Chapter 9
Darius, Blake and Veronica made slow time the day they left Ecruteak City. Veronica's ankle needed plenty of time to rest and Amber couldn't possibly carry her all the way to Olivine without frequent breaks. They normally transferred her onto Charizard or Salamence at times, but the transfers were slow as Veronica couldn't rush. Darius was close to cracking. He was short tempered and seeing his sister being so careful not to worsen her condition but fail at times. Barely a few hours from the city, Darius had had enough.
"Veronica, Stop!" he snapped. Veronica froze. She heard the impatient tone in his voice. He walked over to her and removed his bag. He knelt down in front of her with his back to her. "Get on," he ordered. Veronica hesitated but a warning growl from her brother made her secure her arms around his thick neck and allowing him to lift her onto his back.
"Darius," she whispered.
"I can hold you Veronica. Blake can you carry my bag?" he asked. Blake nodded and lifted Darius's bag with his vital equipment in it. Veronica called back her exhausted Rapidash before looking in her bag at her egg. It seemed quite at home in the container, it glowed a few times, but during long periods. It would take some time to hatch.
"We better get moving, Darius," Blake urged. The sun was starting to set. In addition, he wanted to reach the city before it completely disappeared. Darius nodded before striding forward in his easy way.
During the trip, Veronica lay perfectly still against Darius's broad back. She watched everything that passed by. The trees, wandering pokémon and anything else that seemed to capture her attention. She sighed heavily before slipping her bag down on one shoulder and looking at her egg. No change. She smiled slightly. Eevee yawned as she walked at Darius's heels.
"Want to rest?" she whispered. Eevee nodded sleepily. Veronica slung her bag back on and stretched her hand down. Eevee jumped up and climbed up her arm. She curled up between Veronica's neck and her bag, sleeping peacefully.
"How much longer, Blake?" Darius asked. Blake looked at his pokéNav.
"Another hour then we should see the city." Blake answered. Darius nodded before looking ahead. He paused. "What is it?"
"You feel something?" he asked. Blake blinked.
"Um…no?" he questioned. Darius looked around wearily. Veronica was already dozing off into sleep. He took a step forward and his foot sank into the ground. He growled and tried to pull it out, but it was stuck.
"Darius!" Blake cried.
"Stay where you are!" he ordered. Blake froze and Darius soon freed his foot. Veronica was stirred awake.
"What's wrong?" she asked. Darius smiled at her before looking at the trees. His eyes narrowed as he tried to focus on something.
"Move!" he yelled to Blake and ran backwards just as a flamethrower burst from the trees. Blake yelped and dodged. Darius growled angrily. The men from before emerged, a Growlithe snarling at them.
"Hello again." They greeted. The leader stepped forward.
"Oh dear, it appears Miss Veronica is injured," he mocked. Darius said nothing, he let go of Veronica's good leg and grabbed a pokeball. He released Vulpix. Vulpix growled at the Growlithe.
"Why are you here?" he asked bitterly.
"Why, to collect and return Miss Veronica to our friend, Dr. Catune," he started. "He is a friend of your father's," he finished with a polite smile.
"Veronica is staying with me. Friend or not I don't know you!" he answered.
"My name is Savern," he told him. Darius kept his face neutral. "Well, Darius. We'll be taking Veronica now," he took a step forward towards them.
"Fire spin!" Darius yelled. Vulpix launched a powerful fire attack. Growlithe jumped forward and shot a flamethrower at the fire spin. The attacks collided and exploded. Darius didn't flinch. Neither did the leader.
"Let's see how good this Darius is, shall we," he grinned. "Growlithe, Take Down," Growlithe launched forward. Darius waited patiently.
"Vulpix, Quick Attack," Vulpix pushed off the ground and smashed into Growlithe with more force, knocking the dog back.
"Dig!" he yelled. Vulpix's eyes visibly narrowed, remembering her battle with Eevee. Growlithe dug under the ground. Vulpix stayed where she was. Darius bit his bottom lip. Veronica watched the battle closely. She used dig quite often and knew its limitations. Minutes passed.
