The next morning was as beautiful as the first. Only this time the air was still with no breath of wind, making it slightly more humid and allowed the sun to burn a little more intensely. I had to wipe off the sweat from my brow occasionally due to the lingering heat. It was nearing noon now, so it made me wonder if I shook seek shelter and rest for the hottest point of the day. Or if I should make the final push to Violet City.
A screech in the distance far above me took me out of my thoughts. I paused for a moment, blinking. As expected, another call echoed across hills. I recognized it as a bird of prey. A mischievous grin found its way on my face. I remembered back at Cherrygrove, I was told that the Gym Leader of Violet City was a flying-type master. Maybe if I had a flying-type of my own, I could level the odds. But first, I had to find that bird.
I tilted my head, eyes narrowed as I scanned the skies. I was only greeted with a glaring sun and an empty realm. I looked back to the Earth. The terrain was uneven: slopes and ravines crisscrossing the land. However the forest competed to rule, being denser than even the forest surrounding Grandpa's home. Looming over the trees was raising bare crags that lifted into the nearby mountain range. The rocks looked like frozen mounds of sand, appearing as golden earth.
Right now there was a grove of trees with an overshadowing outcrop blocking my way, but it seemed that the cry was coming behind it. I spotted a trail that rounded the outcrop, leading right to the other side. With a grin, I stepped into a hasty jog and raced over to it. The trail was dusty, having a small cloud of debris fly with each stomp. The detour was shorter than I thought, because I found myself on the other side in a matter of seconds.
To my left were the jagged rocks of the mountains; to my right was the lush forest stretching all the way to Violet City. In front of me was a large outcrop, looking more like a wall than anything else. It stood tall and straight, darkened by shadows and jutting out from its brethren like a knife. I tilted my head up at the predatory scream, much closer than before. I spotted my target, hovering just above the outcrop.
I immediately recognized it as a Fearow. Its broad wings reached a span of at least two meters, with its body being half as long in length. A long, dull beak was its most prominent feature, looking like a hooked spear attached to its body. It scanned the inferior land with glaring eyes, its crimson plumage still despite its movement. Its earthen brown feathers were darker than the surrounding rocks.
I smiled that my search was successful, but it was quickly replaced by a frown. It looked like someone else beat me to Fearow. I spied a slender figure standing on top of the outcrop.
It looked like a girl around my age, although she seemed a little taller. The most distinguishing feature she had was her long, raven-black hair. Really long. She had it in a neat, high pony-tail tied near the crown of her head, yet her smooth hair still reached down to her waist. She wore a mostly black outfit: dark fitted jeans, obsidian heeled boots that reached halfway to her knees, and a leather-like jacket that wrapped around her body. The jacket was open—not one of its many buckles strapped—revealing a dark gray tank-top underneath. Despite the warm outfit, the teenager didn't seem uncomfortable; even though I wondered how she must feel in warmer climates.
She was almost expressionless: lips almost in a straight line, eyes glazed with thought, her thick but feminine eyebrows slightly furrowed. I realized she may be deep in thought. She had a light fist resting underneath her chin, cradling her head. Her other arm was wrapped around her torso. The girl stared at the Fearow, which was literally right above her, like it was waiting for her to do something. The wait wasn't wasted.
Without warning, the motionless teenager suddenly came to life. Her frown deepened and her eyebrows furrowed in determination. The girl unlocked her arms and a hand disappeared within her jacket, rematerializing with a Pokéball.
"Riolu, go!" she hollered.
At her call, the Pokémon appeared. It was a small, foxlike creature, balancing on its hind legs as a bipedal. It had an aqua blue pelt that glowed under the bright sunlight, with pitch-black fur cutting across its torso and face like endless abysses. Its crimson eyes observed its surroundings curiously. It quickly found the Fearow.
"Hit it with a Vacuum Wave," the trainer ordered.
I couldn't help but blink. She was going to battle with a small land-based creature? Well, then again, so was I… That criticism was crossed out. Vacuum Wave… Had I heard that before?
The little Riolu cheered in confirmation. It crossed its arms over its chest, forming a "X" formation. It bowed its head with closed eyes. Suddenly its arms began to glow with pretty clear sapphire light, humming with power and its loopy ears even shifting from the force. Without warning, Riolu snapped open its eyes. With a cry, it ripped its embrace open, releasing the stored up energy it took a minute to charge. The result was a concentrated shockwave, speeding towards the hovering Fearow in an incredible speed.
