Chapter Ten is now up.
Well, I have now run out of completed chapters, so I can't say with exact certainty when the next update is going to be. If I manage to finish the next one before the 11th, I will still wait until that day to post it.
Again, thank you to my readers and reviewers, and I hope you continue to let me know what you think.
Mastering a New Start
Chapter 10: Lost in the Darkness!
Journey Through Mt. Moon.
A deep, rocky cavern stood in near silence, with nothing but a seemingly impenetrable darkness to be seen within its confines. Suddenly, something cut through the inky black, taking the form of light emitted from a device that hung from a figure's arm. The glow revealed a pair of eyes that searched about, taking in the rocky features of the labyrinth that were being slowly revealed.
After fending off the pack of Sandslash and Sandshrew, as well as seeing off the girl the aforementioned Pokemon had been attacking, Mark continued onward, making his way down the road with his three partners alongside him. The walk was uneventful, with few Pokemon making themselves known, and none making any attempts to confront the group. The trainer was almost grateful when the sun began to set, seeing the need to set up camp as a perfect opportunity to relieve the boredom.
After purposefully taking meticulous care in assembling the tent to take up time, the four companions retrieved some food and began to eat. In between chews, Mark took a second look at the area he had chosen to settle in for the night. The clearing was grassy, with the road bordering one side, and sparse groves of trees enclosing the other three. The most prominent feature visible from the trainer's vantage point, however, was the massive Mount Moon, which stood a short distance down the road from the campsite.
The rocky slopes towered over their surroundings, and lead up to a large crater instead of a peak, where a meteor had apparently crashed into the formation long ago. On either side of the mountain were several smaller ones, forming a range that effectively separated Pewter City from Mark's next destination of Cerulean. The trainer had already consulted his Pokedex, and determined that a sprawling cavern located beneath Mt Moon was the only way to get through the mountains by land.
Mark turned back toward his immediate surroundings, finding that his Pokemon were preparing for slumber. Pidgeotto had perched herself on a branch of the nearest tree, while Scyther leaned his body against the trunk of the same tree. Poliwag, lacking a source of water to sleep by, stepped toward the same tree to curl up beneath it. Feeling his eyes start to involuntarily close by themselves as well, Mark made his way into his tent, finally succumbing to his fatigue upon wrapping himself in his sleeping bag.
The trainer's eyes opened in response to a loud series of buzzes, accompanied by the rapid beating of insectoid wings. Having just enough conscious thought to recognize that the sound was coming from the sky, he turned so that he was facing the source of the noises. At first, only a floating green blur was visible, and Mark quickly rubbed his eyes before turning back to what was revealed to be one of his Pokemon.
Scyther was quickly rising into the air, unleashing a volley of mock strikes into the air before him. Every few moments, he would swiftly twist himself so he would face a different direction and continue attacking an imaginary opponent. The trainer grinned at the sight; he had noted how annoyed the mantis was at its inability to combat the Fearow they had met earlier due to its weakness while in midair. It was obvious that Scyther's efforts had been quickly making short work of the limitation.
The bug-type suddenly halted the volley of blows, and crossed its arms in front of itself, his scythe-shaped forearms facing outward. The Pokemon then started to spin in a drilllike motion as he began to launch himself forward. However, after only a few moments, Scyther fell out of his spinning movement, thrashing about awkwardly as he struggled to remain airborne; with a little effort, he managed to recover, though a scowl found its way to his face as he hovered in place.
The mantis' inner thoughts were broken as he noticed that his trainer had awoken, and he made his way down to earth to greet the human. Hearing another sound coming from a different direction, Mark lifted himself from the ground to investigate. When he turned, he found Poliwag firing a volley of Water Gun attacks at Pidgeotto, who was weaving through the air to avoid the blasts. The bird gave out a trill upon seeing the man sit up, and the water-type quickly stopped her barrage to look as well. Deciding that he had the full attention of his Pokemon, Mark took a moment to speak.
