Chapter 4.1 (Encountering An Outsider)
*Narration*
Nero recounted what happened in the span of the few days when he first met Ethos.
~FLASHBACK~
Nero walked into the Fleurrh City Pokémon Center so that he could heal his Pokémon from the battles he had with other trainers. Glancing from the side of his eyes, he saw what looked to be something out of the ordinary - a Pokémon unknown to him.
'Ooh, a Legendary Pokémon in a Pokémon Center. What are the chances?' He ruminated about rare Pokémon being hard to find sauntering into random Pokémon Centers. He prepared his Pokéball in his hand, targeting the 'rare Pokémon'.
"I'm gonna getcha, lil' guy!" He announced, throwing a Pokéball at full force, hitting Espie with so much force that it exasperated her, making her use her staff and teleporting him all the way to the outskirts of Snowbelle City.
"That lil' guy is a tough catch… But at least I made it close to the last gym," Nero said to himself, saving him the effort of travelling a long distance to reach his destination.
He paced hastily to a nearby cave, hiding from the frigid temperatures. He was not prepared due to the stark change in environment - from a sultry one to a hiemal one.
Freezing from the cold, he swiftly took out his winter gear and wore them for warmth and protection from the cold.
When the blizzards subsided, he continued his way across the icy desolate mountain road to Snowbelle City. On the way, he found something lying motionlessly in the snow. It was a grey figure, partially covered by a layer of snow, parts of it protuberant. It was unrecognisable due to the minuscule details on what it was and he could not make anything out.
As he shoved the layer of snow away, it revealed that the creature was actually a grey fox with a blue scarf wrapped around his neck. He held the creature in his arms all the way to the Pokémon Center, giving warmth to it.
Reaching the Pokémon Center, he immediately requested for emergency healing.
"Nurse Joy, please help me to heal this Pokémon that I just recently found. It's very hurt and I think it's dying…" He was worried about the 'Pokémon' that he found, fearing the worst that would happen.
"No problem. Wigglytuff, prepare the emergency bed! And you, please place your Pokémon on the bed." Nurse joy was engulfed in anxiety, requesting Nero to put his hurt 'Pokémon' on the push bed.
Place him on the bed, he watched the bed pushed by Wigglytuff into the emergency room. He felt flurried about the whether the 'creature' could make it or not.
The 'creature' woke up on a bed, tucked into it with a blanket. It saw both Nurse Joy and Wigglytuff, standing beside the bed.
"Where am I? Who are you? Whoa! What's that pink thing? Aah!" It was timid and hid under the blankets, gripping it over his head.
"Don't worry. I'm Nurse Joy and this is Wigglytuff. What's your name?" They approached him slowly and carefully.
It emerged from the 'protective' covers of the blanket, and mumbled shyly "M- My name is Ethos. The last thing I remembered was that I was that I was freezing, exhausted and then I blacked out, the next thing I know I'm here," he stuttered, bashful and still a little afraid.
"Your trainer brought you here from the snowy plains outside and sought to heal you as you were in a critical condition. His name is Nero. Don't worry Ethos, you'll be fine. We're here to help you!"
After Nurse Joy left the room, he sneaked out of the nursing room and ran towards the door.
While running, he noticed people and other weird creatures staring at him, one of which approached him, intercepting his path.
"Oh! You're ok. I'm your trainer Nero. Nice to meet you foxy!" he went towards Ethos, explaining his situation and how he was rescued a few seconds from his hypothermic predicament. Ethos, on the other hand, shared more about himself and why he ended up in the Snowbelle Mountains.
After knowing that he was physically inclined, Nero told him that he needed a fighting type to help him in defeat the ice-types gym.
"You've got the right guy to help you. But first get something to take down whatever I'm telling you. There's a lot to note down, so prepare for the barrage of information!"
Nero took out his notebook and pen, preparing to note down about his abilities.
"Well, I can do Bashing, which I use projectiles to redirect at targets while propelling myself in the opposite direction. Then, there's Stomp where I use my full power landings on the ground, creating shockwaves that affect targets in a radius. Last but not least, my Charge Dash allows me to reach my full speed and impact targets with a lethal blow. That's all," he blabbered intricately about his capabilities while Nero constantly noted down what he said all the way to the end.