The poor bird of prey didn't see it coming.
It screamed as the unique attack strike its side. The bird could be seen in a spasm before disappearing in a cloud of smoke. I sighed in amazement. What power!
There was another shriek, this time Fearow tearing out of its prison. The Beak Pokémon's talons were extended and its narrowed eyes were burning with fury. I swear it looked like some enraged out-of-control sky god. But the girl was unfazed.
"Double Team!" she barked.
Riolu growled, and in a blink of an eye there were up to a dozen of itself. Fearow squawked and faltered, startled.
"Vacuum Wave Formation!"
The pack of Emanation Pokémon barked in unison. They all jumped in different directions, the frenzy promoting confusion. But I immediately recognized that Riolu was falling into formation. In seconds, Riolu scattered itself across the area to completely surround Fearow, each copy having its own unique angle.
Like some silent signal passed through them, all the Riolu began performing another Vacuum Wave. This time the Emanation Pokémon didn't take as much time to charge the attack. Instead, they all chanted as one and waved their arms in unison. Immediately the air was filled with dozens of Vacuum Waves, all speeding towards Fearow. The Beak Pokémon could only scream in fear as it found itself completely defenseless. Each attack was a hit, filling the air with claps of impact and white smoke. I had to shield myself from the gusts of wind.
Although the second it subsided, I trained my gaze on Fearow's location. I expected it to be falling to the Earth in exhaustion, but I was more amazed than disappointed. There was a flap of feathers and the smoke cleared. Fearow was still conscious.
I could notice it had some scrapes scattered across its body, but other than that it was alright. It was still glaring and still hovering in the sky. Suddenly the mighty bird let out a scream and in a blink of an eye turned away. With a couple flaps to add power, the flying-type sped towards the horizon.
Naturally I was anticipating the trainer's next move to stop her catch from escaping, but I got a surprise. I peered up to see the teenager standing there motionless, staring after the Pokémon in that expressionless gaze. She barely noticed the original Riolu skipping back to her side, all the copies gone.
I blinked. What was she doing?
"Hey!" I called. "Aren't you going to catch it?"
It was the trainer's turn to blink in surprise. Finally that stiff expression fell into one of surprise and confusion. She obviously wasn't expecting someone to be in these parts, never mind watching her. She whirled around and spotted me, her Riolu mimicking her.
"You saw that?" she called back, her voice surprisingly nonchalant.
I nodded in confirmation. "Why aren't you going to catch it?"
"Because…" the trainer trailed off as she glanced back in the bird's direction, like she was still trying to come up with a good answer. "It didn't deserve to be captured."
"EH?"
The girl looked back at me, finding her justice. "That Fearow was pretty strong. It was able to take all of Riolu's attacks. And I could tell from the moment I laid eyes on it that it wasn't going down easily. A creature with that strong of heart has no reason to be a pawn."
She glared down at me with determination, but I only stared back with puzzlement. What she said didn't make that much sense. I would kill for a Pokémon like that, and she had the perfect opportunity to get herself one. A powerful Pokémon that could dominate the battlefield and beyond.
But then it came to me. This trainer respected Pokémon, probably more than me. She didn't say "pawn" in a bad way, more like matter-of-factly. It is true that it's the Pokémon that do most of the work, doesn't matter if they desire to do it. And if a Pokémon came along that had no interest in such activities, did we humans have a right to rob it of its freedom?
I sensed the revelation seeking in. It wasn't in a bad way. Pokémon were just like people, with their own opinions and personalities. Some chose to battle with humans and some didn't. There was still so much about Pokémon that even I could learn.
The girl's call drew me out of my thoughts. "Who are you?" she asked. Her stare was analyzing me now.
"Khalifa Hanafei," I replied. "You?"
"Just call me Liz."
"Okay, nice to meet you." Seeing it to awkward just to talk away or let silence linger, I decided to strike up a conversation. "How did you get a Riolu?"
Last time I checked, Riolu was an extremely rare species, even more so than my Fennekin and Eevee. Not much was known about it, but I was sure they were nowhere near Johto and Kanto.
Liz glanced at her Pokémon. "Riolu was the first Pokémon I caught. He's been with me ever since.
"Where in the world did you catch a Riolu?"
"In Unova, near my hometown of Aspertia."
"Why are you all the way in Johto?"
