Author's Notes: Welcome back, readers! It's been a long journey to get back to this fanfic, but we're on the road again, and this time, we're going to finish it. Unless SoulSilver and HeartGold steal my eyes when they come out next week, then there might be a delay in fanfic. That'll count as research…right?
Before you dive into this fic, you'll have to have read the others in the series ahead of it. You can see the list and find all of them in my profile at ff . net
Enjoy!
* * * *
Fear, Itself
By Arina Ketchum
Chapter 1
"So here are the options. We can either take the this route, which is a little bit shorter, but a lot more treacherous," Angel stabbed at the map with her fork, "or take this route, which is longer, but less dangerous."
The motley crew of three looked down intensely at the map sitting in front of them.
Narrator: After competing for and earning a Rainbow Badge each, our trio has headed off to Saffron City. Along the way, they found themselves at an all-you-can-eat restaurant in a small town, to fill themselves up and get a good look at the route ahead of them.
"They don't make it easy on us, do they?" Arina sighed as she twirled some spaghetti on her fork, a bit of her long blue hair falling forward over her shoulder as she craned her neck to look over the map.
"Why couldn't we just fly to Saffron?" Rob, their third companion, offered as he rested his fist against his cheek.
"Because," Angel said gallantly, tossing her purple hair over her shoulder, "this is supposed to be an adventure, a test to see if you've got the stuff to be a real Pokemon trainer. You can't just land in town, hit up the local Gym for a badge, and then fly off again. The whole point is to experience new sights, new sounds -"
"New Pokemon," a male voice said behind them.
Arina twisted around in her seat to see a tall teenager with vivid burgundy hair, dressed in jeans and a golf tee standing behind her. "Hey, Jonathan!" Arina stood up from her seat. "It's been a while!"
"I can't believe I ran into you again, Arina!" Jonathan extended his hand to her.
Arina smiled and shook hands, and out of the corner of her eye, she could see Angel leaning over to Rob, asking, "Who?" But Rob looked equally puzzled.
"Oh, Angel, Rob, this is Jonathan. We met at Mt. Moon the first time I was there. Jonathan, this is Angel and Rob. We all met up in Celadon."
"Awesome, nice to meet you." Jonathan nodded to her traveling companions. "Mind if I join you for lunch?"
"Sure!" Angel piped up. "Get some food and spin some yarns with us!"
Jonathan smiled as he dropped his bag on an empty chair at their table, and wandered over to the manned buffet table.
"What about figuring out which road -"
Angel cut Rob off, "We can figure that out later." She waved away his concerns airily and scooped up the map, watching Jonathan pick out his meal the entire time. Rob and Arina looked at each other. Angel's teenage hormones had clearly overtaken her sensibility, so it might be up to the two of them to plan their trip to Saffron, they realized.
Two hours later, Jonathan and the group had spun each other out. Jonathan, or Jon, as he preferred, now knew Arina had gone back to Mt. Moon for Rumer, and had found Clefairy & Ekans instead; that Rob and Arina had grown up together, and he had amnesia; and Angel was originally from the Orange Islands, but she and her mom had recently moved to Pallet Town, and Angel had been training for five years.
"So where are you headed now?" Jon asked.
"We're on our way to Saffron City. Depending on which route we take, we could be there in a day and a half." Arina said.
"I was actually thinking of heading that way myself," Jon agreed.
"You should join us!" Angel's green eyes lit up excitedly, "I heard the Fighting Dojo is trying to take over as the official Saffron Gym."
"Geez, again? Sabrina was there first, and her gym has never lost the title. I don't know why the League hasn't kicked them out of Saffron already," Jon said with slight exasperation.
"I know why," Angel leaned in to share her conspiracy theory. "I heard the League is afraid Sabrina will lose her mind and sink into a psychic hallucination, so they keep the Dojo there to keep an eye on her."
Jon's green eyes widened; clearly the idea had never crossed his mind. "Is that true?"
