Jay Wolfe
I was watching Freya calming Esme down from the opposite side of the room, the light brown haired teen was sobbing and while I understood what we had witnessed was terrifying even though she only saw the blood on the floor, I didn't find the situation anything to cry about. We were all safe, Valhalla wasn't in town anymore, and we could go search for a new gym to challenge. I rubbed Curse's head as I pulled up information on the other gym leaders, if we could find a gym we had a chance against then we could start heading in that direction. Esme gave another loud sob and I sighed before glancing up, looked like another round of choking breaths was about to start.
"Eev?" Curse climbed onto my lap, her questioning eyes staring at me as she waited for me to say something.
I smiled and scratched her behind the ear. "She'll be fine eventually, she has Freya to help her and we can leave though... We could go on ahead..."
Curse curled up on my lap as I went back to studying the gym leaders, finally finding a gym we should be able to beat by the time we reached the town. It would take a lot of back tracking and walking up mountains but it would give us time to train. I put my computer back in my bag and held Curse as I stood up and walked over to where Soren was sitting with Finn, he still seemed to be in a bit of shock after the incident but looked like he was doing pretty well.
"So I think I found an easier gym to challenge." I informed him. "It's in Valo, up in the mountains."
"The fairy type gym leaders Chant and Zure, right?" He responded.
I nodded. "Yeah, I mean we don't have any steel or poison types on our team at the moment but I'm sure we can find some on the way there, especially if we take the boat to Iceshore first instead of going back through the forest... unless you want to since it would be faster."
"The boats only go as far as a port on Burned Islet, the rest of the way around to Valo would be from fishermen or on our own pokémon, if we get any that could carry us through the whirlpools and icebergs." Soren stated. "But I'd rather take the time to train up and find more pokémon, so how about Dreary Trail? It isn't a real path but it should still take us through a marsh and valley where more pokémon should be."
I hadn't even thought about the boats not going completely around Drucan. I nodded in agreement. "Alright."
"Wait, you're leaving now?" Soren stood up as I started walking towards the door.
I stopped and glanced back at him. "Yeah, I don't want to risk Valhalla catching up to us. You heard Salem, we got in the way and now they might start going after us and staying here is only going to make it easier for them."
"I see." He started following me out as he grabbed his bag.
Freya and Esme started following us as well, apparently overhearing our conversation. I kept a close eye on Curse as we made our way towards Dreary Trail, she enjoyed wandering ahead at times but at the moment I couldn't risk her being attacked and injured by Valhalla. The trees that surrounded Plolis' north west side thinned as we got onto the trail but didn't disappear completely as we walked over the overgrown path. It was getting a bit dark out and I gazed into the growing shadows, would there be any ghost types coming for us or had we left them behind in the thicker part of the forest before we came to Plolis? Perhaps we should've stayed in the city for the night and set off in the morning but it was too late now, besides, I wasn't against sleeping outside and as long as someone kept guard we would be fine.
"Start looking for a spot to set up camp for the night, it's getting a bit late." I said, still a bit nervous of another ghost type attacking us.
Freya moved to the lead and pointed to a spot where two trees intertwined together. "How about there? We can use those two trees to help prop our tents up."
"Okay." I started pulling off my backpack to get my stuff out. "I'll take first watch."
"I can." Soren spoke up as he released his pokémon to stretch and help him out. "I'm not tired yet, I'll just stay awake anyway."
I wasn't feeling too tired either but considering I had taken first watch last time we camped out I wasn't going to pass on the opportunity to let someone else take over first. "Okay, I'll go second then."
"I call third!" Freya shouted, perhaps she should go first next time with that energy.
Esme didn't say anything and one look told me she was still on the verge of another bout of tears, well, Igglybuff seemed to be comforting her at least. Hopefully she would be better in the morning. I grabbed Ralts' pokéball and let him out along with Litten and Esme's Poochyena, though considering I was still borrowing him he may as well belong to me. The two pokémon looked happy to be out and Poochyena shook himself before sniffing around and curling up between some tree roots, looking very happy. Ralts on the other hand, well he didn't exactly have eyes that I could see but I got the feeling he was also content as he found a comfortable spot on my backpack to lay down on. I joined my pokémon on the ground a few minutes later once I was ready to sleep and felt Curse curl up closer, her soft fur brushing against my arms as she used them as a pillow while Litten curled up beside me.
