Steps to Simplicity - Story Update + Dropbox File(4.17.2012)

[SlowPokemon]

Umm.

Oui!

(One of the few French words I can name without looking up)

[DrP]

you can just go to translate.google.com

its so much easier pour toi!

Or you can just stick to english!

I'll put up chapter 10 when im done with this computer setup, D'accord?

[DrP]

This was a fun chapter to write, especially since it has some humor in it... moreso than previous chapters!

Chapter 10: A Stone Cold Feeling
   By morning, the fog was still just as bad. You could see a bright light above the grass, which was probably the sun. Luckily, my Pokétch was active, so we were able to avoid any large cliffs (if they were any) or any lakes or ponds that we perhaps may just walk into. Everything was so damp, even my clothes feel like they have been hanging on a clothesline after being only ten minutes out of the washer. Professor Araragi was silent the whole time we were in the fog, just riding her bike slowly ahead of me (even though I was navigating). After spending almost 5 hours, we finally progressed out of the fog to find a small restaurant. We stayed there for lunch and all I could do was look out the window. The landscape on this side of Mount Coronet was amazing. It was in stark contrast to the other side of the mountain. The climate on this side was much warmer, the grass was a lighter green and there were rolling hills instead of the large hills and the pine trees to go along with them. The bad thing was that this side also was much more humid than in Jubilife City, but that could be because we were basically on this Bayou type of pond and maybe it was just the area at the Route 210/215 Junction. The waitress told me that Veilstone City is up in the hills, so it should be cooler and at if I ever reach Pastoria or Sunyshore City, I should feel differing climates. She also told me that it rains much more on this side and it usually gets the snow last, because the climate is usually cooler than the rest of the country, with Hoenn having more tropical weather. It was the beginning of December and it has been unusually warm, but they did get snow in the beginning of November. We continued on to Route 215, where rain storms began after going about ten of the thirty miles to Veilstone City.
   The route was definitely leading to an alpine city. The route gradually introduced the coniferous trees and the scents that came attached to it. It made me think of Christmas, and all I needed was a fire, some hot chocolate and a bunch of blankets. The elevation changes were alleviated with small bridges going down into valleys and going through tunnels, so that all we had to do was pedal up a small switchback every 5 miles that would eventually get us almost 3,000 feet up in elevation, to a city that was covered in dark clouds with freezing rain drizzling over the city like a blanket of mist. It reminded me of a time I went to visit Seattle and I kept on slipping on the streets because of the constant drops falling, but they weren’t heavy and they just lightly kissed the pavement of Pike Street in large quantities. Veilstone City looked like the perfect city I would want to live in, but the cold breeze that was even colder from when I got off the boat in Canalave City.
   Professor Araragi instantly went to the Pokémon Center and talked with Nurse Joy for a bit while I changed into dry clothes. Piplup loved the wetness of the city and she and I both agreed that we were going to have some fun. “Great News!” Professor Araragi came barraging into the room, yelling. “You don’t have to be so loud, ya know?” I responded. “But it’s good news,” the Professor said toned down. “What? There’s this dress shop you want to check out because it goes with your new makeup?” I asked sarcastically. “Well, uh, no,” Professor Araragi said. “Your dad is here at the department store releasing a new product that was a joint effort with Silph and Devon.” “Now, that is good news!” I said elated. Now I was the one dragging Professor Araragi all over the city, and luckily the department store was noticeable, it had umbrellas sticking out of its rooftop.
   The instant Professor Araragi and I reached the front door; there was a huge crowd outside, trying to cram into the first floor of the building. I pushed and shoved until I pushed someone and the entire crowd just stopped talking and looked at me with anger. The person I pushed turned around. “Maylene?” I asked. “Well, look who it is,” Maylene answered. “You have finally made it to Veilstone City, but what’s all the hurry?” “Oh, sorry,” I answered. “I didn’t mean to push you. My dad is speaking at this event and I haven’t seen him since I left Lilycove City a while ago.” “Oh, I see,” Maylene answered. She then began to walk forward and the crowd just parted in front of her. Professor Araragi and I followed her until we reached the door, where two bouncers stood guarding the door. “Hello guys,” Maylene said to the bouncers. “I have the son of the speaker of this event, and he wants to see his dad.” “Son?” one of the bouncers said. “Alex Norman doesn’t have a son!” The other bouncer whispered something into his coat sleeve and in two minutes a familiar face arrived.
   â€œMadame Debanne!” I exclaimed! Madame Debanne was my father’s secretary. “Drew!” Madame Debanne answered. “It is great to see you,” I answered. “I would like to see my father, if that’s alright.” Madame Debanne took me, the Professor and Maylene inside. “You can watch your dad’s unveiling of the newest Pokémon Ball,” Madame Debanne said. “I’ll notify him that you’re here!” I stepped out of the foyer into the main hall of the first floor of the elegant department store. Professor Araragi’s eyes lit up and she then proceeded to hug a column supporting the upper floors. You could see the upper floors, all the way to a large sky dome ceiling where you could see the clouds above. The store was decorated in red, covered with velvet drapes and ornate moldings that complimented the interior colors. It looked like a palace, but it was stocked with Pokémon merchandise, clothes and other trainer gear.
   The crowd began to get silent and then loud cheers and clapping occurred all at once. My dad stepped onto the stage and began his large speech, “Good Afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen. It is with great honor I am holding this press event for a new product that we are adding to our Poké ball line of products. I want to first let you know some information about how we’re doing. Devon has been branching out into markets across the globe. In the past year, we maintain a 62% market share in Poké ball production and a 28% market share in Pokémon trainer gadget production, with Silph maintaining the lead in Poké Gear and Pokétch production as a subsidiary. Devon has expanded into twenty countries, establishing an American factory and office in San Diego, and we have established a European office in Munich. We are preparing a new item to be released that will revolutionize the Pokémon Technological Market with a prominent American company. I am also overjoyed to tell you that Devon has made it into Fortune Magazine’s top 500 Global Corporations. We are in slot number 252, and we are growing exponentially, though we have to make sure Silph is not going to out run us in Poké Ball production. Now, without ado, I would like to present Veilstone City and Sinnoh with the Weather Ball.”
The audience began to cheer and clap to a louder extent before. “This is no ordinary Poké Ball,” my dad continued. “It will change color according to the weather effect going on, whether it is rain, sun, snow, hail, a sand storm, dense fog, or a large wind. When exposed to a weather type, the top half of the Weather Ball will change color to match the weather element. Each weather element will cause the catch rate of a Pokémon to increase from the 1x of the normal Poké Ball to 4.5x according to the type of Pokémon associated with the weather effect. The weather effect on the ball can be locked, so it doesn’t change when exposed to another weather element. There will be a list distributed to PokéNav devices and Silph will release a device for their Poké Gear and Pokétch devices, and we expect with the next generation of Pokédex devices coming from Silph to have this feature added, too! The Verdant Republic department stores in Celadon, Goldenrod, Lilycove, Burgundy and Veilstone Cities will carry these balls immediately, and will cost only 800 PokéDollars, less than the 1000 for specialty Poké Balls!  All of you attending this event will be given two Weather Balls to use and capture Pokémon. The effects will also change if you enter caves or go to forests. Each type has a different effect to change the ball’s type. Thank you for your continued interest in the Devon Corporation and hopefully we can continue bringing the quality products you want!” The people in the crowd were cheering and clapping as they received their free Pokéballs, even Maylene, the Professor and I got them. Out of the corner of the stage, I saw Madame Debanne wave me over and I was led to a conference room with couches, where I saw my dad just watching his press conference on the television and sipping a martini.
