Critical Hit: Johto Journey
Part 2: Finding True Power
"So, Lyra, are you ready to head on to Olivine City," asked Ethan as his friend approached him at the western gate of Ecruteak City. His Growlithe sat obediently next to him, watching its unfamiliar companions get close.
"Yep! My Pokémon are all healed, so we're ready to go," she replied enthusiastically, her Quilava looking quite eager to explore the land ahead.
"All right, then let's go. I already checked my Pokégear to see how far it is, and it's actually close by. We should arrive there in about thirty minutes, at most."
Lyra nodded, and they both walked through the gate to arrive in Route 38. The road split into three different paths, two seemingly part of the main road while the other lead into the grass. Ethan and Lyra decided to split up and meet at the end of the route. It would also help them get some experience since there were trainers farther ahead that were ready for a fight. Being that Zephyr was the strongest of the team, Lyra had to battle with her other Pokémon so that they could be even in strength. And she also managed to get two Pokégear numbers from a Lass and School Kid. Though the School Kid only wanted her number just because he wanted to talk about Professor Oak. Still, she didn't mind having more calling buddies. It'd give her some variety while she was out training and exploring.
As Lyra reorganized her contact list, her Pokégear began ringing. The Caller I.D. revealed that it was Professor Oak himself. She answered, wondering what it was he was calling about.
"Lyra? I have good news for you," said Professor Oak, his voice obviously cheery.
"Is it about Leaf," asked Lyra, hoping that the older trainer accepted the request for help.
"Yes, and she's already on her way to Johto. You and Ethan are in Cianwood now, correct?"
"Actually, we just left Ecruteak and are heading over to Olivine City."
"Hm, I expected you two to be much further ahead. Anyway, Leaf told me that she'll be waiting for you at Olivine City since I thought you were in Cianwood."
"Professor, how would we be able to recognize Leaf?"
"You'll know it when you see her. Besides, she knows about you and Ethan, so it wouldn't be a problem for her to find you."
"If you say so," said Lyra, a little skeptical about the situation. She hung up her Pokégear after saying goodbye, stuffed it in her bag, and power-walked to meet up with Ethan soon. She didn't expect to find him talking to an old man in a formal brown suit.
"That Pokédex sure brings back memories," remarked the older man. "I haven't seen one in ages! I'm Baoba, by the way."
"I'm Ethan," introduced Ethan, shaking the man's hand. Lyra carefully approached, unsure whether to stay back or to step in and interrupt.
"Oh, and this is Lyra," added Ethan, pointing at Lyra. "She also has a Pokédex."
"Nice to meet the both of you! I'll have you know that I used to run a Safari Zone in Fuchsia City, but it grew out of date what with the new entertainment the kids are into. So, I decided to go overseas to learn the newest technology and open a state-of-the-art Safari Zone in Cianwood."
"I have to admit that it's a really good business plan," said Ethan, thinking over what Baoba said.
"I have the feeling that it's more than coincidence that we met. Why don't we register each other's numbers? I can give you a call once the Safari Zone is open before I call anyone else!"
"It sounds like a lot of fun," said Lyra, wondering what the Safari Zone will look like. "Right, Ethan?"
"It's really tempting," muttered Ethan, quietly making a decision. "Okay, let's exchange numbers. This sounds like a good opportunity to not miss."
"That's the way," said Baoba, taking out his Pokégear to add in the new numbers. "I'll call you right away once it's ready!"
After exchanging numbers, Baoba had to leave so he can supervise the construction for the Safari Zone. Lyra and Ethan waved goodbye to him, hoping that the Safari Zone will open soon. It was when Lyra was putting away her Pokégear that she remembered her talk with Professor Oak earlier.
"Ethan! I almost forgot," she said suddenly, surprising Ethan. "Professor Oak called me to tell us that Leaf is waiting for us in Olivine City!"
"No kidding? Then we should get there right away… Right after I tip over a sleeping Miltank," said Ethan, walking toward the field with four Miltank grazing.
"Don't do that! That's mean," she yelled, grabbing onto the back of his sweater and digging her heels into the ground.
