A/N: Only got two reviews for the first chapter, which is honestly what I expected. I got some favorites and followers, two and five respectively, but again, that's kind of what I expected. Let's see if I can't get more after this chapter.
Disclaimer: I still don't own Pokémon, as it is owned by people and corporations I'm too lazy to list. Just know that I don't own Pokémon; I wouldn't be wasting my time here if I did.
Stepping deep in Route 29, a wide smile grew on Hayate's lips as he stretched his muscles. He had to go far enough to avoid being spotted by his wife, but being married to her for years, he knew Leyna well enough to know she would find him regardless of where he hid. The silver haired father made sure to loosen up as much as he could before putting his fingers in his mouth and whistling as loud as he could. The whistle spread through the air, entering the ears of the Pokémon residing in the vast forest. Hayate waited with his arms crossed until he could hear their stampede racing towards him excitingly. His smile grew wider and wider as a flying Pidgey and Spearow landed on his shoulders and chirped ecstatically. Other Pokémon, normal, flying, grass, and bug-types gathered around the silver haired man, who held up his hands to soothe their excitement. His Vaporeon stood with the group of Pokémon.
Then, taking out his spare pokéball, Hayate called out his remaining partner. "Let's go Orso."
Out of the capsule emerged a bipedal, ursine Pokémon. Its broad body was cloaked in brown fur, except for its muzzle, inner ears, and the pads on its paws, which were a light tan. Its narrow eyes landed on Hayate while its triangular black nose took in the sweet, sweet scent of the forest. Its wide mouth curled into a smile, flashing the small but visible fangs in its upper jaw. Orso the Ursaring let out a soft cry in greeting.
Hayate reached towards the Pokémon and scratched the large ring-shaped mark on its chest, earning a soft growl. He then hopped on the Ursaring's shoulders and leaped into the air, landing on a sturdy branch to give him a better vantage point of his audience.
"Alright everyone; I want you to listen to what I have to say," he stated authoritatively. The group of Pokémon listened intently to the man they've known for a long time. He would always come out with his wife and kids, watching the latter play with some of them, drawing other Pokémon towards the family until they practically had an entire army at their beck and call. The group now only consisted of some of the Pokémon stationed outside New Bark, only some. For the plan he formulated, he doesn't want the entire family army to come, only enough and a little extra to get the task across.
"Today is a special day for my son, who turns sixteen today. Because it's his sixteenth birthday, I want to make this day extra special for him," Hayate paused to gather his thoughts. He wanted to make this quick before Leyna found him. "After finally convincing my wife to allow this, he will finally get his first Pokémon today and become a Pokémon trainer. However, as you know, I like to make things challenging."
Some of the Pokémon, Aquarius in particular, sweat dropped. They knew exactly what Hayate was talking about. While they sweat dropped, Orso snickered to himself, Orso is a male.
"And as such, I want to make sure my boy is really ready for the Pokémon world. I managed to persuade my wife into letting me test his abilities in different scenarios, but I will need your assistance in this matter. Are any of you feeling up to the challenge?"
The group of Pokémon let out a collective cry and nodded their heads. Hayate returned the positive reaction with a wide grin. He was excited to see how his son handled this test of his. The man finished telling the group his plans and then dismissed them except for Aquarius and Orso. The latter let out a cry as his trainer hopped down from the tree, unfazed by the landing.
"Yes Orso; Leyna did say we could do this," Hayate reassured the bear. It didn't take a genius to know that Leyna didn't tolerate any harm coming to her precious family. Hayate is one story, as she knows he can handle it, but her kids are another story. Messing with her kids means there's a dead wish to fulfill.
"And I hope you don't make me regret it," her voice echoed through the trio's ears. Hayate continued to smile as he turned to face his wife walking towards him with her arms folded under chest.
"How did you," but he stopped when Leyna placed her hands on her hips and gestured to her glowing blue eyes. "Right, forgot about that."
"And I will use that too if my son returns in bad shape," his wife crossed her arms again.
"You have my word honey," Hayate's hands cupped her cheeks. "I will make sure our son returns home safely. Relax okay? You have nothing to worry about."
"With you, and I don't mean to insult you, but I have plenty to worry about," Leyna fixed her glasses. "Your plans can be a little too…zealous."
"But he loves them," Hayate flashed a cheeky grin. "Think about it this way. Our boy turns sixteen today; and because it's such a special day, wouldn't it be best to give him a puzzle crafted by his old man and food prepared by his beautiful mother?"
A tint of pink rose on Leyna's cheeks, causing Orso to snicker again. Aquarius and Leyna shot the bear a glare, prompting him to turn and whistle as if nothing happened.
Leyna turned her attention back to her husband.
"I saw all the Pokémon that appeared. What did you have them do?" She narrowed her eyes, her foot tapping repeatedly.
"I keep forgetting it's impossible to hide from you," Hayate sighed, but Leyna's glare never faltered. She stepped closer until her arms touched Hayate's chest. "Alright you caught me; I was going to have the Pokémon stall Ryūga while I finish getting everything ready. By the time he even reaches Catallia, I will have all the items in place."
"So you're having Pokémon attack him, just to stall him?" Leyna responded, her skepticism clearly evident in her voice. She did not like this one bit.
Hayate shrugged. "I made sure to tell them not to aim directly at Ryūga. They just need to keep him from progressing, but this is also my way of making sure he can think his way out."
"Then why couldn't it have been something different then, like he was trapped inside an abandoned house with a few unknown Pokémon keeping him hostage? A few is a lot better than a squadron," Leyna shook her head while Hayate smiled.
"I'm already one step ahead of you, minus that last part about the few Pokémon."
"Hayate," Leyna emphasized his name threateningly. She was about to give him an earful, but was cut off by a tender kiss being placed on her lips.