"Hmm! Done. All written. All these seem like legitimate fighting type moves, what else can you do, Ethos?"
"Well, I'm quite deft in movement, I can do triple flips in the air which allows me to get to higher places. That's all."
"Interesting. I need your speed and fighting skills to overpower the ice-type gym. Let me explain a few things why I need you."
Nero went ahead to explain each type of Pokémon and their weaknesses, giving Ethos insight on what certain moves does to each one through a Pokémon crash-course.
Prepared, they were ready to set off towards the gym. Before they left the Pokémon Center, Ethos realised that his scarf was missing. "Wait! Where's my scarf?"
"You mean this?" he held up an azure-blue scarf.
"Yup!"
"Are you ready for your first battle?" Nero questioned him, holding up a fist, confidently prepared and ready to defeat his last gym.
"Um, wait a moment…" he wrapped his scarf around his neck, with two sides of the scarf trailing behind him, folding his arms with a suave facial expression.
"Now, I'm ready! Can I just climb on you and ride you?" Ethos made a request to him, feeling a bit lazy to walk.
"You want me to allow you to cling onto me? It depends on whether it affects my walking, so maybe..." Nero allowed him to climb onto him, conditionally. He clambered up onto his bag and sat on it with both paws clinging to his arms.
"Well, that's fine, I guess... Let's head to the gym!"
*Narration*
The duo advanced towards the Snowbelle gym. What will await them?
Stay tuned...
Chapter 4.2 (I choose you, Ethos!)
Arriving at the Snowbelle Gym, Ethos leaped off from Nero's arms, already prepared for the fight.
Ambling into the gym, Nero requested for a battle at the main gym doors. After requesting for a battle, they were welcomed by a group of five ice-type Pokémon.
"Let's see, what are you, little guys? Hmm..." Nero scanned the five Pokémon.
After scanning and reading the data on them, he found out that they were apparently Bergmite.
"Well, I think they are escorts for entering the gym." He remarked instinctively with Nero nodding in agreement.
"It's very cold inside. Please protect yourself against the cold before entering." A voice sounded from the speakers.
"We're ready!" they shouted, making sure they could be heard.
The door opened, releasing a gush of cold air.
The duo saw a man sitting on an icy throne, wearing only a singlet and a jacket around his neck.
"Welcome to the Snowbelle gym. I'm Wulfric, gym leader of the Snowbelle Gym."
"This place is freezing. How are you able to keep warm, sir? And you're sitting on ice, not to mention it!"
"Ha ha ha. Well, to cut it short, I'm impervious to the cold. Hey… Wait! You have fur! Shouldn't you be alright?"
"M-mm'-mmm…" he shrugged.
"So what your name and exactly are you? I know of very few Pokémon who are able to speak. You look like a legendary Pokémon" Wulfric spoke with a deep raspy voice.
"Um… I'm Ethos, a Light Spirit from a forest in another dimension. And to make it clear, I'm neither legendary nor Pokémon!"
"Hmm… An inter-dimensional traveller whose non-Pokémon? Interesting… Are you going to challenge me too?" He was slightly bemused.
"I guess. Right Nero?"
Nero nodded.
"No further delay! Let's begin! I wanna see your potential!"
They got into their battle positions, preparing for a battle.
Wulfric first sent out Abomasnow, making the battlefield begin hailing.
"Ethos, it's a Snow Warning ability. I suggest you take your turn afterwards as you might not be used to the damage over time effects of the hail in battle", Nero told him.
"Go Gallade!" He zapped Gallade onto the battlefield, constantly pelted by the hailstorm started by Abomasnow.
"Gallade, use Psycho Cut." He commanded. Gallade slashed Abomasnow, but it did not have much effect.
Wulfric retaliated by commanding Abomasnow to use Wood Hammer, pounding Gallade and almost knocking him out. Next, he commanded it to use ice shard, nearly hitting Gallade just as Nero commanded him to dodge in time.