Angel nodded toward Arina. "She's the Pokemon Master's daughter, ask her."
The spotlight shifted to Arina, making her more uncomfortable with this conversation than she already was.
"You are?" Jon asked, unsure of Angel's anointing. "You're the Arina Ketchum?"
"Yeah," Arina wiggled in her seat, and nervously tossed her blue hair over her shoulder. "I don't like to brag about it, though."
From what Arina had already heard at her own house, Angel was dangerously close to the truth about Sabrina. Ash and Misty had warned her many times in the past that anything she'd heard in Pallet, stayed in Pallet. If she started leaking League secrets to the public, the last thing she'd have to worry about would be losing her trainer's license and facing the League Inquisition. She'd have to face her parents - and that would be far worse than any punishment the League could bestow on her.
"All just rumors, Angel," Arina attempted to sound a bit more nonchalant about the topic. "I've met her before, and she's really very nice, and very normal."
Angel shrugged uncertainly. "If you say so."
"Well, now my curiosity is piqued. Maybe I will come with you," Jon said.
"What happened to being a wandering free spirit?" Arina asked as she dug around her bag for a ponytail holder.
"There's nothing wrong with a little structure now and then." Jon said as he watched the younger girl pull her hair into a ponytail. "Besides, the company wouldn't be so bad, either," he winked at Angel, making Angel blush, and making Rob and Arina roll their eyes at each other.
* * * *
It probably would have been better to start off the next morning, and get a good night's sleep in a nice, comfy bed. But instead, later that day, the four trainers ended up running through a rain shower in an open plain, with very few trees in sight.
"Does the map show any shelter anywhere?" Arina yelled as they ran.
"You want me to pull out the map now?" Angel yelled back. "I don't even know if we're going the right way!"
"You're supposed to be our navigator! You're the one with the compass!" Arina cried angrily.
"Look, guys!" Jon pointed ahead, shutting down the fight. In the distance, there was a free standing building.
"Saved!" Rob said.
"Agreed; our fortune isn't so bad after all," Jon said amicably. "At least we won't have to bathe now!"
As they got closer, they realized it was a barn, but there were no other houses or buildings nearby to suggest who it was owned by. Jon reached it first, grabbed the sliding door and pulled it open so they could run inside.
"Made it!" Arina cried in relief as she shook off what water she could. She started pulling out a towel to wipe off the rest of the water.
"We were lucky this barn happened to be here," Jon stated.
"Did anyone else notice that this is the only structure in the area?" Angel asked worriedly.
"I did," Arina piped up as she handed the towel to Rob, "but if there's a barn, shouldn't there be a house?"
"More than that, there aren't any plowed fields, humans, or Pokemon." Rob agreed.
"You don't think it's h-haunted, do you?" Angel squeaked, "I mean, nothing else explains it."
"Even if it is, which I doubt, nothing will happen," Jon said, his voice level and calm. "Let's get dry and get a small fire going. He tapped his foot on the ground. "The ground is loose dirt, so we can dig a small fire pit by the door." He looked up to the roof. "Arina and Rob, it looks like there's some hay in the loft, could you get some as kindling? Hopefully, it'll stop raining, so we can go out and find firewood before dark."
Rob and Arina climbed up the ladder to the loft, while Angel and Rob started digging the pit. Arina peeked over the edge of the floor, down to Jon. "Do you want us to toss it down?"
"Yeah, get it in a big pile and then push the pile over the edge. Bring your Pokemon out, they'll probably want to relax and eat dinner with us."
"Oh, that's right! Rob has a Charmeleon! He can help with the fire!"
"Great, bring 'em out!"
"Thanks for volunteering me," Rob hissed as Arina started releasing her Pokemon.
"What's wrong? Everyone has to pull their own weight."
"Hmph." But Rob pulled his Pokeballs out and released Charmeleon, Sandshrew, Rattata, Kakuna, Fearow and Ryhorn anyway.
