It was so boring... (Training)

[Asuka]

It was so boring...

Life as an only child can be lonely- that's something a lot of children overlook when they wish more than anything that they didn't have the siblings they were stuck with. Certainly, there's one or two fewer mouths to feed; one or two less for your parents to pay attention to... But what happens if you're an only child- and you still don't get any attention? In the end- at least if you had one or two siblings- there would have been somebody or something to talk to ... Other than your mirror. Asuka had something to pass the time with; her best friend, no less. But in her eyes, why did she have to stick around in a place that she wasn't happy in, when she could go out and live her life with her best friend by her side? She had the potential to be something great, be someone famous and powerful; so why in the hell would she put up with sticking around with her annoying step mother, and her nonexistent father?

Soft layers of messy black hair brushed against her smooth, pale face as she rushed into his arms. "Welcome home." She said softly, smiling widely as she stared into his striking obsidian eyes- that seemed to delve into the very depths of her soul. Her heart skipped a beat, due to her anxiety more so than her ecstasy. "Asuka!" He grinned, flashing her his pearly whites before pulling her into a bear hug and lifting her off of her feet. With a small squeak of surprise and a bit of playful struggling, he set her down again, before stepping back to get a better look at her. "You've grown." The aging man said, hints of surprise betraying his altogether calm demeanor. "Really now? You've only been gone for two weeks, dad." The girl responded, rolling her eyes, her shaky voice betraying her apparent put together demeanor.

"You want a drink?" She suggested fondly, before gesturing to one of the living room's chairs. He groaned appreciatively before settling down on the softest of them all- sinking into it's cushioning. Asuka lingered in the kitchen for a moment to pour some coffee, the scent itself would surely relieve him of some of the stress and fatigue he might have worked up. Her father was a serious workaholic; if he ever managed to come home early enough for his child and wife to notice him, he would lock himself in his 'office', drowning himself in paper and ink. Although it wasn't quite so much of an 'office', as it was a closet. Tiny little room; perhaps he thought it would make work easier if everything was less than an arm's reach away. At any rate, this was one of her few chances to actually talk to him. Hopefull he wouldn't knock out the moment she started talking about it ...

"Dad, I need to ask you about something ..." The man chuckled, voice throaty and words slurred as he leans over to take another sip of liquid caffeine. "You might want to start talkin' now, before I fall asleep." It would be understandable if he did -- but the girl knew full well that the day after, he would be busy with work once again, and completely unable to pay any attention to her whatsoever. So, she rushed into it head on -- "I want to leave home." The words slipped out, causing her father's eyes to widen as he choked on his coffee. Sputtering, he held his chest as he coughed hysterically, trying to catch his breath. Drifloon floated behind him, patting the man's back forcefully with his tentacle thing. "W-what the hell is that supposed to mean!?" Her father, Matsuda, inquired. Of course he wouldn't understand what she meant; she left out the most important detail... Her lips parted as she began to explain.

* * *

"Drifloon!" Asuka chuckled as the dual ghost slash flying type pokemon bounced up and down in her hand. The creature in question is constantly under the effects of it's signature move; minimize. Only during situations in which his person, Asuka, is in danger does he revert to his original but unsatisfactory size. The reason, was primarily because he was just plain shy. That, and it was because of this that he could stay by the girl's side even in those areas where pokemon weren't allowed. He always had to keep the naive girl under close watch; knowing all too well that she would somehow, some way, get herself into to trouble -- no matter the situation or the company that she kept, save himself. Unfortunately, he didn't consider himself strong enough for her at that moment in time: at least, not yet.

After the teenager decided for sure that she pined to acquire an official pokemon trainer's certificate, get a trainer card, and challenge all of the gyms so as to eventually reach the elite four and hopefully become the champion of her time; Drifloon knew full well that the two of them would be facing many hard ships. His attitude had no outward changes, but on the inside his own resolve to become stronger for his person reached it's peak. "Daddy, why can't I go tomorrow!?" Asuka whined, her bare feet slapping against the kitchen floor as she stomped over to her father. She wore a loose fitting purple sweater, with a bright yellow tank top underneath, and tight black skinny jeans. Drifloon followed, still wearing his usual look of indifference. He came to a halt as she did; floating ominously over her shoulder, staring at the very man who caught him as a baby. It had already been a fer years since that day.