“Dad!” I exclaimed entering the room. “Drew?” My dad asked. “What are you doing here?” “Well, this was my next stop for my Verdant League battle, and I heard you were here,” I answered. “Well, how is everything going so far?” My dad asked. “It is going great!” I answered. “I have been here almost two weeks and I have five Pokémon. It has been a blast traveling around!” “I heard about how you swept the gym leaders in Kanto,” my dad answered. “So who are you friends?” “This is Professor Araragi from Isshu and this is Maylene, we met in Celadon City when she was attending an all-you-can-eat contest.” “I believe I know both of you,” My dad answered. “Professor Araragi, it is always a pleasure to see you. Maylene, shouldn’t you be doing something right now.” It took Maylene about thirty seconds to realize it, but it snapped in her head and she belted out of the room faster than a cheetah on speed. “I have been learning so much about you since I have traveled in Kanto,” I said. “Really, how so?” My dad asked. “Well, I saw a portrait of you and a Gengar on my out of the Saffron City gym and everyone is talking about you being the Sinnoh League Champion. I heard that from Professor Rowan.” “Well, maybe it is time you find out,” my dad answered. “Back when I was a kid, I traveled through Kanto and rose my way up into battling the entire Elite Four and I lost to the Champion. The Champion, in her kind heart, offered me a position to be the Saffron City Gym Leader, and soon it became an exclusive Ghost-type gym, even though my Charizard was my strongest Pokémon. Gengar was the main Pokémon I used in Saffron City, so many trainers couldn’t stand up to him. That entire hall shows the Gym Leaders of Saffron City since the Kanto League was established in 1442. It was the first Pokémon League of the then-Six Kingdoms. Other regions followed suit… well that is a different story for later. Once Sabrina rose through the ranks two years later, she not only pummeled me with her Alakazam, but she began trying at the Elite Four. Sabrina became my apprentice after that, but ardently stuck with Psychic type Pokémon. When I heard I was being chosen to replace the Sinnoh League Champion after I took a year off to challenge the rest of the leagues, I found the most favor with the Sinnoh League. By the time I was 27, I wanted to leave Sinnoh and return to the United States to study, and I met your mother while I was attending the University of Texas, though she just became a professor the year before. I passed down my Champion title to this woman that was Cynthia’s mother, and she passed it to Cynthia about three years ago.”
“So, that’s how it works, then,” I answered. “So you were born in Texas and moved here when you were young?” “Yes, I have lived here since I was one,” my dad responded. “It was definitely a change when I returned to the United States, but I wanted to get back to my home here in the Verdant Republic.” “You just loved it here,” I replied. “Yes I did,” my dad answered. “I unfortunately have to make this presentation at the rest of the VerdantStore chains across the country. I know you’ll go far and hopefully soon you’ll be able to face the Verdant Elite Four, composed of trainers stronger than most regional Elite Four trainers. Good Luck Drew!” My dad gave me a hug and walked with Madame Debanne to the roof. Professor Araragi and I walked outside and saw a helicopter leave from the rooftop and we went back to the Pokémon Center.
*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *
   I woke up the next morning to see a small blanket of snow on the ground and I was already pumped for my gym battle. I snagged my coat from underneath the sleeping Professor Araragi, causing her to roll to the floor, still snoring after the fall. I grabbed my Pokémon and ran across the unplowed streets and watched the light snowfall continue while waiting for cars to pass at every street. I arrived at the Veilstone Gym minutes later, still pumped, but slightly out of breath, and I entered inside. I walked into a large ring to find Maylene standing there, quickly eating something out of a cup. “Maylene?” I asked. Maylene started coughing and hacking. “You startled me Drew,” Maylene answered. “Are you here to challenge the gym leader?” I inquired. “You really don’t get it, do you?” Maylene retorted sarcastically. “I AM the Gym Leader.” “You don’t seem like one,” I replied. “You are…” “What, too young?” Maylene responded. “Not a chance. I am powerful, and I am ready to show you what Fighting types can do! We’ll use only one Pokémon.” “I’m fine with that,” I answered. “The Verdant League is tough,” Maylene called out. “But I’m tougher”
   Maylene sent out her Lucario. It looked like a dog with some stranger features. I decided to take the easy route and sent out Lapras. Lapras, though not able to move much, can definitely do some damage. I told Lapras to use Surf, and the field became blanketed in a thin layer of water since it was condensed from the atmosphere. Lucario used Close Combat, which did some damage to Lapras, but held out. Lucario’s defense and special defense fell in the process. Lapras was able to move a bit more freely, and after tricking Lucario a bit that an attack from the side was imminent; Lapras used a close Ice Beam to knock Lucario towards me, and freezing it in ice. Maylene had Lucario use Aura Sphere, which instantly broke the ice and a second sphere landed right on Lapras, hitting it with great power. Lapras definitely felt like one more hit and then that was it. Lucario came at us with a Force Palm, but Lapras moved her neck from Lucario’s projected point of contact and I told Lapras to use Psychic and Lucario was raised up off the ground and felt massive pain as Lapras moved it around and then threw it down into the gym floor and Lucario was knocked out.
   â€œYour Lapras must be quite strong to beat Lucario,” Maylene said returning Lucario to its Poké Ball, and I followed suit. “I knew you were a strong trainer when I saw you in Celadon City that day, even though you weren’t really sure about what you were doing.” “I was kind of clueless a bit when I was first starting out as a beginning trainer,” I responded. “Now, I just do what’s best for how I feel and tie Pokémon to that goal.” “I see…” Maylene paused for a moment to think. She shook her head and grabbed a badge from inside her bra. “I keep these close,” Maylene said. “People have been known to steal these things. I award you the Cobble Badge for my defeat. Take it with Honor.” “Thank you, Maylene,” I answered. I added it next to the Forest Badge from Gardenia.” “The road ahead is tough, especially for your next battle,” Maylene said. “Train here in Veilstone for a few days before you head down to your next destination. I know you will do great things, Drew.” “Thanks Maylene!” I said overjoyed. I gave her a hug, which she quickly shoved off, but smiled still and saw me off back into the snowy streets of Veilstone.
   On my way back to the Pokémon Center and possibly the still snoring Professor Araragi, I got a phone call from this mysterious person, instead of me having to call them. “Hello, Drew,” she said. “I just heard from Maylene that you swept her Lucario like it was just a Bidoof on Route 202.” “Well, it was a little harder than that,” I explained, going into detail about the battle. “Well, you must have had a close win then,” the woman replied. “Your love for Pokémon is coming in overwhelming power, whether you are aware of it or not.” “Really?” I asked. “I’m just living my life here.” “Maybe you might… hmmmmmmmmm…” the woman began to contemplate. “Maybe that’s it! Good Luck, Drew. I’ll see you soon.” She just hung up on me right when I was walking into the Pokémon Center. “Is she spying on me or something?” I thought to myself. I shook my head again and came in to one of the funniest sites I’ve seen on my travels. Munchlax managed to get out of its Poké ball, and has somehow obtained a marker. Munchlax was quite the artist, and his canvas was none other than the passed-out looking Professor Araragi. I couldn’t help laughing, which finally awoke Professor Araragi out of her slumber. “What?” Professor Araragi asked as if I was laughing at a monkey who flung his poop at an unsuspecting zoo visitor, who was one of the overly hygienic types.

