Chapter One: Where Two Paths Cross
Iris woke up to the smell of frying berries. Nights when she couldn't sleep, picking berries was what she would do. And that was exactly what happened last night.
Sitting up straight, Iris was greeted by a pair of warm, green eyes.
"Good Morning Iris." Cilan said. He put down his frying pan and went to prepare another part of their breakfast.
"I was going to ask you to pick some berries, but it seems you've already done so." he said with a chuckle. The older male pointed at the piles of berries towering over the makeshift camp site.
"I'm sorry Cilan. I picked them last night." Iris replied awkwardly.
Turning back to his pan, he asks "Why so?"
Iris suddenly tensed up. Axew sensed this and jumped out of his trainer's hair. He knew all too well that Iris picked berries only at that amount when something was wrong.
The tan, young lady was contemplating on what to say, but then she had realized she had spent more than enough time thinking and not answering.
"Oh…. It was nothing!"
Iris's answer was dissatisfying to Cilan, but as the gentleman he was, he didn't press on any further.
"Although I sense a surprising spice hidden in all your sweetness, you do not have to explain yourself to me, but you do know you can talk to me whenever you're ready." Cilan said maturely. He placed a fried Mago Berry on a plate and handed it to her.
Iris was at awe. She finally realized how mature Cilan was. If it was Ash, he would have kept on going till she popped. "Such a kid…"
After he had placed the remaining breakfast on the table, Cilan went to wake up Ash.
Iris felt a little ecstatic that Cilan had complimented her. She didn't know why she felt this way, but she liked it. Iris also felt a little guilty that Cilan was so very open, while she was as closed up as her Excadrill had been.
By the time she had finished her breakfast, Ash was ready for his.
"Hey, I'm going to go over there for a sec." she said. The girl was pointing at the vast forest. Their response was just a nod, and that gave Iris an O.K in her mind.
She saw some staggered tree stumps and decided to use them as stairs to the forest trees.
"Well bye!" Iris replied cheerfully. She ran at full speed towards the stumps.
Iris jumped gracefully from stump to stump, finally landing on a sturdy branch. Hopping through the forest brought back happy memories. Doing this always made her think she was free as the wind.
Iris was humming to herself, "Right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot…"
But her train of thought stopped when she stepped on something pointy. Iris stopped to test out her foot. She brushed it off as splinter and continued her frolic.
After sometime, she felt a subtle sting in her foot. The annoying sting caused Iris to head back to camp.
"Right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot…"
By now it was neither night nor day. She could see in the distance Ash trying to start a fire. Iris giggled when she saw him try to get Pignite to start the fire for him.
"Such a ki-" she couldn't finish her thought when her 'splintered' foot landed on a branch. A sharp pain started spreading throughout her body.
Iris lost her balance from the shock.
She fell.
The tree she was on was about four meters high. Iris waited for a piercing pain to hit her back and the cold forest floor to laugh at her, but it never came. Instead she fell into a warm pair of arms and hearing no mockery.
Opening her eyes, she saw herself in Cilan's care. She jumped out of his arms instantly.
"Oh my god! Cilan are yo-" Before Iris could finish her sentence, she collapsed from a spike of pain in her foot.
Cilan quickly recovered himself in time to catch the young girl again. "Iris!"
The last thing she could remember was Cilan's worried face before blacking out.
After sometime, Iris woke up to a bright light. She felt something warm on her lap as she sat up straight. Still somewhat groggy from her slumber, Iris just thought it was Axew. She brought her hand down, and started patting his head.
But instead of feeling the familiar leathery horn of her Axew, she was greeted with something soft as a feather.
A little surprised Iris looked down to see Cilan resting his head on her lap. Blushing a little bit, she debated on whether to wake him up or not. Deciding not to, Iris just stared at him with a gentle smile.
"He looks so much more like a kid this way..."
Iris took this opportunity to examine her setting more closely. She took note that she was in a small cabin with minimal furniture.