"Use Close Combat!" Gallade sped in front of Abomasnow, and struck with a thunderous blow, making it faint instantly.
Zapping Abomasnow back into his Pokéball, he proceeded to send out another Pokémon. The hail stopped while he withdrew his Pokémon.
"Wow! I'm certainly impressed. Your Gallade is powerful and well trained, but it's time for me to level the playing field. Go Avalugg!"
"Gallade, return! Thank you for your resilience and hard work. Now Ethos, it's your turn. I choose you!" Nero ordered.
He stepped onto the battlefield, preparing for his first battle as a 'Pokémon'.
"Hmm, I think I can defeat this small guy." Wulfric assumed that he was he was meagre in power and would not make any significant difference in the battle.
"Ethos, use Stomp!"
He ran and flipped above Avalugg, intending to use both his feet to slam down onto Avalugg mid-air.
"Deflect with Gyro Ball!"
Avalugg started spinning, ricocheting him towards a wall, making his body fly towards the wall. With his quick reaction, he hastily bounced off the wall with his feet, preventing himself from getting hurt.
"Avalugg, Stone Edge!" Rocks were hurled towards Ethos.
"Use Bash and redirect the rocks!"
Ethos kicked and punched multiple rocks with vigour back to Avalugg with his Bashing skill, hitting it with precision and strength, efficaciously smiting it continuously, hammering its legs into the icy floors of the gym.
"Hmph! Back to sender!" Ethos smirked.
Wulfric gasped in horror as the tables turned on him.
"Nice one Ethos! Now use your Charge Dash and finish this!"
He whizzed through the air, colliding heftily into Avalugg, making it faint in a split second.
Wulfric was dumbfounded to see that his Pokémon has been defeated swiftly and unexpectedly. "Avalugg, good job." He zapped Avalugg back into its Pokéball. "Well, I underestimated the power, Ethos. Anyway, here's your badge, challenger Nero."
"Thanks! Now I have all eight badges! I can finally attempt to defeat the league!" he exclaimed. Both headed out of the gym, feeling victorious and joyful.
At the end of the day after having his Pokémon and Ethos recuperated, Nero decided to show Ethos to Professor Sycamore.
Logging on to the Pokémon Center computer, he contacted the professor.
"Hey, professor!"
"Hello, Nero! It's nice to see you again after a month. How have you been?"
"Well, I'm okay. Look what I found!"
He lifted Ethos to the screen. Professor Sycamore gasped.
"Oh my... He's whom I'm searching for! Let me explain everything."
The professor shared about Espie and how she was trying to look out for her missing friend and that it was a great relief that Nero found him.
"So, she's at Fleurrh City at the moment. Do you think you can travel there by tomorrow?"
"Sure. I can."
"Alright then. See you there."
"Goodbye, professor!"
Switching off the computer, he made up his mind to traverse the distance to Fleurrh City throughout the night - a sacrifice of rest to reunite the two otherworldly spirits.
While travelling towards Fleurrh City, Nero was tenacious to accomplish his goal to reach there by the next day. Ethos walked alongside him for hours through the unending journey.
As night fell, Ethos felt drowsy and leaped onto Nero's backpack, clinging to it before falling into deep slumber.
~FLASHBACK~
"So, that's why we reached the Pokémon Center in the late afternoon with foxy here on my backpack. Totally worth the journey here!"
"That was a heck of an extended and enjoyable story. But look! It's already evening and I'm hungry… Shall eat dinner together?" Callie suggested, staring at the time shown on the watch.
"Sure! Let's go for one celebratory dinner for the spirits' reunion! Dinner's on me!" Nero exclaimed.
They walked nearby restaurant and enjoyed their time dining in the restaurant.
After getting filled up, Callie and Espie strolled back to the hotel, followed by Nero and Ethos.
"Callie, we are heading to the league from here. Can I stay with you for just one night? We need accommodation..."
"Sure Nero!"
Reaching the hotel, the two trainers unpacked, sleeping in one bed while the two spirits slept in the other.
The Spirit Duo huddled under the blankets, facing each other and snuggling peacefully.