MY JOURNEY

CHAPTER 20

CHAPTER 20

"It looks like it's about to rain," Alex remarked, looking up to the cloud covered skies. Just as I had taken a breath to say something I felt a droplet of water touch my arm, followed by two more. Eventually we were all running deeper into the forest as the rain got stronger.

We ran into a dark section of the forest where the trees provided cover but we were still being hit hard, "Over there, I think I see a cabin," Jared pointed out and I looked towards the direction of his finger where a wood cabin sat in the middle of the forest, light poured out from where it stood and a woman was standing outside, motioning for us to come inside. A loud crack of thunder quickened our steps and we rushed into the house.

"It's good y'all got here when you did, if you were out there for much longer you could've gotten sick," The lady stated and smiled down at our drenched figures, the woman was obviously older, with gray hair cut into a bob and light blue eyes that brightened warmly.

"Thank you s-so much f-for letting us s-stay h-here." Alison stuttered and we all nodded while shivering. The lady's eyes widened at our current state and she looked to the left were a Darmanitan was standing with its arms crossed, "Darmanitan, do me a very and help warm our guests," She requested and the pokemon nodded then walked over, the flames on Darmanitan's head blazed brightly and a cover of heat enveloped the room. We all sighed thankfully and I sat down on the couch behind me, "Thanks so much Darmanitan," I thanked while rubbing the pokemon's chin, "Darman man," Darmanitan grinned then walked off to a different room.

The woman smiled then sat down in a seat across from the couch, "My name is Sierra, I'm the caretaker here at the pokemon Ranch," Sierra introduced. "I'm Jade," I responded and the others introduced themselves. "Oh what a lovely bunch of travelers," Sierra smiled while taking a sip from her cup of tea, "I assume you were headed to Driftveil City?" She asked and we all nodded, "But the rain started pouring so we came here," Alex finished and she grinned, "Well we've got loads of food for you and your pokemon, make yourselves at home," She instructed and we nodded.

"Come on out all of you," Alison, Jared and I yelled and let our pokemon out of their balls so they could have a meal. All of our pokemon got right to eating while Liepard looked at Sierra intently, Sierra turned to Liepard and when their eyes met both of them grinned.

"Oh my sweet Purrloin is that you?" She questioned and Liepard and her hugged, I raised a brow at the exchange and Liepard began to purr loudly as Sierra pet her.

"I can't believe you've evolved, I told you you could do it," Sierra said to Liepard and memories from Don George's battle club floated into my mind.

"I can tell Liepard's been abandoned, just in the way she moves..."

Don George's words went off in my head and I looked at Sierra. "Were you Liepard's trainer before, were you the one who abandoned her?" I questioned, anger boiling inside of me and Sierra put her hands up as if to tell me to calm down. Sierra then frowned and looked at Liepard, "That was the greatest mistake of my life, over two years ago I met this little or now big girl in the forest, her trainers had worked her near to death only to leave her to die in a cave, so I did what any other sensible Pokémon Caretaker would do, I brought her back here and raised her as my own." She began and I nodded, knowing every word of what she said had been true, "So one day a young trainer around the same age as you showed up, at first he proved to be a loving and compassionate trainer but I found out days later that I was wrong, he was actually a thief, he stole Purrloin and when she didn't evolve abandoned her in a forest." Sierra explained.

"That's where we found her, in the forest." I grinned and Liepard nodded the purred happily. "Looks like the rain is clearing up," Alison remarked and I looked outside the window to see the sun peeking out from behind the clouds causing the rain to stop altogether, we ran outside and behind us was a beautiful field of Pokemon happily grazing around, young Pokemon playing and running around while the others seemed to have discussions in their native tongue.