"Now, Vulpix!" she yelled. Vulpix leapt from her spot as Growlithe surfaced. Savern growled a little.
"Thanks sis," Darius whispered. "Will-o-Wisp!" the blue flames appeared around Vulpix and fired at Growlithe. It howled in pain as burns hit its mark. "Quick attack!" Vulpix slammed into Growlithe, sending into a tree trunk. It fell to the bottom and lay limp. Savern called it back and glared.
"Now leave!" Blake yelled. Savern closed his eyes and smirked.
"Do you really expect me to leave now?" he asked.
He clicked his fingers and his goons threw out numerous pokéballs. Poison/Grass types appeared. Vulpix growled and flared her tails. Veronica finished out a pokeball. She threw it and released Houndour. It roared as it challenged the grass types. They shrank back before stepping forward and crying out. Flareon soon joined the match. The battle started with fire attacks and grass attacks meeting each other. Darius directed the battle while Blake called out the orders. Veronica watched and timed the attacks of both their pokémon and watched the opponent's pokémon. Savern seemed to grow tired of this. He threw a pokeball high in the air. An Onix appeared.
"Grab her!" he ordered.
Onix's tail reached out for Veronica. Darius was still holding her so Onix struck him hard, sending both Veronica and Eevee flying. Veronica looked up as the tail reached for her. Eevee growled and charged. It jumped on the tail and began racing up the length of the Onix. A strange black aura surrounded her. Veronica blinked. Eevee reached the head and pushed herself skyward. She opened her mouth and the aura collected into a black/purple ball. It grew larger and larger. She fired the ball and it hit Onix in the face. Onix cried in pain before mindlessly swinging its tail. Veronica stood up shakily. She looked up from the ground and just saw the tail before it hit her and sent her flying through the trees.
"Veronica!" Darius called. Eevee growled and launched another purple/black ball at Onix, making sure it was firmly out cold before racing after her trainer. Houndour followed. Blake helped Darius up and the two boys followed the pokémon, their own chasing their trainers.
Veronica groaned as she opened her eyes. She had perched herself against a tree. She couldn't move very much before pain seeped in. She dragged her bag to her and removed her egg container. Her egg was still. She closed her eyes once more and held it close.
She sighed heavily before looking around. She heard a few pokémon scurrying not to far away from where she was. There was a small pond nearby. A few small water pokémon poked their heads out and looked at her. Veronica took the egg from the container and held it close to her. She wanted to sleep badly. However, she had to stay awake in case she heard Darius or Blake. She slumped down the tree slightly. Her strength gave way and her egg rolled out her arms and down her legs, rolling on the ground harmlessly. Veronica forced herself back together and crawls back over to the egg. She touched it gently. Savern walked through the trees. He saw the egg and hid his smirk.
"Hello, Veronica. My, that egg seems like a burden. Perhaps I should take it instead." He offered. Veronica growled and gathered it up in her arms.
"Anything you want, I am not going to give," she growled. She put the egg back in the container and put it in her bag. She leaned against the tree.
"You are so weak. How about I take you to the hospital? It seems your brother can't even do that for you," he grinned. Veronica glared.
"Quiet!" Veronica snapped. She threw out Draco. The Dratini growled at Savern. Savern shook his head.
"Are you Yuniko people always so eager to fight?" he asked.
"I don't want to fight. However, to protect this egg I will! Draco Thunder Wave!" the dragon type fired the electric attack. Savern released a pokémon. His Onix returned and absorbed the attack.
"Rock Throw," he told his pokémon. Onix slammed his tail into the ground and sent rocks at Draco.
"Dodge it!" Veronica yelled. Draco pushed himself out the way. A stray rock landed on him though. He yelped and tried to pull himself out from under the rock pile. "Draco!"
"Dragonbreath!" he ordered. Draco looked at the on coming attack.