Liz cocked an eyebrow. "You ask a lot of questions, you know that?"
My eye twitched in annoyance. "Hey, I have a right to be curious! Faster you answer them, the faster I'll shut up."
The other teenager rolled her eyes, but I swore I saw her smile with a chuckle. "I like to travel, and I heard Johto has pretty cool Pokémon that are hard to find in Unova. So, I decided to check it out." Without warning, Liz scuffled to the edge of the outcrop. Like she was walking down stairs, she took a casual step of the ledge, like she didn't notice the twenty foot drop below her. My mouth gapped, but Liz was calm as she practically flew down. One leg was bent with the other straight as a stick. Both her arms were fully extended, like she really thought they were wings. She landed squarely on her feet, only crouching a little for balance. She straightened up, a hand on her hip. She seemed almost confident of her trick. Regardless, she continued her speech, like nothing ever happened. "What I really want is to challenge the Indigo Plateau."
Despite that I was frozen as a Stantler in headlights, I immediately unlocked from her words. "Indigo Plateau?" I echoed.
Liz nodded proudly. "And in order to that, I have to challenge eight gyms and collect their badges."
"So how many do you have now?" I interrogated, my gaze never leaving her.
"Honestly, I don't have any yet. But I'm planning to challenge the gym leader in Violet City."
A sinister grin crawled onto my face. "Is that so?" I cooed. "Because I'm heading to Violet City to challenge the gym leader, too."
Liz cocked her eyebrow as well, the same mischievous look appearing. "It would be disappointing if we showed up unprepared."
"And there's only way for a trainer to hone their skills."
We said it at the same time.
"A Pokémon Battle."
We wanted the perfect spot for our battle, so we relocated further into the crags. I now found myself surrounded by towering rocks, placed in a leveled clearing tucked in between them. The clearing was completely bare save for the small-sized stones dumbed in various spots. The sky was as it was before: completely clear and unmoving. However, the sun seemed to burning more intensely, even provoking a few more beads of sweat to surface. Though it seemed oddly fitting, however, for our surrounding atmosphere. Liz and I stood on opposite sides of to-be-battlefield, bracing ourselves and staring each other right in the eye.
"This will be a one-on-one battle," Liz announced. "First Pokémon unable to battle loses."
"Right," I agreed.
We found our Pokéballs. A sudden breeze blew through, ruffling our clothes and cooling the sweat off our skin. Some loose dust was thrown up, making mini debris clouds. Suddenly a silent agreement passed between us.
"Fennekin! I choose you!" I cheered, throwing my Pokéball in the classic baseball pose.
"Let's show her what we're made of, Riolu!" Liz boasted, tossing hers across her chest.
Our respective Pokémon appeared with a flash.
"Quick Attack!" Liz ordered.
Riolu bent its knees a little as it charged up the necessary energy, growling with effort. Without warning, the two-legged fox shot forward, racing towards Fennekin at a fearsome speed. I reacted quickly.
"Block it with Tail Whip!" I demanded.
Like before, Fennekin spun on her heels, tail glowing. She turned around just in time for her bushy tail to smack into the speeding Riolu's chest, but it didn't have the effect I expected. Riolu kept ramming forward, pushing Fennekin back several feet. The Fox Pokémon fell near my feet with a whine.
"You're going to have to hit with more force if that's going to work," Liz chastised.
"I know how to battle!" I shot back, frustrated that my idea failed. "Fennekin, get up!"
My Pokémon slowly opened its shut eyes. With a growl, with it pushed itself onto its feet, but was shaking with effort. I was surprised. It was just yesterday that Fennekin defeated a Pokémon twice her size so easily. Was Riolu that strong? Liz observed with a fist on her hip.
"Your Pokémon's not half-bad," she complimented. "It has a strong spirit."
"Hell, yeah, we do!" I acclaimed. "Fennekin, attack!"
I immediately realized that was an unclear order, as Pokémon needed specific commands, but I trusted that either Fennekin would figure it out, or I'll come up with a better one. The former occurred, but more effectively than I imagined.
Fennekin's growl suddenly grew into a cry, throwing her head up with a determined glare. I watched her silky fur stand on end; her body trembling. Suddenly ambers burned at her feet, but quickly grew into with a roar. The new fire completely engulfed her, like her body was ablaze. Just her silhouette was visible. Fennekin shouted again and leaped towards her opponent, almost matching Riolu's earlier speeds.