"I have to go now honey, but you can scold me all you want when everything is said and done," Hayate rubbed her shoulders reassuringly. "I will leave Aquarius behind to make sure Ryūga doesn't land himself in too much trouble. In the meantime, you and Maya set up for the party, get the guests and food situated, and I will make sure our boy is famished beyond belief. Is that acceptable?"
Leyna stared at her husband for a while. She pinched the bridge between her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh.
"I can't believe you sometimes, but I know how our boy is too," she eyed her husband with a peremptory stare. "I will comply, this time; however," she poked him in the chest roughly. "If he comes back in a manner I do not approve of, I will remind you, plain and simple, that I am not your ordinary wife. Is that clear mister?"
"Crystal," Hayate smiled, completely unfazed by his wife's threat. He wrapped his arms around Leyna and pulled her into a warm embrace. "You know, I think that anger of yours is incredibly sexy. How about we explore that tonight after our kids go to bed?"
A pink hue covered Leyna's cheeks as her lips slowly curled into a smile and a soft giggle escaped her lips. She shouldn't be smiling or giggling, but she could never help herself whenever Hayate put on the sweet talk. She felt her husband pull her closer, but she playfully pushed away, still giggling.
"Be serious here," she continued to laugh. "Stop trying to change the subject."
"There's my beautiful laugh," Hayate kissed her temple.
"Stop, you're embarrassing me in front of Orso and Aquarius," Leyna's blush spread wider on her cheeks. Her giggles continued as her husband kissed her cheek and neck while keeping his arms wrapped protectively around her waist. Orso and Aquarius just stared at each other with a sweat drop rolling down the side of their heads. It was a common sight for them, seeing their trainer and wife act this way. It didn't bother them, but they still wished they wouldn't do it in their presence.
Aquarius attempted to say something, but Orso's ears and nose sprang into action, and she could feel something too.
"Let me walk you back home," Hayate took his wife's hand.
"You don't need to," but the rest of Leyna's words remained stuck in her throat at the look in Hayate's eyes. He was looking towards the trees but some of his stare flew towards her. She gripped his hand tight and nodded with her eyes focused. "Let's hurry then."
"Orso, keep your nose on that scent, and Aquarius, get ready to intercept," Hayate commanded, earning an affirmative cry from his Pokémon. "Honey, is it friend or foe?"
"Hmm, there's nothing hostile about them, but I wouldn't let my guard down," Leyna had her eyes closed, letting her husband be her guide. "They aren't doing anything except looking over the town."
"Got it; I'll get to the bottom of this," Hayate stated back. The couple arrived at New Bark's entrance, where Hayate released his wife's hand and planted a soft kiss on her lips.
"Be safe," she told him afterwards, pecking his lips again.
"Understood," he nodded back and waved her goodbye. They watched Leyna make her way into town. "Let's go you two."
The trio proceeded down the path leading to Catallia. They wanted to be a good enough distance away from New Bark before going on the attack, or else they'll risk the townsfolk making a big deal of things. Orso pointed one of his claws towards the sky where he could smell the newcomer's scent.
"Over there?" Hayate asked for clarification. The bear nodded and his trainer pointed in the same direction. "Aquarius use Hydro Pump to bring them down."
The water Eeveelution nodded and sucked in a deep breath. A powerful burst of water exploded from her mouth and soared into the sky like a rocket. The water was so strong that it easily cut through the trees without suffering a decrease in power.
"Thunderpunch!" The opponent commanded. From below, the trio could see bolts of lightning flash vehemently as drops of water fell from the sky.
"Get ready you two," he declared. A powerful wind erupted, but Hayate and his Pokémon remained unfazed. The trainer could see something swiftly approaching and moved his left arm to signal Orso. "Orso use Hammer Arm!"
The bear Pokémon shielded his trainer while his right arm began to glow white, right in time to see a strong burst of fire appear from above. Orso wind his arm back and snapped it forward, smashing the limb into the flames. The explosion rocked the earth as smoke covered the field. Orso backed out and growled.
"Ring, Ursaring," he said.
"We can't stay for long so we need to take care of things quickly," Hayate extended his arm. "Try to find them and use Focus Blast."
Ursaring listened with his ears for the enemy. Another menacing growl escaped his mouth when the enemy's presence was located. A light blue spear formed in between Orso's paws.
"Ursa!" The bear pulled his left arm back. "Ring!"
He released the Focus Blast into another Flamethrower. The next explosion forced Hayate to shield his face from the smoke blowing in his direction.
"Not bad, not bad at all," he said. "But this game of hide and seek is becoming tedious. I have important things to do today and I won't be repressed, so I suggest revealing yourself."
Silence. There was no response. Hayate shook his head.
"I tried to warn them," he faced Aquarius. "Aquarius, use Blizzard, but concentrate it around this area only. We can't have the other Pokémon being caught in the crossfire.
"Vapor," Vaporeon nodded and unleashed a freezing wave of ice in all directions. Like her trainer requested, she concentrated the ice around their position only. She didn't have to worry about Orso or her trainer being affected by the cold, as Orso's warm coat kept them warm. The trainer and bear heard the roar of a Pokémon coming closer and closer, roaring in pain from the ice attack.
Vaporeon stalled her attack and Orso quickly fired another Focus Blast into the trees and hit the target directly. Both Pokémon smiled upon hearing another roar of pain and the destruction of branches falling to the ground. Hayate focused more on the trainer that commanded the Pokémon. His wife classified the mystery person as a non-hostile entity, but Hayate remained on guard as she advised.