==End Chapter 10==

Coming Soon: Chapter 11: Power like the Sun!

[SlowPokemon]

Hehehe, that was a good chapter.

I voted for Snowpoint because of Candice... '-_o

[DrP]

Well, that isn't the case... oh, it looks someone else voted 

Wasnt this one funnier than chapter 9, or was chapter 9 funnier?

[SlowPokemon]

Chapter ten! I'm gonna go write my own next chapter!

It's been too long! You may get a chapter later today!

[DrP]

I know! I'm catching up to you!!!

I just realized its the weekend. Seems like a tuesday or something. Don't forget to get a certain program this weekend!

[SlowPokemon]

Program?

[DrP]

check your email

[DrP]

The next installment of Steps to Simplicity ist auch!! I've added more "real-world" things and kinda mixed up some things a bit!

Chapter 11: Power like the Sun
   After healing Lapras from the gym battle, I decided to set out into Veilstone City to explore the city. I stocked up on some supplies at the Department Store. It was Free TM day in the store, so they kept on handing me all these TMs that I probably never would have used. I spent the entire day exploring the city and its environs, so I ventured out of the city into the hills, only to find trainers. People were surprised that a person who beat Maylene would be busy battling against others, but I just kept on saying that Maylene was a hard obstacle to overcome. They all challenged me to a battle after that, and Piplup constantly took out their Pokémon, and by the end, I should say that Prinplup, and Shinx was able to get a few punches in there and managed to evolve into a Luxio. It was a great day, coming back with two newly evolved Pokémon and discovering a quite impatient Professor Araragi pouting with her legs and arms crossed in the front lobby of the Pokémon Center. “What did I do?” I asked innocently. “You missed dinner,” Professor Araragi said quietly. “Well, I was out training. Piplup and Shinx evolved after knocking down seven trainers,” I explained myself. “THAT STILL DOESN’T GIVE YOU THE FREAKING REASON TO MISS FREAKING DINNER,” Professor Araragi erupted. “YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN I HAD SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO TELL YOU!” Everyone was looking at Professor Araragi now. “You know you have to not become attached to me whenever you want to eat something,” I said and stormed into the room and got on the computer.
   I told myself not go on a certain website that I was once addicted to. I sat in front of the computer with the browser displaying “Wikipedia” right in front of me, I clicked the URL bar and entered “facebook.com” into the bar and logged in. There in front of me showed a war zone. I had over 100 new notifications, mostly wall posts and pokes. Everyone was wondering where I was since I was alone. I also forgot to mention that I had a bunch of new friend requests, namely from Maylene, Erika, Professor Elm and Professor Oak. What was really funny, right when I accepted Professor Elm, BOOM, his little chat box came popping up. He asked me what I was doing and I responded plain and simple, “Get off your computer, Professor Elm. I believe your kitchen is on fire.” I wrote a nice note to all my friends living in Pallet Town, Viridian City and everyone back home, saying that I was now in Sinnoh and I promised a bunch of pictures. So now, I had to find a camera and start taking pictures of my travels. Pokémon Trainers don’t really focus on pictures and more on Pokémon, but I just want to be that guy who wants to catalog his journey and to make sure I can reflect on my memories twenty years in the future, since things only happen once.
   After going back out to escape Professor Araragi’s wrath to go to a nice restaurant for dinner and working with Munchlax to curb the eating habits like I did a few years back. Let’s just say it didn’t end well, but on the plus side, I get to buy a bigger backpack! I went out of the Veilstone South Gate and found a trainer who wanted to battle and Ponyta took the brunt of the battle and really worked hard. Munchlax just wandered off to find a berry tree during the battle and by the time I found him, only half of the tree didn’t have fruit. Maybe I actually got to Munchlax (or maybe the synthetic fibers that made up my backpack were wreaking havoc on his stomach)! I returned back to the Pokémon Center to find a passed out Professor Araragi with a couple of empty Wine and Tequila bottles on her bed. I went to sleep, laughing at what I just saw.
   Well, maybe I was either super tired or didn’t notice anything, but Professor Araragi made a huge mess with the contents of her suitcase. I had the nice pile of stuff from my backpack in the corner and I placed the pile on my bed and rushed out. I went to the Department Store, where I found a nice camera and backpack in the Trainer Apparel section. The instant I got back, the room was tidied up and my stuff was neatly laid out on my bed, Professor Araragi on her computer working endlessly trying to send an email. “You know, you have to access your email account first before you send it,” I told the professor. “I don’t know how to use this system, usually the email comes straight to my computer,” Professor Araragi answered. “But this isn’t your computer and it isn’t set up like it, I’m guessing,” I answered. I proceeded to open up a web browser and went to her email site, and I left again with my Pokémon. The sun was shining brighter today; the gray veil was lifted over the city. I decided to walk around. There was another casino type building like the one in Celadon, so I decided to head towards that part of the city. On my way towards that area, Maylene ran straight into me not looking where she was going, knocking me to the ground.
    “Oh, Drew, I am so sorry,” Maylene answered. “I was actually heading to the Pokémon Center to see you.” “You were?” I asked. “Yep,” Maylene replied. “I have a favor to ask of you. It seems one of my Pokémon had an egg and it finally hatched, and I can’t take care of a baby Pokémon, but since you’re travelling across Sinnoh, I thought it would be better to go with you.” “But, I am not sure if I can take it,” I answered. “Since I have restrictions on what Pokémon I can carry.” “I don’t think it should be a problem. You don’t have a Fighting type, correct?” Maylene asked. “No, I don’t,” I responded. “See, you should be fine.” Maylene said handing me a Poké ball. “And if you have 6 Pokémon, you can catch whatever you want, just as long as it is not in your party. Well, that’s what Cynthia said.” “Well, thanks Maylene!” I exclaimed. “I really have to go, but maybe I’ll see you again!” Maylene yelled as she took off heading for that casino place. I threw up the Poké ball and out came this tiny Pokémon. It looked like a fox, but it was blue. I opened my Pokédex and it said, “This is Riolu, the Emanation Pokémon. He has an Impish nature and knows the moves: Counter, Force Palm, Crunch and Drain Punch.” Riolu just sat there looking at me. “Well, it looks like Maylene wants me to take care of you,” I said. I picked up Riolu and walked him back to the Pokémon Center. Riolu was a bit shy at first, but he warmed up to me and kept on wanting to stand on my head. Professor Araragi smiled as I walked into the foyer of the Pokémon Center. “So this is the Riolu that Maylene was talking about. Well, aren’t you a cutie,” Professor Araragi said pulling his cheeks apart and making goo-goo noises at Riolu. “Professor, Riolu is a Pokémon, not a chubby baby,” I said. “Oh, right,” Professor Araragi said. “I do have good news. Get packed, because we leave for Lake Valor immediately, and then we should be able to reach Sunyshore City from there.” “Is that where my next gym battle is?” I asked. “No, duh,” Professor Araragi said. I ran into my room and shoved all my stuff into my pack and ran back outside, where we proceeded to get on our bikes and continued south out of Veilstone City.
