PokeStory

6. Mysteries

Hikari was the first one of the group to wake up yet again. She ran off over the hills, but returned a mere few minutes later. She waited patiently for the boys for about fifteen seconds, but that was just too boring, and the situation was too urgent, so she said, "Guys...wake up..." When no response came, she narrowed her eyes and grinned. She stalked quietly over to Ripple. "WAKE UP, RIPPLE!" 

At the sound of her voice, Ripple sat up immediately. His heart was pounding and his breathing was heavy. "I-I'm up!" he stuttered. "P-please don't do that, Dusty, you scared the life out of me!"

"Whatever!" she almost sang. "And it's not Dusty. It's Hikari." And then she went to lean over Rail and do the same. "RAIL! UP!"

Ripple couldn't help but laugh as he watched his friend jump up, yelling, "Back off! Back off!" The pikachu clearly thought the camp was being invaded. Trust Rail to jump to conclusions, Ripple thought. Trust Rail to think he can save the day, too.

"Hikari...what was that for?" he asked, angry. As the jolteon and the piplup fell on the floor laughing, Rail felt himself blushing. "NOT funny!"

"Oh, lighten up!" Ripple mocked. "You're so over paranoid!"

Rail growled a little, then shook it off. "What do you want, anyway?"

Hikari said, "Follow me!" and ran off North. Rail turned and stared at Ripple, who smiled and said, "Well...we'd best follow her!" He ran off after his friend, and so did Rail, but he was muttering. 

"Oh, sure...when I run off, it's all, 'Oh, Rail, don't run off, it's such an inconvenience, boo hoo,' but when she runs off, Ripple just skips off happily?" Rail started to speak louder. "Dusty, why do we have to go this way?" 

"Just...follow!" Hikari yelled from a few metres in front of him.

After a few minutes, Hikari came to an abrupt stop. Her friends skidded to a halt on either side of her, and they saw what she must have been leading them to. Beside a tree, there was a ponyta. She was covered in scratches and bruises, and she was bleeding from a gash down her leg.

"He-hello?" she said. "My name is Hotaru...help me! Please!"

"Crikey, you don't look too good..." said Ripple, who had somewhat became the group's unofficial medicine pokemon. He saw a bush of oran berries and ran over to pick them. He then returned and put them all in front of Hotaru, who ate them graciously. Her injuries disappeared almost instantly. "Thank you! You are so kind!"

Ripple smiled. He loved to watch pokemon become healthy again. The way they became packed with energy, the way the sparkle returned to their eyes. It was what he lived for. Well, that and something else...

"Like I said," Hotaru continued. "My name is Hotaru."

"How did you get all those cuts?" asked a curious Rail.

" I met a Luxio. He attacked me..." she looked uneasily at the trio. "I have lay here injured for years...he thought I was dead..." her voice faltered on the last few words. Rail could tell her story wasn't the absolute truth, but he still didn't challenge her. Instead, he spoke.

"That's terrible! How did you survive?"

Hotaru looked at him, her expression between anxiety and gratitude. "It was terrible. But the worst part is...I can't find my best friend...George, his name was...a shinx...and...I can't tell you how I survived..." Rail could've sworn he heard her whisper, "I promised him..." but yet again he decided not to act on it. He looked at Ripple, who nodded at him.

"Would you like to travel with us?" the piplup asked bluntly.

Hotaru managed a smile. "It would be a great honour."

Rail decided to venture a question. "What was this luxio guy's name?"

Hotaru paused. "He didn't say..." 

"Well!" said Hikari! "We'll keep an eye out for him..."

A nearby bush rustled, and everyone swung around to face it. Rail narrowed his eyes. Ripple stood up a little straighter and puffed out his chest, and Hikari unsheathed her claws.

"Oh yeah?" rumbled a deep voice as the leaves rustled. "You're doing a pretty bad job!"