"I'll bet the water Pokemon would like the rain," Angel called up to the two younger trainers.
"Oh, that's right! Kaeri, I choose you!" Arina threw out a Pokeball, while Jon released Wartortle.
Rob and Arina quickly got a pile of hay together and tossed most of it down. By then, Jon and Angel had dug a reasonably sized hole. Jon must have asked, because Kaeri and Wartortle were coming back with small rocks and placing them around the hole. Rob and Arina came back down, and helped John & Angel gather up handfuls of hay and tie them together with string Jon had in his pack.
"We should have plenty for tonight if it doesn't stop raining. Let's use what we've got for now, and we can make more for tomorrow if necessary."
"Charmeleon, Ember attack!" Rob ordered.
Charmeleon blew a small flame into the pit, lighting the hay bundles on fire.
Angel released her Ninetales. "Ninetales, help Charmander keep that fire going! Ember!"
Once the fire was burning brightly, and the four of them dried out, they started unpacking their sleeping bags and rolling them out by the fire.
"Do you guys have food for dinner?" Jon asked.
"I have some provisions," Arina said.
"Same here," Angel and Rob chorused.
"Freeze-dried food? Ugh. We need a real meal!" Jon started pulling out two aluminum cans and a pot out of his pack. "I have learned the hard way to be prepared for anything, and that means dragging pots and pans around with me, as well as decent meals. We'll have stew tonight. You're only supposed to use provisions if you're absolutely desperate."
Angel looked at Arina. "We aren't absolutely desperate now?"
Arina didn't reply. What could she say? Ash and Misty couldn't afford much beyond starter supplies, much less any kind of allowance for future meals after the provisions were gone. Her cheeks reddened in unannounced shame.
"I'm not hungry," she said quietly as she looked away from them.
The rest of the group looked at her in confusion.
"We've been on the road for hours. You have to be!" Angel cried.
"Well, I'm not!" Arina snapped, taking Angel aback, "I'm going to bed."
"Arin-"
But Jon cut Angel off with a hand on her shoulder. "Let her be," Arina heard him say as she lay down.
She lay away from the fire, wide awake, Rattata snuggled up next to her, while the rest of them ate, drank, and chatted. Slowly, their voices dwindled until they died completely, and the fire fell to a few pops and crackles, and her tummy grew louder with angry growls for food. She heard someone moving around and guessed someone needed to play lookout for them. She was half-asleep when she heard them coming in her direction. She quickly squeezed her eyes shut and pretended she was completely in dreamland.
They knelt down to her. "You can't be a Pokemon Master if you don't eat properly." It was Jon. "I don't think your parents would like it if they knew their daughter was starving because of her pride." He put a bowl of hot stew next to her. "They're trying their best; you should too." He patted the crown of her head. "Don't worry, I won't tell Rob and Angel."
Jon got up and walked back to the fire. Soon, he'd tucked himself into his sleeping bag by the door, and was softly snoring.
Arina waited until she was absolutely sure they were all asleep, sat up, and hungrily gulped down the now lukewarm stew.
* * * *
The howl that pierced through the night woke all of them, including Arina, the heaviest sleeper.
"What was that?" Angel asked as she rubbed her eyes.
"Quiet," Jon said in a stern order. He was crouched by the door, now only slightly ajar. The fire was out, making the barn completely dark, and it seemed to have stopped raining as well. "Arina, Rob, are you up?"
"Mhm, yeah." Arina said half-sleepily.
"All of you, move to the left side of the barn, and don't move once you get there." Jon peered out again, the only light was the twinkling stars, and the waning moon.
"What is it?" Rob asked impatiently as Arina, Angel and he lined up.
"Team Rocket," Jon answered. He flicked on the night-light of his watch. "It's almost 3 a.m. They've probably been out at the bars, drinking."
"In the middle of nowhere?" Arina asked.
"We must be closer to Saffron than we thought." Angel replied excitedly.