   Riolu was riding in the basket, since Prinplup almost got stuck in the basket, and Prinplup took Luxio’s spot, because Luxio was just too heavy for the back, and Prinplup was a little heavier than Riolu, so it was kind of hard to get going after a rest stop. We continued for another seven hours, stopping every hour or so. Luckily for us, Route 214 was a steady decline into some lowlands with some hills. Lake Valor was in one of the larger valleys with a large resort resting atop the hills surrounding the lake. There were some larger villas and houses on the north side of the lake. People were enjoying the day, and were either sunbathing, out in the water or just having lunch in cafes along the lake. It reminded me of the French Riviera, but it was in a colder climate, yet it was usually warm for this time of year… when there was snow in Veilstone City, there was 70° weather just 100 miles south… yes, we spent 6 hours going south, but we were going almost 20 miles an hour, since the decline from Veilstone, which I learned was almost 4,000 feet above sea level. We stayed the night in a small villa overlooking the lake and I decided to go into the lake side to let Lapras out and Prinplup to have some fun in the water. I sat there sitting with Ponyta, Luxio, Munchlax and Riolu just talking to them and Luxio still slept on my lap, even though he weighed nearly 60 pounds.
Munchlax proceeded to search for berry tree, and managed to climb one and he nestled himself in the tree. I then discovered his place, tried to get him out, but I discovered shaking the tree jarred him from tree, making him land with a seismic THUD. An idea popped into my head, as did one in Munchlax’s. He discovered that when I shook the tree, it caused all the Pecha berries to fall off the tree, so now he can just shake the tree. My idea is that I might be able to teach Munchlax Earthquake, like I did with Blastoise. I took Munchlax to the top of the hill and I proceeded to instruct Munchlax how to make an earthquake. Munchlax was a bit different from Blastoise, he had to jump in the air and focus his energy on the ground, which worked after a few times, causing a small crack to from down the hill and when it hit the concrete sidewalk at the bottom of the hill, it caused a small, pointy upheaval in the ground, just missing Luxio. I tried to pick up Munchlax, but man was HE heavy. He probably weighed more than I did. I returned to the bottom of the hill, took some pictures of the area and of my Pokémon having fun and preceded back to the villa, where I found Professor Araragi sleeping in her lab coat and in a strange position, so I took a picture of her and went to bed.
The next morning, we were off on Route 222 and it was in major contrast to what landscapes I saw. There was the beach off to the right of us and some hills with pine trees to the left of us. Trainers kept stopping us, asking for me to battle, so it took us three hours to go the 20 miles we needed to go, but Munchlax put up some great fights, as well as Ponyta. I liked this route a bit, it felt calming because you had a beach, which meant relaxation and hills with trees, which can show quietness in certain instances, but right when we passed through the gatehouse into Sunyshore, and there was a big contrast from what we came from. The city was high tech, laden with solar panels and large walkways suspended over the city, connecting the tall hills of the city together. The city was extremely clean; there wasn’t any smog nor was there trash on the ground (which was alleviated by solar powered trash cleaning robots). We arrived at the Pokémon Center, a large building that looked like the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, but covered with solar panels. We walked inside, and a voice greeted us and directed us to the front desk, where three Nurse Joy worked. “Good Afternoon Professor and Drew, welcome to Sunyshore City.” the middle Nurse Joy said. “I am the head nurse here, and you can tell me apart by the Blue cross on my hat.” “Well, thank you,” Professor Araragi answered. “I can tell you apart from the others another way!” Nurse Joy blushed when she looked over at me.
She stood up and came out in front of the desk and then I saw it. Nurse Joy was a little fatter than the others. “So, how long do you have left?” Professor Araragi asked. “Almost a week left!” Nurse Joy said elated. “I’m training my replacement right now, and we have someone else to cover her job here, since Sunyshore only has one Pokémon Center, but we’re the largest in the country.” I just ignored what they were saying and asked one of the other Nurse Joy where the gym was, and left the Pokémon Center. I was planning on using Munchlax, and luckily for me, he didn’t incur any damage from the battling that I did with the last three trainers. I arrived at the gym, where the doors opened and greeted me like the Pokémon Center, except there were some large lounge chairs in the room and the gym told me to sit down. The moment I sat down was the moment the chair began to move forward into another room, which then took me on a short rollercoaster ride, and dropped me (literally) into a large gym. There was a battle going on, so I just sat to the side and waited. The challenger lost against the leader’s Raichu. He did use a Vaporeon, however, so I wouldn’t blame him. I walked down to the floor where the leader walked up to me. “Good Afternoon and welcome to the Sunyshore Gym. I am Volkner, the leader here. Do you have an appointment?” Volkner asked. “No,” I answered. “Well, I am sorry, but I am booked up for the next month for gym battles,” Volkner said. “You can make an appointment with the computer in the front lounge.” “You don’t understand, I’m here on special circumstances,” I answered. “Well, I would too if I was here to obtain my eighth badge, too,” Volkner said and proceeded to walk away. “I’m here challenging the Verdant League,” I called out. Volkner stopped in his tracks and turned around. “Then I accept your challenge,” he said.
