Jay Wolfe
A few days had past since we made it to the city of Vrard and we were already on the road again to Valo. The closer we got though the more anxious I became and it wasn't because of the upcoming gym either... no it was because I would have to face my parents again and by now they would've heard about Valhalla. If I saw them they would want me to stay home and if they knew Valhalla was after us they would lock me up in my room and keep me under a twenty-four seven watch. Sure it was to keep me safe, I knew that, but it irritated me at the same time. I handled myself this far, with the help of the others of course, I didn't need them worrying about me.
I sighed and glanced at Curse as she walked at my side, a new purple scarf around her neck for the journey through the cold. She didn't need it of course but after seeing it Curse hadn't wanted to leave the store without it, so I bought it for her along with the rest of our supplies. At least it would help other trainers know she belonged to someone and wasn't just a rare find in the wild.
"Hey, you still feeling okay?" Soren's voice made me jump slightly, though it wasn't that noticeable thankfully, and I turned to face him.
"Of course. It isn't unbearably hot anymore and we're back to night travelling to keep those Valhalla thugs we heard about from finding us, why wouldn't I be okay?"
"Um, I don't know." He glanced back at the path. "I just wanted to be sure though. You were out for a while after we got to Vrard."
"I know but I just needed some rest and time to cool off. It was nothing. I'm just used to weather more like this." I waved my hand in a circular motion, signaling the cool temperature and whistling wind created by the mountain we were trekking across. "Not to deserts and their heat."
"A desert is a place with little to no precipitation. So cold places can be deserts too." Freya pointed out.
"Whatever." I muttered. I had already been aware of that but I hadn't meant the broad technical term Freya had mentioned, though I felt as though she knew that already.
We continued walking up Howling Pass, the sun fading in the west as the day dragged on and made the shadows lengthen while the cold air grew colder. The latter could've just been the heightening altitude as well though. Not that I minded. It was actually very enjoyable other than the freezing wind... that I could do without. Josef gave a shout and we all turned to see him stand back up as he glared at the rock he'd tripped over before checking his tablet.
"You know, maybe you wouldn't be such a klutz if you watched where you were going." Freya laughed.
I smirked and joined in. "I doubt even that would help. We're just lucky he didn't cause an avalanche or something."
Josef gave a sarcastic laugh before sending a stinging remark back. "At least I'm warmer up here that you. I bet you'd fall off the mountain if the wind wasn't partially blocked by the rock."
"Why don't you fall again and we'll find out? I'll even call timber to make sure anyone else around here got a warning." I shot back.
"Guys wait!" Ivan walked between the three of us and looked up at the next ledge. "I saw something up there."
"Like what?" Soren was instantly on the defensive as he pulled out a pokéball.
"There were two people I think." Ivan shrugged. "It was hard to tell, I just caught a glimpse. It could've just been a pokémon though."
I moved to join them in staring at the ledge before looking at Curse. "Can you hear anything?"
Curse's ears twitched as she listened before looking back up at me, her ears now pinned to her head. "Vee."
"Come out, we know you're there!" Freya shouted towards the ledge.
We moved back almost simultaneously as four figures jumped down from the ledge, two dog like shadows and the other two humans in white and gold uniforms. Once they moved closer I could clearly see the pokémon were mightyena, which were both snarling in a threatening manner, their black fur raised as they stalked closer.
"Valhalla." Soren moved forward, clearly unhappy to see them, not that any of us were pleased with their appearance.
"Curse, use sand attack and then swift!" I ordered before either enemy could give a command.
Soren threw his pokéball, releasing Hoodini into the battle. "Hoodini, leafage!"
"These idiots really picked a bad time to fight. They're outnumbered two to one." Freya motioned for Pichu to help out. "Thundershock!"
Ivan threw out a pokéball, not wanting to miss out on the fight. "Skiddo, hold them down with vine whip."
"Mightyena, sand attack!" The taller grunt yelled.
"Bite, Killer." The second one ordered calmly. "Use the sand to hide in."
Both sand attacks collided and any vision we had in the growing darkness disappeared in a cloud of sand and dust. I squinted my eyes as I watched our pokémon attack, Curse managed to land her swift attack but Pichu's only managed to graze Killer's paw as the mightyena dodged back before lunging forward and biting down on the smaller pokémon. Unfortunately for it, that allowed Skiddo to trap it with vine whip and giving Hoodini a still target.
"Fire fang!" The first grunt growled.
Mightyena leaped over Killer, its fangs glowing red, before biting down on Skiddo's horn and shaking until Ivan's pokémon was forced onto the ground. I gritted my teeth at the vicious attack, well, if they wanted to play like that... "Curse, help them out, use swift again."
"Eve!" Curse ran towards the larger dog like pokémon while attacking.
Freya moved closer into my line of sight again as she looked down at Pichu as he got up. "Come on, you can do it Pichu! Use thundershock on them!"
"Ice fang, Killer."
Killer growled and bit down on Skiddo's vines, ice quickly destroying them, before breaking free and jumping out of the way as Hoodini sent another leafage. He was thrown off balance though, which gave Pichu an opening to strike. I smirked, even without Josef's help- he was currently filming instead of being useful- we could easily win this. Mightyena came to Killer's rescue though and used bite on Hoodini, throwing the small bird into a rock by his wing, before shoving Skiddo back onto the ground and using fire fang once more.