I recognized it as a Flame Charge. But how? I don't remember teaching it to her. Did Fennekin awaken this on her own? Just for me?
In a blink of an eye, she viciously slammed headfirst into Riolu. The Emanation Pokémon was able to react quick enough to guard itself, crossing its arms over its chest. It still cringed from Fennekin's impact. Both Pokémon went soaring: Riolu being forced back as it poorly tried to keep its ground. I was amazed to see Liz still had it together.
"Use Vacuum Wave to break it!" the trainer commanded.
That blue aura reappeared around Riolu's body. With a roar, it snapped its arms open, actually slapping Fennekin away. At the same time, the blue shockwave slammed into the fire-type, disrupting the flames and gaining a critical hit. The Kalos starter hit the ground and rolled in a twist of limbs and fur, looking more like a rag doll than a living creature.
"Fennekin!" I cried.
Finally she skidded to halt in her original spot, panting and trembling. My eyes were wide. I hadn't ordered it, but I thought for sure that would work. And how could Riolu survive such an attack? It surely would've had a punch. I looked back at other Pokémon. Sure enough, Riolu was inflicted with injuries, also panting and trembling. But it was still on its feet and still looked determined to fight.
"How? Riolu should be down!" I wailed.
"Endure," Liz identified. "It allows a Pokémon to put up with any damage, no matter how powerful the attack."
"But I didn't see you order it!" Was I that distracted?
But Liz just shook her head. "Riolu doesn't need my command in order to react appropriately. It knew what it was doing. Unlike your Fennekin." She went on before I could interrupt, explaining herself. "It was impressive that Fennekin could perform such an attack at its current level, but it has weak control over it. That's why Riolu was able to destroy it so quickly."
I blinked. What? But it looked so strong! But I quickly caught on what she was talking about as I recalled Fennekin's actions. Although it was able to engulf her, the fire was small, barely able cloak her. And it was weak, too, hardly staying together. Liz snapped me out of my thoughts.
"It looks like your Fennekin's done," she continued, pointing to my fallen my Pokémon.
The tiny fox was sprawled onto the ground, eyes squinted and breathing deeply. She looked on the edge of fainting. But one thing was certain: she had no desire to continue. My shoulders sagged. I was getting too cocky. I had just gotten Fennekin a couple days ago. She was still inexperienced.
"I win this battle," Liz declared. "You newbies are still green."
"I'm not 'new' to anything," I retorted. "Do you have any idea who I am?"
Liz shook her head, clueless.
"I'm—"
My words were cut off.
Suddenly the ground began to tremble. Both Liz and I blinked and froze at the same time. Before we could say anything, the trembling increased, accompanied by a roar that grew louder and louder. In seconds it felt like I was standing on a pogo-stick than solid ground. The pebbles and even the larger stones were bouncing madly. I wanted to shout that it was an earthquake, but it was too violent and too sudden for it to be natural. That and I couldn't speak even if I wanted to. Suddenly an almighty roar sounded above the noise, so loud it racked my ears, forcing me to cover them with a cringe. The roar was deep, throaty, inhuman.
The rocks to my right seemed to explode: rocks and dust were thrown into a large debris cloud with a clap of thunder. I started with a yelp, but looked over nevertheless. It seemed to be some kind of a rock slide, rocks pouring down the ravine at a rapid pace. But I noticed something was unnatural about that, too. The rocks poured down right after another, as if one boulder was pushing the one in front of it and being pushed by the one behind it. It was almost like the rocks were in single file.
I watched in horror as a boulder grew a pair of eyes. Suddenly in a snake-like fashion, the rocks lifted, rising in an arch and then the first boulder rose into the sun. A moaning roar followed the motion.
"An Onix!" I wailed, my voice feeling strangely detached.
"Quick! Return your Pokémon!" Liz shouted. Her voice was loud and rapid, but she still gave logical decisions. I guess that's how close it came to panic to her.
But I saw her logic. The Onix was throwing its head back down to the ground, dangerously close to our weakened Pokémon. I scrambled for my Pokéball, placing it in my hand. I extended my arm towards Fennekin.
"Fennekin, return!" I commanded. The red beam captured the Fox Pokémon and she disappeared in a blink of an eye. In the corner of my vision, I saw the same for Riolu.