A large Pokémon crashed into the earth, creating a light shockwave. It was a draconic, bipedal Pokémon with light orange skin. Its large, grayish-green eyes began to open and narrow at the trainer and his two Pokémon. It dragged one thick arms across its round snout and let a little smoke fall from its small nostrils. A pair of long, thin antennae on the top of its head with a small horn set between them twitched a little. Its striated, cream-colored, underbelly extended from its neck to the tip of its long, tapering tail, which wagged across the ground. The dragon pushed itself to its legs, which ended in three claws each. The tiny wings on its back spread wide as the dragon prepared to defend.
"A Dragonite huh. I didn't expect to see one of those around here," Hayate said aloud. His eyes met Dragonite's glare and returned it with as much ferocity. "But why is it alone? Where is its trainer?"
"Right here," a voice answered. Hayate pivoted around with his right arm following his movements. He barely blocked the punch aimed at his face and then bounced back from the kick that followed to put a little distance from the attack, who was a curvaceous woman with pale blue hair with the sides of her pigtails pointing downward and a ponytail flowing down the back of her head. In addition, she wore a dark blue full body suit with two matching gloves over her hands and dark blue boots. A long, flowing black and red cape flapped behind her, flowing with the wind.
Hayate eyed the woman with a cautious glare. He managed to get his attacker to reveal themselves, but he was falling behind schedule. There's no telling when Ryūga will start leaving so the man had to take care of business quick.
"And who are you?" He interrogated. "Better yet, why are you spying on my town?"
"I don't have to tell you anything, villain," the woman retorted, drawing a confused look on Hayate's face. Villain? Is that really what she just called Hayate? "I'm here to stop you."o
The man covered his face with his hand. A sigh escaped as he checked the time. "I'm afraid you're mistaken. I am no villain. I live in this town and I won't let you harm it."
"Bold words villain, but your lies won't work on me," the woman retorted. "Dragonite, blast them with Dragon Pulse."
The dragon Pokémon quickly complied and unleashed an intense blast of draconic energy. But Hayate already had a counterattack
"Protect and Water Pulse," he commanded. An orb of water gathered at Vaporeon's mouth. The multicolored draconic blast raced towards the trio, but Orso defended his team against the attack by encasing them in an emerald colored sphere. Using the smoke as cover, Aquarius followed up by firing the orb of water at the dragon.
"Quick use Thunderpunch!" the woman commanded. However, her command came too late, as the orb of water smashed into Dragonite and forced it into a tree back first. The woman was completely shocked; her Pokémon was down in just a couple of hits.
"Now that I have your attention, you can answer my questions. I really want to make this quick so I'll just ask one. What's your purpose here?" Hayate crossed his arms. The woman gritted her teeth as she watched her Dragonite be held down by Vaporeon.
"And what makes you think I'll talk? You haven't defeated me yet," she pointed out.
"And that's all I needed to hear," Hayate snapped his fingers. Orso suddenly charged at the woman, who wasn't expecting the command and found herself being slammed on her back as Orso readied its free claw while the other pinned the woman to the ground. Hayate casually strolled over, an impassive look on his face. "You can keep being stubborn. I could care less actually, but let me warn you before I have my buddy here unleash a Thunderpunch of his own. I really don't have time for this crap."
"You wouldn't," the woman smiled confidently and grabbed Orso's arm. "You don't have the nerve to attack me. You would've already done it."
"I tried to be reasonable. Do it," he nodded to Orson. Smiling wide, the bear clenched a fist and forced strong electricity to surge around it. The woman began to sweat as Orso lifted her into the air. "I'm a man who protects what he loves. You call me a villain so that means you're not here to hurt anyone; however, that could be a ruse to make me think that way. So why not do my town a favor and eliminate its potential enemy."
Dragonite tried to throw the water-type off its stomach, but Vaporeon kept it trapped with Ice Beam. The super effective attack forced a painful roar out its mouth and made it thrash about angrily.
"You're just trying to fake me out; I can see through your tricks," the woman declared. "You want me to think you have the gall to attack me, but you won't. I can see it in your eyes."
"Then you're a terrible reader," Hayate ushered Orso to lower the woman. He got in her face and glared evil daggers at her. "I don't care who you are, but I will not allow you to harm my loved ones."
"But if you do attack me, what's stopping Officer Jenny from finding out?" the captive woman inquired. Hayate shook his head.
"You're a fool who didn't brush up on their information, because if you did, you would've known about me living here. I've been around the world multiple times and made friends in places you could only dream of meeting. As such, Officer Jenny knows me quite well, but on a side note, why would I rely on her when I can simply eliminate the problem right here and now?"
His voice became darker, more authoritatively. He gave the woman a cold stare and slowly backed away, letting his words repeat in her head.
"I gave you a chance to talk, but I suppose you like doing things the hard way," the smile on Hayate's face grew more sinister, sending chills down the woman's spine. His eyes locked with hers. "That's a good thing, because I love taking the harder route."
He snapped his fingers again.
"Do it Orso; we've wasted enough time here," he turned his back and approached Aquarius. The bear raised the woman and cocked his electric fist back.
"Ring," he said and let her drop. His fist flew through the air, smashing deep into the woman's gut. A loud shriek echoed through the atmosphere, filling the Pokémon and Hayate's ears. Dragonite thrashed about more violently, cursing in Pokémon language. Its trainer's shriek filled its ears and it tried desperately to escape the icy shackles.
"Aquarius, I'm leaving you in charge around here. If you see any dangerous entities come by, take care of them," Hayate enlarged Orso's pokèball and returned the bear inside. "I really need to get going. Can you handle things here for me Aquarius?"
"Por," Aquarius jumped in his arms and licked his cheek lovingly.
