And I'm back with a new chapter! I'm running out of witty things to say in these author notes...
Anyhoo, read and enjoy!
And Now, Our Feature Presentation!
Wes managed to get twenty miles from Pyrite Town before the pain in his hand became unbearable. Rui pointed out a trail marking that marked an oasis, and he parked the bike and yanked his glove off. The shards still in his hands had turned the surrounding skin an angry red, and a twitch of his fingers sent pain firing up his arm. Some shards were jutting out of his hand.
"Wes, why didn't you say something?!" Rui said, her tone exasperated. She had shouted in Wes's ear, causing him to flinch and yank a shard out prematurely.
"FUCK!" Wes yelled. Rui plucked tweezers out of her bag and motioned for Wes to give her his hand.
"Let's put our Pokémon out so they can get some water and don't have to wait." Wes said, not wanting to subject himself to medical attention just yet.
Soon there was a small gathering of Pokémon drinking and wading through the oasis. Wes sat on a rock, giving Rui his hand. He shrugged off the Snag Machine in an effort to distract himself from getting his hand poked at. Rui was concentrating, her brow furrowed as she deftly picked shards out of his hand.
"How do you even know this stuff?" Wes asked.
Rui smirked. "I was training at the Goldenrod Pokémon Center. The basic treatment for injuries is almost the same for people as well as Pokémon."
Wes nodded, then swallowed a curse as a particularly large shard was pulled out. Leveche and Harmatten came over, leaning on Wes. Leveche sent calm feelings out to him, and added Harmatten's concern to the mix. Wes smiled and patted the black feline and his littermate.
"There, all done." Rui said, wiping the tweezers on her skirt. Wes flexed his hand, and was relieved to note that his hand could open and close without problems. It just hurt.
Wes observed the Pokémon. Harmatten and Leveche were off to one side with Quilava, Flaaffy, Makuhita, and Meditite. The other Pokémon were lounging around, except for the more recently caught ones. Mantine and Qwilfish floated in place, facing Wes. He sighed.
"Go play in the water." Wes grumbled. The water Pokémon floated over to the water, never touching the ground. Wes spotted mechanical devices on the back of their necks, and then the answer for the mysterious floating came into Wes's mind.
It was a machine that functioned as an energy converter, using the same amount of energy water bound Pokémon used to swim through water to keep it aloft. It essentially made a Pokémon able to "swim" through the air, and was only really used for competitive battling. They needed to be taken off after battles to give the Pokémon some measure of relief. They weren't water proof.
Wes called the floaters back over and got them near enough to the water that they could dive right in after he got the converters off. The Pokémon dove in, and Wes put the converters in his pocket. Rui came back over with a small roll of bandages and tried to wrap up Wes's hand.
"I can do it myself." Wes grumbled, snatching the roll and proceeding to wrap his hand himself. Rui rolled her eyes at Wes's stubbornness and tried to find some food for the Pokémon. There wasn't an adequate amount Rui could find in the bike's compartments, but then Quilava and Harmatten came sauntering into the camp with a dead Trapinch in each of their respective mouths. Rui gave the bug-like ground types a hesitant look, but then Leveche came with two Trapinch floating under psychic power. Rui looked at the carcasses presented to her, and gave each Pokémon an approving pat for the good catches. Wes, seeing the extra Trapinch, proceeded to bury the extra one in the sand near the fire pit that previous travelers had made.
"What are you doing?" Rui asked.
"Roast Trapinch." Wes said. "Keeps curious hunters from coming and trying to steal our food."
They started the fire, and soon the Trapinch was roasted in its shell by that night. Wes fed Flaaffy figs that he kept in his food supplies, and Meditite joined them. The rest of the Pokémon found stuff for them to eat. Wes and Rui had eaten as much of the Trapinch as they could, and Wes gave the rest to Quagsire. Rui looked away as the mud-dweller swallowed the carcass whole.
"That's disgusting." Rui said, grimacing. Wes shrugged and found his sleeping gear in the bike and told the Pokémon to sleep. Harmatten and Leveche curled up next to Wes, and Rui's Pidgeotto and Swinub were asleep next to her. The fire died down as the group slept.
Wes woke up to lots of voices talking and shouting in an odd, but familiar language. He sat up, immediately aware of some of the Shadow Pokémon stirring. He got their Pokéballs out and called them all back. Leveche and Harmatten woke up too.
Wes looked around. A nomad tribe had just arrived, fleet footed Rapidash unique to Orre stamping their feet as their riders got water from the oasis. Carts drawn by Mudsdales had arrayed themselves the oasis, making a protective circle. Wes saw a cloth flag hanging off the side of the leader's wagon, and immediately wanted leave. The robed nomads were not aware of their presence yet.
It was the Dargona clan. He and his parents had belonged to it, but after their own caravan had been wiped out in a vicious sandstorm, Wes had lost all contact with the rest of the clan. He was glad, for they didn't know that Wes was even alive. But his face tattoo would mark him as one of theirs. He immediately began to pack the stuff up, and Rui woke up after some prompting.
