Chapter Four
Fears Overcome
"Come on, just through this cave and a little further afterwords, then we'll be to Jubilife City." Timmy said, getting up from a large boulder that he and Bruno had been sitting on. Instead of Bruno getting up after Timmy, and following him further down the dirt path to the cave, Bruno sat still on the boulder, not moving.
It wasn't until Timmy looked over his shoulder to see were Bruno was, that he realized that maybe Bruno didn't want to go through the cave. So, with a sigh, Timmy made his way back to the boulder, looking down at Bruno. "What's wrong man? Please don't tell me your afraid of the dark." Timmy said.
Bruno looked away from Timmy, trying not to cry. Timmy sighed, and laid his hand on Bruno's shoulder. "Hey man, it's kool if your afraid of the dark... I used to be, until just recently." Timmy replied, trying to make Bruno feel a little better about himself.
Timmy waited a few minutes, hoping that Bruno might turn back to face him. But he didn't, instead, he kept staring to the side, avoiding Timmy. "Hey man, you do realize that you can use Chimchar, right?"
Bruno turned, facing Timmy with a questionable look on his face. "What do you mean?" Bruno asked, pulling Chimchar's Pokeball from his pant pocket.
"Chimchar can illuminate our path... His tail does have an open flame on it right?" Timmy asked, looking at Bruno.
"Yeah, I suppose so... I never thought of that though! Your a genious Timmy!" Bruno said, jumping up from the boulder and tossing the Pokeball into the air. A second later, Chimchar appeared, excited as usual, jumping up and down.
"Hey Chimchar, do you think you could do us a favor, and light our path so that we can make our way through the cave?" Timmy asked, looking down at the ecstatic Pokemon. Chimchar jumped up, grabbing ahold of Bruno's jeans, as he pulled himself up, landing onto Bruno's shoulder.
"I think that's a yes." Bruno replied, grabbing onto his hat, as to make sure that Chimchar wouldn't take it. They both laughed, as Bruno followed Timmy to the entrance of the cave.
"Alright Chimchar, this is were your tail is going to come in handy... Jump out in front of us, and show us were we are going." Timmy said, watching Chimchar jump down from Bruno's shoulder, and onto the ground in front of Timmy. He gave the Pokemon some space, before following up the rear, letting Bruno walk behind his Pokemon, for comfort reasons.
After about an hour of walking through extremely small cracks, that even Bruno couldn't fit through, and crawling on their hands and knees through gaps in the stone walls, they finally came to a stop. Timmy motioned Bruno over to a small ledge that looked comforting, even if it was hard to sit on. Bruno rummaged through his back, and produced three apples and two water bottles. He handed a water bottle and an apple to Timmy, then gave Chimchar an apple and opened the water bottle for himself. He drank about half the bottle, before offerin the rest to Chimchar, who looked at it strangley.
Both Timmy and Bruno laughed at this, as Chimchar tried to figure how to drink from it. Bruno offered his help to his confused Pokemon, tipping the bottle towards it's mouth. Water splashed over Chimchars face and down his fur, as the two boys continued to laugh at Chimchar. The Pokemon finally figured out that it was supposed to open it's mouth. Chimchar drank what hadn't spilled on all over him, and then handed the bottle back to Bruno.
"Your a goofball Chimchar." Bruno replied, petting his head. Chimchar looked at his trainer and then said, "Chimmmm! Char char chimchar!"
Bruno and Timmy looked at Chimchar akwardly, not knowing what he said. Bruno finished his apple before the other two, got up and looked around the small cavity of a room that they were standing in. "Were am I supposed to throw this Timmy?" He asked.
"Werever dude, it really doesn't matter, it'll end up getting eaten by some Pokemon. I'd just go throw it over in a corner or something." Timmy explained, taking the last bite from his apple. Bruno knodded, and then walked over to the other side of the small cavern, and threw it against a wall. Timmy soon followed. Chimchar, still sat munching on his.
Timmy walked back over to the large rock they had been sitting on, stretched and then looked around the cavern again. Bruno grabbed his things, waiting for Timmy to tell him which way to go. But he didn't instead he said, "I've got to use the restroom, I'll be back in a few minutes. Keep Chimchar with you, I'm sure I'll figure out were a corner is." He walked off into the darkness, leaving Chimchar with Bruno.
Bruno looked down at Chimchar, who had just finished his apple, and smiled at the Pokemon, saying, "Just go over there and throw it. That's what we did." Chimchar nodded, and did so. He sort of hobbled over to the spot indicated, threw his apple core and then turned to walk back. A large blur flew straight for Chimchar. Before Bruno could yell a warning, the thing knocked Chimchar over onto the dirt floor. Bruno ran forward, kneeling next to Chimchar. The Pokemon looked fine, so with a tug, he pulled him up. They both looked around for the thing that had knocked Chimchar over, but saw nothing.
They stood there for a few minutes, until finally, they saw something out of the corner of their eyes. Bruno stood still, and spoke quitly, "Did you see that?" Bruno looked out of the corner of his eye towards Chimchar, who nodded a response. Bruno looked back over to were the thing was, which was now perched on a stone sticking out of the wall. "Alright, on three your going to run up and scratch it."
Chimchar nodded again, bracing himself for the charge.
"One... two... three." Bruno whispered.
An orange blur flew from Bruno's side. At the last second, Chimchar saw a small enough rock to jump off of. He landed with a soft pat, and pushed off with all the strength he could muster. He flew into the air, illuminating his way with his tail. He landed again, this time on the stone sticking out of the wall, and with a swipe of his claws, nocked the Pokemon off of the ledge and onto the floor. Chimchar followed and landed next to the now unconsious Pokemon. Bruno ran forward, patted Chimchar on the head, and pulled his Pokedex out, aiming the small electronic eye at the Pokemon on the floor.
"Zubat - The Bat Pokemon. Even though it has no eyes, it can sense obstacles using electronic waves it emits from it's mouth. Disliking sunlight, it sleeps deep in forests and caves until sundown." The Pokedex explained.
"Alright then..." Bruno said, pulling an empty Pokeball from his pocket, "Let's catch it!" Bruno yelled, throwing the Pokeball. It opened, with a pop, absorbed the Pokemon clicked shut, rocking back and forth, once, twice and on the third time, it clicked and Bruno knew he had caught it. He ran over, picked it up and looked at the Pokeball, a large smile on his face.
"Good job Chimchar, we caught a Zubat!" Chimchar jumped up and down with excitement. There celebration was cut short, as sharp claps reverberated off the walls. Bruno and Chimchar spun, to see Timmy still clapping with a smile on his face.
"Congratulations Bruno!" He said walking up to his small friend and patting him on the back.
"Thanks." Bruno replied. "Our we heading out now?"
Timmy nodded his head, as he explained to Chimchar how he was going to go the rest of the way through the cave. Chimchar set off, Bruno and Timmy following close behind.