"Draco!" Veronica screamed. A hydro pump appeared from nowhere and hit Onix. Its attack halted and Draco went back to squeezing itself free. Milotic leapt from the trees. Her tail started to glow and she used iron tail to smash the rock and free the small dragon. Draco called in thanks before glaring at the Onix. Darius jumped over a bush and stood in front of his sister.
"Water Pulse Milotic!" Darius ordered. Milotic was surrounded in a blue aura before a tidal wave of water appeared and hit Onix. It fell to the ground once more. Blake jumped out the trees with Houndour, Flareon, Eevee and Vulpix. Savern stumbled back. He glared and called his Onix back.
"Don't think you'll get away with this, Yuniko! I will get that girl whether you want me to or not!" he fled through the trees. Houndour growled and chased him but after a few minutes he came back empty handed.
"He's determined," Veronica mused. Darius turned around to face her.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"I-I'm fine," she answered. She knelt down slowly to inspect her Dratini. He had some minor scratches but was unharmed. "You did a great job Draco," Draco called happily before turning to look at Eevee and Houndour.
"We need to find out why he wants you so badly," Blake sighed. He rubbed the back of his head. Veronica looked down.
"He wanted my egg," she whispered.
"And you didn't give him it?" Darius asked.
"Of course! If he wants it, it has to be for a cruel reason!" Veronica snapped. Darius sighed and scratched his chin a little.
"Well, it's already nightfall and the city is nearby. We better move," he picked him up sister. She sighed and recalled her pokémon and Eevee jumped into her shoulder. Blake called back his Flareon and Darius called back Vulpix.
"We need to find out who they are," Veronica sighed.
"Just as well one of those useless goons we cornered talked." Darius smirked.
"You cornered one of Savern's goons?" she blinked.
"Yep. Their organisation is called No-More Legend," Darius started. "Apparently they have already captured the three legendary dogs and Ho-Oh. But they also have one of the legendary birds we are familiar with."
"Who? Articuno? Moltres? Zapdos?" she pressed.
"He didn't specify. Their goal is to capture all the legendary pokémon and show them to the world, letting scientists conduct experiments on them and then in the end destroying them,"
"That's horrible!" Veronica gasped.
"What's worse is that there is no law against catching the legendary pokémon,"
"So where do I come in on this?" she asked.
"Apparently you have some kind of attraction that the legendary pokémon are drawn to," Darius explained. A slight scoff in his voice.
"You must be joking. I have never seen a legendary pokémon before. Nor have any been seen in the area where I am," she argued.
"What I just remembered a few minutes ago was the strange uproar of pokémon activity during your birth. Even mum and dad's pokémon were affected."
"Really? What happened?" Blake asked.
"It was night so no one really got a clear idea. However, the pokémon were nervous and many people from different regions claim to see the legendary pokémon in their areas. Even rare pokémon, such as the rarely seen Magmar in Cinnabar, started appearing more frequently. Then in the morning all the pokémon were silent and so few were seen."
"Do you know why?" Blake asked.
"I'm a trainer, not a scientist. Though I do remember Veronica had to be taken into intensive care soon after birth," Darius replied.
"Maybe…the pokémon sensed this and were holding their breath," Blake suggested, "I've only known Veronica for a short while and I have seen how my pokémon react and it's not normal,"
"Veronica is just good with pokémon. That is all. She has no strange powers or attraction," Darius snapped.
"And that egg?" Blake asked
"Was probably placed there by someone then left and forgot about it." Darius sighed.
"Darius. I'm not a little kid anymore," Veronica whispered. "I can look after myself and I have very capable pokémon,"
"You are still inexperienced," he pointed out. She sighed.
"I know, Darius. But I won't if I keep trying," she answered. He sighed. "So why did the ground try to swallow us up?"
"It was a Hypno controlling the ground," he answered. Veronica rested her head on Darius's shoulder.
"Wonder what my egg will hatch into," she whispered.
"Maybe a water or ice type," Blake suggested. Lights soon appeared over the horizon. Blake and Darius stopped walking and looked at each other. Both nodded a little before jogging to rest of the way. They headed straight for the pokémon centre.
