Welcome to the Ikimono League
By Neko (Silver Tru-Neko)
Disclaimer: Still don't own Pokemon.
Author's Note: Okay, it took a while, but finally here's a new chapter. Sorry about the wait!
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Chapter 10 – Rest and Recuperate: No Way!
A winding staircase led Ash and Victor back down to the main level. As Ash stepped out from behind the gym leader, he gazed around wide-eyed at the room. He had been expecting the stairs to bring them back to the entrance hall; instead, he found himself in a quaint living room almost mirroring the one on the other side of the house. In place of dusty, forgotten furnishings, however, the room was filled with the cheery light of a window glancing off spotless couches. A desk leaned against one wall; approaching, Ash saw the same mirror above it. His reflection was missing though; it took Ash a moment to realize he was looking through a one-way window, seeing into the fake living room.
"That is how I keep track of trainers entering my gym," Victor explained softly, noticing Ash's surprise. He beckoned. "Come. Let's get to the Pokémon Centre."
Victor opened the back door, and both trainers stepped onto a sprawling back lawn. Tall bushes on either side of the house blocked this field from view; here, several Pokémon Ash recognized frolicked. A Persian rubbed against Victor's leg in greeting.
"These are my Pokémon," Victor answered to Ash's thought. He scratched Persian's head absent-mindedly before leading the way toward a hidden gate. Ash, however, was distracted by something.
"Hey." Ash pointed to a stone figure poised in the centre of the field. Intricate designs were made in the smooth rock, revealing a half-finished Umbreon. "Did you make that?"
Victor paused, glancing back at him. He smiled faintly. "Yes, I did."
"It's really good." Ash lowered his hand. Something stirred in his memory. "Stone carving must be pretty popular around here. I noticed some outside a house on the way here."
Victor nodded distantly, "I know of those." He walked on, Ash scurrying to keep up with Pikachu clutched to his chest.
*
"Here it is." Victor trod up the steps to a wooden lodge just like all the others in Violet Town. Above the door, Ash caught sight of a hand-carved sign: Pokémon Centre.
Ash nodded in thanks as Victor held the door open for him; the entrance of the hospital greeted him with warm light from a lantern dangling from the ceiling. Chairs lined either side of the doorway; ahead was an empty desk, beyond that a doorway leading to a bright sterilized room.
"Ash!" An exclamation drew his attention sideways, where Misty had just leaped to her feet. She and Brock rushed to his side.
"Are you all right? We saw you go into that house – but when we got there it was locked and, oh, we were so worried!"
Ash felt his face begin to redden as Misty fussed over him. "Misty, it's all right," he mumbled, drawing his new badge from his pocket. "Look, I got the Mind Badge."
His friends admired the square checkerboard glimmering in his palm.
"So that place was the gym?" guessed Brock. "Tell us about it!"
Ash would have done so gladly, but he still felt Pikachu's dead weight in his arms. "After," he promised. "First, I need to get some help for Pikachu. Is Nurse Joy here?"
Brock sighed ruefully, "There is no Nurse Joy. Violet's Pokémon Centre is run by volunteers."
"You must be so disappointed," Misty commented under her breath. The boys pretended not to, or didn't, hear her.
At that moment a figure emerged from the inside chamber; Ash started as he recognized her.
"Karin?"
Her eyes widened upon seeing him. "Ash! How'd it go – oh, my, what happened to Pikachu?" With a gasp she ran over.
Ash held up a hand. "It's okay, it's just tired."
Karin nodded, reining herself in. "I see. Well, come inside and we'll see what we can do about that cut."
Ash followed her into the emergency room.
*
Karin was very quick at dressing Pikachu; Ash only had to stand by and comfort Pikachu when it finally awoke. Cradling his healed Pokémon in his arms, Ash thanked her dutifully and headed outside.
In the waiting room, Misty and Brock were still seated, conversing in low tones with Victor. When Ash emerged, all three stood.