"Alright, be safe now girl," Hayate petted her and finally began his trek towards Catallia, leaving Aquarius to watch the town. The water-type released the trapped dragon, which growled back menacingly, but received negative results. Aquarius wasn't worried in the slightest. Her tail wagged back and forth slowly, a cold and calculating stare aimed towards the dragon. She dangerously reminded the dragon and flying-type of how powerful she was, charging another Ice Beam. The Dragonite eventually backed off and rushed to its trainer's side, finding her completely unconscious and paralyzed. How could a trainer casually order its Pokémon to attack another trainer? Placing her on its shoulder, Dragonite took to the skies and flew like a bullet with its short wings.
As the duo disappeared on the horizon, the water-type remained on guard. She hid the bushes, partly to stay hidden from Ryūga, and to conceal its presence from more enemies that may appear. She wasn't going to let anything happen to her town; she would make sure of that.
Running through the forest, Hayate couldn't stop thinking about the encounter he had with that woman. Multiple questions ran through his head as he pondered the identity of their attacker. He didn't care if she was defending or attacking. No one messes with his town, its inhabitants, and his family without suffering dire consequences. He may have wasted too much time, but as long as the town remained safe from harm, he could care less. Ryūga would understand if things fell too early.
She seemed familiar to him though, in the regard that he met someone else with a Dragonite like hers, but the person's name escaped him. The cape was definitely familiar, but he couldn't remember who exactly wore another one of the same design. The Dragonite the woman had was, although, weaker than the Dragonite the person Hayate tried to remember had.
He wasn't worried in the slightest though. Aquarius could handle things just fine without him. Plus she had the Pokémon in the forest to lend a hand. Any opposing forces that dare set foot in their territory would be taken care of personally by Aquarius. However, there is a chance that the woman will come back with reinforcements. Aquarius would require more help if that happened. Of course, that is to say if the woman really is a foe. If she is an ally, Aquarius may not drown her, but all bets are off if she really turned out to be an enemy.
The advantage goes to Aquarius if people do attack, an advantage that could lead her and the town to victory. Even so, Hayate wanted to be completely prepared for another attack.
"I guess it's time to bring the A-Team back," he said to himself. "I'll call up the professors and ask for some transfers. Leyna will definitely like to see Virgo again; and it would be another good surprise for Ryūga to see."
Hayate increased his speed, leaping over ledges and rocks. He didn't stop running, as he needed to make up for lost time. Time was of the essence and he wasted a lot by dealing with that woman and partly his wife, but spending time with Leyna is always a plus. Hayate had to protect her and his children; he didn't resort to annihilation, but if the circumstances ever called for it, he only hoped Leyna, Ryūga, and/or Maya would never be around to see it.
Leyna couldn't stop thinking about her husband and whoever he fought. She was trying to see what went down, but Hayate moved too far out of range, leaving her oblivious to the situation
'Damn it Hayate.' She cursed in her mind. 'You're really going to leave me in the dark about this?'
"Mom?" Ryūga spoke up. He and his little sister observed their mom standing with her eyes closed and shoulders relaxed. "You okay?"
"Mhm," she nodded back, her eyes slowly opening. "I was just thinking if I packed enough snacks for your little mission. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I want you as hungry as possible when you return."
If it wasn't for Maya, Ryūga would've fell back on the floor in shock. His mother never said that to him, never. This definitely had to be another dream; and if it was, the birthday boy hoped it would never end. His eyes were as wide as saucers, staring flabbergasted at his mother, whose words continued to echo through his mind.
"Are you sure you're okay mom?" Maya asked next. Even she was shocked by what her mother said. Everyone knows how big of an appetite Ryūga has, but for someone to actually say they wanted him as hungry as possible blew the little girl's mind. Leyna giggled as she shook her son into conscious.
"Of course I'm okay, believe it or not," she wrapped her arms around her son. "I will need all the help I can get to feed my boy for his special day, and he can help by coming back safe and sound and as hungry as he can be. That way, I can rest easy knowing nothing happened, because if his appetite goes, something bad definitely happened."
"Why can't people leave my appetite alone?" Ryūga groaned. "So I love to eat. Is that bad?"
"No it's not bad, but you eat too much," Leyna commented. "It's a wonder you haven't exploded from too much consumption."
"Like I told Maya earlier, exercise, and you know when to make healthier food so diet is also included," the teen messed up her sister's hair, making her pout angrily and attempt to swat his hand away.
"Big brother! I told you to stop messing with my hair!" She yelled at him, but Ryūga just laughed.
"I'll help you fix it later," he waved it off. Maya continued to pout, even when her brother placed her on his shoulder. "How about I let you come with me?"
"No," Leyna stated immediately.
"Awww, but why?" Ryūga questioned.
"Because I need her help here at the house. All this food can't be cooked with my hands alone. Now you better hurry and get started before time runs out, which is before seven-thirty this afternoon," Leyna smiled at Ryūga's dropping mouth.
"Seven-thirty? I have to pass through two cities and forests, going to and back in six hours?" he couldn't believe what he heard. It takes about three hours to get to Catallia from New Bark and about another three to get back, provided Ryūga doesn't stop moving like his father. Add in the time it takes to reach Cherrygrove and find whatever Elm wants him to and it will definitely take eight hours, maybe more. He has less time than he imagined.
"Then you better get moving. Maya, hand him the bag please," Maya hurried off while Leyna touched his son's cheeks. "Now listen Ryūga; I need you to promise me something. Please, and I want to hear you say it, but please be careful out there. I have no doubt that you will get this done, but I want you to promise me that you'll be safe. I know I ask this a lot, but understand that I get very worried about you and your father when your competitive streak starts raging. All I want is for you two to come home safely. Can you do that for me?"
"Of course mom; I promise to stay safe, but I can't guarantee things will stay that way when dad is involved," Ryūga chuckled. "I know you worry a lot and I promise to make it home safely. I doubt dad will let me walk into too much trouble without some safety precaution."