“We’ll use two Pokémon for this battle,” Volkner said. He threw up a Poké ball, sending out a Luxio. I sent out Ponyta, just to get things going. Luxio started off with Thunder Fang, and Ponyta dodged it and used Stomp right where Luxio screeched to a halt. Luxio landed another quick Thunder Fang on Ponyta and Ponyta was able to escape its grasp after some time. Ponyta used Flamethrower and was countered by a Discharge attack. They neutralized each other, causing a large explosion. After the smoke cleared, Luxio came charging with a Headbutt attack, and Ponyta was able to torch Luxio as it came charging at Ponyta and it did deal some damage, but Luxio was so resilient that he followed through with the attack and knocked out Ponyta. I sent out Munchlax next, who was a secret weapon in a way. Volkner instructed Luxio to use Iron Tail, and Munchlax knocked him back with Zen Headbutt. Munchlax used Earthquake next, which caused some upheavals in the gym floor to hit Luxio after dodging the attack and thus made him faint. Volkner sent out Magneton next, and Volkner showed a devious smile. He didn’t know that Munchlax could use Flamethrower. Munchlax was able to start moving toward Magneton, who started using SonicBoom attacks, and Munchlax was able to push on, this meant taking a few hits. Once up close, Munchlax landed a nice Lick attack and then went for a double whammy with Flamethrower, much to the shock of Volkner, whose eyes were beginning to come out of his skull. Magneton used Charge Beam, and it hit Munchlax, but just powered through and knocked Magneton to the ground with a Flamethrower. Munchlax used Earthquake for one final blow and knocked out Magneton after that. Volkner just stood there, shocked that someone with my experience beat him.
“Well, congratulations Drew,” Volkner said. “It takes a lot to beat someone like me.” “Well, I definitely had a harder time than my battle with Maylene, which was pretty hard as it was,” I answered. “At least you aren’t the flaunting type if you win something, huh?” Volkner asked. “You can say that!” I answered. “Well, I would like to give you the Beacon Badge as proof of beating me,” Volkner said. “You can take this Thunderbolt TM with you, as you may need it sometime in the future.” Volkner handed me back my badge case with a shiny lighthouse looking badge added to the bottom of the triangle. “Your journeys may take you places that make you wonder about the significance, but I know you will continue forward through your journeys. Go forth; your next gym leader awaits you.” I went toward the entrance and by the time I reached the door to the hallway, Volkner was gone. The moment I got out, I called that strange woman. “Hello Mysterious Person, it’s Drew and I just shocked Volkner,” I said. “Well, congratulations Drew,” the woman said. “You know, your next battle may leave you with a chill down your spine, as she might leave you feeling cold if you don’t use the right tactics.” “Sounds like a challenge I am ready for,” I replied. “I think I have prepared myself for the worst.” I continued walking toward the Pokémon Center, making sure Riolu, who was walking with me didn’t do anything mischievous. “You know, Drew, this leader has some tricks up her sleeve,” the woman said. “Oh, I’ll be ready,” I answered. “I have some tricks I have been teaching my Pokémon to outsmart these leaders.” “Well, good luck to you Drew,” the woman said. “See you later!” and she hung up right after that.
I continued back to the Pokémon Center to find the entire place cleared out, except for a single Nurse Joy sitting there. “Oh, hello Drew,” Nurse Joy said. “I’m afraid the Professor had to step out with the head Nurse. She went into labor, so they went to the hospital on the other side of town.” “Oh, so THAT’S why she was fat,” I thought to myself. “Well, tell the Professor I will be out on Route 222 practicing,” I said and I left with my bike. I wanted to train Riolu and Lapras a little bit, even though Lapras was at a higher level than any of my Pokémon. I went into the woods and saw some many Pokémon, namely a Glameow and a Stunky who followed me around while I found some trainers to battle with. Riolu did a great job with his first few battles, really getting into it, down and dirty. His speed was impeccable and he was able to Force Palm his way to greatness against a Bibarel, a Staravia and a Girafarig (well, he had to use Crunch at times there). Once I left the woods, I sat down on a tree stump to eat lunch and the Glameow and Stunky were still there. “Do you want food?” I asked. I threw some food over to them, but they just ignored it, so I had Munchlax clean it up. Riolu could since what they wanted and hugged my leg as some sort of sign. “Were you abandoned?” I asked. They stepped closer to Riolu and I, while Munchlax tested his new idea of shaking a tree for berries, except a wild Burmy fell on his head. I brought Glameow and Stunky close to me. “I wish I could care for you, but my party is already full. If I just caught you, you would be sent back to my hometown in Kanto, a place far from here, where you would be on the Professor’s Ranch,” I explained. They came up even closer and cuddled in on my lap. Somehow these Pokémon were abandoned and felt distraught, so I decided to call the one person who would know what to do.
“Hello, Professor Oak,” I said speaking into my Poké Gear. “It’s Drew.” “Why hello Drew,” Professor Oak said. “How are your journeys in Sinnoh?” “They have been great,” I answered. “I just beat Volkner, so I have two badges left and then it’s off to Merin.” “Well, congratulations,” Professor Oak said. “Well, I am not calling just for chit-chat,” I explained. “I have a dilemma here. I was on Route 222 having some training sessions and a Glameow and Stunky followed me around. They seem distraught about something, and they have seemed to be abandoned. They are somehow finding security in me, and I told them they can’t travel with me, yet they still want to stay close.” “Well, that certainly is a dilemma,” Professor Oak responded. “They can sense the compassion coming from the Pokémon beside you and how you act with them. Go on and capture them, and they will have a great time here.” “They’re here right now,” I said. I showed Professor Oak to them. “I’ll catch you guys and you can stay with my friend, here and then I can come and visit you when I am back in Kanto. Who knows, you might be able to stay with my Skitty and Growlithe at home.” They smiled. “I’ll get them over immediately. I’ll call once I am in Merin and see how they’re doing.” “Have fun with your last two battles, Drew. Good Luck!” Professor Oak said and hung up. “Have fun with Professor Oak, guys. See you soon,” I yelled. I threw Poké balls at them and they were captured instantly. Right after they were caught, the entire ball began to glow and then it disappeared in a ray of light pointing to the sky. Professor Oak sent me an email saying that he got them and I walked with Munchlax and Riolu back to Sunyshore City.