"How is Pikachu?" Misty asked anxiously. In response, Pikachu smiled up at her.
"Pika!"
"Feeling much better, aren't you?" said Ash, smiling down at his Pokémon.
Victor nodded thoughtfully before walking past them to embrace Karin gently.
"And how are you?" she asked him softly.
Ash and Brock's jaws dropped.
"You-you-" stuttered Brock.
"You're together?" gasped Ash. He whirled on Karin. "And you didn't tell us?"
Karin looked mildly surprised; slowly, she smiled. "Of course not. I couldn't give anything away. That would make the gym easier for you."
Ash considered this a moment and found it made sense. Grudgingly, he nodded. Finally, as something occurred to him, he asked, "And the carvings? Are they all yours?"
Victor nodded, smiling. "I do enjoy carving in my spare time."
That explains a lot, thought Ash. Brock just looked depressed.
Misty cleared her throat. "I suppose we should be going now, Ash. You want to get to the next island, don't you?"
Ash absorbed this. "Oh, yeah! I have to get there before Gary!" He ran for the door.
"Wait!" Karin said. "It's dark out already. Why don't you stay the night here? We've still got room at home," she offered.
Ash was glad he knew she was referring to her house and not the 'haunted' one.
"That would be kind of you," said Misty. She glanced at her traveling companions. "I don't know about you, but I could use a rest."
Victor was still smiling. "How many extra beds does that make now, Karin?"
"Four. We should fit that many, shouldn't we?" She turned to him.
"Wait a minute," interrupted Ash, doing a quick head count. "Four?"
Karin nodded patiently. "Yes, four."
Ash was about to inquire as to her math skills when a sarcastic voice wondered, "Am I invisible or something?"
Ash whirled around and felt anger blazing to life in his stomach. His rival Gary sat in the corner, stroking his Umbreon's bandaged back. Trainer and Pokémon stared back at him.
"Let's go," said Karin, heading for the door. Brock and Victor followed; Gary picked up Umbreon and rose.
"I'm not staying near him," Ash growled, but the only one around to hear was Misty. She sighed, grasping his arm.
"Come on, Ash. It's only for a night. Besides, I can't wait for some more of Karin's cooking!"
*
At home, Karin happily made them all some tea. Sitting around the table was a rather awkward affair; Ash glared daggers at Gary, who purposefully ignored him. Misty and Brock tried to make conversation, but it was impossible to get anything longer than a one-word answer out of either trainer. Whenever Misty addressed Gary, she found herself at the mercy of Ash's angry stare; eventually, she gave up.
"This is very nice tea, Karin," she said instead. Togepi sat beside her cup, warming itself against it and chirping joyfully.
Karin smiled. "Thank you, Misty. It's chamomile."
Victor said nothing, either, silently observing their guests. The table succumbed to silence.
Misty played nervously with her cup; Brock stared dreamily at Karin. Ash glared. Gary stroked Umbreon, who lay by his feet. Pikachu slurped at its own saucer of tea beneath the table; Karin had served each of the Pokémon its own drink as well.
Misty, at the head of the table, had the warring trainers on either side of her. Deciding it was best to leave them alone, she instead watched as Togepi crawled below the table to visit the other Pokémon.
Suddenly Umbreon hissed, fur bristling; it seemed the baby Pokémon had gotten too close to Umbreon's trainer for its liking. Togepi paused, tears welling up in its eyes at this hostility.
Pikachu jumped protectively in front of Togepi, staring Umbreon down.
"Pika!"
Apparently the Pokémon held a grudge just as fierce as their trainers'; Umbreon bared its teeth and rose. Pikachu's eyes blazed, sparks beginning to fly from its cheeks.
All this happened in the span of a few seconds; Misty glanced wildly to the trainers beside her, but neither seemed to be paying attention to their Pokémon.
"Piiiika!" Misty recognized, in the way Pikachu drew itself up, that it was preparing to unleash a thunderbolt. Her thoughts came to a standstill; she only knew if Pikachu attacked, everything would break loose.