"That's why I'm having you promise me, but I suppose that's as good as I'm going to get," Leyna accepted the bag from her little girl. "Now I didn't pack too much, but it should be enough to sustain you until you get back."
"Thank you kindly," Ryūga donned his pack. "Now I have a mission to complete."
"Good luck sweetie," Leyna pecked his son's cheek.
"I believe you big brother," Maya hugged his side. "When you get your Pokémon, can I help name them?"
"Sure, I'll even let you be the first to meet them," Ryūga had to leave quickly or he won't make the deadline in time. After the door closed, Leyna let out one last sigh. She was nervous about this plan of Hayate's and that mystery person she felt didn't help soothe that worriment.
'What happened out there? Damn it Hayate, why didn't you stay within range?'
"Mom?" Maya tugged on her sleeve.
'What could be their reason for being here though? Could they be after something?' Leyna shook her head, not hearing her daughter's calling. 'No, if they were after something, they would've been in the town by now. Unless they were waiting for a good moment to infiltrate. But what would they be after?'
The mother sighed. "Be safe you two."
"Mom?" Leyna finally heard her daughter.
"Maya, your father and big brother are going to worry me to death at this rate," she set Maya in her lap. "I hope you take more after me when you grow up."
"Why?" The little girl gave her mother a confused stare.
"You won't be overzealous like your father. Arceus knows I love him to death, but he can be a bit much at times," Leyna smiled. "When he gets back, I'm going to have another word with him. But in the meantime, let's start cooking your brother's birthday dinner."
"Okay!" The little cheered with her arms in the air, hurrying to the kitchen.
'You two had better come back to me safely. There's going to be serious consequences otherwise.' Leyna followed her daughter to the kitchen.
He breathed vehemently in an obscure rhythm as his galloping footsteps smashed into the earth. The scenery of bushes, trees, and grass seemed to go on from his perspective. The forest is obviously a huge place, but it never felt this big before. He ducked behind a tree and waited quietly for things to resolve. His heart pounded vigorously against his chest and didn't show any signs of calming down soon. Only a few minutes passed since he stepped into Route 29 and the Pokémon were already kicking his butt, hard.
He peeked over the bushes, a loud rustling sound entering his ears, and unfortunately, the Pokémon. Ryūga quickly maneuvered from a Power Whip attack, which pierced through the bushes and struck the close by tree, breaking apart some of the bark. It wasn't long before the entire tree began to fall Ryūga went on the run again. He barely managed to dodge the tree that crashed into the ground with a loud thud.
"He just had to assemble the Pokémon to help out," Ryūga released a breath of relief. But that relief soon vanished when some vines wrapped around his ankles.
"Whoa!" Ryūga exclaimed as he hung upside down by a Vine Whip. A group of Oddish's snickered mischievously before tossing the wannabe trainer towards him hometown; however, they didn't count on the teenager grabbing a tree branch and pulling himself up.
Ever since he stepped out of the comfort of his town, the Pokémon his father recruited were merciless in their attacks. They followed Ryūga's father's request of not hurting the teenager, but that did not stop them from having fun. At first, they let the teen get far enough to produce a false sense of security, but when they deemed his progression good enough, they unleashed their attack.
Ryūga for the most part, was having a blast, an enthusiastic smile plastered on his lips as he formulated a plan. He couldn't simply run straight ahead; he had to strategize a way to get to the next location. But the never-ending Pokémon attacks prohibited any strong plans from being made. His legs went on the move, propelling the teen over small distances to the next tree, but when the gap became too far, Ryūga hopped down and continued on foot, dodging Vine and Power Whips, Bullet Seeds, Wing Attacks, Steel Wings, and String Shots. The most latter was the main problem, as the sticky material was very strong. It was stronger than steel and couldn't be removed through regular means. Ryūga found himself trapped a bunch of times. The others weren't so bad, but the String Shots were another story.
His footsteps pounded the ground like a galloping Rapidash. The forces his father assembled against him worked in perfect unison to trap the teenager, using the super strong and durable String Shot to keep him contained and then utilize the flying-types' swift flight speed to knock him back. Ryūga crossed his arms to endure a Wing Attack, the force skidding him back into the sticky web.
"Oh no, crap!" He tried to break free, but his endeavors made him stick more to the web. The Pokémon laughed teasingly at the wannabe trainer, whose endeavor to escape proved fruitless. "Oh ha, ha; you guys are so funny. But I am on a mission and won't let you guys keep me from completing it."
While he had the confidence to back up his claim, he however, was still stuck to the web. "Uh, do you mind setting me free first?"
In the bushes, Aquarius was rolling on the ground, snickering uncontrollably as she watched Ryūga handle his father's first task. She didn't care if Ryūga heard her; it wasn't everyday she got to see the teen be tossed around like a rag doll. The water-type did have to commend the teen however. He was clearly confident in his skills and abilities, but it was still funny.
A Pidgeotto cut the teen down with an Air Slash and gave chase, covering its wings in metallic armor. Its Steel Wing attack closed in on Ryūga, who dove to the ground, forcing the bird to miss and pull up before diving back down with a Quick Attack. A white streak trailed behind the bird while another layer of metallic armor coated its wings.
Ryūga hopped and planted his feet firmly on the approaching tree. Pushing off, he bounded over the Pidgeotto. The bird cut through the tree with Steel Wing.
"Not this time," Ryūga flipped down and landed safely on his feet. "Take that Pidgeotto!"
The tree tilted towards him, stalling his laughter. The bark began breaking apart.
"Uh-oh," he stepped back. The tree fell towards him. "Crap!"
