#wgca

There is no update schedule to this fic, so I suggest anyone who is interested track the tag ‘WGCA’. I could go weeks without updating, then write three in one day. Depends on my mood.

Thanks for the interest so far! 

                                                    Chapter 2

Carmilla was determined to talk to Laura as little as possible until this whole ordeal was over. She also wanted to make it very clear that they were not going to be friends. 

“So...Carmilla, where are you from?” 

“Johto.” 

“Where in Johto, though?” 

“Around.” 

And Laura gave up pretty quickly after that. For a few minutes. 

“...You know, you acted so surprised that I’m a new trainer, but you only have a meowth. How long have you been battling?”   

Carmilla looked down at Sheridan, curled up in her arms. “I--I wanted the, uh, challenge. I already went through Johto.” Carmilla shifted so Sheridan is resting in the crook of her elbow, running a hand through her hair. 

Laura tilted her head as she walked next to her. She was dressed in black--black shirt, leather jacket, black skinny jeans, black boots. Black on black on black. 

It must have looked funny to passerby. Miss Black as the Night with her tiny meowth, and Laura--with her flannel and distressed jeans and ball cap--with her huge six foot at the shoulder arcanine. 

“Hey, I think I see Viridian! Come on!” Laura said, picking up her pace, Cookie running ahead of them both. Carmilla rolled her eyes. 

Once they reached the town, Laura grinned. “Whoo! Okay, first we got to find the pokemon center, and then we fix your bike--” 

Cookie drops it to the ground, covered in slobber and teeth marks. Carmilla scrunched her nose at the sight. “You know what, Cupcake? Walking is better for you anyway. Leave it.” 

“I told you, my name is Laura.” 

“And my name for you is Cupcake, and whatever else I want. Be glad it’s not shortbread. I thought about it.” 

Laura turned her head and kept walking. “The pokemon center is this way,” she grumbled. 

******

It was ridiculous, how Laura fretted over that overgrown mutt of hers. Sheridan was literally set on fire, and Laura was still talking to Nurse Joy about ‘avoiding infections’ because Cookie had a couple of scratch marks on his snout. 

“Sheridan, look at me.”

Sheridan had his back turned to Carmilla. 

“Sheri, come on, the nurse said you’re fine now. Can you stop being mad at me?” 

“Rurrr...” 

“Look, I know I may have overestimated myself, especially since that was my first battle. And I know this doesn’t exactly inspire a ton of confidence in me. But did you expect her to have an arcanine?” 

Sheridan’s tail twitched. 

“Sheri, listen,” Carmilla leaned in and whispered to the back of his head, “You need to trust me, okay? Do you want to go back? We have to keep moving, and we have to work together--” 

“So, hey, I got Cookie all checked out!” 

Carmilla scrambled to sit upright, reaching a hand out to scratch Sheridan behind the ears. “Great. So, how soon can we get through Viridian Forest and part ways?” 

“Tomorrow. Look,” Laura took a map and spread it out on the floor. “We’re trying to get to Pewter City,” Laura pointed to it on the map of the region, “My friends are meeting me there, hopefully. LaFontaine and Perry. They started their journeys a couple of years ago, but they’re going to travel with me, ‘cause LaFontaine is focusing on professor stuff now and Perry wants to be a breeder--” 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Tomorrow, right?” 

“Yep. I got lots of antidotes and pokeballs and stuff. This is going to be so much fun!” She head butted Cookie again, gently. 

Carmilla wondered if she and Sheridan would ever get that close. Carmilla wasn’t good with people, let alone pokemon. 

Laura spread out the sleeping mat she kept in her bag; Cookie curled up next to her, his natural body heat radiating off of him. At least Carmilla wouldn’t be cold. As for her, she settled for sleeping on the bench. She hadn’t had time to pack much. 

She sighed, leaning back and closing her eyes. This wasn’t what she had hoped it would be. She though she’d finally feel free. But now she just felt lost.