"Pikachu, no!" Misty yelled, diving beneath the table. Her chair clattered to the floor behind her; the others, as if awaking from a reverie, jolted around to look.
"What the-" Ash ducked his head under the table to see Misty crouching between Pikachu and Umbreon, holding them off. Pikachu, blinking in surprise, faltered and glanced up at her. Togepi hugged her leg, anxious about the tension in the air.
"What's going on?" Gary pushed back his chair, crouching beside them. "Umbreon?"
"Reon!" spat Umbreon, lashing its tail angrily. Togepi shuddered.
"Pikachu!" yelled Pikachu, as if to say, you did it again!
Misty suddenly realized she was in a very precarious position, between a potential thunder attack and a very annoyed Umbreon.
"Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu shouted at Ash. His trainer's face hardened.
"Misty," he said in a low, dangerous tone, "if that thing hurt Togepi, believe me, Pikachu and I will repay it tenfold!"
Before Misty could answer Gary retorted, eyes blazing, "How dare you call Umbreon a thing! It never laid a paw on Togepi!"
"Wanna bet?" snapped Ash.
Misty cleared her throat, glancing at the bristling trainers on either side of her. "Uh, actually, no one hurt Togepi. It's just scared."
Gary shot a triumphant look at Ash that clearly said, see?
"Well, it's still what scared Togepi!" shot back Ash defensively.
Misty snapped at that. "Your stupid rivalry is what's bothering it!"
Ash looked taken aback at the fiery glare Misty aimed at him; she turned to include Gary in her look.
"Can't you two just not be at each other's throats for one night?!" she seethed. "Honestly, you're driving me insane!"
Ash flinched away from Misty and met Gary's even stare. Wordlessly, the other trainer turned away, as if none of this had affected him.
"Come on, Umbreon, let's set up our sleeping bags." He headed toward the door, Umbreon padding in his wake. He paused in the doorway, glancing back. "Thanks for the tea, Karin."
Then he walked away. Umbreon shot Pikachu a frosty look before following.
Ash burned inwardly. How could his rival just walk away like that?!
"Pika," growled Pikachu, staring at the spot where Umbreon had been. Ash picked up Pikachu, murmuring, "We'll beat him next time, just you wait!"
Misty crawled out from under the table, clutching Togepi. She flushed, noticing everyone was staring at her.
"I'm very sorry about that," she apologized to Karin and Victor. "It's just-" She broke off, unable to find an explanation for Ash and Gary's behaviour.
"You are rivals?" Victor addressed Ash and Pikachu, who had just emerged.
Ash clenched his fists. "Yeah. And this time, I'm gonna finish the league before Gary!"
Karin and Victor exchanged a glance.
"Speed is not everything, Ash," Victor said quietly. "What you learn from an experience can be just as important."
Ash sat back down wordlessly, breathing deeply to calm himself. Pikachu patted his arm gently.
Karin cleared her throat, eager to get off this uncomfortable topic. "So…where are you guys headed next?"
Ash looked to Brock, who had memorized their map. He set down his cup. "To Kame, the next island to the south."
Victor nodded to himself. "I see."
"Are you allowed to tell us anything about that gym?" Ash inquired hopefully.
"Well," Karin considered, "I haven't been to Kame in years, but the island's a renowned Pokémon sanctuary."
"A Pokémon sanctuary?" echoed Ash.
Karin nodded. "It's a reserve for Pokémon; you're not allowed to catch or battle any of the wild Pokémon there."
"Then how," puzzled Ash, "can they have a gym there?"
Victor laughed softly. "Oh, you'll see, Ash."
Ash regarded Victor for a moment, slightly nervous. Judging by Victor's reaction, this gym was no more ordinary than any other in Ikimono was.
--
To be continued...
Author's Note: So our heroes head to Kame (Turtle) Island next! What sort of challenge awaits them there? *evil grin* Please review!