ocean [1/1]
there's a storm blowing in. [volkner/jasmine]
pokemon; gen; pg; 500 words
“You’re here a lot, aren’t you?”
She turns, startled, to find a young man with a shock of light blond hair standing a few feet away from her. His blue eyes are flat and uninterested as he regards her, and a cigarette hangs casually from the corner of his lips.
Jasmine shivers, and blames it on the wind.
“Ah, umm… Yes. My city back home has a beach and a lighthouse much like this one, s-so…”
He stares at her for a long moment, grey smoke curling around him.
“So you’re homesick, huh?” he says finally. “Well, whatever. The tide’s gonna come in soon, though, so I’d suggest finding another place to stand. Unless you want to get swept away, that is.”
He drops his cigarette and grinds it into the sand with the heel of his shoe. As he turns to walk away, back up the grassy dunes to the city, she calls out to him.
“W-wait! Umm… what’s your name?” She’s blushing profusely, though she’s not entirely sure why.
He doesn’t even glance over his shoulder, and his muffled reply drifts back to her, almost snatched away by the ocean gusts. “You should know that already. For a Gym Leader, you sure are out of the loop.”
Jasmine blinks in surprise and opens her mouth to say something, but he’s already gone, vanished over the crest of the dune.
--
"Still here, huh?"
This time she's ready for him, and spins around with a triumphant grin on her face. "Volkner!" she exclaims, jabbing a finger in his direction. "That's your name!"
He raises a bemused eyebrow, and she feels her face flush red once more.
"I-I mean, uhh..."
"It's fine," he says, with a hint of a smile. "Haven't had someone that excited to see me in a long while."
They stand together in silence for many a minute, gazing out at the choppy, white-capped waves in the distance. The clouds are gathering along the horizon like a bruise, casting the sky in a shade of sickly purplish green. Today the wind is not as bitter, instead settling for an uneasy breeze that stirs the grass on the dunes and curls its fingers through her hair.
“There’s going to be a storm,” she says suddenly, breaking the watchful quiet.
His eyes slide towards her. “You’re sure about that?”
Jasmine nods, recognizing the beginnings of a tempest in the chaotic movement of the waves. “A big one,” she continues. “It may cause some severe damage to the city.”
At this, Volkner laughs, an astonishing sound for more reasons than one. “Well, the power’s already out anyhow,” he says, and lights another cigarette. When Jasmine looks at him curiously, he shakes his head. “That’s a story for another time. For now, let’s get inside - I’m not exactly in the mood to get blown away or struck by lightning at the moment.”
He takes her by the hand and leads her to the gym, where they close the windows, lock the doors, and wait by candlelight for the storm to pass.
Sunyshore isn't home, she thinks, as the wind howls around them and rain like bullets pelts the roof. But she glances over at Volkner in the semi-darkness and thinks that maybe, just maybe, she might enjoy her time here after all.
pokemon; gen; pg; 500 words
“You’re here a lot, aren’t you?”
She turns, startled, to find a young man with a shock of light blond hair standing a few feet away from her. His blue eyes are flat and uninterested as he regards her, and a cigarette hangs casually from the corner of his lips.
Jasmine shivers, and blames it on the wind.
“Ah, umm… Yes. My city back home has a beach and a lighthouse much like this one, s-so…”
He stares at her for a long moment, grey smoke curling around him.
“So you’re homesick, huh?” he says finally. “Well, whatever. The tide’s gonna come in soon, though, so I’d suggest finding another place to stand. Unless you want to get swept away, that is.”
He drops his cigarette and grinds it into the sand with the heel of his shoe. As he turns to walk away, back up the grassy dunes to the city, she calls out to him.
“W-wait! Umm… what’s your name?” She’s blushing profusely, though she’s not entirely sure why.
He doesn’t even glance over his shoulder, and his muffled reply drifts back to her, almost snatched away by the ocean gusts. “You should know that already. For a Gym Leader, you sure are out of the loop.”
Jasmine blinks in surprise and opens her mouth to say something, but he’s already gone, vanished over the crest of the dune.
--
"Still here, huh?"
This time she's ready for him, and spins around with a triumphant grin on her face. "Volkner!" she exclaims, jabbing a finger in his direction. "That's your name!"
He raises a bemused eyebrow, and she feels her face flush red once more.
"I-I mean, uhh..."
"It's fine," he says, with a hint of a smile. "Haven't had someone that excited to see me in a long while."
They stand together in silence for many a minute, gazing out at the choppy, white-capped waves in the distance. The clouds are gathering along the horizon like a bruise, casting the sky in a shade of sickly purplish green. Today the wind is not as bitter, instead settling for an uneasy breeze that stirs the grass on the dunes and curls its fingers through her hair.
“There’s going to be a storm,” she says suddenly, breaking the watchful quiet.
His eyes slide towards her. “You’re sure about that?”
Jasmine nods, recognizing the beginnings of a tempest in the chaotic movement of the waves. “A big one,” she continues. “It may cause some severe damage to the city.”
At this, Volkner laughs, an astonishing sound for more reasons than one. “Well, the power’s already out anyhow,” he says, and lights another cigarette. When Jasmine looks at him curiously, he shakes his head. “That’s a story for another time. For now, let’s get inside - I’m not exactly in the mood to get blown away or struck by lightning at the moment.”
He takes her by the hand and leads her to the gym, where they close the windows, lock the doors, and wait by candlelight for the storm to pass.
Sunyshore isn't home, she thinks, as the wind howls around them and rain like bullets pelts the roof. But she glances over at Volkner in the semi-darkness and thinks that maybe, just maybe, she might enjoy her time here after all.