Aquarius held in her laughter and decided to help out her trainer's son. While he was running away, she leaped from the bushes with a powerful Iron Tail charged up and smashed her tail into the falling tree, reducing it to logs. Vaporeon released multiple Water Guns to blow the pieces away and then hid in the bushes again.
Ryūga braced himself for the tree's impact, but he never heard it. Strange; it's hard for a tall and large tree to fall without causing some vibrations.
"What happened?" he questioned the pile of logs stacked on top of each other. The silver haired teenager tilted his head. "Huh? What the?"
He simply stared at the pile. A falling tree suddenly reduced to logs and neatly stacked didn't make any sense. He would've seen the Pokémon acting if it was them, but he didn't. Then how did the tree turn out like this he wondered. Ryūga decided to thank his lucky stars for not being crushed and cautiously resumed his running. Time was getting shorter and shorter. At this rate, he will not make the deadline in time.
The Pokémon increased their assault yet again, going as far as to create intricate puzzles the teen needed to bypass, like a giant maze of webs. Using String Shot to the max, the bug-types created a maze to trap and force Ryūga to think of a way out, per his father's instructions. But that's only the beginning of the maze.
"You guys are just," Ryūga sighed and entered the web maze, but as soon as he did, Spinaraks sealed the entrance, leaving no possibilities of turning back. Ryūga remained on guard, his golden eyes looking left, right, up, down, and everywhere else he could stare at. Things weren't that bad for him. However, that's what worried him the most. If things were looking this easy when his father came up with the plan, there's no telling what else the man had in store. Not only that, but Ryūga was still on a time limit and this turn of events most certainly did not put things in his favor. Those three hours it would normally take to reach Catallia would now become about four and a half.
"I bet he's somewhere laughing at me," Ryūga blinked one. Twice. Thrice. He eyed the branching paths blankly. 'How did they make branching paths?! The forest is literally a straight line to the next city!'
Ryūga followed his gut instincts, choosing the left path. The same scenery played out before him, a plethora of strong sticky web acting as corridors as he made his way through the passages. He could hear the crawling of bug and grass-types and stopped. His eyes looked left and right, but they were the wrong directions to be looking.
A barrage of small purple spears entered the maze directly in front of Ryūga. He barely had time to dodge, ducking successfully under the Poison Sting attacks. However, there was plenty more that came. From all directions, more Poison Stings flew in, followed by Pin Missiles and Razor Leaves.
"You're kidding me," Ryūga jumped back, letting the triple assault hit the empty spot instead. "Forget about making it, I'm just hoping I survive."
He rushed through the passages, hearing the explosions from the attacks echoing behind and around him. He thought he was in the clear for the moment, until he arrived at another branch in the maze, this time three.
'Dad, you and I need to have a little talk when this is over.' He took a deep breath and chose his path.
His silver eyes narrowed dangerously as he took out his pokèball and pivoted to check his six, but no one was there. Blinking twice, he placed the capsule back on his belt and let out a sigh. He already received a similar feeling from his wife a little while ago.
"What's the matter?" An elderly man walked into the room, a wooden cane in his grasps. The repetitious patter of the cane tapping the floor filled the air as the elderly man watched Hayate put on a black cloak and straighten out the hood. He saw Hayate place his pokèball on the belt, wondering what the man could be doing.
"Someone is talking about me again," Hayate folded his arms. "First Leyna, and now probably Ryūga; I guess he liked my surprise."
"Your wife is going to kill you," the elderly man sighed and approached a container sitting on the counter. Inside was a healthy looking egg, which was kept nice and clean inside the pristine capsule. "Elm contacted me earlier and explained this secret plan of yours. I have the items in place, but your wife is going to kill you by the end of the day."
"No she won't," Hayate went over the plan in his head.
"You seem confident about that," the old man, known as Mr. Ryder, pointed out.
"I am; my wife may be mad at me, but it won't last long. The worse she can do is attack me, but I have a clear way of avoiding her. Plus she doesn't have that much stamina compared to me, so when she tires out, I win."
"I have my doubts, but I guess it will be worth it for Ryūga," Ryder lifted the capsule and settled down in his comfy chair with a loud groan. "Oh geez, I'm not as young as I used to be."
"You doing okay?" Hayate asked.
"Nothing to worry about, just age taking its toll. Even the most powerful person or Pokémon cannot overcome that," Ryder laughed. "But, I've lived a full, happy life. I can last until little Maya grows up. Will you test her like you're doing Ryūga?"
"Of course not," Hayate shook his head. "My little princess will get her Pokémon at fourteen hands down, no test included."
"At least you're fair to her," the elderly man chuckled.
"I'm fair to Ryūga too; he enjoys taking on my puzzles and I treat my wife and daughter like princesses," Hayate smiled at Ryder's laugh.
"Yes, your Gallade and Gardevoir relationship. So if little Maya is the Ralts, does that make Ryūga a Kirlia?"
"Unfortunately, Ralts doesn't have a more male evolution so yeah, Ryūga would be the Kirlia."
Ryder tapped his cane on the tiled floor, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Ryūga is a good kid with a good head on his shoulders. Even though his father is trying to kill him."
"Why does everyone say I'm trying to kill him?" Hayate sighed and called out Orso. The bear instantly started snickering, earning a glare from his trainer.
"Maybe because you're using one of your strongest Pokémon to attack him," Ryder stated.
"I'm not going to hurt him too badly, just enough to keep him on his toes," Hayate walked over to the video phone and began dialing multiple numbers. "Now if he breaks or sprains anything, I will have to pay hell."
"No kidding/Ring," Ryder and Ursaring responded simultaneously.
On the video phone, multiple familiar faces appeared on the screen at once. Each face, except one, smiled at the caller.
"Well this is certainly a surprise. I didn't expect to hear from you Hayate," one of them greeted. "How are you doing?"
