The Will to Go On

[SlowPokemon]

Okay then!

I might write again tonight.

[Winter]

Good chapter, and you WERE referring to Drp right?

[SlowPokemon]

Yep. And it is winter now in the story. I think another couple of people from NSM will get honorable mentions.

[Winter]

Maybe some of your dedicated readers

[DrP]

Maybe some of your dedicated readers

And since I really don't have a following anymore, il n'y a pas de chapitres dans le "works"

[SlowPokemon]

Chapter Nineteen
It’s All Ice Under the Bridge

   Not surprisingly, the Ice Path was cold. One really only had to look at its name to figure that out. However, none of our travelers thought that its name might actually describe exactly what it isâ€"a path of ice.

   â€œI think that we should try to get through here as qui-quickly as possible,” said Karen, her teeth chattering together.

   â€œWhy?” said Will. “I think that Ice Pokémon would be cool to catch.” He paused. “…Get it? Cool?”

   Karen gave him a reproachful look and turned to Aaron.

   â€œWh-what did you do with my j-jacket?” she managed to stammer.

   â€œI think you’re too cool for a jacket,” said Aaron dismissively. He paused. “…Get it? Cool?”

   â€œIt wasn’t funny the f-first time!” she seethed, hot with anger despite her freezing body. “Give me my jacket!”

   â€œYou don’t have one,” said Will, reading a map absently.

   â€œYes I do!” she screamed.

   â€œWait,” said Aaron slowly. “Do you mean that ugly, bright green one? Oh, I gave that to a homeless man I saw on the streets in Goldenrod.”

   â€œWHY?” shrieked Karen.

   â€œHe looked cold,” said Aaron blankly.

   â€œNO!” she shouted angrily. “WHY didn’t you tell ME about it, as it was MY freaking jacket!?”

   â€œWell…” he said, frowning. “I thought you would get angry.”

   â€œWhy would I be angry!” she shouted, half laughing in a maniacal, highly frightening sort of way. “ME! Imagine that, Will! ME, angry! ME! Can you even SEE why he would think that?”

   â€œYes,” said Will vaguely.

   Karen glared at him, then turned away to face Aaron. Remembering that she was mad at him too, she folded her arms in a way that was half to show her anger and half because she was freezing and needed to hug herself for warmth.

   â€œIt’s alright, Kare!” said Aaron brightly. “Look on the bright side!”

   â€œThere IS no bright side!” she said hotly. “We are in a freezing, dark, slimy, disgusting, CAVE! A CAVE, Aaron!”

   â€œA cave?” said Aaron.

   â€œYES, AARON!” she shouted, her voice echoing. “A CAVE! A large, naturally hollowed-out place in the ground, or in rock above the ground, that can be reached from the surface or from water!”

   â€œI know what a cave is!” said Aaron, looking hurt. “You take me for some sort of idiot!” She merely looked at him angrily, and he said indignantly, “She thinks I’m stupid! STUPID, Will! Me! Stupid! Can you even SEE why she would think that?” he asked in an offended way.

   â€œYes,” said Will vaguely. They continued to walk…and walk…and walk… until finally…

   â€œI see a light!” yelped Karen.

   â€œNo!” cried Aaron in despair. “No, Kare! Not now! You can’t leave me like this! DON’T GO TOWARDS THE LIGHT!”

   â€œWILL YOU SHUT UP!” she screamed, and raced out of the cave and into Blackthorn City.

   Once the other two caught up with her, she was in the middle of town. Unfortunately, it was freezing outside as well, and a small flurry of snow was showering down with great gusto.

   â€œCome…on…” said Karen, shielding her eyes from the gently falling snow. They all trudged against the howling wind, trying to keep the snow from their eyes, when they finally arrived at the Pokémon Center.

   They all went inside the Pokémon Center, and Karen collapsed on a couch. Aaron came over and sat next to her.

