Disclaimer: Gah! How many times do I have to tell you, I don't own Pokemon!

EB678: Here's the new Chapter 4, enjoy!


To: tom&sierra

From: in_a_tree

Re: Wish me luck

Hi Mom and Dad,

Thanks for letting me bring Katar on my journey, and for all the pokemon food. I'll make sure to take extra good care of her and Kirika. We're heading through the forest to Pewter and hopefully my first badge. That'll be the first step toward challenging the Elite Four someday, and maybe becoming a Pokemon Champion!

Hope you aren't lonely without me and Katar. I'll be sure to email you guys as often as I can.

Love, Hikaru


Trial By Legend

Chapter Four: Forest Of Fear

That night, the six set up a campsite together. Loa and Zar reluctantly teamed up to light a fire, the Cyndaquil, in the end, ended up biting the Charmander and both pokemon were pulled away by their equally annoyed trainers.

The six teens sat around the campfire, Nick passing around marshmallows for roasting. (Loa seemed a little peeved after she found Heliotrope roasting a marshmallow on Loa's back.) After taking two, Hikaru sat up. "Anyway.....What do you guys think about the pokemon migrations the professor told us about?"

A short silence followed, which, as usual, Nick interrupted. "Meh, I don't think it's much to worry about. All we gotta do is find some small, obvious bit of information, give it to Oak, and we're off scot free for the rest of our journeys."

"Nick!" Mari shoved her book aside angrilly. "How can you just say that?!? All of these migrations.....They're not seasonal or even natural. Something, somewhere, has to be causing this. And I want to find out!"

"Why am I not surprised? You can't stand not knowing something. No wonder you were the only one of us who wanted to spend an extra five years studying for Arceus knows what!"

"Guys!" Hikaru decided it was time to intervene. "Cut it out, okay? I know that some of you don't agree with what the other has to say, but drop it, already!"

Mari, who was about to retort, clamped her mouth shut. Immature idiot.....

On the other side of the campfire, Nick was also seething. Annoying know-it-all....

"Anyway......" Hikaru straightened slightly and turned to the blonde boy.. "Ryu, what do you think?"

"I'm kind of with Nick on this one.....But I think we should at least learn a little about it, at least."

Hikaru turned to Viola, who had been silent throughout the entire discussion. "What about you?"

".....I can't say for sure...not until we find out more about it." Viola quietly replied before turning back to the fire.

Hikaru turned, guessing that, as usual, Reln would have left. However, he was soon proven wrong when he saw her sitting by the fire, albeit farther away from the others. As though she could feel his eyes on her, she looked up. She spoke, surprising Hikaru. "I'm getting the vibe that these migrations are being triggered by something, something greater than nature. Pokemon have always been more perceptive than humans, I'm guessing that they sense whatever is happening and are trying to get away."

This being the longest group of sentences they had ever heard Reln speak, the others were surprised by not only that but by the slightly apocalyptic tone of what she had said. The discussion ended, and all retired to their tents.


The nest morning, Ryu awoke earlier than the rest, and decided to take Zar and Tyr and try to find something worthwhile to capture. Pokeballs clipped to his belt, he decided to leave his bag at the campsite. He tacked a note to it, saying where he had gone.

Setting off into the deepest part of the wood, he let out Zar in lieu of a light, the Charmander still a little woozy. Yawn... "Come on, Zar...We need to train." Boy and pokemon marched further into the forest.


"Ryu headed out for training, then?" Nick's spiky hair looked even messier than usual, several strands of black and orange at unnatural angles.

The remaining five trainers had all awakened or were woken up, in Nick's case) about an hour after Ryu had left. Mari and Viola sat by the now extinguished campfire, Mari braiding Viola's long blonde hair. Reln, meanwhile, was feeding her Cyndaquil and Oddish berries, still sitting far from the others.

"Yes, he'll be back by ten or so." Hikaru straightened, Ryu's note in hand. "Anyway, I'm going to train. Anyone else leaving?" He looked around, noticing that, as usual, Reln had already left.

The others nodded, and set off into the wood.