"Hello everyone, I hope I wasn't interrupting anything," Hayate greeted back.
"Actually, I was about to go out into the fields to do more research," one of them scratched the back of his head.
"Sorry Birch, but I have an important request to make," Hayate made his receivers cringe a little at the smile growing on his lips. "It's my boy's sixteenth birthday today."
"His final birthday you mean," Ryder commented with a booming laugh.
"Shut it old man," Hayate snapped back and turned back to the monitors. "Now then, as I was saying, it's my son's sixteenth birthday and I wanted to do something special for him."
"That doesn't sound good," the lone female professor giggled.
"Eh, it depends on how seriously he takes it, but everything is in good fun. Hopefully, he'll keep his wits about him," Hayate replied. "But I like to see him have fun. Anyway, I called you guys because I need my A-Team and Leyna's Virgo."
The professors' faces grew serious.
"Did something happen?" Prof. Oak questioned. The smile on Hayate's face grew into a thin line.
"Nothing serious, but I have a bad feeling about the future. I wanted to have my A-Team back just in case something bad does happen. I will also need Leyna's Virgo as well. The two are great teammates and I'm sure she and Orion would like to meet our Ralts and Kirlia."
"Hmm, well I see no harm in it. Give me a bit to gather them," Rowan's deep and authoritative voice spoke up next. "So that's Orion and Virgo."
"You should have Aquarius already," Oak said.
"And Orso," Elm could see the bear from the monitor. "Also, I still hope Leyna won't kill us."
"So that leaves Drago," Sycamore held up a pokéball.
"Aquila," Juniper did the same.
"And Agro!" Birch's voice could be heard among the clatter rattling around in his office.
"Thank you everyone," Hayate replied. "And Elm; I keep telling you that Leyna won't kill you. You worry too much. Too much stress is bad for you."
"Well excuse those for not having the will to fight against a scary person," the Johto professor retorted. "Some of us haven't known her for years."
"Three and a half decades to be exact," Hayate leaned back in the chair he sat in.
"Hayate; I'm sorry to ruin the light atmosphere you're trying to make, but I must advise you to be more careful in the future. Something definitely isn't right," Professor Oak spoke up. Hayate narrowed his eyes, the seriousness taking over again. He straightened up and placed his elbows on the desk.
"Do you know something?" he asked back.
"Not entirely, but after thinking about what you said, I remembered that there have been some strange events happening in Kanto. Namely, a lot of kidnappings," the eldest professor explained.
"Kidnappings?" Juniper repeated. Oak nodded back.
"Yes, but I'm afraid there's not much on the issue. A couple of people were kidnapped inconspicuously and then brought back completely unharmed, but acted entirely different. Right now, there's no safe way of telling how differently, but still, the entire thing doesn't sit well with me."
"Yeah, I've heard about that," Elm stated. "I just thought it was local news, like a child missing and the authorities finding them."
"Hmm, does that explain the woman who showed up?" Hayate asked softly.
"You say something Hayate?" Juniper said to him. The man shook his head.
"No, just thinking of my own kids now. I'm going to need those Pokémon now."
"We're on it," Birch, Rowan, Juniper, and Sycamore placed the pokéballs in the transfer device.
"But you will need to send over some Pokémon of your own for the transfer to work," the most latter professor pointed out.
"I have a loophole," Hayate placed empty pokéballs on the transfer machine. "Just make sure my team gets here safely."
The machine whirred up as electricity struck the pokéballs and sent them through the device.
"Hayate, Ryūga is on his way. Do you think he'll be okay?" Ryder strolled over to the man, who let out a sigh.
"Yeah, I think he'll be okay. I trust him and Aquarius to keep him safe. But now the question is should I stay or go through with my original plan."
"If things go wrong at home, I'm sure Leyna will contact you," Ryder pointed out. Hayate nodded in agreement, but that only made the man worry more. It took quite a bit of time to make it all the way to Ryder's house from New Bark. Even taking every shortcut Hayate knew would only decrease the time to about an hour to get back home. That's way too long.
"If I'm right, Ryūga should still be relatively close to New Bark. That depends on if he hasn't reached Catallia yet, but if so, he will be there when something happens."
"I think it might be best to make an adjustment to your plan," Ryder grasped the pokéballs that the professors sent for Hayate. He thanked them for Hayate and ended the multi call.
"You go back and make sure everything is as it should be. I will take care of Ryūga's gift and let him know you were here earlier to check up on something."
"Yeah, that sounds good," Hayate clipped the pokéballs to his belt. He hated having to change his plans, but his family could be at risk and there would be serious hell to pay if that's the case.
"Better get going then; it's going to be quite the trip back," Ryder tapped his cane against the floor as he took the egg capsule in his hands. "I'll make sure Ryūga gets the egg and has everything he need, pokéballs included."
"Right, thanks Ryder; I appreciate it," Hayate petted Orso on the head.
"Don't mention it," the old man shook his head with a jubilant smile. "You and your family have been good to me for years. Maya and Ryūga are essentially my grandkids. Why I remember the days I would watch after them while you and Leyna go out and thrill them with my stories. They just love listening to my stories. Speaking of which, I should decide on which story to tell Ryūga when he gets here."
"Make it a good one," Hayate turned to his Ursaring. "Change of plans Orso; we're heading back home. That woman we faced earlier left a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach so we're returning early to see if our home is still there."
"Ring," Orso nodded.
"Ryder, we'll see you later; don't be a stranger," Hayate and Orso rushed out the house while Ryder waved.
"Well, nothing to do but wait and get my stories ready," the old man stared at the capsule containing the egg. "I wonder how he'll react to you my friend."
