Chapter 2: Snow Covered Beginnings
Ceailean quickly turns the corner to see that the bus was already at the bus stop, letting in the last of the people. He walked the rest of the way as the bus driver was facing him, his breath visible from the cold air.
“Have a slow start today, kid?” asked the bus driver.
“I just didn’t check the time.” answered Ceailean as he entered the bus.
“Ah well, it happens to the best of us.” replied the bus driver.
Ceailean heads towards the back of the half full bus and the bus driver closes the door behind. He picks the seat he always chooses in the very back and sits down, leaning his head on the window. It began to fog up since he is still tired from running. Looking beyond that though, he looked at his hometown of Snowbelle City. He remembered when he first arrived there was still dirt roads and had assorted housing for its residents. Over time he watched it grow into a thriving community with more housing, shops, and paved roads.
The one thing that never changed was the snow. Throughout his 5 year stay at Snowbelle, snow has always been present on the ground. For all the days it wasn’t snowing, the sun shines brightly upon the ground creating beautiful patches of glowing snow. To Ceailean, it seemed to be straight out of a fairy tale. He could never get tired of seeing this town during the day.
Ceailean’s eyes focused upon his reflection on the window and noticed that his beanie and hair was covered with specks of snow. He quickly sweeps it off as the bus pulls into the second stop. Ceailean eyes the line as the second group of people get onto the bus until he spots his friend.
Ceailean called out, “Hey, Marie.” waving his hand just barely over the seat. Marie was just about the same height as Ceailean. Her blonde curly hair fell behind her back and laser blue eyes made it obvious what they focused on. She wore a plain gray t-shirt under her black coat and wore a red plaid skirt with black leggings. Her shoe choice was always random, today it was gray boots with white fur outlining the rim. And to top it all off, she wore a matching red plaid beanie of her head.
She sat next to him and stared straight into the back of the seat in front of them.
“Is everything alright?” asked Ceailean somewhat concerned. Marie faced him with an expression showing that he should already know. Ceailean slumped his shoulders and asked, “Did he get another one?”Marie sighed and pulled on her beanie to reveal a little Snom that had been resting atop her head suddenly flailing angrily as it reached out for the beanie.
“I don’t know what I’ll do with him.” exasperated Marie.
“That’s the fifth one this month isn’t it.” asked Ceailean.
“Yeah,” said Marie in a defeated sigh, letting Snom reclaim the beanie and refit it onto her head, “at this rate I’ll be out of them within the week.” Ceailean observes closely and notices a Snom sized hole on the side of the beanie. Inside was Snom, resting comfortably as if nothing happened.
“Honestly Marie, I get it’s cute and all but, eventually it gets tiring right?” consoled Ceailean.
“No way!” argued Marie, “It’s the cutest little thing alive, there is no way I’ll ever consider being mean to his little face.” She then pulls Snom from the inside of her beanie and holds it upright with both arms stretched out in front of Ceailean’s face. “Would you ever say no to this face?” she said in a cutesy voice.
Ceailean looked at its clearly irritated face and sarcastically said, “Sure…”. Snom then wriggles out of Marie’s grasp and jumps onto her face with a smack. It then proceeds to climb up her face and goes back under her beanie.
“So what’s going on in your life?” asked Marie, wanting to change the subject.
“Nothing much,” responded Ceailean, “Can’t say I’ve been thinking hard about what I want to do.”
“Weren’t you interested in urban development and architecture.” wondered Marie.
“I thought it was interesting,” said Ceailean, “But I don’t think I’m qualified to handle that kind of work.”
“You’re always one to doubt yourself C,” said Marie, “I bet you would do great if you just put your mind to it like you did at the seminar.”
“I don’t think I did that great.” discouraged Ceailean.
“Yeah, says the one who was able to create a two story model house out of Popsicle sticks and marshmallows.” remarked Marie. Ceailean attempted to downplay his achievement, but was interrupted when Marie continued, “And the one who actually had walls covering the entire thing and wasn’t satisfied with just leaving it as a frame. You even left cute little rooms for your imaginary little tenants.”
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
“You thought my little rooms were cute?” asked Ceailean curiously.
Marie blushed slightly at this reaction and said, “A-Ah well...um...they would work perfectly a-as a...children's toy.”
“You thought my skills are comparable to children's toys?” asked Ceailean in a slightly more sarcastic tone.
Marie becomes slightly more flustered and is quick to defend herself. “No! I thought it looked good, I'm just saying you have skills is all.” Ceailean then laughs while covering his mouth with the side of his hand. Marie sighed and said, “That’s not funny C, you always make my statements seem like they have a radical meaning.”
“Sorry, couldn’t help it.” chuckled Ceailean. Marie then smiles and lightly punches him in the shoulder.