"Whu izzit?" Rui asked sleepily.
"We're leaving. Now."
A hand tapped Wes's shoulder. Feeling a sudden dread, Wes turned around.
It was a young woman. She held a clay jug that was full of water, but nearly dropped it when she looked at Wes's face. She babbled in the nomad language, and then took off running for the wagons.
"What's that all about?" Rui asked.
"We need to leave." Wes urgently said, pulling Rui along. They were almost to the bike when Wes heard a loud voice boom.
"What do you mean that we found a kinsman?" The voice said. A large man was striding toward the duo. Wes tried to get to the bike faster, but the man's massive arms grabbed him in a bear hug.
"What are you doing, Kinsman, out here but yourself?" The man boomed.
"We were just leaving." Wes replied, aware that his ability to speak his old language was slightly limited after speaking something else. "How are you, Headsman Tof?"
Headsman Tof set Wes down, looking him over. "By Landorus, you're Headsman Farisi's son! I had no idea that you survived that sandstorm! We picked up some survivors, and we didn't find the rest of you."
"It is all right. I found a new lot in life." Wes said. Harmatten and Leveche approached the group of people that had gathered around their friends. The nomads parted ways when the Pokemon went through the crowd. Wes knelt and reassured the Pokémon that he was alright. Other survivors of Wes's caravan came up, remarking about how much he had grown up. Rui felt a hand tug on her skirt, and a little girl pointed to Swinub in Rui's arms and babbled something.
"Uh, I can't understand you." Rui said, feeling a little awkward. She caught Wes's gaze and motioned him over, noticing Wes was starting to look a little overwhelmed. Wes asked the small group to let him through.
"What?" Wes asked, his eyes flashing with gratitude.
"I have no idea what she just asked." Rui said, her cheeks becoming red with embarrassment. Wes knelt down to the girl's level and spoke to her in the nomad tongue. The girl chattered.
"She was just asking what the Pokémon in your arms was." Wes said to Rui.
"Oh, it's a Swinub." Rui said, holding the little Ice-type out to the little girl. She petted Swinub, and began to giggle when Swinub licked her hand in search for food. Wes turned away from the scene and back to Headsman Tof.
"How long are you staying for?" Wes asked.
"Three days. The winter will be here soon, and we all wish to see home before it gets too cold." The headsman replied.
Wes's heart panged. Home. There was a small settlement that the Dargona clan had made. There they mended their wagons, met back up with the family members who were too incapacitated to travel. All Dargona children were born in that settlement, their mothers staying there to give birth. Wes hadn't seen the place in years. It wasn't within the regular borders of the Orre region, being just beyond Mt. Battle. Lush, green plant life thrived there. Some would plant vegetables in that fertile ground.
"You are welcome to come back, you know." Tof said, his eyes shining with compassion. "Even with whatever new lot you have in life."
Wes considered it. But then he thought about Rui, and the poor Pokémon that he had been catching from Cipher. He suddenly felt a responsibility to them. Cipher, if Miror B. was any indication, would be unhappy that he had been catching their new weapons. They would be gunning for him, even after Rui was delivered to Agate Village. He would be hunted for the remainder of his life, and he would be putting the clan in danger if he went with them. He thought about what people like Cipher would do to children like the girl who was playing with Rui's Swinub.
"I will consider that offer." Wes finally answered. "But not right now."
Tof suddenly glanced behind Wes, and grinned when he saw Rui. Wes followed the man's gaze.
"She yours?" Tof asked.
"No!" Wes hissed. "She was kidnapped. I'm taking her to Lushgana1."
"I see." The headsman replied, stroking his chin. "Well, I would be honored to have you and your young friend to be guests at our fire tonight."
"Alright."
Rui had never seen anything like this before. She lived in Johto for her whole life, only traveling out of the country in the company of her mother to visit her grandparents in Orre. Things were fundamentally different out here, especially with the native tribes.
Wes told her of the headsman's offer. She knew it was rude to decline, and she was also curious to see the culture that taught their people the skills of surviving in the desert. She was surprised.
Dinner was a communal thing. Baskets of dried fruit, dates, and berries mixed inside were placed in a circular fashion around a fire. Strips of jerky were also placed with the baskets, and Pokémon sat with the people that tamed them. Rui was encouraged to bring Swinub, but Wes suggested that she leave Pidgeotto in its Pokéball. The nomads were very wary of birds, as Fearow and sometimes migrating Pidgeot would carry off Pokémon and sometimes people. Children were only allowed to roam freely when outside cities, as the noise and concentration of people kept the large birds away. The girl from earlier sat next to Rui, making faces at Swinub. Swinub had to be held tightly, as it knew food was near and it tried to get into it.
Wes had taken off his duster and goggles, leaving them in the compartment in the bike. His face had gotten darker with sun, and Rui noticed that her skin was also turning darker. But it couldn't match up to the swarthy skin of the nomads, who spent day after day in the hot sun.
The headsman stood near the fire, gathering everyone's attention with his deep, commanding voice. Rui saw everyone fold their hands neatly in their laps, including Wes.
