A/N: Today is May 10th, I hope to finish this one by May 20th. Yes, I'm setting a pretty long time limit. Most dedicated writers could do it in half the time, but I'm a lazy slacker. Oh, and before I forget; this chapter will be told, like the others, from a third person limited point of view. Last two chapters, the narrator, me, could see Sophie's thoughts and feeling. Sophie is no longer being "followed," as Link's thoughts will now be read on the screen. This, I know, is very abnormal, but I needed some way to introduce Link, and have already thought up Link's full personality. I have been ready since chapter one to get into Link's head, and now I am. Anyway, enjoy!
The three trainers were all gathered outside of Viridian City, near the entrance of Route 2. They had been sitting there for almost an hour now, on Sophie's command, of course. She had insisted that they wait for just a little while, though Joshua nor Brent new why, but they both had a good idea.
"So, Sophie, when's your friend getting here?" Brent asked.
"Soon." Was her only reply.
"That's what you said last time, and that was twenty minutes ago." He said, growing gradually more irritated.
"He's coming." She said.
"When?" Brent growled, "For all you know, he could have ditched town already, I mean, he didn't seem to have many frien-"
"There he is!" Sophie said, interrupting Brent's rant.
She pointed the slowly growing figure in the distance. Sure enough, Link had come, jut not necessarily on time. He was walking at a decent pace, but still painfully slow, and Brent once more tried convincing the group that the boy could catch up, though nobody really paid any attention to what he was saying.
Link's outfit was not unlike yesterdays, a long green outfit with a lighter green undershirt with a long collar, white leggings, dark brown boots, and a long, cone shaped hat. However, now he had a small amount of bags hanging from the belt around his waist, and his sword was now strapped on his back, making use of the belt that Sophie had seen yesterday.
"Sorry I'm late," He said as he finally reached earshot, "Officer Jenny gave me a firm talking to about weapon safety."
He gave a quiet laugh before reaching the rest of the group. Once there, he tightened his baldric and kicked the dirt off of his boots; a seemingly purposeless action considering that the road would soon give away to a dirt trail. He grinned lightly as he straightened his back and turned to the group and nodded towards the road, silently indicating that he was ready to go.
Joshua nodded back and Sophie gave a bright smile before all but skipping ahead. Brent gave an irritated groan of "Finally" before standing and following his friends. Link simply trailed quietly behind them.
Eventually, silence became light conversation, none of which Link partook in. No one seemed to notice his silence, which he enjoyed, he never like small talk with almost complete strangers. Besides, he really didn't feel like talking with any of them. Only the girl, Sophie, would have a normal conversation with him. Brent would just get upset over something, and Joshua never really talked.
These people were rather kind, at least, Link thought so. Brent, though hotheaded, seemed to not be too opinionated, and seemed to weigh his decisions, even if just momentarily. Sophie was sweet, but slightly spontaneous. Joshua was quiet and levelheaded, seeming to think for ages about small responses.
"It's so pretty!" came a voice that broke him from his trance, startling him slightly.
He looked to his left, finding Sophie examining his sword with clear interest and awe. Link gripped the hilt and pulled the sword free of its woven leather sheath. The blade wasn't anything entirely flashy, but was still a decent blade. The blade wasn't extremely thick, but had enough metal to make the somewhat-short sword hefty. Near the hilt, the blade widened into both sides of the guard. The guard itself was slightly curved, and centered in it was a medium-sized stone.
Link often got comments on his sword, but the stone is what most often drew eyes. It was a deep blue towards the top of the sphere, then faded into a teal color, then a lime green. A flame-like design was overlaid on the colors, light grey in color.
Link had gotten many offers to buy the sword, and some to buy just the stone, but he never planned to let it go. He couldn't part with it, not for everything in the world. It was too important to him and held too much sentimental value.
Sophie delicately touched the gem-like stone, then the flat of the blade. She seemed hesitant, like the blade would jump up and slice her hand. Something burned behind her hazel-brown eyes; an almost childlike curiosity. Link had never seen someone inspect a weapon as such, as if they had never seen one before.
"You want to hold it?" Link said without thinking. He wasn't sure why he offered, but he suspected the look in her eyes drew him towards the decision.
Sophie looked at the weapon in Link's hand, then back to him. Once more, he saw that childlike curiosity, and couldn't help but smile. She hesitantly put and a forth, seeming unsure of what she was doing. She looked once more to Link, and he gave a reassuring nod. Looking back to the blade, she gave a confident smile and grasped the hilt of the weapon. She tightened her grip and Link moved his hand from under the sword.
Sophie gasped in surprise as the blade dropped. Link grasped the hilt once more, giving an apologetic smile. Sophie gave him a short, playful glare, then steadied her grip. Link once more moved his hand, and the sword stayed in place, albeit shaky. Sophie shot Link a big, cheerful smile. The childlike gleam had returned to her eye, and Link knew that the look could make him do anything. It just seemed so innocent, he couldn't help but think of it as anything other than adorable.