"Okay guys, after breakfast we're gonna head through the cavern under Mt. Moon. I figure it might be best to leave you all in your pokeballs, just to make sure nobody gets lost. Figuring in the time it'll take to eat and sleep, we should be out by tomorrow afternoon. Sound good to everyone?" Receiving no objections from his companions, the four settled down to eat.
After the meal was devoured, the human and the three Pokemon set out on what turned out to be a short and uneventful trek to the base of the high mountain. Finding the rocky opening immediately, Mark stepped forward to take an assessing look inside. As he thought, there was nothing to see in the cave but pitch-black; it seemed that bringing extra batteries for the lantern was a good idea after all.
Taking a moment to first fish the aforementioned lamp out of his pack, the trainer recalled his Pokemon and stepped through the cave's entrance. After a few steps, even his ability to see well in the dark wasn't enough to distinguish anything, and he lifted up the lantern to switch it on. The man's eyes squinted almost shut in reflex as the glaring light burst from the device, opening them slowly as they began to readjust to the brightness. Mark suddenly heard the sound of grinding noises coming from several directions, and just managed to catch sight of a small, rocky body moving away from him; he realized that the sounds were simply Geodudes that were retreating to the usual darkness of their habitat.
Deciding to leave the rock-types alone, Mark set out deeper into the cavern. Though his eyes could sense nothing outside of the lantern's range, his ears were a different story; all around, Mark could hear miniscule drips as water droplets slowly formed on the ceiling to eventually break away and fall toward the floor. The occasional squeak signaled the presence of a Zubat, and sometimes an unidentifiable sound indicated that something else was nearby. Though Geodude and Zubat were usually the only Pokemon that lived in these caves, other species would sometimes find their way into the caverns as well, usually by means of a human.
After a time, a quick look at the Pokedex revealed that a little over three hours had passed since Mark had entered the caves, and his legs were sending him a clear message that a rest was in order. However, as he prepared to settle down, a barely audible whimpering sound coming from just outside that range of his light source caught his attention. The trainer immediately decided to investigate, lifting the lantern back up to head level as he moved toward the noises.
The shining beam uncovered a small, shivering, foxlike creature huddling into itself. Frightened black eyes stared up at the man as she started to struggle to lift herself from the rocky ground. As she made her way to her feet, it was easier to see the rest of her features; ragged yet bushy fur made up both her tail and a sort of mane around her neck, and her coat was unkempt from lack of grooming. After a glimpse at the Pokedex, Mark looked back at the newly identified Eevee as she backed away on shaking legs.
Moving as slowly and unthreateningly as he could, the trainer reached into his backpack, pulling out what would be a decent-sized piece of food for a Pokemon of her size. He gradually lowered himself down to the foxlike Pokemon's level, and smoothly reached out in offering. A concerned look showed in his face as he quietly spoke.
"Don't worry; I'm not going to hurt you. You seem to be hungry, so you can have this if you want." The Eevee took a few experimental sniffs at the gift, unsure whether or not trusting the human was a good idea. Hunger eventually won out over caution, as the fox reached her muzzle forward to take the food from Mark's hand. Despite her haste to down the meal, she ate in a neat and polite manner, occasionally raising a forepaw to brush at any crumbs that may have found their way to her muzzle.
It took only a minute or so for the Eevee to finish, and she looked back up at the human, her expression having lost most of the fear that had been present moments ago. As Mark looked back, he couldn't help but wonder how the Pokemon came to be lost under Mt. Moon. Deciding after a few moments that the 'how' and 'why' weren't important, he spoke to the fox again.
"Well, I was just getting ready to stop and take a rest when I found you, so if you want to join me, go ahead. I'd imagine it'd be better than sitting here in the dark." That was all the convincing the Pokemon needed, and she quietly followed as the man strode back to the spot he had picked out earlier. Upon reaching his subconscious destination, he sat down and stretched out his limbs, resting his back against a smooth rock inclined so that he could lean back. When Eevee reached the trainer, she curled up against his side and promptly drifted into a peaceful slumber.