"Return!" Ivan called back his pokémon. "Lillipup, let's go, use tackle."
The smaller puppy pokémon gave a snarl, which didn't seem to intimidate either mightyena, before charging them. I noticed Killer sneaking up on Hoodini as he recovered and motioned to Curse to help out. "Block its path with sand attack."
Soren shot me a thankful look before looking back at Hoodini. "Alright, time for a disappearing act. Get out of there and use leafage on it!"
"Row...!"
We continued battling, it was lasting longer than I expected, but we finally managed to circle the mightyena and attacked together. The two pokémon were knocked into their trainers and sent into the rockface and we were about to celebrate and move on until we heard a rumble and crack. I looked up along with the others to see rocks breaking loose, small pebbles at first, but then it turned into a rock slide.
"Move!" Freya shouted and grabbed Pichu as he ran towards her.
I followed suit with Curse at my heels, glancing back to see the Valhalla grunts scrambling to escape, or I thought so until Killer started chasing us, his mouth letting out a slight frost as he prepared to use ice fang. They just didn't know when to quit.
"Hoodini, tackle it!" Soren slowed down and turned to face them again.
"Fire fang!" The first grunt had caught up along with his own pokémon and hit Hoodini from the side.
I ran faster, Soren at my side as he returned Hoodini to his pokéball, while Curse bounded along just ahead. I grinned at him, we were almost out of the falling rocks and despite the danger it was quite fun, well... until I was jerked back by the hood of my jacket. I gave a startled shout, causing the others to turn and look as well, before feeling myself slipping over the edge of the ledge we were on as the grunt was hit by a falling boulder. Curse, being the loyal pokémon she was, tried to help pull me up as the rock crumbled under my hands. Soren was almost there as well but Killer pinned him to the ground, ready to bite his throat.
"Litten, go help him!" I felt my hand slip again and risked letting go with the other to pull out Litten and Ralt's pokéballs. "Ralts, stop the rocks with confusion!"
The little pokémon stood there shaking in horror as it saw what was happening and I instantly regretted calling on him to help. He was probably still traumatised from the last battle he was in. Litten wouldn't be much help though in the situation, other than drawing Killer away from Soren, and Curse wasn't either as she started slipping with me; refusing to let go of my sleeve. Soren was on his feet the instant Killer was gone but I knew he wouldn't reach me in time, not with the amount of rocks he'd have to climb over and around.
I was almost wrong. He had been so close and I thought we'd all get out safe but the rock finally gave away completely and I grabbed Curse as she fell with me, trying to protect her from the fall to the rocks below. I expected to die on impact but didn't expect the level of pain, lessened slightly by the body of Killer's trainer, and my vision darkened. I could hear shouting, probably Soren and the others by now, but I couldn't answer. I couldn't move either, not without pain flaring up so I gave up. I was going to be crushed... Had my parents been right? "I hope not... I need to prove them wrong..."
Curse moved in my arms, other than pain that was the only other feeling I could register... At least she would survive. I winced as I moved my arm, it felt so much heavier than I remembered, and gave her one last scratch behind the ear before going limp and giving into the darkness taking over my vision.
When I woke up dawn light was above me and I was lying on my side near the sheltered spot of the mountain side. I was confused for a moment, where were the others? Then I remembered the attack... Wait, how was I alive? I winced as I sat up and glanced around, blinking as colored dots spotted my vision momentarily. The rubble of last night's- or I hoped last night's- fight was a few feet away from where I was laying. I could see dried blood staining the now still rocks along with one of the mightyena's front paws sticking out from where it had been crushed, one of the grunts- the tall one- was on the ground were his broken form had rolled down and stopped, and the other two bodies... Well I could see where the blood marked their positions.
I turned away, not glancing behind me half fearful I might look down at my own beaten form, before spotting a pokémon wearing Curse's purple scarf. The umbreon continued walking closer before brushing her head against my hand and I lifted it up to pet her, still shocked at what was happening. Curse had evolved, it was obvious, though when she had I couldn't recall... and my friends probably thought I was dead.
"Eon?" Curse jumped onto my lap as I leaned back against the wall.
I rubbed her head again but didn't respond. My body should've had several broken bones at least yet nothing was in agony- slight stiffness and aching- but nothing serious it seemed like. Curse pulled away and moved to my side again as a white and black pokémon approached: absol. By the size of the crescent blade on its head I would say it was a male, though I doubted it would be offended if I hadn't known. He moved closer, making sure each step displayed his fearlessness and slight distaste as if he was doing this more as a duty than a favor. I reached for one of the pokéballs only to remember Litten and Ralts weren't with me and the only ones I had were Curse's ball and empty ones. Absol stopped half a foot from my face, examining me, before turning away again.
"Sol!" He glanced back before moving away.
Curse got up to follow, pausing to look back at me. "Umber, um."
"I'm coming." My voice was scratchy. I got up slowly and used the wall for support before following, Absol waiting to walk at my side. "You're taking me to my friends... right?"
"Sol." He picked up the pace, not looking back. I decided to take it as a yes, briefly wondering if he belonged to anyone around here.