==End Chapter 11==

Chapter 12 is coming fast (and it should be done before I leave on the 12th... haha)
Coming Soon: Chapter 12: Fleeting Chills and Snow

[SlowPokemon]

Still good, man!

I should write the next chapter of TWTGO. It's not like I don't have time.

[DrP]

Is there anything you like???

Oh, and I will make a special "formatted" word doc, and I can post it here so you guys can "keep" it handy!

[SlowPokemon]

BTW I voted for Snowpoint again.

[DrP]

My lips are sealed! And I may have had a giveaway on another thread... whoops!

Anyways, do you have a favorite chapter??? or a favorite line perhaps?

[DrP]

Well, this is my most eclectic chapter. I love it, and it just keeps on flowing out of me like the Ganges is coming out of the head of that one god I can't name off the top of my head. This part of the story is definitely much better than some Kanto journeys, and what's to come will be even better.

This chapter does have French written in it, so if you see a Footnote marker, e.g. [1], then check the footnotes for a translation, and the translated parts are italicized!

This story has also surpassed my novel by two pages... I should get working on that (and I will be releasing the first chapter of that story here!)

Jouissez mon sang et ma sueur... haha!
Chapter 12: Fleeting Chills and Snow
   I biked my way back into the city and crashed into someone on their bike as I passed right through the gate house. “Oh, I am so sorry,” I said to the girl I crashed into. She had wavy blonde hair and blue eyes, looking kind of like Uma Thurman a bit. “Oh, it wasn’t your fault,” the woman said. “I wasn’t watching where I was going.” “Are you heading to the Pokémon Center?” I asked. “As a matter of fact, yes,” the woman replied. “I am Anastasia, by the way.” “I am Drew,” I answered. “What brings you here to Sunyshore?” “I am studying Volkner’s works with the solar panels and I hope to implement them in my town. What brings you here?” “I was just in a gym battle with Volkner,” I answered. “I won, too.” “Well, congratulations,” Anastasia said. “You must be a powerful trainer to beat Volkner. Is this Riolu yours?” “Yes,” I responded. “Maylene, the gym leader from Veilstone City wants me to raise him.” “Oh, that is lovely,” Anastasia exclaimed. “So, I’m guessing you’re going to be leaving soon, since you are heading to the Pokémon League soon.” “Actually, I really don’t know where I am to go next,” I said. “I am travelling with Professor Araragi, and we’re doing something a little different than the normal path. I just have to follow her.” “Ah, I see,” Anastasia said, right when we arrived at the Pokémon Center. “I was just in a heated Pokémon battle with Flint of the Sinnoh Elite Four. He was really tough, but I really didn’t fare well in the end.” “I’ll bet,” I said. “No offense at all. He IS an Elite Four member.” “True,” Anastasia answered. “He wouldn’t stand up to Parker, though. I am afraid we must part ways here, as I have some stuff to take care of. If you’re ever in Sonata Town, give me a ring!” She handed me a card and left. “Now that is a strange telephone area code. I have never seen that before,” I thought to myself.
 I walked to the front desk to find two Nurse Joy sitting there. “Is Professor Araragi back yet?” I asked. “Yes, she is in the conference room upstairs,” the new head nurse said. “Ok, thanks!” I said and I began to walk away but I came back. “Do any of you happen to know what part of the country this area code is from?” “Well, I don’t recognize it,” the head nurse said. “Oh, I know this one. It is for northeast Merin, Sonata Island and Apricot Island,” the other nurse said. “Well, thank you Nurse Joys,” I answered with a laugh. I proceeded upstairs to find Professor Araragi talking to Cynthia on the video conference phone. I walked in. “…well, I really don’t know Cynthia, that really affects the schedule,” Professor Araragi said. “Well, it looks like we have a visitor,” Cynthia said. “I must go.” The screen turned off and Professor Araragi looked at me. “Welcome back, Drew,” Professor Araragi said. “Well, the head nurse had her baby, just a bit early though. We do have a great day tomorrow, extremely busy and your next challenge will be tomorrow evening.” “Is it really that soon?” I asked. “I don’t think there are any towns close to here that have gyms.” “We are taking a plane from the Valor Lakefront,” Professor Araragi said. “Unfortunately, we have to switch the leaders, since one is leaving for France in three days, so instead of facing her last, we have to face her next.” “And how will I be inducted into the Hall of Fame from the final gym?” I asked. “Well, we will fly you back to Hearthome City and then we’ll fly back to where the final gym is, and our boat leaves from there.” “So we’re going to Hearthome City next?” I asked. “Precisely,” Professor Araragi answered. “So, what were you doing on Route 222?” “Well,” I began to explain. “I wanted to work with Riolu and then I found these two abandoned Pokémon that became attached to me, so I caught them and they were sent to Professor Oak.” “Well, you did a good thing,” Professor Araragi said. “I was going to work with Lapras and Prinplup a bit more, but I just had to get back here,” I responded. “Well, you would have been out late,” Professor Araragi said. “Our flight leaves at 1PM from the Valor Lakefront, so we are leaving here at 8AM and you’ll be able to train on the beach for an hour on Route 222.” “That sounds like a good plan to me!” I exclaimed.
*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *
   The day was just lovely. I was practicing with Lapras and Prinplup, helping them get a little stronger for the gym battles ahead, and Prinplup has really gotten strong. She now knew Waterfall, Surf, Brine and with the help of Lapras, Ice Beam. Lapras learned Waterfall from Prinplup, replacing Water Pulse. It was the perfect day for this training session, there was a light sea breeze coming off the water and it felt like a great day to go sailing, so I sat on Lapras and did some target practice with Prinplup out in the water, and we accidently froze a Carvanha in one instance. After spending almost two hours, we had to rush off to the small little airport on top of one of the bigger hills at Lake Valor. We just had to fly over some small mountain ranges and arrive in Hearthome City almost 30 minutes later. It would have been faster if we could take a train, but Sinnoh’s train system is still in development. Luckily for me, Merin has the best transportation system in the country, but I still want to travel across it by bike (and I’ll finally be away from Professor Araragi, too). On my way to the airport, I took loads of pictures, including one where a Chatot was just singing on a tree branch.  