About an hour later, Mark slowly rose to his feet, and looked down at the furred form of Eevee, who was still quietly dozing. The trainer wasn't particularly surprised; he had no idea how long the Pokemon had been lost in this place, but he felt he could safely assume that it had been for quite awhile. Still, he had to get moving, and he wasn't going to leave the Eevee here after he had already started to help her out. Coming to a decision, Mark bent down and gently lifted up the Pokemon, then straightened himself smoothly enough that the foxlike creature snuggled against his right arm didn't awaken. After determining that the Eevee's rest wasn't disturbed, the trainer picked up the lantern with his free hand and continued on.
Mark traveled through the caverns in the near silence, taking an occasional moment to take an assessing glance at Eevee. After an hour, the fox did wake up, but made no move to escape the human's hold on her, seemingly content in her current position. Considering how little the Pokemon weighed, Mark didn't feel the need to take the time to set her back on the ground, either.
Suddenly, the various noises in the cave began to be overtaken by numerous overlapping squeaking sounds; though quiet at first, they began to increase in volume, making it clear that their sources were drawing closer, despite the fact that they couldn't be seen outside the light given by the lantern. Mark felt a slight pressure against his chest, as the Pokemon held in his right arm began to press herself into it, quivering noticeably as she began to whimper softly.
A small, winged shape broke free of the darkness that surrounded Mark and dove directly at him with a short screech. The trainer dropped into a crouch, allowing the creature to pass harmlessly over his head. Another silhouette made its way into the light, its flapping wings guiding it to the human's new position; Mark responded by shifting to the right of the being's path, his body hunching over the Eevee protectively.
Before the assault could continue further, the trainer dropped to his knees and quickly set the lantern on the ground. With his hand now unoccupied, it was able to reach to a certain pokeball on his belt and press the button on it. A bright red glow came forth, only to give way to a mass of green as Scyther's form materialized. Just after the bug had taken shape, its right arm suddenly shot out and caught a shadow that had been previously on a collision course with him, roughly knocking it to the ground. With the creature now still, it was revealed to have no eyes, and it instead had large, batlike ears and wings.
"Alright Scyther, I'm gonna need you to fend off these Zubat. I'd do it myself, but I'd prefer not risk have the cuts on my arms open up again." As expected, the mantis grinned at the statement, reveling in the opportunity to face new opponents.
The bug-type settled into a fighting stance, already preparing to focus his concentration on the enemies that hovered just out of sight. Two of the batlike Pokemon soon launched themselves out of the inky black toward their new prey. Their lunge was short-lived, though, as Scyther's forearms quickly rose and fell, striking the poison types with the back of his blades and sending them earthward.
Three more Zubat burst forth, latching onto the bug's back with bared fangs that already glowing a light green in preparation for a Leech Life. However, the teeth merely glanced off their intended target, clearly not strong enough to pierce the toughened exoskeleton. Not bothering to restrain a smirk, Scyther threw himself into a spin, using the force to dislodge the Pokemon, and then sending a hard strike to each of the attackers with the flat of his blades, sending them spinning out of sight.
Five more Zubat came into vision as they lunged at the mantis head-on. Scyther was undaunted, quickly lifting his right arm toward the oncoming menace, his predatory smirk still in place. The limb blurred into a volley of green-colored slashing motions without warning, and the bat Pokemons' formation broke apart as the Fury Cutter sent the creatures tumbling out of the air.
A deeper pitched squeaking began to ring out when the bats struck the ground, and a significantly larger shadow detached itself from the shade. Though similar in appearance, this creature was several times larger than the Zubat that came before it, and it sported small, beady eyes, unlike the previous batlike Pokemon. The newly arrived Golbat eased itself forward on flapping wings as it eyed the mantis before it with a vicious glare.
The bat lunged at Scyther, both wings swinging forward to strike. The bug-type was ready, though, and his arms shot up, effectively stopping the Wing Attack. However, the mantis wasn't ready to stop there, and its arms shot forward and down in a crossing motion; both green-glowing blades swept across the bat's body, and the poison type was hurled back by the X-Scissor attack.