It was a tough time, going through the maze that never ended. The corridors and passages were so intricate that it was impossible to tell if the path was correct or not. It never seemed to end, a maze that forever trapped its victims in a loop of continuous turns and corridors, which stretched for miles and miles. It was impossible to see any end. The beginning vanished long ago, but finally, he managed to make it out. Dodging Poison Stings, Razor Leaves, and other barrage of attacks, Ryūga finally managed to find the door of light that led to his next task.
The wannabe trainer was so ecstatic to emerge from the 'Maze of Eternal Suffering' as he dubbed it. He saw the city of Cattalia just among the horizon. It was so close, but it suddenly became too far as a powerful force slammed into him. The impact threw him into a tree, back first, breath leaving his lungs all at once. The impact was so hard, the tree shook some leaves off, and the Pokémon, Aquarius included, winced in pain. Ryūga coughed violently as the world around him spun like a vortex.
"That," he raised a finger. "Hurt…a lot."
"Cross," the challenger crossed its arms and grinned wide at the fallen Ryūga. It extended an arm and gave the 'bring it on' motion with its claws. "Cross, Cross."
Ryūga shook his head, a mild headache forming in his cranium. He looked up at the challenger and felt the desirable urge to slap his forehead.
"Out of all the Pokémon we know, you recruited him?" he pushed himself up to his feet, loosening the joints in his shoulders and neck as he and the Heracross sized up one another. The Heracross imitated a person cracking its knuckles, a wide grin growing bigger on its face.
"Cross, Heracross," the bug and fighting-type Pokémon said.
"It has been a while," Ryūga nodded. Again, the wannabe trainer is able to read gestures, not speak the Pokémon language. "But you know a human cannot take on the fearsome power of a Pokémon."
"Cross," the Pokémon shrugged. Ryūga chuckled back.
"Yeah, that still didn't stop me, but unfortunately, this time is different. Unlike those times, I am on a strict time limit."
"Cross," Heracross lowered itself into an attack stance. The bug and fighting-type Pokémon knew its mission; stall the son for as long as it takes. Don't use deadly force, but enough to keep him on his toes. That was its mission.
Go out into the wild without any Pokémon to help, retrieve two items for the professor, and bring them back unscathed. All the while maneuvering through every obstacle and making it in the allotted time. The details alone sounded relatively simple, but that's one thing. Actually attempting it was another. That was Ryūga's mission.
"No choice but to go through with it," Ryūga extended his right foot forward. There's no doubt in his mind Heracross would wipe the floor with him in hand-to-hand combat. He had to play it safe and formulate another way to go around the Pokémon; however, he also needed to factor in the spectating Pokémon. They stopped their assault just to give Heracross space to act, but if Ryūga managed to bypass the bug and fighting-type, it would cause them to resume their assault. He had to think about that too. "Prepare yourself Heracross, because I will not let you stop me from obtaining my Pokémon and delicious food!"
The fighting beetle spread its wings and dashed swiftly across the battlefield. Ryūga pushed off the extended foot into a good running start. In no time, the fighting beetle and wannabe trainer were on top of each other. Heracross's right claw came down vehemently, a powerful Brick Break diving down to strike the birthday boy. But all the attack hit was the ground, which shook lightly, a small crater forming underneath the beetle, which smiled wide as its eyes locked on to the running Ryūga.
"Cross," it casually retracted its arm and gave chase. Heracross closed the distance between it and Ryūga in no time at all; much to the latter's surprise. Using the surprise to its advantage, Heracross struck Ryūga's stomach with an Arm Thrust. The attack propelled the wannabe trainer back, but it didn't stop Heracross from continuing on the offensive. The fighting beetle dove down above Ryūga, another Brick Break ready to strike. But like before, the attack miss and struck the ground again.
"Cross," the beetle nodded its head, impressed by its opponent's determination, but shook it at Ryūga's foolishness. The same thing was going to happen; Heracross giving the chase and easily catch up to send the trainer back. Surely Ryūga could think of something better.
Like last time, Heracross took off after Ryūga. It decided to use Brick Break again instead of Arm Thrust and stay behind the teenager. That's where the mistake happened.
"Sorry buddy," Ryūga suddenly grinned from ear to ear and made a sharp jump to the left, out of the way of quickly upcoming tree. Sadly for the chaser, it slammed face first into the tree. "But the same trick won't work on me twice."
However, Ryūga celebrated too early, as Heracross burst from the other side of the tree without a single scratch.
"Cross," it executed a Low Kick, but missed the target. Ryūga used the beetle's head as a springboard and launched himself over it, keeping its stride, and running towards Catallia. "Hera."
The fighting beetle waited until Ryūga was far away before charging up a dark purple blast. The Pokémon around started to panic as they tried to convince the beetle to cancel the attack. Aquarius fired a Hydro Pump at the beetle, but it took to the sky and quickly fired the attack. Heracross unleashed a devastating Hyper Beam at the progressing Ryūga.
The Pokémon tried to cancel out the attack, but it was too strong for them. Aquarius fired another Hydro Pump, but feared it wouldn't make it in time. Now two attacks raced towards Ryūga, who finally became aware of them. He continued to run while looking back, but his face paled upon eyeing the fierce water and vehement purple blast chasing him. He couldn't turn or else he'll lose all the speed he gathered, he couldn't drop to the ground, because the Hyper Beam was angled too low to dodge. His only option was to run, and run he did, but he couldn't outpace the two attacks.
'Dad we're seriously going to have a talk after all this is over.' Ryūga could feel the energy from both attacks washing over his back. 'Provided I survive that is!'
The Hydro Pump and Hyper Beam touched tips, the power from both spewing in every direction. The only thing that Ryūga remembered in that instant was the humongous explosion that deafened his ears and the violent force that propelled him through the air.
Thanks to SargentFalco and Xtreme Gamer for beta reading.