A while later, Ash walked in. "Iris! You're awake!" His loud outburst instantly woke up Cilan, taking the warmth from her lap.
Following Ash from the door was Pikachu and Axew holding some food. Axew dropped what was in his stubbly, hands and tackled Iris out of joy.
"What happened?" Iris asked curiously, holding a crying Axew.
A boy around Cilan's aged walked in. "We thought you could tell us."
"You've been out like a light for a couple days." added Ash.
"Do you recall anything?"
"Well, I remember hopping on the tree branches and stepping on something sharp." Iris said unsure, trying to recall the past events.
"We found a barbed wire in your foot. The Venipede in this area usually carry them around to boost their power. Although small, the poison on the wire is pretty strong. You're lucky that you didn't gain any permanent injury." concluded the boy.
Wondering what temporary injuries she had, Iris found that she had lost some feeling in the right side of her body.
Accepting the answer, Iris replied "Thank you…. Uhh-"
The man had a slight smile on his face and said "My name is Ryan."
Iris, being content with all the information she had been given, leaned back into the bed.
Having Ryan exit the room, she had realized something odd. Cilan was quiet the whole way through. Turning her head towards the connoisseur, she saw him sitting on a stool with a blank expression.
"Hey Cilan… Are you okay?" Iris asked cautiously.
Having some time pass, even Ash was starting to get worried.
"Umm… Cilan?" Ash said, nudging him on the shoulder.
Cilan finally broke, exhaling a long needed breath. Eyes closed, he murmured something inaudible.
Caught off guard by Cilan's unusual behavior, she said calmly "I'm alright Cilan. It's okay."
Everyone being almost and healthy, Ash and co. started their journey. The walk was unbearabley awkward. Deciding to have some fun, Iris opened her mouth. "So Cilan, why were you sleeping in my lap?" Her tone was light-hearted, but she was genuinely curious.
Cilan became slightly flustered at the sudden question. But as quick as the reaction was, it went away.
Iris noticed that he pretended to not hear what she had said and was about to fire another question when suddenly they reached a problem.
The gang reached a fork in the rode, and a sign reading that they both reach the same destination.
To the right was a clear path, with Spring Deerling running side by side. To the left showed a glistening forest, and the sound of faint bug Pokemon sounds radiating from the entrance.
Although Ash and Cilan wanted to take the clearer path, Iris begged both the males to take the forest path.
"But Iris, you just healed from a Venipede bite. You have a greater chance of stepping on another wire in the forest than in the other path." Cilan pleaded heartily with the tan female.
Cilan's reasoning was sound, but Iris still wanted to take the left path.
"Come on Iris! I even see some trainers up ahead." pleaded Ash.
The young boy came to realize that they would never come to an agreement, so he proposed an idea.
"What if Cilan and I go to the right, and you go towards the left? The sign says that we'll meet up at the end so no worries right?"
Iris was ready to shoot down the idea, but it actually sounded reasonable to her. "Ok Ash!" The stubborn girl headed towards the lush, forest entrance but was pulled back by a strong grip.
"I'll go with Iris." The girl in question turned around to see Cilan. Ash shrugged it off and headed towards the nearest trainer to battle.
"Why do you want to come with me?" Iris and Cilan were walking leisurely when her question popped out.
Cilan looked in every direction except hers. After some thinking, he said aloud "It's just that I don't want you to fall without me there."
His comment had caused her to blush.
"Th-thank you Cilan."
They again walked in silence. The forest seemed to never end. As they kept up their pace, Cilan felt a something light on his arm.
To his amazement, Iris had fallen asleep while walking. He chuckled to himself.
"Iris?" Cilan had given her a slight shake with no reaction. "Ash is probably still battling trainers…."
He sat under the nearest tree and placed Iris next to him. Cilan was utterly tired after the event of the past days. He looked over to his right to see the image of a sleeping angel.
Cilan closed his eyes in peace and fell into a deep sleep.
A/N: I hoped you liked it :) If you see any errors, please point them out, nicely.