainly bound to happen if things keep going the way they are currently.

[chiron_survivor]

Adia keeps her smile, not rising to the bait. Some teenagers are nothing but attitude, so she's not going to take it personally. Her only concern is the tension she feels coming from Josh. The last thing she wants is some sort of altercation.

"Well, I'm happy to give it a try. But it never hurts to ask for help, y'know?" She makes eye contact with his younger sister a moment -- poor kid -- before turning and heading towards the little dragon. Slowly. She doesn't want to scare it.

"Hey, friend," she calls out gently, so the myopic pokémon knows she's coming. "Are you still hungry? Would you like some more food?" If the creature will let her, she'll grab an end of the food bag and drag it towards the door, conveniently spilling a trail of kibble for the dragon to follow.

[mynameisnotbrad]

Josh has both hands out of his pockets, balled up into fists, as he watches the scene unfold. His gaze moves from Adia to the boy, whom has relaxed almost instantly. There's a smile on his face, once that Josh recognizes all too well: he's plotting something.

He turns away to watch Adia once more, seeing her slowly start to move the bag away from the Pokemon. Then it hits him like a ton of bricks. Most wild dogs and cats grow territorial when a source of food is being removed or messed with. Pokemon can't be too far off that mindset either, in his opinion.

The Deino doesn't move towards the food trail, his nose is pointed at Adia, his sniffing has quieted down drastically. Watching from a distance, the younger sister fearfully keeps an eye on Adia, hoping nothing bad happens. But something feels off about the whole situation and Josh caves on his earlier commitment.

"Adia! Wait a second..."

There's no time to react as the Deino lunges forward, biting at Adia's hand and fingers, only to be met by invisible barriers pushing him back. The anti-violence field is the only thing keeping Adia from potentially losing her digits. The young girl jumps back in fear while her older brother laughs at Adia's attempt.

"Looks like your plan was a failure. I bet you aren't even a real Pokemon trainer. If you were, you'd know that Deino are aggressive Pokemon, especially when it comes to food."

[chiron_survivor]

The movement catches the corner of her eye and she skitters backward, clutching her hand to her chest protectively. That was a close one! She watches as the dragon drops its head and goes back to eating, this time interspersed with soft growls. "Sorry," she says shakily. Her heart is beating hard, but she holds no ill will towards the pokémon.

It's only when she hears the laughter that she flushes with embarrassment, looking over at the teen who is gloating over her near injury. Her earlier confidence seems to crumble. "I wish you'd told me that before I tried," she mutters. She cradles her hand and sighs. So much for trying. "I'll go get Louis, then..."

She hurries to the front of the store to find the employee. Dumb. She should have let a professional handle it from the start.

[mynameisnotbrad]

Josh takes a few steps forward, hand outstretched, before stopping suddenly. Adia seems hurt and his sudden movement would only upset the Pokemon further. Anger is swelling up in his body, and he spins quickly on one heel, coming face to face with the trainer.

"What are you going to do?" There's a smug expression on his face, as if taunting Josh.

He turns to look at the Pokemon and Adia starting to leave, too much is happening at once and he immediately feels overwhelmed with rage. He wants to turn around and clock the trainer with his fists, but instead his eyes rest on a stack of Pokeballs on a nearby shelf.

Driven by his emotions, mostly negative ones, he reaches for a yellow and black painted Pokeball, clutching it tightly in his hand. It isn't just this moment that's angering him, it's a cumulative stack of issues. His family being unwelcoming. John's cancer worsening. Being hated by the few people he's let into his life.

But Adia is different. And he wants to show her that he can be someone different.

The Pokeball is thrown at an alarming speed, grazing past the boy's face and causing the anti-violence field to spark for a brief second. The target is the Deino, who's back to munching away at the food, unaware of the orb being hurled at him. The anti-violence field lacks an interaction with the Poke'ball, given the device's composition and lack of actually hitting the Pokemon. Instead of being deflected, the Pokemon disappears into the ball with a flash of red light, landing back onto the tile floor.

It shakes violently, then slowly comes to a rest.

The trainer is dumbfounded at what just happened, and to be fair, Josh is standing there with a blank expression on his face.

"...That worked?" He glances around to see if Adia left or not. Did she see what he did? Or will she be coming back to a much bigger surprise?