The bus rolls up to the side of the road next to the school. Everyone begins to unload while the bus driver gives his goodbyes sequentially every few seconds. Ceailean and Marie were the last to leave and headed towards their usual hangout spot, a select section of a planter wall near the entrance. The school was small but a comfortable place for its attendees. It was a simple linear two story building with glass lining each floor. The front entrance was led to by concrete paths and snowed over grass patches filled in any leftover space. The planters were usually reserved for select trees as having any garden in Snowbelle would be a monumental task due to the sheer cold. To top it all off was the janitor with a Rhyhorn making their daily rounds around the property scooping any amount of snow that can be classified as even slightly inconvenient.
“Hey there Devin.” waved Marie towards one particular person hunched over a computer screen with enough snow covering him to make it seem like someone just made a mound of snow on the planter walls. But upon hearing Marie’s greeting, he turned to face them and most of the snow on his head fell off.
“Mary! C! Y’alls won’t believe what I just managed to find out!” said Devin excitedly.
“What, did you manage to royally screw someone out of another digital fortune?” half-guessed Ceailean.
“No no, this is something different this time.” explained Devin hurriedly, “See what I did was, I listened in on a highly secure line between Professor Sycamore and the LCPD, and I could be wrong but it looks like the Next Gen Program is getting canceled.”
This news shocked Marie and Ceailean, they had been waiting for this event to hit their town since the beginning of the year. The program was a way for new trainers to start their journeys from their hometowns.
“Are you sure,” asked Marie skeptically, “They, you, have been teasing us information for the last two weeks that the program would likely hit a week after our school year ends.”
“I can’t say for certain, I joined mid conversation,” responded Devin, acting a little too dramatic, “it sounded like the Prof was worried about something, like an accident had occurred or something. My best guess is that they haven’t been able to procure enough starters within the time frame.”
“So that’s it?” asked Ceailean sullenly, “they’re never gonna bring us starters.”
“That’s okay,” comforted Marie, “There are many trainers who didn’t start with a starter. We’ll just have to find our own way to start.”
“No, that doesn’t have to be the only way.” interjected Devin, “You see the way they were talking made it seem like they still wanted to keep under wraps. And from what I heard, the lab in Lumiose hasn’t been mentioned. Which leads me to believe that it’s still fully functioning.”
“But that would mean-” started Marie.
“You would have to go to Lumiose.” finished Devin, “And within the next week at the latest. Because if they announce the termination of the program publicly, that would most likely mean the closure of the lab for an indefinite amount of time.”
Marie looks towards Ceailean, who was currently thinking heavily about the situation. She could tell that his head was in the clouds and asked, “Hey, C, you okay?”
Ceailean snapped out of his trance and said reassuringly, “Yeah yeah, ‘hmph’, I'm fine.”
“C,” said Devin comfortingly, while getting up and displacing the rest of the snow on his body. He placed his hand on Ceailean’s shoulder and said, “Look, I’m your friend. And I can understand if you don’t want to head to Lumiose, or even talk about it for that matter, so I'll cut you a deal. I’ll hold off posting the information for today and tomorrow only, to let you think about it.”
“You can’t just keep it all a secret?” asked Ceailean, looking up from the ground.
“C, look at me.” said Devin, gesturing two finger towards his chest, “I have a civic duty to the people of Kalos, to the world, to provide information to them whether hype inducing or controversial. I will have to leak this eventually.”
Ceailean then just smiled and said, “Thanks man, I’ll owe you one.”
“Nah man,” said Devin, letting go of Ceailean and heading towards the school entrance, “I’m just doing my job. Besides, it's not like you can help me with anything that I do.”
“Oh come on.” said Ceailean. Devin only responded by walking with his head up in the air, cackling.
“So, shall we get going?” suggested Marie.
“Mm-hm.” responded Ceailean quickly. He looked at Marie but noticed something. “But uh, hey, where's your beanie?”
Marie then feels her head and realizes it is gone. It only took her a quick 180 to realize that it was crawling away at the slowest pace, leaving a short trail in its wake.
“Snom, get back here!” commanded Marie as she walked over to her beanie and picked it up. It then began to try and wriggle out of her grasp and Marie was forced to hold on with both hands.
“Still doesn’t like Mrs. Tucker huh?” remarked Ceailean.
“Oh yeah.” sighed Marie, She then began to console Snom, “Come on, just one more day Snom. One more day and we don’t have to see her ever again, I promise you-” She disappeared into the crowd heading into the school. Ceailean began to go his own way, but then he heard a familiar, unfriendly voice call out from behind.
“Hey C-easel!”
Ceailean sighed and turned to face the one face he hoped to see less often after school. His unfriendly neighborhood “bully”, June.