"Jeez, Lyra, I was just kidding! But I did want to check out that farm."
"Isn't that the Moomoo Farm? The farm that supplies most of the milk in Johto and Kanto?"
"I'm sure it is. Let's see if they can give us a tour or something."
Ethan and Lyra walked over to the farm. However, a closed gate denied any entrance to the farm. Luckily, a farmer was walking out of a barn nearby, looking worried and rather stressed out.
"Hey! Is this farm closed on holiday," yelled Ethan, getting the farmer's attention.
"Not holiday, but illness," he said, walking toward the gate. "One o' my Miltank caught some bug, and she's too sick to make milk. We're struggling tah get by on the other Miltank, but ol' Moomoo has tah get better soon. We need oran berries, but we're too darn busy to go get any."
"Oran Berries, eh? Hm…"
Ethan pulled open his backpack, checking the berry pocket for any oran berries.
"I have a couple in my bag. What about you, Lyra?"
"Um," muttered Lyra, looking through her own bag. "I have some, too. Will it be enough for the sick Miltank?"
"There's only one way to find out. Hey, Farmer Guy—"
"I do have a name, ya know. It's John," interrupted the farmer, annoyed by the nickname. "Anywho, ya'll get 'n here and go feed Moomoo the berries. She's in that there barn."
John opened up the gate, allowing Lyra and Ethan to step onto the property. They went straight for the barn John mentioned, seeing separate stables inside filled with hay. In one of the stables was a weak Miltank, two girls kneeling beside the Miltank and doing their best to take care of it.
"Who're you," asked one girl, standing up in alarm.
"We're here to give Moomoo some oran berries," replied Ethan, opening up his backpack. Ethan took out the oran berries from his backpack pocket, holding it out for the Miltank to eat. She slowly ate one berry at a time, chewing for about three minutes per berry. It eventually ate all four of Ethan's oran berries, leaving Lyra to feed her the ones she had. Even though the Miltank was chewing dreadfully slow, Lyra noticed that it had more energy, taking all three berries from Lyra's hands in one bite. After it had finished its meal, the Miltank looked just as healthy as the other Miltank in the field.
"Moomoo is totally healthy again," said one of the girls happily. "Thank you! You can have these Seal Cases for your trouble!"
The little girl picked up square, blue cases that were sitting on a block of hay, handing them to Ethan and Lyra.
"Did you know that you can customize your pokéballs? You can customize them on any PC by putting seals on capsules, then putting the capsules on your pokéballs. Sis! Give them some seals!"
"Okay, here are some spare seals I have," said the other girl, digging in her pants pocket and pulling out some folded pieces of paper. The paper was far from ordinary since they had a distinct code – one Lyra wasn't familiar with – inscribed into them. They did, however, had some kind of design to them.
"Well, I'll be," said a voice from behind, surprising everyone. A middle-aged woman in a red dress and white apron stepped inside the barn, carrying a wooden crate full of bottled milk.
"You fixed our Miltank," she said with wonder.
"It wasn't broken like a computer," said Ethan under his breath, earning an elbow to the arm from Lyra.
"Thank ya, kindly! Here's somethin' fer your trouble!"
She pulled out two cd cases from her apron with her left hand, carefully holding the crate with the other. She tossed the cd cases to Ethan and Lyra, Ethan catching his while Lyra caught and almost dropped hers because she wasn't expecting that.
"That there's Natural Gift," she explained, now properly holding the crate. "It's move type and power will depend on what berry yer Pokémon holds. But the berry will be used up after, so you best think how you ought to use it, hon."
"Thanks for all the gifts," said Lyra, putting away her Seal Case and TM in her bag. "You've given us so much already."
"It's the least we can do fer ya good deed. Is a good thing to have people like ya around. The world needs more kind people."