Once we got into the air, I began taking tons of pictures since the view was stunning. You could see the snow laden peaks of the mountains in Center Sinnoh, you can see the little Chimchar knocking coconuts off some trees a on the other side and you could see Pastoria City and the Great Marsh, in all its swamps surrounding the area. The reason why it takes almost 40 minutes to get to Hearthome was that we had to head south so we could land heading north, since a plane always lands into the wind, so they can gather more drag than lift (two forces that keep a plane in the air). The Hearthome Airport was located 10 miles southwest of Solaceon Town, and normal Pokémon trainers aren’t allowed access to the town from the airport, they have to go down into Hearthome and go around. On our way into the City, we passed a large park called “Amity Square”, a place where trainers just take a leisure day with their Pokémon, but only certain Pokémon are allowed in, so as not to disrupt everyone’s day.
   Hearthome City is the site of the largest Pokémon Contest in the region (minus the Grand Festival), where they give out four ribbons to the top four contestants, and the winner’s ribbon is valid throughout the Republic. Hearthome is also the richest city per-capita in the country (the reason for Amity Square letting in only “cute” Pokémon) and the cheapest house in Hearthome is 1.7 million dollars (or 12 million PokéFrancs), and not to mention the city is clean from dirt since the city only allows upscale boutiques and stores that have exclusive membership. Not to mention, Hearthome is the center of the religious community in the country, holding the Hearthome Cathedral, the home of the Cardinal Bishop of the Verdant Republic. After navigating the roads (which were smoothed over cobblestone), we arrived at the Pokémon Center. It was extremely modern. It was in a large plaza and there stood a large glass cylinder in the air and you walked into the cylinder and it was a large elevator that took you below, and then you walked on a moving walkway for about 200 feet and then you got on another glass plate, which took you to another building, but this time, the front area was surrounded by glass windows and there were gardens outside filled with topiaries and flowers, manicured to appease the eye. There was a large fountain in the center of the foyer, and all I could do was snap photos. I later found out that this building was on a large plot of land with a nice wall surrounding the plot. At the front desk, Professor Araragi got the room key, and when we walked behind the desk and went through some doors, the interior décor changed from Modern to French Château, where the walls were decorated with ornate moldings, paneled with wood floors and exquisite chandeliers and Romantic paintings. We walked up some marble stairs to reach the second floor, where windows had velvet drapes adorning their sides and plush red carpet runners lining the halls, and when we arrived at our room, the décor changed back to the front hall. This time, we had plain white walls with glass objects hanging from the walls and a black tile floor. The beds were suspended on fancy black wood and computer was a fancy looking iMac, blending in with the rest of the décor. You could look out into the city, and see the entrance to the Pokémon Center, surrounded by the concrete plaza and small shrubs. I took it all in, took some more pictures and posted them on Facebook.
After I enjoyed a nice dinner of [1] Salmon en croûte avec de la poire, des champignons et du Gorgonzola, finished with une tarte aux framboises Bavière, I set out to find the Hearthome Gym. I took walked across the town and found the Gym in the Northeast of the City, next to this fancy wine and cheese shop, and across the street from this Boulangerie that supposedly sold the best bread in all of Sinnoh. I walked in to the gym to find it dark, like a medieval dungeon, with stone walls laden with large torches instead of sconces. I walked down the hall and entered a small arena, where an elegant woman in a purple dress stood painting something.[2] “Bienvenu, monsieur Drew. I am Fantina, la championne d’arène of Hearthome City,” Fantina said. “J’ai été en attente pour toi!” “Well, I am ready for this battle, Fantina,” I said. “Quand vous êtes prête!” “Allons-y!” Fantina said. “Nous allons utiliser trois Pokémon. Je commencerai la bataille !”
Fantina sent out Gengar first, and I began with Lapras to start things off to be nice and easy. Fantina just laughed and told Gengar to use Shadow Claw. I told Lapras to make a large wall in front of the charging Gengar, and Gengar managed to make it around the block and land the attack. Now that Gengar was up close, Lapras used Surf to send Gengar into the ice wall. When Gengar stood back up, I had Lapras use Waterfall, which sent Gengar flying upward and it landed behind Lapras where it was able to use a Shadow Ball attack, which was a critical hit. Lapras, now weakened a bit more, used Psychic to deliver the final blow to Gengar. Fantina stood on her side of the field in thought and then sent out Drifblim. She had Drifblim start out with Ominous Wind, which enveloped Lapras with a strange looking veil, and hit it several times. I had Lapras use Psychic to move it around, and even though it did some little damage, Drifblim came back with another Ominous Wind, knocking out Lapras. I took the cheap way and sent out Luxio next. Luxio landed a nice Crunch attack on Drifblim and caused it to flinch, while Luxio came back with a Spark attack. Drifblim used Night Shade on Luxio, causing Luxio to lose sight of Drifblim. Luxio waited and felt Drifblim’s presence around it, and I had Luxio use Night Slash once he picked up Drifblim, landing a critical attack and knocking it to the ground unconscious. Fantina sent out her final Pokémon and secret weapon, Mismagius. Luxio started off landing Crunch attacks and missing a few, but Mismagius took some damage from that right from the start. Mismagius used a powerful Magical Leaf followed instantly by a powerful Psybeam, almost knocking out Luxio. Luxio was able to put in a critical Night Slash, but was knocked out by a critical Shadow Ball. I thought I wasn’t going to win, so I sent out Riolu. Fantina just laughed at what she thought was stupidity. She even told me I can switch out to another Pokémon, which I declined. Riolu was fast, and was able to dodge all of the Shadow Balls that came at him, except for the last one which threw him against the wall. Mismagius came back with a Psybeam, which really weakened Riolu, but Riolu was tough and we really worked on some moves. Riolu ran up close to Mismagius, dodging the Magical Leaf attack coming at him, jumped and landed a super-critical Crunch, knocking Mismagius to the ground in defeat. Fantina couldn’t believe her eyes.