Our actions proved worthwhile, for as Onix slammed onto the ground, throwing up a dust cloud that would've swallowed our Pokémon. I had to leap back and cover my face with my arms. I skidded to a halt.
"What do we do?" I yelled to Liz over the commotion.
In response, Liz threw another Pokéball. Even in the chaos, I still gapped at another tiny rare Pokémon. It was another tiny fox Pokémon, but unlike its predecessor, it stood on all fours. Its fur was pitch-black with no shine, as if it was darkness itself. Only the crimson tuff of fur on the top of its head and on its paws stood out. However, the scarlet hue was terrifyingly close to resembling blood more than anything else. Its ice-blue eyes gleamed with mischief and slyness.
A Zorua? But they were impossible to find! I witnessed Liz's lips moving in an order, even pointing a finger at Onix, but the words were drowned by the noise. Regardless, I watched a wicked grin appear on Zorua's face and its eyes flashed.
Suddenly a purple aura surrounded Onix's writhing body. In seconds its unpredictable spasms fell into rhythmic motions. Its overbearing roars died down to grating growls, although it still destroyed my hearing. Onix's once wide eyes narrowed, as if falling into a slumber. The Rock Snake Pokémon was almost immobile now. It all happened so fast, and I had no idea what occurred.
"What happened?" I breathed.
"Zorua are able to create powerful illusions to fool their enemies," Liz explained. "It's what labeled them the 'Tricky Fox Pokémon.' However, my Zorua has the special ability to control its illusions to which only one individual may experience them." My fixation turned back to Zorua, who was glaring at Onix in concentration. Suddenly Liz's snapped me out of my thoughts once again. "Hey, you don't happen to have an Ultra Ball, do you?" Once again her knuckles on her hip.
"Ultra Ball?" I blinked.
"This thing's only going to go in another rampage if it's released. Maybe even a worse one if it's disoriented. The only way to truly calm it down is by catching it. However, it's too strong for our Pokémon. And I don't have a Pokéball powerful enough to contain it. An Ultra Ball is our best shot. Well?"
Liz narrowed her eyes at me, making me falter. Nevertheless, I found my hand reaching back into my bag, feeling for the named Pokéball. Yeah, I had one. But just one. It was a gift for my birthday, since I was considering being a Trainer back then. I was hoping to save it for a more special occasion, but I guess I didn't have a choice. I expanded the Ultra Ball in my palm. With one final glance at the sluggish Onix, I slowly raised the capturing device behind my head. With a shout, I threw the Pokéball with all my might.
The black and yellow ball bounced on Onix's head near its oversized horn, flying into the air from momentum. The device split in half, pouring red light over Onix. It was completely cloaked in the crimson substance before minimizing and being sucked up.
The Pokéball defied gravity for a couple seconds before falling to the ground, jolting on impact. Unlike Eevee's whose immediately dinged, the Ultra Ball shook restlessly. It hummed nervously as it rocked unpredictably back and forth.
I stared at it with narrowed eyes. My jaw was clenched tight. A swarm of Butterfree flew in my chest, the anticipation killing me. Finally, the Ultra Ball froze, giving a very loud and very clear ring. I allowed myself to breathe, an excited chuckle following. I dashed to my catch and scooped it up.
"I caught it!" I cheered. "Woohoo!" It's all mine!"
Caught up in my excitement, I bounced up and down, even flailing my legs in a dance. I cradled the Pokéball as I cheered. I guess it wasn't that big of a deal, but I never expected it to go so well. And now I had a sturdy powerhouse on my team.
"Congratulations," Liz's voice came. It was friendly, but still that nonchalant tone.
I paused my celebration and nodded to her in acknowledgement. I had lost the match; my first match against another trainer and with Liz, but I planned to make up for it. Capturing Onix may have been a start.
Suddenly Liz blinked and her widened gaze trained behind my head. At first I feared that there was a threat behind me, but then I realized Liz's gaze held curiosity more than anything else.
"What?" I asked.
"What's that on your back?" Liz replied with her own question, pointing above my shoulder. I craned my neck to see what she indicated.
My mystery egg was still in its comfortable cocoon securely strapped to my back. I had almost completely forgotten of its existence.
A little longer chapter than usual, mostly because I had a lot of ideas for this encounter.
Liz is an OC from AD Axel, the requester of this fic. Her character belongs to Axel; I made the design. I enjoy Liz, so this chapter was really fun to write.