After saying their goodbyes, Ethan and Lyra left the Moomoo Farm, very content with what they did. For now, the duo had to head over to Olivine City and search for Leaf, wherever she was. A couple of Pokémon battles slowed them down, battles that happened to be very close to the city. Having their destination so close yet so far away grew even more dreadful when they were asked for their Pokégear numbers. After their last battle, they ran the rest of the way to Olivine, eventually running under a rope that had flags hanging from it. The paved street beneath their feet had a circular pattern to it, already giving the duo the impression that this city had its own style just like every town and city they've visited thus far. Though the most noticeable feature of this city was the lighthouse sitting on the cliff near the sea.
"I wonder where Leaf is," asked Lyra, following Ethan as they walked down the street. The sea breeze was calm, carrying the smell of salt with it that gave a relaxing atmosphere for the city.
"I don't know, but I already found the gym here," replied Ethan, pointing at the building that was rather close to the city's exit. "We really should find the Pokémon Center, though."
Right as they were about to walk by the gym, the glass doors of the gym suddenly opened, a familiar red-haired boy walking out.
"You again," said Lyra and Silver at the same time, displeased to see each other. Cynder and Growlithe growled at Silver, preparing for the upcoming battle.
"There's no need to be alert," said Silver, smirking. "I don't bother with wimps like you."
"Ethan, I think he has short-term memory loss because he already forgot that he lost to me in our last battle in Burned Tower," said Lyra in a low voice, leaning close to Ethan so he can hear.
"Heh, that would explain everything," agreed Ethan, trying not to laugh.
"Speaking of weaklings," continued Silver, irritated by what he heard from them. "The city's gym leader isn't here, and is supposedly taking care of a sick Pokémon at the Lighthouse. She shouldn't be wasting her time on sick Pokémon! A Pokémon that can't battle is worthless!"
"Hey, not all Pokémon have to battle," countered Ethan, crossing his arms over his chest. "Some Pokémon do help out people in other ways, like in Pokémon Centers or the police force. And other Pokémon are just pets and companions to some people, too. Your logic doesn't seem to have much proof."
"How about you just go train at the lighthouse? It might make you a better trainer."
Silver stormed off, leaving the city the way Ethan and Lyra entered. They doubted they'd see him anytime soon. They continued on, following the street until they saw the Pokémon Center. Inside, there were more people than any other Pokémon Center they've been to. They handed their pokéballs to the nurse, waiting a few minutes for their Pokémon to be healed by the machine.
"Oh, you're trainers," asked a brown-haired woman in a black dress that approached them after they received their Pokémon. "Is it all right to ask for a battle? I just finished working on a little something and I want to test it out."
"Anything for you, pretty lady," said Ethan, releasing Growlithe from its pokéball. Lyra took a couple steps back, hoping that they wouldn't get into any trouble for battling inside a Pokémon Center. The woman tossed her pokéball, a small shower of pink flower petals falling over a small green Pokémon with flowers on its head. Growlithe didn't waste any time in using Fire Fang to attack, knocking out the opposing Pokémon quickly.
"Ah, Bellossom," said the woman, worry in her voice. "Well, it's okay. You guys did see my pokéball, right?"
"Yeah," said Lyra, amazed by the flower petals she saw earlier. "What was that? Did you buy that pokéball from somewhere?"
"Actually, this is just a regular old pokéball. You can turn pokéballs into your own special creations by adding seals. Wouldn't it be cool to have special pokéballs that only you have? Just be sure to remember to put the Ball Capsule on the pokéball once it's ready! Oh, and you'll also need a special case for it, but I can't remember where you can get it."
"That's all right," said Ethan, watching Growlithe walk back to him. "We already have some of our own."
The woman gave a quick nod, walking over to the front counter where the nurse was. With nothing else to do, they walked out of the Pokémon Center, ready to explore the city. And it certainly was a treat to have seen a capsule in action during a Pokémon battle.
"You ready, Lyra," asked Ethan, looking over at his friend. "We should split up to find Leaf faster. Whoever finds her first has to call the other, okay?"
"Sure thing! I hope it doesn't take too long to—"
"Get out of the way," yelled a voice that scared both Lyra and Ethan. They looked up to see a Pidgeot diving down at them, causing them to jump out of the way or else they would have crashed. They stood back, watching the large bird descend toward them. The Pidgeot flapped its large wings rapidly to make a smoother landing, kicking up some wind that almost blew away their hats. It stood proudly in front of the Pokémon Center, a figure jumping off its back. The figure turned out to be a girl with long brown hair and a white hat on her head. She wore blue pants and a pastel green shirt, her white shoes complimenting the white hat.