After a few hours, Zar and Tyr had leveled up nicely. However, Ryu wanted to get both of his pokemon above level 10, so that he would stand a chance against the Rock-type user Brock. He heard noises coming from deeper in the woods, and decided to investigate. Maybe it's a worthwhile capture....

Ryu had almost reached the clearing the sound had come from when he was stopped by the sound of a human voice. Quietly returning Zar, he ducked behind the nearest tree, a silent instinct telling him to be wary. He listened with bated breath, hanging on to the bickering group's every word.

"Now, how many have we got?" A clearly male voice spoke.

"About five – or six, if you count that one." A second voice, also male, answered.

Ryu heard the faint but distinct sound of a pokeball being used.

"Find a couple more. Boss will have our necks if these aren't decent."

They resumed arguing, Ryu still pressed to the tree. When he heard footsteps, he turned around frantically.

Hikaru emerged from the nearby trees, the brown-haired boy beginning to speak. "Hey, Ry-mmph!" Ryu had clapped his hand over Hikaru's mouth before he could say anything more, but the damage was done, a twig snapping beneath their feet.

The bickering in the clearing stopped abruptly.

"Someone's here, let's go!" Footsteps crunched fallen leaves as the two speakers fled the clearing, two teens still crouched behind a tree.

Releasing his grip on Hikaru, Ryu sank down, still wondering what he had just overheard. Hikaru collected himself quickly. "What in bloody hell was that for?!?" The normally passive boy was none too happy about the earlier incident.

Ryu turned away from Hikaru, not speaking. Hearing approaching footsteps, he leapt to his feet, his hand on Zar's pokeball.

Reln stepped into the area the boys were in. The look on her face clearly said that Ryu wasn't the only one who had been eavesdropping on the two mysterious men. She turned to the clearing, red eyes flashing. "Something's still in there."

All three went in unison toward the area they had head voices coming from. Hikaru eventually took the lead, all three seeing nothing at first.

Help....me.... The teens turned at the sound, all (except maybe Reln) looking wary.

The pikachu dragged itself out of the bushes. One look told the three that it was in bad shape, its zigzag tail bent at an unnatural angle and the massive cut across its face being the most prominent injuries. The heart shape of its tail revealed it to be female.

Hikaru ran to the spark mouse pokemon, kneeling next to it. "It's hurt...really hurt."

Ryu couldn't hide his shock. "What could do this?"

"They could, or their pokemon could." Reln said gesturing in the direction the bickerers had took.

Hikaru seized a pokeball from his bag, pressing it to the pikachu's forehead and capturing it without further ado. "She needs a pokemon center....and fast." He clipped the pokeball to his belt.

"The exit's that way." Both boys turned to Reln, who was jerking a thumb over her shoulder at a brighter looking part of the woods. "You two head to a pokemon center once you get out, I'll get the others."

The group split up, each going in different directions, one with the life of a pokemon on the line.


To: in_a_tree

From: tom&sierra

Re: Wish me luck

Son-

You know, your mother's almost certain you'll get lost in the forest again. I don't think you should worry, though, you'll be fine.

No, we aren't lonely, not with your sister finally home to stay after her journey. Hopefully you'll take after her – becoming a great battler and a great friend to Pokemon.

May Luck travel with you.

Love Dad


EB678: Anyway, just to recap – bold is translated Pokemon. I really don't feel l;ke a battle full of "Ai! Pom!"s and "Lar-vi-tar!"s (For the idiots in the room and those who have no clue how I am, these are pokemon cries).

OUR SIX:

Reln Akagi

- "Loa" Cyndaquil, female, lv. 9

- "Niva", Oddish, female, lv. 7

Hikaru Leyden

- "Kirika" Chikorita, female, lv. 8

- "Katar" Growlithe, female, lv. 8

- "????" Pikachu, female, lv. 7

Ryu Jackson

- "Zar" Charmander, male, lv. 9

- "Tyr" Larvitar, male, lv. 8

Viola Blume

- "Leaf", Bulbasaur, male, lv. 9

Nick Taurus

- "Jai", Squirtle, male, lv. 9

- ????

Mari Roxas

- "Cobalt", Totodile, male, lv. 8

- "Heliotrope" Aipom, female, lv. 8

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