"Get back here you fat, greedy little thieves! those are my berries!"
Scrambling away from the angry flying-type were a few pudgy brown, squirrel-like Pokémon carrying multiple berries in their cheek pouches. The fat rodents turned their heads and snickered at the irritated bird of prey before scampering off, leaving it even more flustered than before.
"Just you wait you fat lards! once my wing heals up, I'm comin' for ya!"
The door to the back of the pub opened, giving pause to the angry bird's fury for a moment. Standing in the door was a young man twenty-five years of age. He had blond hair that was neatly styled and eyes the color of sunstones. He wore a plain grey t-shirt with the words "Wyndon Diner and Pub" written across in white letters. He had on a pair of dark blue jeans and black, non-slip shoes with laces. The youth glanced over at the bird and then at the few berries that were scattered along the ground.
"They came back huh?" he said, an exasperated sigh leaving his lips as he turned around and picked up the trash bag to take it to the dumpster that the tiny bird was sitting on.
"Aiden! thank Arceus it's you. Those fat furballs stole my lunch! I don't get it, there are plenty of berry trees all over the damn place, but noooooo, they have to come to this alley, my alley, and steal my food!" it chirped angrily, making its voice louder on purpose.
"This is what, the fifth time this week? I hate to break it to you but, they're making sport of you pal," Aiden chuckled, shaking his head as he opened the dumpster lid and hefted the bag into it.
"Oh that's rich! pick on the gimp-winged bird. Real mature! just wait until I evolve ya little muskrats. I'll peck all your little eyes out if you steal from me again!"
"If you evolve, you mean. You can't expect to do that if you don't battle or train yourself a little you know," Aiden added, holding out his palm for the Rookidee to hop into his hand.
"I'd train a whole lot better if I had someone to train with. Most of the other Pokémon are too scared to come near me you know? I mean... I know I'm intimidating but I'm not that bad," Rookidee grumbled.
"I don't think it's because you're intimidating," Aiden responded as he carefully undid the bandages on Rookidee's wing to check on the progress.
"You sure about that? I mean, look at me! I'm one scrappy bird!"
"It's because you're obnoxious," Aiden said bluntly, deflating Rookidee's proud attitude instantly.
"Obnoxious!? that's not even remotely... yeah okay you have a point there..." Rookidee mumbled in reply after hearing how loud he was getting. "So what do I do?"
Aiden looked over the injured wing for a brief moment and then smiled.
"I don't know how to solve that issue, but I can safely say that your wing is actually good to go now. It took a few weeks, but you should be able to fly a little now. Just don't push yourself too hard or you'll end up where you were when I found you."
Rookidee blinked at those words. Extending his wing, he found that he could move it freely without feeling the sting he'd always felt before. While it was still a little sore, it wasn't so bad that he needed it to be restricted. Looking up at Aiden, he grinned, and showed his excitement by launching himself into the air and gliding along the wind. His jubilation lasted a short while before he felt a stinging sensation in his wing, forcing him to abort his course of action and hover back to the dumpster.
"Ouch! that smarts," he said wincing, glancing back at Aiden and sighing. "I guess it's still a little tender. But at least I can fly for a short time."
"Mhm. And now you can grab your berries and take off if you need to," Aiden added, glancing back at the door as he heard a commotion from inside.
"Thanks Aiden, I owe ya one," Rookidee said happily.
"No problem. Now I gotta get back to work. Something's going on and it sounds like a big deal. See ya after my shift!" Aiden said over his shoulder before rushing back inside.
What he found after closing the door was not what he'd expected. Normally there'd be a few drunkards throwing hands or someone angrily shouting at the manager for their food being late. None of that was the case from what he could see. Instead, there were several people crowding together as a certain distinguished pair of guests walked in. There, standing among the crowd of customers was none other than Chairman Rose himself. Aiden's eyes widened a bit as the president began signing autographs, much to the annoyance of the woman beside him.
She was a tall, slender woman with long blonde hair that reached her waist. She had fair skin, perfectly manicured brows and bright emerald eyes. She was garbed in a long white coat with a crimson blouse beneath. About her neck was a black choker. She had on gray tights, a black skirt, and black high-heels. Her brows anchored into a frown in annoyance at those gathered around Rose. If looks could kill, she'd have committed a mass homicide.
"Man, this is exciting isn't it? it's not often we get a visit from Chairman Rose. Everyone's really worked up over it," one of Aiden's coworkers said as he slid up beside him.
"Can you blame them? the man's a legend. The guy was really good back in his hayday. There were very few trainers that could stack up to his team because of their powerful defenses and strong offensive capability. That and he pretty much built this city so there's that," Aiden responded, casually pulling out a card case to reveal that he had the president's rookie card.
"Damn dude, I knew you were a fan of the stadium battles, but I didn't know you were a collector as well," his coworker said while nervously scratching the back of his head.
"I've been gathering cards of every trainer since I was a kid," Aiden replied, glancing down at Rose's card with a faint smile. "It's just something I've always been passionate about. It's trainers like Rose over there that got me really into it in the first place."
As Aiden and his coworker conversed, the woman who had been standing with the president took note of what she'd heard once the crowd ceased their incessant yammering. She listened as Aiden and his coworker exchanged knowledge of the stats of current well known trainers and their teams. What she found astonishing was Aiden's vast knowledge of the man she admired most. He knew when he started as a professional, his past battles, the strategies he'd used previously as well as the common knowledge of today. The man was a well of information that went deeper than she'd expected.
Moments later, Chairman Rose got a break in the madness and cleared his throat to speak.
"It's been quite a while since I've had this warm of a welcome. I'll have to visit more often," Rose chuckled, earning a stern look from the woman accompanying him. "As you all know, the opening ceremony for the League Challenge will be held in Motostoke Stadium. Anyone may apply for the challenge as long as you are sponsored and have your trainer cards on hand upon entry. Once that is taken care of, you will be given a uniform that you must wear during the ceremony. So if you have a passion for Pokémon battling, then I hope to see you all there!"
A cry of excitement went up from the Wyndon Diner and Pub as the Chairman walked out the door, his secretary quickly shutting the door behind him so he wouldn't be crowded on his way out. As the doors closed, their driver pulled up and opened the automatic passenger doors for them to get inside. Rose sat down and let out an exhausted sigh.
"They were lively weren't they Oleana?" Rose commented, stroking his chin as he reflected on the multitude of customers that had gathered around him.
"I don't understand why you felt the need to go into the establishment. You could have simply made the announcement via television. They had several in there," Oleana grunted, crossing her arms in irritation. "Not to mention there were a few gawkers in there practically undressing me with their eyes..."
"Sometimes people are more impressionable when you greet them in person. We want as many trainers as possible to participate in the league this year if we are to achieve our goals am I right?" Rose stated as a matter of fact.
"I suppose I can't argue with that logic," Oleana sighed, her mind drifting back to the discussion she'd overheard with the server and his coworker.
She couldn't help but think that he showed promise considering how well versed in battle knowledge he already was. Pulling out her tablet, she tapped into the wireless installed in the car and began searching up the pub and its staff. Sifling through the team members, she found his name and position and bookmarked the page for later.
ns 15.158.61.54da2