"Asuka, we went over this yesterday ..." The somewhat elderly man said, his voice hoarse and tired. He sighed, leaning over and onto the counter, his index finger and thumb fitted around his coffee mug's handle. A moment later, she would be sitting across from him, on the couch. The poor man looked as if he could fall asleep at any moment- and although she wished it wasn't so, she also acknowledged the fact that he had been traveling nonstop for the last few days, simply to visit his family. Still, she couldn't help but feel selfish in this situation. It wasn't her fault that he was always off on business trips, after all. He had returned the night before from his last -- but she didn't manage to talk to him for very long before he pretty much knocked out on the couch that she was sitting on at that very moment.

Matsuda's eyes lowered, as he crossed his arms before his chest. "Come on, give us some time to adjust - okay!?" His voice was irritated, as his daughter was certainly the more stubborn of types: especially compared to himself as well as his second wife. But, he was sure of himself in this case; that he would definitely, absolutely not lose this time. He spoiled her too much -- usually to just make up for all of the seconds that he missed as she grew up. He was a busy man; he couldn't help it ... But, he knew that in her eyes he had pretty much abandoned her. "I told mom a few days ago." The man's eyes widened; he hadn't heard that little detail. His wife was still asleep upstairs ... He never got the chance to speak with her about it all. "She said it was alright by her. It took some convincing, though." Asuka explained calmly, leaning back in the cushioning.

His eyes narrowed; his wife never was the best when it came to standing firm. Quite a pushover, actually ... Especially when it came to his bold and unforgiving daughter; Asuka. He pressed the tips of his fingers together, exhaling, his mustache shifting slightly with his breath. "... Two days, at least." He said, slapping his forehead as he realized that he had no good reason to keep her locked up all her life. He should have known this would have happened eventually. Very rarely to children with Asuka's type of personality manage to keep themselves from getting into pokemon battles. Having had Drifloon for his long: he was surprised that she managed to do so for this long. Asuka squealed with happiness, slapping her hands together as she hopped up from her seat.

'I'm gonna become the champion and get famous and shit! Now that my dad won't be on my back anymore -- I can do whatever I want ... Sweeet!' Asuka cackled inwardly, satisified with the results of this small but important discussion. She honestly hadn't expected it to be that easy, and could only hope that her daddy wasn't being an asshole and just telling her what she wanted to hear now, only to change his mind later. Fortunately she didn't have to worry about her mom try to change anything. "Are you sure you want to do this? I traveled on my own for four years- and trust me, it's not all that." He was clearly in denial; there's no way his little girl would want to go live on her own ...

Then again, he didn't know her that well -- and she wouldn't really be alone. Quite the contrary, actually. "Dad, would I really be this serious about it if I wasn't?" The man couldn't help but roll his eyes; he knew his daughter well enough that he knew what she was like. She would nag him endlessly, so long as it meant that she got what she initially wanted in the end. Hell, she might even come back in a few days crying at the front door. Hopefully that's how things would go down, but he also knew her to be far to proud to do anything of the sort. He pretty much just plain had to accept that the girl wouldn't be coming home for quite a while, until she was completely satisfied.

Giving her daddy a quick peck on the cheek -- she rushed upstairs to pack. Tomorrow would be her last day with her family, and then the day after she would immediately travel to Ventus Town to visit the infamous professor Akane. There she would get her official forms and whatever, as well as acquire her starter package ... And at that point, she would begin to train Drifloon seriously. Drifloon's eyes remained blank; vacant, as he followed his person back to her room. His resolve was stronger than ever now that the two of them got the parents' approval ... It would be up to him to protect the girl from now on. "Drifloon -- can you hand me my scarf?" Asuka grinned. Better to pack for all sorts of weather. Just in case ... Since she would probably visit Fubuki Path at some point in time, as well as Zenitha Canyon. Her heart was beating violently; it was so damn exciting! Drifloon's eyes narrowed. His resolve would make him stronger; that much was certain.

______________________

Words: About 1850
Results: +3 Levels for Drifloon, learned Astonish.

[Lunus]

Accepted (fine or whatever)