Ash Ketchum: Battle of the Ampere

Ch. 6 A Wet Day

Hiking through the thick of the jungle was difficult and exhausting, especially after all we had been through.  The jungle was hot and wet, as were we, though most of the moisture that soaked our clothing was probably our own sweat.

About an hour after leaving our camp, we heard the firing of the sentry guns.

"Sounds like the Galactic found our camp," Iris said.

"Or a monkey," I said.

"Poor monkeys," Iris said.

We walked the rest of the day and continued hiking at night, our trail lit by Iris's glow and mine.  Raihan knew the jungle well and, with a compass and machete, he kept us moving at an exhausting pace.  It must have been at least two in the morning when Iris suddenly stopped walking.  "I've got to stop. I can't walk anymore."

"Me too, "I said." I'm exhausted."

Raihan looked at us, "Okay. We can sleep for a few hours. But not too long."

Iris shrugged off her pack and dropped it on the ground.  "Better than nothing," she said.

I took off my pack too.  My shoulders were chafed from where its straps dug into my skin.  "Do we have anything to sleep on?"

"The tent and tarp are in her pack," Raihan said.  "It is big enough for two." He took off his own pack, checked for insects, then sat down on the ground against a tree.

"What about you?" I said to him.

"I must stand guard," he said.  "We cannot take chances."

I felt bad for him.  I knew he was exhausted too.  "Thank you."

"It is my job," he replied.

Iris opened her pack and brought out a small vinyl tent and a rolled-up tarp.  There were no blankets, which, considering how warm the jungle was at night, weren't necessary.

With Raihan's help, we set up the tent, then Iris and I climbed inside.  I took off my shirt, then Iris and I spread out the tarp and lay down.  The ground was warm and spongy.

I can't believe how loud the jungle is at night," I said. 

That's when most things hunt," Iris said.  "Or flee,"

"Including us," I said. I breathed out heavily. "It's hard to believe it's just been one day. We've escaped the Peruvian army in an Amazonian tribe's canoe, hiked through the jungle, been captured by Galactic, destroyed our camp, and fled into the jungle. That's like a thousand times more than what had happened to me my entire middle school years in Meridian, Idaho.

"I could use a little more dull," Iris said. She looked at me, "Do you think we'll ever have normal lives?"

"If Cyrus has his way, normal won't be what we think it is."

"What do you mean?"

"He wants to change the world. 

"One person can't change the world," Iris said.

"Of course they can," I said. "Every idea starts with just one person."

"You're right." She was quiet for a moment, then she said, "How think the Galactic found us?"

"Probably el-readers," I said.

"I forgot they had those," she said. "The guards once used them to find Alain when he was out hunting." She frowned. "That means they could still track us."

"That's probably why Raihan is pushing us so hard." I looked at her. "Don't worry about it. They got lucky last time.  This is a big jungle, and they don't have helicopters any more.  We're just a needle in a very big green hay stack.