[FIN] Time to Train

[Tori Honoo]

Dove's eyes widened, but she took only a few steps back as the pokemon lunged at her again, relying fully on the Typhlosion to do his job.

Sparky let out a laugh and did his best to hold the pokemon back from his trainer. he smirked, before releasing another Flamethrower.  

[Akira Midoriyama]

Supercilious only just had time to register what had happened before he was knocked out, badly burned.

Akira sighed. "Well, I guess I should have expected that," he said, withdrawing the fainted pokemon back into its luxury ball. "He's probably not going to want to come out for a while. And he might never forgive me. But at least I hope I can get him to respect me."

Pocketing the ball, he nodded to Sparky and Dove. "Good job, you two. Sorry it wasn't much of a battle, but we have to start somewhere."  

[Tori Honoo]

When the snake faded away, out of his hands, Sparky sat back on his haunches, pleased that he had had the last word and that his trainer had gone unscathed. His arrogant smirk was replaced only by surprise as Dove made her way over to him and hugged his neck tight. "That was great Sparky! Your flamethrower has definitely gotten stronger..."

With a soft huff, he allowed the girl to hug his neck, shaking his head.

Dove straightened after a moment, then looked to Akira. "I'm sure after a few more battles he'll figure things out..." she told him with a small shrug, her cheeks pink. "And Thank you...I'm sorry we had to battle in the first place... I just didn't know what else to do, when..." When the ridiculously large snake lunged for her? Yeah, no.

With a small wave of her hand and a gentle look to the ponyta standing aside from the group, she looked back to Akira. "I wouldn't mind doing it again, though, if you think it might help to have him battle again," she offered, "Like you said, you've got to start somewhere, and we've been training for the past few weeks together...We certainly wouldn't mind battling you again, and I'm sure Sparky wouldn't mind trying to teach Silly a thing or two..."

"The respect will come in time, I'm sure... It looks to me like you two have a lot of growing together to do. Sparky and I have been close since he was small, so it's been easier working together like this. We'd really love to help, if there's any way we can..."

It was a long shot, she knew, to even hope that he might take up her offer, but...  

[Akira Midoriyama]

"Oh, sure. A few battles. A few thousand more, maybe," he corrected with a dry laugh. "Sorry? Why are you sorry? I'm not. I can hardly keep him out of his pokeball, let alone get him to battle. I'm glad you got him to do something."

He nodded. "I'd definitely appreciate that. I really need to start training more." The knowledge that Sera, Dove, and all the other trainers had been working so hard had inspired Akira to start doing the same, though battling wasn't something he'd ever really concerned himself with before. "Really, I don't know if there's any other way Supercilious will learn anything other than having sense literally knocked into him."  

[Tori Honoo]

She laughed softly, shaking her head. "Well.... in that case, you're welcome?" she smiled, giving a little shrug of her shoulders.

His reaction to her offer, though, was unexpected, and she paused a moment, very obviously surprised that he had accepted it so readily. "Wait, really?" Her expression brightened, and she looked to both Sparky and Thierry before addressing Akira again. "Really, anytime! I'm not sure what your work schedule is, but I'm sure we'd be able to meet you any time. We get up early to train a little in the mornings, but a battle anytime would be wonderful." She laughed again. "And as much as I hate to say it... I think you're right when it comes to your Serperior... Even if he beats us a few times, though, it'll be good for him."

Sparky gave a deep snort, something like a laugh. As if he would even consider letting such a rude pokemon beat him. It would be a pleasure to battle him again, he thought with a smirk.  

[Akira Midoriyama]

"Yeah. Why not?" Akira asked, looking as surprised by Tori's reaction as she had been to his. "I mostly work night shifts, so I'm usually free during the day. When I'm not sleeping, that is." As if on que, he yawned, instinctively putting a hand up to cover his open mouth. "You know, I can't imagine him beating anyone. For a third-evolution pokemon, he's ridiculously weak."

Grinning at Sparky, the young man scratched his head. "I'll bet even if you were a water-type, you would have beaten him. Great technique, though. Dove-chan did a good job raising you."  

[Tori Honoo]

Her smile couldn't have been any more genuine. "Okay! Um, just let me know when it's best for you. I don't want to mess up your work schedule, and sleep is important," she said, tucking her hair behind her ear, looking a little apologetic for his yawn. She was sure he worked hard...and with such odd hours...

She did tilt her head a little, a slightly confused look on her face. "You didn't have him trained? I mean, I guess I raised him, yes, but I've only just begun to train with him..." Her parents had made sure to hire the best they could find for Sparky, and though she supposed that couldn't be everyone's chosen path, from what she knew of the Toshiro family, she mostly expected it. She shook her head a little, though, her cheeks flushing when she realized her question could be perceived as rude. "You know, it doesn't even matter. I'm sure when you start training him, he'll learn fast... if we can just break that attitude of his," she finished a little more sheepishly.

At Akira's compliment, Sparky gave a brief shake of his head, accepting it 'politely' with his small smirk still intact.

From the opposite side of the fountain, Thierry slowly approached the group, stopping behind Dove and Sparky and watching Akira with wary eyes.  

[Akira Midoriyama]

The brown-eyed young man nodded. "Thanks, I appreciate the consideration. Most afternoons I'm free, though."

"Hm?" He blinked, trying to comprehend what she meant before realizing what she was referring to. "Who, Silly? Heh, nah, he was mostly given to me because what kid would be seen without a pokemon? I guess my parents didn't expect me to have to go anywhere where I would need real protection, though, because they gave me about as much time to train as they allowed me time to practice music." Whoops. That wasn't a part of Akira's life. Time to get off the subject.

"'Break that attitude'? Yeah right," the brunet laughed. "If only it were that easy. I don't even know what his problem is. Oh no, wait, yes I do - laziness, arrogance, and rashness." He sighed. "If I knew how to cure that, I would have made a lot more friends in high school, believe you me."

"Anyway, I should probably get him to a pokemon center or something," Akira realized, absently noting the Ponyta watching them. "Nice seeing you, Dove. Thanks for the random battle and sorry it was kind of spur-of-the-moment."  

[Tori Honoo]

Dove stepped back to draw her hand down the Ponyta's nose as he set his head over her shoulder. His ears twitched a little in slight confusion. "Afternoons are good! You've got my number, so just let me know!" she told him, eyes still alight with excitement.

No time for music or training... Her smile fell a bit, but she nodded quietly, understanding his quick change in topic. Part of her was immediately regretting asking, though the other part of her didn't at all. She wanted to know, and now she knew. She just hadn't expected him to just be for show... However, the lack of training didn't upset her nearly as much as the lack of time he had been given to put toward music, something she knew from even back then he had loved. She had to wonder now, if he still loved it as much as he once had... He still carried that ipod with him everywhere he went, but they hadn't really had too many chances to talk, and she didn't want to bring back the past any more than she already did by being there.

Never mind her curiosity. She gracefully switched to the next topic with him, setting aside the information about the Serperior in her mind for later... until again, he brought up things that struck a chord from her past, and she couldn't help but feel that one might be aimed toward her. Again, she only nodded, speaking softly, her eyes moved toward her pokemon. "Well... we'll work on it. Maybe he'll surprise you someday."

When he announced his departure, she looked to him again. "Yes, do, and good luck!" she smiled, her hand still stroking Thierry's nose. "And it's alright! Anytime, really. Just let me know, okay?"  

[Akira Midoriyama]

Nodding, Akira smiled and raised a hand in farewell as he turned to go. "Maybe. Good luck to you, too. Guess I'll see you around."