"Landorus, Celebi," began Tof. "god and goddess of the good earth, we would bless this food and the company of these two strangers with your good name. We would bless Weskell, who has returned to us when we thought him dead, and his companion Rui, who is from lands from across the sea. We thank you for this bountiful meal and this company."
Everyone nodded once. Rui gave Wes an odd look.
"What?" Wes asked.
"Weskell?" Rui said, her eybrow traveling up her forehead. She witnessed Wes turn red for the first time as he rubbed the back of his head.
"My full name." He mumbled. "It's a common name among the nomads."
Rui grinned, finally finding something that Wes could be teased about. She plucked a date from the basket and carefully bit into it, savoring the sweet and smoky flavor of it. Wes grinned and took a strip of jerky from the plate and began to chew. Harmatten gave Rui this wide-eyed look, like he was begging. With his red eyes, it made him look a little frightening. Rui only shook her head, then noticed that the Pokémon were eating with the people. She scooted over, and the feline tucked in to a big strip of meat and a handful of dates. Leveche simply opened her mouth and a berry would levitate into her mouth. Wes rolled his eyes and was chatting with some of the people around them in the nomad language. Rui, with nothing to say, kept quiet. She looked around at the people, because she hadn't seen anything like this before.
The nomad people's auras danced, filled with colors for joy, happiness, and contentment. She blinked, and it was gone. She rubbed her eyes, always itchy after her searching. This was the first time she did that intentionally, and her mind felt like it was overflowing with happiness. She looked up, and caught an wizened old man staring at her. His expression was undecipherable. Thinking that she did something wrong, Rui looked down at her lap. Swinub was comfortable, his belly full of good food. She absently petted him, thinking about how the old man almost seemed like he knew what she had been doing.
Soon, the food had been eaten and leftovers had been put away. Children yawned and went to bed, followed by adults only moments later. Rui went over to the place where she and Wes had slept the night before. Wes was there, holding what looked like several blankets.
"What are those?" Rui asked, barely containing a yawn.
"They're for us." Wes said. "There is a really bad sandstorm that is supposed to go by here soon, and some of the ladies thought we needed these to help protect us from the sand."
Rui rubbed one of the blankets between her fingers. It was almost silky to the touch, but the texture had to be that of wool. When Rui thought there were at least three blankets, it turned out that they were just a big piece of cloth and two smaller ones. She draped it over her shoulders, the fabric light and able to breath.
"What are these, though?" Rui said.
"Burnooses." Wes said. "They use them to protect from the sand that gets picked up by the wind. The wind can sand your skin off if it gets windy enough."
Rui cringed. "Then how do you put it on?"
Wes showed Rui how to fashion the burnoose into a cloak. One of the smaller pieces of cloth went around Rui's head as a turban-like hood.
"It doesn't feel stuffy." She said, twirling in it.
"Why would you wear woolen clothes in the middle of the desert?" Wes asked. "Pretty stupid idea to me."
"It kind of feels like wool, though." Rui said.
Wes grinned. "It's Whismicott fluff. That stuff is what they make their clothes out of, and it doesn't take a lot."
Rui frowned. "Aren't you one of them?"
Wes's grinned faded. "I haven't been one of them for a long time."
Wes walked away, leaving Rui to wonder what she just said.
Wes was a little ways into the desert, carrying everyone's Pokéballs. He had been observing how to get the Pokémon inn his possession to get them into that Hyper Mode the binders talked about earlier in the day, and he was ready to get the Pokémon to not be so in pain.
The binders had gone on to say that the hormonal blockers did shorten the life of a Pokémon, but it wasn't a big concern to the scientists that wrote the binders. That bothered Wes the most. He knew also that battling was a good way for the Pokémon to burn through the blockers, so he was going to try a little experiment.
He released Flaaffy and Meditite. Flaaffy didn't act like a robot so much anymore, actually coming up to Wes on its own volition. Meditite swung its arms' seeming confused about why it was here. Its eyes began to gleam, and Wes whistled softly.
The gleam died down, and Meditite came over. Its face now seemed to be very expressive, and it wasn't so robotic with its movements. Wes knew that Quilava and Makuhita were in the same wagon, so to speak.
Wes called them back, and released some of the others. He walked among them, giving them once-overs to make sure none of them had gotten hurt from earlier fighting. They all watched him with eyes without feeling.
Wes had some of them battle each other, under orders to not hurt each other. He had to call out quite a few times, but otherwise it didn't get out of hand. The moon was low in the sky when Wes decided that they should quit for the night.
Tomorrow would dawn bright and early, after all.
So we see some world building here. *rubs hands while cackling evilly*. I really like doing this kind of thing, as I think and think and feel like there should be more to our favorite Pokemon world.
Yes, before you guys give me crap, Wes's full name is Weskell. It sounds cool, and properly nomadish...
Also, if you guys didn't already know, I made a legends series for this little headcanon 'verse of mine. If you want, you could check it out on my published stories list.