"Hush." Jon ordered. After a minute, he said, "Angel, give me your compass."
"But-"
"Now!"
They could now hear raucous laughter and singing coming closer. Angel quietly stumbled in the dark for her pack. When she found the compass, she hurried over to him, handed it over, and then scurried back to her place in between Arina and Rob.
"All right, they're going that way." Jon mumbled. "And they came from that way…"
"Hey, iz zat a barn?" One of the Rockets hiccupped.
"Oh, damn," Jon muttered. "They've seen the barn."
"Whut's a barn doin'," the second slurred, "out-out-out…" Finding he couldn't finish his sentence he burst out laughing, stumbling ahead of his pals. The Mightyena that accompanied them, drunk as well, was howling at intervals with mirth.
"Maybe we should sleep there tonight. Boss'll kick us out if we come back…stinkin'."
This produced more laughter from all three as they headed toward us. Arina suddenly realized Angel was gripping her hand and she was involuntarily squeezing back in fear.
"No choice left," Jon muttered as he reached for his belt. "Drowzee, Hypnosis!" he yelled as he threw a Pokeball out into the dark, and then slammed the door shut.
"What are you doing?" Angel cried in horror.
They could hear Jon attempting to keep his voice civil. "You've been training for five years and you don't understand that Drowzee just saved us?"
Angel didn't reply.
"I don't hear anything," Arina whispered.
Jon opened the door a crack, the three Rockets and their Mightyena were passed out on the wet grass, sound asleep. Drowzee was standing over them, looking pleased.
"Excellent work, Drowzee!" Jon smiled, and pushed the door open fully. He returned the Pokemon to its ball, and then turned to the others. "Get your Pokemon back into their balls, and get your stuff together. We're leaving."
"Now?"
"You do like that word, don't you, Angel?" Jon said lightly. "Yes, now. You want to go back to bed with three Rockets outside the door, be my guest. But I'm not taking the chance of them waking up before I do tomorrow morning."
"Jon's right, Angel. We don't have a choice. We can't risk it." Arina piped up.
"Hurry and get packed. I think they came from Lavender Town, and we can reach it by dawn if we're quick." Jon urged them.
So they complied, fumbling around in the dark for their stuff. Rob hadn't said a word almost the entire time, but now he said to Arina quietly, "when did Jon appoint himself leader?"
Clearly, all the tension they felt was not just coming from their wake-up call. And if that was the case, it was going to be a long journey back to Pallet Town.
*
They walked the rest of the night, only stopping several times to catch their breath and do bathroom breaks. Arina really hated going in the woods, especially in the dark, but they really had no options.
"We're right outside of town! I can see buildings!" Angel said happily as they continued walking.
"If we time it just right, we should get to the Pokemon Center for breakfast," Jon said.
"Great! Let's run!" Angel cheered.
"Let's not," Arina said wearily. Jon and Angel, in the lead, saw Rob and Arina dragging their feet.
"You guys ok? Do you need another break?" Jon asked.
"We need beds," Rob stated flatly.
"Maybe we should just lie down here," Arina yawned, and leaned against a tree.
"But we'll be there soon. Then you can sleep and have pancakes." Angel said as she pointed at the town coming into view.
"Mhm, pancakes." Arina murmured. She closed her eyes for a moment, and the next thing she knew, Jon was picking her off the ground.
"You dream a lot when you walk, Rin, and you're going to fall into a hole." He grabbed her and hoisted her on his back.
"Wah!" Arina cried, "what are you doing?!"
"Rin, you're half-asleep as it is. At least let me carry you to a bed before you choose the road to nap on.
"My name isn't Rin, it's A-rin-a," she bopped him on the head with her fist.
Jon looked back at her, feigning sheepishness. "Whatever you say, Rin."
"I'll Rin you," she mumbled tiredly and pointed over his shoulder to the city. "Onward, to pancakes."
End Chapter 1