"Ra!" I shifted as Ralts woke up and looked around in confusion.
"What is it?" I sat up to see a Kirlia walk in before Soren's shadow moved across the outside of the tent. "Oh, it must be time to switch but... where did kirlia come from?"
"Like him? I saw him while I was waiting and Finn helped me catch him." Soren said as he entered.
His kirlia folded its arms and seemed to frown as it shook its head. "Rlia... Kir...!"
"Um, I don't think it liked being called 'he'." I laughed a bit, careful to be quiet enough not to wake up the other two sleeping nearby.
"Oh, I see." Soren backed out of my tent and looked down at his new pokémon. "So you're a she then?"
"Kir." His kirlia nodded happily.
I stretched before making my way over to where he'd been sitting. "Well now that you two cleared that up, I'm just going to start my watch."
"Okay." Soren responded. "Night, then."
I watched him disappear into the tent before turning back to the dark trees in front of me. There were pokémon out there, I could hear them occasionally as I sat watching, but I only caught glimpses of them. At least they weren't bothering us at the moment, then again, most of these pokémon sounded like hoothoot and noctowl not ghost types. They probably didn't care we were here. Litten padded up to me from my tent before starting to wash himself, his ears twitching occasionally as he listened to the pokémon in the forest. Sitting there was actually getting a bit boring after a few minutes of nothing happening and I took to pacing around, half hoping something would happen... of course nothing did.
I thought about walking off a bit to patrol a larger area but decided against it in case something bad were to happen before I could catch it in time. Once my time was over I went to wake up Freya and went back to get a few more hours of sleep before we hit the road again. It wasn't hard to go back to sleep either considering how boring everything was at the moment but tomorrow was a new day, surely something interesting would happen. Training would be good though, especially with a gym coming up. The stronger my pokémon were the better.
"Guys hurry up! I found someone I want you to meet!" Freya's yelling cut through my dreams and I sat up with a wince as Curse jumped onto my stomach as she was startled awake.
"Ow." I mumbled, moving her to the side as I quickly changed and walked out of my tent. "Who is it?"
Freya waited until the other two were out of their tents before turning to the blond haired boy behind her along with a darked haired girl and another dark haired boy. "This is Ivan Woods, he's the one I battled on the boat here with Esme."
"Hi." Ivan waved, the situation turning a bit awkward, before he turned to the two others. "I don't think any of you have met these two, that's Josef Ramos and she's Rita Mirando."
I glanced at the other two as Freya introduced us to them, could we trust them? Ivan, maybe since Freya knew him, but what about the other two? I shifted uncomfortably, I was beginning to trust Soren, Freya, and Esme but I wasn't too keen on expanding our group beyond them quite yet.
"So, Ivan, battle anyone good since we last me?" Freya asked, breaking the silence that had started.
He nodded. "Yeah, Rita and I battled when we met, I won."
"I don't battle much." Rita shrugged. "I'm more into contests and performing with my
pokémon than battling with them."
Esme's voice was filled with excitement and interest. "Really? That sounds like fun, I watched contests all the time before I got my first pokémon."
"I could show you some contest moves if you'd like." Rita offered and led Esme off to the side so she had more space.
I glanced back at the other two newcomers, still keeping Curse behind me in case they weren't friendly. "So you're trainers?"
"Yeah." Ivan replied. "I'm looking for more pokémon to train up for the gyms at the moment and I met Josef on the way."
"What type of pokémon have you caught?" Soren asked, probably hoping for a battle.
"Well I have Lillipup, my starter, and a skiddo." Ivan took out another pokéball. "And I recently caught this shinx too."
"A shinx!" Freya gave an excited smile. "We should have a battle with it. Pichu versus your shinx!"
