Chapter 3

Fitzjerald recovered quickly from his battle injuries but the hole in his heart from Autumn's absence is still there and pains him greatly. The female Flygon, whose name is Ruby, has become Fitzjerald's mate and traveling partner. They have begun a joint effort to track down Autumn for Fitzjerald.
She nuzzles his neck affectionately as they stand surveying a valley, "Where should we look next?"
A light breeze nudges Fitzjerald's antennae, making them wave slightly before he replies, "Somewhere trainers gather. A tournament maybe. Autumn is a strong absol, her new trainer is bound to enter some kind of tournament battle with her."
"Or take the gym circuit." Ruby offers, leaning into Fitz and curling her tail around him.
He nods, "Or that." he pauses for a while, thinking. Finally continuing, "We don't even know what the trainer looks like. Our only hope would be if Autumn is out of the ball." he seems to be dipping into depression at the scope of their situation.
Ruby tries to pull him out of it, "I'm sure we'll find her. We can watch tournaments on the big screens and look for a trainer using an orange absol. There can't be that many, can there?"
"No, Autumn's the only one I've ever seen. Still, the odds are grim."
"We still have to try." Ruby straightens up and moves away from him, glancing back with a come-hither expression on her face as she swoops down into the valley, gently soaring on the breeze.
Fitzjerald smiles as he follows her, gliding side-by-side with her to the nearest town and the hope of finding Autumn.

Autumn and Trigger hold battle stances against their opponents, two zangoose trainers that had challenged them to a match.
Trigger growls as one of the zangoose raises its claws to them, awaiting the trainer's first order. Trigger had been well trained so he wouldn't move until ordered but this zangoose test his patience and loyalty.
"Absol! Slash. Trigger! Flamethrower. Respective targets." their trainer issued first. The command meant they each target the pokemon, in this case zangoose, directly in front of them.
"Crush claw." the two trainers reply simultaneously.
Trigger dashes forward, a thick jet of flames flowing from his mouth and singing his zangoose's fur.
Autumn's front claws glow white as she runs to her target, jumping at it and drawing back to strike. The zangoose retaliates by plunging its own glowing claws into Autumn's side, knocking her off the attack path and causing a great deal of pain.
Trigger growls at Autumn's attacker, dodging his own target's crush claw. He barks worriedly at Autumn as she struggles to stand.
"Absol, water pulse. Trigger, bite. Absol's target."
"Shadow ball the houndour!"
"Finish the absol with Shadow claw!" the zangoose trainers issue their next attacks. Their zangoose glow with dark energy as they prepare the ghostly attacks.
Autumn swings her head around in circles, conjuring water from the surrounding forest for her attack as Trigger charges Autumn's target and latches onto it with powerful jaws and causing the zangoose to dance in pain, swinging Trigger around in an attempt to dislodge him.
The other zangoose holds a finished shadow ball in its claws, waiting for an opening to strike Trigger.
Autumn gathers enough water to blast the zangoose but can't for fear of hitting Trigger as well.
"Absol, other target." the trainer replies, realizing her blunder.
Autumn complies, firing her watery attack at the other zangoose and enveloping it in a strange echo. It emerges with wet fur and a loopy expression, throwing the shadow ball haphazardly before fwapping itself on the side of its face and tipping over, eyes swirling.
The attack misses Trigger but barely, clipping the tip of his short tail causing him to let go in a howl of surprised pain.
One of the zangoose trainers recalls his fallen pokemon and the other looks annoyed at the state of his injured zangoose.
"Fury swipes!" he shouts, so angry he forgot to issue a target.
The zangoose winces as it tries to move the arm that Trigger had been biting, abandoning the idea and charging Trigger with one set of razor sharp claws and raking them across Trigger's body before he could react. Five strikes later, Trigger stumbles a bit and the zangoose backs away. Trigger stabilizes and growls at his attacker.
"Absol, razor wind. Trigger, finish with iron tail." his trainer finally issues their attacks.
Trigger's tail stump glows as he runs toward the remaining zangoose. Autumn begins to conjure a whirlwind as Trigger jumps backward into the zangoose, knocking the wind out of it.
The zangoose stumbles and wheezes, trying to catch its breath. It raises a claw just before Autumn releases her attack and a tornado of sharp debris whips toward the zangoose, enveloping it in prickly stabbing pain.
It lays on the ground, eyes swirling in defeat.
Autumn and Trigger give each other small smiles before their eyes roll back in their skulls and they collapse, tired from the long fight.
The trainers recall their respective pokemon. Autumn's trainer steps forward, offering her hand, "Good match." she smiles.
The two zangoose trainers glare at her, turning and running down the path without so much as a second glance.
She frowns, shrugging as she makes her way down the path in search of the next town.

Fitzjerald and Ruby soar overhead, they had seen the battle but had been too far away for details, "That sort of looked like an orange blob. Think it might've been Autumn?" Ruby asks, hoping to raise Fitz's spirits a bit.
"Can't hurt to follow the trainer for a while. Best lead we have so far." he replies as they angle to follow the young trainer down the path.