   â€œWell…” she murmured defeatedly. “At least there’s one good thing about going through that horrible, horrible, cave.”

   â€œWhat’s that?” said Aaron, looking down at her and smiling.

   â€œThat super annoying, arrogant kid with the blue eyes will still be back in Mahogany, meaning that there’s no way he can just pop up and give us mysterious advice and try to seem like he’s all weird and solitary…” she said bitterly.

   â€œHe is all weird and solitary,” Aaron pointed out.

   â€œI know,” sighed Karen. “I just hate the way that he smiles. You look at him, and he smiles like he knows something that you don’t. Like he’s soooo intelligent and the rest of us are all fools. No…” she continued thoughtfully. “Not like we’re fools. More like…we’re all puppets. And he’s controlling our strings. You know?”

   â€œI don’t know,” yawned Aaron. “Interesting theory.”

   Karen sighed and sat up.

   â€œAnyway,” she said, “we haven’t seen Lucian in a while.”

   â€œOh, him,” said Aaron resentfully. “I hope we never do again.”

   â€œMmm,” said Karen uninterestedly.

   Suddenly overcome with tiredness, she yawned, leaned onto Aaron and fell asleep.



   The next morning, she awoke in a bed, apparently placed there by someone. Today was the day, she realized grimly.

   Aaron was going to obtain his eighth and final badge.

   The three of them met in the lobby of the Pokémon Center and talked for a moment.

   â€œGood luck,” whispered Karen as she hugged him.

   Aaron didn’t say anything, but nodded importantly. He left for the Gym, isolating the other two.

   They sat in silence for a little time, when suddenly in the door ran…

   â€œProfessor Elm?” said Will incredulously.

Indeed it was.

   Elm was not looking good. His hair was uncombed, and he kept running his hand through it worriedly. He looked slightly out of breath.

   â€œKaren! Will! Where is Aaron?” he said urgently. “I need to tell you something about the Pokémon Gym challenge, immediately.”

   â€œIs this what you tried to tell me through my broken PokeGear that day?” said Karen disdainfully.

   â€œYes!” he said, looking distraught. “I’ve been looking all across the region for you! It seems I was always in your shadow. Everywhere I went, people had seen three kids running around, one with bright green hair. And now, I find you… But I fear it may be too late,” he finished grimly.

   â€œWhat is it?” said Karen uneasily. She had a strange nauseous feeling in her stomach, like a rider on a roller coaster does just before he takes the plunge down the hill.

   Elm began to pace back and forth.

   â€œAs you already know, only one of you can take the Gym challenge. This is because something happened with the Johto Elite Four.” He took a deep breath, stopped pacing with, it appeared, some effort, and turned to face them. “There are only two open spots in the Johto Elite Four. However, there is an opening. If the Gym challenge was taken, and completed successfully, that would prove strength beyond belief.” He swallowed painfully. “Anyone who completes the Gym challenge in Johto has no choice but to join the Elite Four in Sinnoh, which is far more powerful than ours here. I’m very, very sorry to have to tell you this, children.”

   Karen was in an alternate reality. Everything was moving in slow motion. She heard but she didn’t quite understand. Someone, somehow, must have made a mistake. Elm must have misspoken.

   â€œNot…Johto?” she managed to choke out.

   â€œNot Johto,” confirmed Elm sadly.

   â€œSo Aaron will be…gone?” she said woodenly.

   â€œI’m afraid so,” said Elm ruefully.

   Karen’s vision was blurred for a second. She wasn’t crying. It was more like her eyes chose to fill with tears; she still didn’tâ€"couldn’tâ€"quite believe what was happening. She wiped them, ignoring the painful lump in her throat.

   Elm stood there awkwardly, and after a moment just sat down in an armchair uncomfortably.

   Will quietly placed Karen in an armchair of her own, where she sat blankly for a long three minutes until Aaron came back into the Pokémon Center.