The Golbat quickly managed to stop itself in midair, clearly not intending to back down just yet. It slowly started for the mantis, its features twisted into an angry grimace. Suddenly, the Pokemon shot forward as its mouth began to open in order to bare its sharpened fangs. A bladed forearm came straight up before the bat could close in, though, and the Slash attack delivered by Scyther sent the Golbat tumbling backward; the bug-type wasted no time in continuing its assault, and the same forearm fell back down, catching the poison type's body with its back side and bearing the attacker to the ground. The impact of the bat's body being pressed into the rocky ground rang out with a resounding 'thud', and the Golbat fell still, having been completely knocked out by the maneuver.
The sounds coming from the group's surroundings returned to normal, indicating that Scyther had dispatched the last of the attackers. The aforementioned mantis glared at his downed opponents in distaste, clearly having anticipated a more difficult battle than the one he received. His features returned to a grin as he turned back to his trainer, though, and Mark gave the Pokemon a sincere 'thank you' before recalling him to his pokeball.
The remainder of the journey through Mt. Moon went without incident. Though the trainer had decided to let the constantly alert Scyther out of his pokeball when it came time to sleep, the lack of attention the group received from the native Pokemon proved that precaution unnecessary. The following morning, Mark took time to groom Eevee's ragged fur before setting out, and before long, her coat began to shine with the healthy luster that Eevees usually had.
It was late in the day when Mark and Eevee finally found their way back into the fresh air, the dimming light indicating that the sun was beginning to set. The trainer grinned as he emerged from the cave, relieved to be able to travel without needing a lantern just to be able to see his surroundings. He had a few scrapes on his arms, and his clothes had patches of dirt in various places, but he was otherwise none the worse for wear.
Eevee almost seemed like a completely different Pokemon than the one Mark met just the day before. Her coat, though slightly dirty, looked almost completely unlike the ragged, filthy fur she had previously been covered in. While she was once almost too afraid of Mark to come near him, she now seemed ecstatic at simply being in his presence, often looking up at him with shining eyes.
The trainer gazed out at the road ahead of him, mentally figuring how far he would be able to travel before it would become too dark to see. From his information, Cerulean City was still a few days walk away, and he wanted to get there soon. Suddenly, his attention turned to the foxlike Pokemon next to him.
"Well, we made it out okay, didn't we? The area around here seems just a bit more inviting than the inside of that cave, so I think you'll do fine here." With a cheerful wave, he turned to walk down the road ahead of him; he quickly stopped when he heard a barking that started to come up behind him. He soon felt something soft against his leg, and he looked down to see Eevee nuzzling her face against it. He addressed the Pokemon again in a concerned voice.
"Look, you wouldn't really want to come with me. I tend to ask quite a bit from the Pokemon I work with, and it's eventually gonna be the same with… Whoa!" His statement was cut short when the fox pounced on him, the trainer's surprise at the action causing him to topple over, and he quickly found himself sprawled on the ground, Eevee standing on his chest. The Pokemon then began to lick at his face, but was quickly stopped when the trainer lifted her body off of his and set her back on the ground. Mark made his way to back to his feet, and looked back down at the fox with a slightly exasperated look; his eyes closed in contemplation for a few moments, and then reopened as he spoke again.
"Are you sure about this?" Eevee responded with a constant, eager nodding of her head, as though afraid the man would misunderstand her answer if she stopped for even a moment. The Pokemon stopped when the trainer began to move; her eyes gleamed as Mark withdrew an empty pokeball from his belt and lowered it down to her level. The man spoke one more time, a grin spread across his face as the welcoming tone came forth.
"Well, let's get going, then."
Yeah, yeah, Eevee are overused, I know. I didn't put her in to conform with all the fics that have Eevees, and I didn't do it in defiance of all the people who say that owning an Eevee is a step on the path to creating a 'Gary-Stu'-type character. When I cast Pokemon to be caught or seen, I do it simply because that's the Pokemon I feel fits the role best(Though personal preference kicks in here and there as well).
I feel that good writing makes a Pokemon story like this, not what kind of Pokemon are cast in it, and I'll do my best to ensure that the quality of this fic continues to improve, no matter what kind cliche Pokemon or situations are found in it.