"Could you two be any slower?" came a voice that caught both Link and Sophie's attention. The two had fallen quite far behind the others. Brent was glaring at them in a mischievous way, but dropped the look upon seeing both Link and Sophie's heated stares.
"Just hurry up," he mumbled.
Link and Sophie glanced at each other and laughed. Sophie handed Link his weapon, which he then sheathed, and Sophie ran forward, nearly skipping. Link chuckled quietly at her overall happiness and ran to catch up to the group.
Soon, the path entered a heavily wooded area. The tree line wrapped around them and moved out of sight, giving as almost claustrophobic feeling, as if being surrounded. It seemed no one else felt this way, or if they did they didn't show it; Brent was grinning triumphantly, as if he had just won a marathon; Joshua gave a slight smile, seemingly taking in the surroundings; and Sophie had a huge, cheery, dimpled grin on her face. All three walked into the forest, leaving Link to shake of his strange superstition and follow them in.
"Well, guys, welcome to Viridian Forest." came the voice of Brent, who seemed exceptionally excited.
The forest wasn't as tightly packed as Link had originally felt, in fact, trees seemed almost sparse compared to other woodlands. In fact, Link had traveled through thicker, darker forests. A great deal of light shone through the branches, leaving dots and lines on the ground. It had rained recently, and what had rolled through the canopy was now reflecting light in every direction for a wonderful effect.
Brent and Joshua both seemed unfazed, but Sophie was turning her head to-and-fro, taking in all the sights available as quick as possible. It was a rather funny scene to watch; she seemed to have an endless bout of energy. The happiness, in fact, was extremely contagious, as Link found himself grinning, laughing, and pointing out oddities in the forest.
Suddenly, a twig snapped, freezing Link in his tracks. No one else seemed to have heard it, but Link's keen hearing pulled even the softest of noises into a sharply audible sound. The twig snapped, then another, then heavy footsteps, then another twig. Whatever it was, it was large.
Link spun on his heel and swiftly slid the sword from its sheath, startling the others. Sophie let out a sharp gasp and worry filled her eyes. Brent seemed more irritated at the sudden halt than alarmed. Joshua seemed to be examining the situation, his hand slowly creeping toward the Poké Ball at his side.
The creature let out a soft snort, only heard by Link, then leapt from the bushes. A large Pokémon jumped from the bushes; a Tauros. Link had studied the Kanto Region and knew that Tauros weren't indigenous to this area. In fact, Tauros aren't necessarily native to the Kanto Region, and were often brought in from other regions and put in the local Safari Zone. Though, lately, many have escaped and begun breeding in the Kanto region.
The beast moved its head, its gaze swaying between the children before settling on Link. It ran towards him, drawing its head back and preparing a ram. Link, in a show of skill, nimbly sidestepped the attack and gave three precise swings. Though, the beast's durability showed, as it jumped back from the attack, its horns dented slightly. Link narrowed his eyes at the creature, preparing another attack. His sword began to glow lightly as he stared down his target.
Suddenly, three bursts of white light blocked Link's view of the beast. He took an involuntary step back, shielding his eyes from the intense light. As the glow dimmed, it reveal three young Pokémon; Squirtle, the water turtle Pokémon; Bulbasaur, the strange bulb Pokémon; and Charmander, the flaming lizard Pokémon. The three little Pokémon prepared themselves to face the large Pokémon, seeming more confident against one Tauros than a whole horde of them.
The little Charmander began flicking its tail, tossing small bits of flame over the bull Pokémon. The large Pokémon flinched, but otherwise showed no real change. The small blue turtle, Squirtle, began firing multiple, tiny bubbles at the creature. The bubbles flew quickly, leaving little welts were they struck, but this attack seemed to be causing minimal damage. Bulbasaur grew two vines from its bulb and began striking the creature. It left long, straight marks in the beasts fur, making the beast rear back slightly, as if pained.
The large bull once more surveyed its prey, eyes locking to Sophie. She stepped back, intimidated by the beasts scorching gaze. The Tauros stalked slightly lower, running its hooves through the dirt, preparing a charge. The little bulb Pokémon saw the beast's gaze and moved to stand protectively in front of its trainer. The Tauros charged, barreling for the brown haired girl and her Pokémon.
Link tightened the grip on his blade, his knuckles whitening. His sword began to give off a dull, golden light. He ran forth, breaking into a full sprint and leaping. He came down in a clean arch, the blade passing through the Pokémon like a hot knife through butter. The wound shone for just a moment before fading, leaving perfectly healthy-looking flesh.
The Tauros fell to the ground, twitching slightly before fully relaxing. Sophie gasped and ran to check on the Tauros, but shot Link a confused look when the found nothing wrong with the Pokémon. Brent, however, took full advantage of the Pokémon's weakened and tossed a Poké Ball at it. The Pokémon glowed red before being sucked into the tiny ball. It shook twice before clicking, the button glowing red. Brent laughed and picked the ball up from the ground.