   â€œHey, guys!” he said, grinning broadly, waving his shiny Rising Badge in the air. “Look what I…Kare, what’s wrong?” he said, noticing her and Will.

   Karen’s eyes filled with the tears that weren’t tears again as she shook her head firmly. She wasn’t sure what she was saying no to, but she couldn’t quite do anything else.

   Elm explained the situation quietly to Aaron, getting up from his armchair. Aaron turned pale with shock as the realization dawned on him.

   He sat down on the couch near Karen’s armchair and asked Elm quietly, “How long do we have?”

   â€œYou have about three weeks,” said Elm unhappily. “The last ship to Sinnoh for six months sets sail on the first day of the new year.”

   Elm must have felt slightly out of place there, because he said an awkward goodbye and left the Pokémon Center.

   Aaron and Karen both got up and embraced each other tightly.

   â€œThese next three weeks,” whispered Aaron promisingly, “are going to be the best of our lives.”

   Karen could still say nothing, but nodded painfully.

   She didn’t have to see him to know he was telling the truth.

   And Will, feeling that it would be prudent to leave them on their own, went off to bed, wondering…
Still mediocre. xD

[Winter]

maybe you can hook will up with karen, idk... that chapter was sad, sad as in depressing, a little rushed, but there was a lot of detail in certain places which I enjoyed... maybe the next chapter can be about the dragon's den?

[Jub3r7]

Yep. And it is winter now in the story. I think another couple of people from NSM will get honorable mentions.

When you said that, I thought you were putting WinterKid in the story. >_<
Wishful thinking. Because if you somehow managed to put all of the people who posted in this thread in the story...
drp appeared in a coffee shop...
you can put yourself anywhere you want, unless you already have.
winterkid... would appear... uhh. You're the writer.

So, Christmas is approaching...
If I ran up to a random stranger in the Pokemon world and gave them a present, what would be inside the box?

That was for you to decide, not a riddle. Bleh. forget everything I said and do what you want.


The Strange boy....  I actually had suspicions of who it was, but that suspicion was in the very back of my mind.
I'm really excited to see what you'll do with the next few chapters!

[Winter]

i thought winter was referring to me too, but then i remembered.. oh yeah, christmas, snowing.. haha

[Jub3r7]

Now that I know who the Strange Boy is, I want to take my vote off him. XD
Only kidding.

Hey, person, with the green hair! Take this, my friend didn't want it.

[SlowPokemon]

Now that I know who the Strange Boy is, I want to take my vote off him. XD
Only kidding.

Hey, person, with the green hair! Take this, my friend didn't want it.

I haven't told you who the Strange Boy is yet; who do you think it is?

i thought winter was referring to me too, but then i remembered.. oh yeah, christmas, snowing.. haha

It was, you and Jub will both get a mention.

[Jub3r7]

That's awesome! 

Well, I believe that the strange boy is... _{Private messaged to Slow.}
If I'm wrong, I'll feel stupid.

[SlowPokemon]

Like I'd tell you even if you were right. Love the guesses though.

[SlowPokemon]

Chapter Twenty

   Exactly two weeks later, December twenty-third, several people across the Johto regionâ€"and two in a different oneâ€"received a small piece of paper with the following words typed:

   â€œYou are invited to come to a party tomorrow night, on Christmas Eve. It will take place in Ecruteak City, at my estateâ€"26 Isolé Avenue. Come or do not come. It is your choice. ~SB”

   Among those who received an invitation were Karen, Aaron, and Will. Karen’s read slightly different than all the othersâ€"that is, exactly the same, except it was signed “The Puppetmaster”.

   Karen gritted her teeth when she saw thatâ€"partially in annoyance, and partially because she had to give him kudos for the irony.

   The three agreed to go to the party the following night.


Why am I so happy with this chapter??? xD

[Winter]

you wrote a dash but didn't write a second on to complete the interjection :p

huh chapter 20 already? time flies...