“You have trained your Riolu well, non?” Fantina spoke in her ever eccentric French accent. “Riolu and I have trained long and hard for a battle like this, and when the going was tough, we pulled through!” I explained.[3] “Riolu t’aime, et il connaît que tu soignes tes Pokémon avec l’égard et soins de véritable,” Fantina assured me. “Notre bataille étions superbe, et quand je retourne de France, nous avons besoin d’autre bataille !” “Je la voudrais, mademoiselle,” I responded. “Chaque championne d’arène j’affronte, je trouve il ne cesse de plus en plus difficile. “Well, you must be hungry,” Fantina said. “Je connais cette belle patisserie, près de nous!” “Well, I think you have forgotten something,” I pointed out. Fantina held a blank stare for a few seconds. “Oh, right,” Fantina said. “I present you the Relic Badge for winning here. Usually from here, you would be inducted into the Sinnoh Verdant Hall of Fame, but Cynthia made an exception because of me. Come, let’s go!” Fantina and I left the gym, talking about our travels and we arrived at this tiny little café that made great pastries that overlooked Amity Square.
We continued to have a nice time until I got a phone call from the mysterious woman. “You faced Fantina?” the woman asked. “There was a mix up in some plans,” I answered. “Well, still heed my advice for the next battle. It will surely be a big one. Congratulations on taking down Fantina, she is always one step ahead of her opponents and acts with grace on the battlefield and contest stage.” “I know, she’s great,” I answered. “She took me out for pastries. At least she isn’t the stalker type like Erika.” The woman asked me to give the phone to Fantina and they had a conversation in a language that sounded like German, but I couldn’t make it out. I got my phone back and the woman told me, “Things are going to get a bit easier for you soon. Don’t forget to bring a coat.” She hung up and I thought, “Why would I need a coat?” Fantina and I talked over some Napoleon Tortes with a delicious Lemon cream and fruit, not to mention the lattés were fantastic, too. Every corner here in Hearthome had a Starbucks shop, but Fantina said that Hearthome has some of the best coffee places in the world. She called it “La Pétite France”. We walked back to the large glass cylinder; she gave me her number and walked into back to her gym.
I arrived in the château looking room, to find Professor Araragi deep in thought and surrounded by books, papers and a very mischievous looking Munchlax (who I had no idea I left behind. I crept up behind the Professor and said. “Professor Araragi!” I exclaimed. She nearly had a heart attack and knocked down two large piles of papers. “Well, you’re back early,” Professor Araragi said. “I had some pastries with Fantina after our battle,” I answered helping the Professor pick up some papers. “She is always a doll like that,” Professor Araragi joked. “Fantina is a woman of class, and she knows when something is good.” “Well, thanks,” I answered and headed to the room and enjoyed a long needed rest.
I woke up to no surprises from Professor Araragi for once. Riolu was sleeping at the food of my bed and Munchlax was so contently sleeping on the couch, and you could tell where he slept since he was causing a dent in the cushion. It was a nice 8 AM, and the sun was shining brightly over “La Pétite France”; there were flocks of Starly in the air and various women were being dragged by their Snubbull after they spotted “their” fire hydrant. I returned Munchlax to his Poké ball, woke up Riolu, and got ready for the day. I walked to the dining area where Professor Araragi was sipping coffee and reading the morning news in the paper. “Good Morning Professor!” I said cheerfully. “Well Good Morning to you too, Drew!” Professor Araragi said. “We have a busy schedule today. We leave for the airport for your final gym battle in a little over an hour.” “The next gym isn’t close?” I asked. “We couldn’t reach it by foot. It would take over a week,” Professor Araragi said. “I should also add that Route 216 and Route 217 have been experiencing heavy blizzards and some trails have been snowed in. We’re going to leave our bikes here at the Pokémon Center, and go up to Snowpoint City for the day.” “So we are going to Snowpoint City then?” I inquired. “Yes, now go get packed!” Professor Araragi snapped at my remark.
Once we were back over Sinnoh, I was snapping pictures of our northbound journey to the white wonderland of Snowpoint City. We were able to see the large clearings in the masses of trees that once made up Route 217 and then the larger lake Acuity to the left once we were heading northeast and I snapped pictures of Snowpoint City, a city that was undisturbed on many levels (and one of them actually ended up being the main picture on Wikipedia) and we touched down in the winter paradise a few minutes before noon. To save from the frigid temperatures, we went by car into the city; no wonder that mysterious woman told me to wear a coat
==End Chapter 12==
Coming Soon: Chapter 13 - Golden Ambers (named after the Beatles song "Golden Slumbers")
Footnotes
[1]This is a dish: Salmon wrapped in a light crust, served with pears, mushrooms and Gorgonzola, and it was finished with a Raspberry Bavarian cake (which is a Raspberry Custard and vanilla cake)
[2]“Welcome, Mister Drew. I am Fantina, the gym leader of Hearthome City,” Fantina said. “I have been waiting” “Well, I am ready for this battle, Fantina,” I said. “Whenever you are ready!” “Let's Go!” Fantina said. “We will use three Pokémon. I will begin the battle, now!”
[3] “Riolu loves you, and he knows that you treat your Pokémon with respect and with the utmost of care,” Fantina assured me. “Our battle was fantastic, and when I return from Frace, We need to have another battle!” “I would like that, mademoiselle,” I responded. “Each gym leader I face, i find that it keeps getting increasingly difficult. “Well, you must be hungry,” Fantina said. “I know of this beautiful little pâtisserie, and it's really close to us!”