"I want to battle to!" Soren spoke up again.
I glanced at Josef. "Well I'm not passing up a chance to train either."
Josef didn't look particularly interested but a spark of challenge did appear. "Okay. I'm not holding back then."
"Good." I took out Ralts' pokéball. "Let's start then!"
Josef took out his own pokéball. "Munchlax, time to beat them."
"Ralts, double team and then confusion." I ordered.
"Defense curl."
Well, Josef certainly didn't seem to be rushing his attacks. This would be easy then. The idiot didn't even seem to realize defense curl only raised attack despite Ralts' special attack... how was this person even a trainer? I watched as Ralts easily attacked the fat pokémon before halting and turning back to me, probably wondering if it should keep up the same attack.
"Disarming voice." I commanded. "Then finish it with another confusion."
"Metronome!" Josef finally made his munchlax do something.
Munchlax started to respond but Ralts was faster and his attacks hit in session with each other before receiving a shadow ball from metronome. I watched Ralts drop to the ground from the super effective hit but he endured it enough to shakily get back up. Munchlax was still standing too unfortunately and I glared at it... Josef's pokémon was sturdier than I first expected.
"Confusion." That one word was all it took to send Ralts into action again.
From nearby I heard Soren and Freya having a double battle with Ivan and seeing my own battle was nearing its end, took the time to glance over and watch them. A few more hits of Ralts' confusion rendered Munchlax unconscious, though not before Ralts had taken a few tackles from the small but heavy pokémon... I should switch him out.
"Wailmer, get them." Josef sent out his next pokémon.
"Ralts, return." I brought my tired pokémon back into his pokéball before glancing back at Curse. I would have to send her out, Litten was weak to water and I was sure Josef's wailmer would have at least one water type move. "Curse, time to show this guy what a real pokémon can do. Use tackle!"
Josef seemed distracted by my pokémon, which allowed Curse to get her move in with ease, before calling out his own attack. "Water gun."
Curse was too close range to dodge in time and I watched as she was sent flying before tumbling on the ground soaked by the water. I looked at the ball shaped pokémon, clearly Wailmer was slower, but its bulk would give it a tougher defense. "Baby doll eyes and then sand attack."
Water gun wouldn't be affected by the first move but if his pokémon had any physical moves I could at least weaken them a bit. As for the second, well, the dirt was more like mud in the face with the water it had soaked up, which meant it stuck to Wailmer even better than sand would. Josef seemed to know he wouldn't be able to win with a blinded pokémon, not easily, and just seemed to give up.
"Just use splash, that'll be fine." He put his hands into his jacket pockets, the look of wanting to win disappearing behind a look that said he could care less if he won because at this point it was unlikely.
I was slightly irritated by that. He could at least keep trying, if he just instructed his pokémon where to attack like a good bond between a trainer and their pokémon had then he might stand a chance. Might as well finish the fight quickly then; save Wailmer from just bouncing around uselessly. "Keep using tackle on it."
It took a few more turns but Curse finally knocked Wailmer out, looking tired out from her repetitive actions against the heavy pokémon she'd been facing. Josef returned his pokémon to its pokéball before taking out another. "Alright, Caterpie, your turn."
"Curse, come back and rest." I took out Litten's pokéball and threw him out. "Use ember!"
"Try a string shot." Josef shrugged, obviously just wanting the battle to end as well.
Litten's ember burned right through the attack and hit Caterpie hard, the bug type didn't even have a chance, it was almost pathetic really, but that's what happens in a battle when a trainer just gave up halfway through. Caterpie disappeared back into its pokéball.
"I did alright, I can beat you next time." Josef commented.
I returned Litten to his ball and turned to watch Freya and Soren finish their battle with Ivan. As if I would battle a trainer like him again. It wouldn't have any challenge unless I made him think he could win. Curse shook her fur beside me, sprinkling my pants with water to remind me of her soaked fur. Sighing, I picked her up and went back to my tent to find a towel.
"Don't worry, I'll get you dried off."