Sophie slowly blinked away her surprise and glared at Brent, then turned to Link with a bright smile.
"Thank you, Link!" she said in her cheerful tone, seeing to have momentarily forgotten her previous inquiry. Link gave her a warm smile and nodded.
Link flipped his blade in his hand and sheathed it, cracking his knuckles as they pulled free of their vice-like grip. He nodded to the road in a silent request to keep moving. Joshua nodded, returning Squirtle to its Poké Ball. Brent, still cradling his new Pokémon, returned Charmander to its respective ball. Sophie, however, pick up Bulbasaur and cradled it close. The little Pokémon gave a silent cry and nuzzled its trainer.
She giggled lightly and began walking with her Pokémon in her arms. The little creature gave short cries and took in all of the sights around it in a very similar manner as Sophie had. It seemed to enjoy being out of its Poké Ball, but it seemed happier to be with its trainer.
Link took note of the Pokémon's behavior, or more, its change in behavior since moving away from immediate danger. The creature's eyes dulled slightly, and relaxed its bud, which had stiffened and puffed up slightly during the fight. Link assumed that the other two Pokémon would have a similar reaction if he could have observed them as well.
Sophie glanced up at him and smiled. Her Pokémon, following her gaze, gave a short cry and watched Link as he walked in the back of the group. It seemed to take a great interest in the boy, watching his every move.
Soon, the light stopped peeking through the canopies of the trees and the forest grew dark. Though Link could feel no imminent danger, he still suggested setting up camp for the night. The others agreed and began unpacking their various packs. Joshua pulled out a small blue tent with a Poké Ball design on the side and began setting it up, placing a padded mat within the tent. Brent pulled out an orange sleeping bag and tossed it on the ground, hastily removing the wrinkles from it before lying back on it. Sophie put her hands on her hips and looked around the quickly forming campsite, then looked back to Link with apologetic and pleading eyes. Link simply rolled his eyes and walked into the woods to collect firewood, something the others had seemed to have forgotten.
He walked through the thicket of trees, the light slowly dimming around him. He knew he would have to hurry or be forced to scrounge for usable sticks in the dark. He silently thanked himself for trying to get the group to unpack a little early.
He collected a few dead twigs from the ground and cut some from trees with his sword. He tucked the many sticks into his belt and turned to move back towards the campsite. As he began to walk, a short cry echoed throughout the forest. Link's hand immediately shot to the hilt of his sword, habit and instinct taking over his movements.
A nearby bush rustled, and another cry sounded, this one much louder than the last. It was obvious that this Pokémon was small, as to not have its footsteps heard by Link's acute perception if sounds. The Pokémon was also hurt, seeming to clumsily fumble over rocks, simply based on the small thuds coming from near the bush.
Then, another, shriller cry came from behind the hidden Pokémon. This one lower and more menacing, obviously a larger Pokémon. But, Link couldn't hear its footsteps, leading him to believe that it must be flying or hidden. It seemed more likely that it was a flying Pokémon, considering that most flying-type Pokémon returned to their nests near this time.
The bush rustled once more and something small and brown jumped out, running behind Link. The little creature cowered behind the larger being and let out a frightened whimper. A moment later, the shrill cry echoed throughout the forest again, causing the little creature's shaking to worsen. Obviously, this was what had been chasing the little Pokémon around.
Link's eye caught sight of the creature before it even got close. Gliding just below the canopy of the many trees was a very large bird. Due to the lack of light, Link had trouble recognizing it, but the beast resembled a "Fearow," which was the evolved form of Spearow.
The large Pokémon let out its shrill, squawking cry, and dove at Link, its eyes fixated on the creature behind his legs. As it came into range, its eyes caught a small glint of golden light, before being unable to focus on anything as said light passed through its vision. The Pokémon crashed into the ground and continued to lay there, unmoving.
The small Pokémon behind Link slowly began calming. Its shaking subsided and its whimpers quieted. It eventually moved between Link's legs, brushing lightly against him and walking towards the unmoving form of the Fearow. The light was now too dark for even Link's acute sight to perceive the little creature, and all he could see was a grey blob move toward the fallen Beak Pokémon. Then, the Spearow suddenly stirred, once again startling the little critter into the brush.
Link listened as grass and bush rustled, then the sound faded, signaling Link that the Pokémon had gone. Link nodded to himself and sheathed his sword, following what little moonlight there was back to the campsite.
A/N: Okay then, it's done. I really liked writing this chapter. I had fun experimenting with different scenes and emotions, but liked what I picked best out of my self-given choices. I'm also proud to say that this is one of my longest chapters yet, maxing out at around 3000 words. Still, that is generally short, and I hope to increase the length of these chapters in the near future. Anyway, I need to wrap this up, so I will record the official time of completion. May 13th, 2014, 12:59 AM.