Ben wasn't quite ready to catch another Pokemon so soon, so he took the time to enjoy the view of Viridian Forest. The trees surrounded them, leaves rustling with wind and wild Pokemon. Different kinds of berry bushes dotted the side of the trail, and Bug-type Pokemon flocked competitively to them.
The clouds looked like mounds of mashed potatoes, that looked like they could decide to start raining at any minute. The sun spread its optimism through the forest, making the Pidgey and Spearow sing their name continuously.
It was stunning. Neither of the teenagers had words, so they strolled carelessly through the woods, admiring the world they lived in.
Toasty and Lucky were walking behind Amy, Toasty on two legs, Lucky on four. They were catching up, in whispers, so not to obliterate the mood. Ben opened his mouth, then thought better of it.
"What was that?" Amy asked, catching that he was about to speak.
"Hmm? Oh, I just think we ought to stop for lunch. A nice, sunny picnic, perhaps?" he offered, gesturing to a fallen tree a few feet off the trail.
Cascade jumped off Ben's shoulder, running away from him.
"Cascade, what the-" Ben started, beginning to run after her.
With the two occupied, Amy shook her head, and started setting up the leftovers for lunch. They had a thermos of Moomoo milk that was in a miniature cooler, some Slowpoke Tail sandwiches, some pastas, rice balls, and the chocolate pie without any berries.
Amy cheerfully set out plates, whistling a tune, setting the sandwiches down just so.
Ben was still off trying to find Cascade, and Amy didn't get suspicious until she was done setting the food out. Lucky and Toasty were eating some Pokemon food, and looked distantly out at the forest, wondering why they hadn't returned.
"Toasty come with me. Lucky, guard the food at all costs," Amy ordered.
Each Pokemon surprisingly obeyed.
Amy and Toasty slowly meandered in the general direction of where Ben had chased Cascade. It was weird how the Pokemon had suddenly taken off.
"Ben," Amy called.
"Chim!" Toasty tried to echo.
They kept going, past all the overgrown vegetation. Amy had to constantly push plants away, occasionally finding a Caterpie crawling on her arm, only to brush it away.
Toasty and Amy found themselves in a clearing, with a very deep and wide ditch, separating it from the other side. There were sharp rocks sticking out of either side.
Toasty first spotted Ben, dangerously crawling across a branch dangling from the side of the ditch. Cascade stubbornly sat at the end, seemingly sniffing at something.
Amy gasped loudly. Ben turned to look at her.
"You almost gave me a heart attack!" Ben exclaimed over to her.
"I almost gave you a heart attack? Do you see yourself right now?" Amy screamed.
Ben glanced down at the bottomless pit beneath him, gulping in fear, he shakily turned his head towards Amy again, lifting a thumbs up.
Cascade wouldn't budge. Amy cursed under her breath.
"You dumb Pokemon, what did Ben ever do to you?" she fussed, praying that her best friend wouldn't be impaled by a spiky rock.
Time stood still as he slithered gradually towards Cascade.
"Ben, there has to be a different way to do this! Can't we get a rope or something? You're making me very nervous," I cried, fearing his life.
"No, no. I've almost got her. Here, Cascade…" he coaxed. The Pokemon still stared off blankly, at what could've easily just been another tree.
Ben's glasses slid to the edge of his nose, and fell a short distance, to a branch a few feet down. Amy cringed as he grabbed at them. He had terrible eyesight without them.
"Ben, don't move," Amy said, running towards the set of branches, "we'll figure something out, but don't move."
Ben froze in fear, clutching to a branch dangling above a dangerous pit that might've as well led to a black hole, for all he knew.
Amy was thinking over options, when she heard an ominous cracking noise.
She feared the worst, eyes darting to the branch. It was breaking under Ben's weight. Cascade started to fidget, realizing the danger she had gotten the both of them into.
"Ben, don't move," Amy repeated, still thinking.
But it was too late.
Amy shrieked in terror as the branch started to fall. It broke, and he landed on the other branch below him with his glasses. He reached ever-so-gently for his glasses, and took in the surroundings.
"Arceus," Ben sobbed. He hugged Cascade tight, even though she was the cause of his fate. She started weeping, too, not meaning for them to fall.
Amy had a thousand thoughts racing through her head. There were no adults to come and fix everything, this was something she had to do alone.
Rope… yes, that's what they needed. "I can cast it out to Ben and Cascade, wrap it partially around a tree… and pull them up, that'll work," she thought to herself.
"Ben, I'll be right back," Amy promised, hurrying off to get rope.
Just as she had turned her back, she heard the cracking noise again.
Amy sped back to the edge to see Ben falling, screaming, and fighting.
Time stopped altogether, and Amy was at a loss for words.
She threw her head to the sky, already mentally quitting the Pokemon league and writing Ben's obituary.
"Ben!"
When all hope was lost, and Amy thought her journey was over when it had just begun, she saw a blur of two Pokemon on the other side of the ditch. One wrapped itself around a tree, and held another's arm in its mouth.
A girl showed up beside the two Pokemon, frantically barking orders.
Amy identified the Pokemon wrapped around the tree as an Arbok, holding a Roserade's arm in its mouth. The Pokemon released vines from one of its arms, wrapping around Ben, who held Cascade tightly to his chest.
The girl barked another command, and the Arbok wrapped itself more around the tree on the other side, and the Roserade pulled Ben and Cascade to the surface.
Amy's eyes watered in happiness.
She started to rush towards them, but realized the distance to the other side was too great. The girl said something, and the Arbok stretched its body to the other side, like a tightrope in a circus act. The Roserade scampered across, then wrapped its vines around Amy's waist, following her to the other side.
Amy carefully walked across the Arbok's back, who didn't seem to mind being used as a bridge. When she reached the other side, Amy threw her arms around Ben, glad he was okay.
Ben and Amy slowly looked at the girl, who was issuing orders to her Pokemon, who showed up at her side.
Amy couldn't think of anything to say, so she asked the first question that popped into her mind.
"Won't you join us for lunch?"