"We're finally in Olivine City," she said, giving the Pidgeot a quick pet on the head. "Now let's go find those kids and look for Team Rocket!"
"Y-you're Leaf," asked Ethan and Lyra at the same time, surprised to finally meet their senior.
"Yeah, that's me," she said, smiling. "Why? You need something from me? Hold on… Are you two Ethan and Lyra?"
"Yes, that's us," yelled Lyra with excitement, running up to Leaf with Ethan close behind. "I'm so happy to finally meet you!"
She shook Leaf's hand very energetically, making Leaf giggle.
"And I'm glad that you agreed to help us," added Ethan, shaking her hand firmly when Lyra was done. "Though, I expected you to be taller. Even Lyra is taller than you."
Lyra observed the height difference between herself and Leaf, realizing that she was taller than Leaf by about three inches.
"You're right, Ethan," agreed Lyra. "It's kind of funny because I'm younger than Leaf."
"I'm not that short," said Leaf, unable to bear any more hits concerning her height. "Besides, what does my height have to do with my seniority over you two?"
"So, you're short and old," asked Ethan, trying not to laugh.
"That… That wasn't what I meant."
"I say, is that who I think it is," said a voice from Ethan's backpack. "Uncultured child! Release me from the confines of this backpack so I can see who that is!"
"You don't even have any eyes, you moron," said Ethan, taking out his Pokédex.
"Ah! It's you! It's a great pleasure to see you again!"
"Why are you talking like that," asked Leaf, a puzzled look on her face from hearing the Pokédex's accent.
"That's because he's a snobby fancy-pants," said Lyra's Pokédex from her bag, causing Lyra to take it out as well. "Hey, girly. You're still short as ever. How's that jerk of a Pokédex doing?"
Leaf quietly turned around and walked up to the left-side wall of the Pokémon Center, smacking her head against it.
"All that work for nothing," she said dejectedly, shocking Lyra and Ethan.
"Ms. Leaf! What are you doing," yelled Lyra, pulling Leaf away from the wall.
"I'm just disappointed that the Pokédexes you have are glitched, even though I helped work on them to prevent that. Oh, well."
It was quiet for a moment as Ethan and Lyra put away their Pokédexes to keep Leaf from getting any more disappointed. That's what they assumed, anyway.
"So," began Leaf, looking around the street. "Where's Team Rocket so I can put them back in their place?"
"We're not really sure," replied Ethan, shrugging a little. "Right now, we were about to look for you, but I guess there's a change of plans now. But, I was thinking of going to the lighthouse because we heard there's a sick Pokémon there."
"A sick Pokémon? If I remember correctly, I heard that the Pokémon in the lighthouse is the source of the light. It really isn't good if it's sick now."
"Lighthouse it is, then," said Lyra, leading the way with Cynder following. The group followed the street to the cliff, where the lighthouse stood. The sound of the waves crashing against the rocks below was very audible, yet soothing. Ethan pushed open the heavy door of the lighthouse, which had surprisingly decent interior decorating. Potted plants, tables, blue wooden floor, and the light gray tiles surrounding the wooden floor gave the room a calm atmosphere. Just across the room was an elevator, which everyone instinctively went to since it would be much faster to get to upper levels. However, an "Out of Order" sign destroyed their idea of taking the elevator.
"Looks like we'll have to take the stairs," sighed Ethan, dreading the long ascent toward the room at the top of the lighthouse.
"That's not going to be easy," said a sailor that was leaning against the wall near the stairs. "People train at this lighthouse, so don't expect to get to the top without a fight."
"That won't be a problem! Not when we have Leaf with us. You can take them all on, right?"
"Actually, you and Lyra are going to have to battle," replied Leaf, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "You guys still need more experience, and I'm not going to be your shortcut on anything you have to do. Remember, I'm only here to help out, not to do all the work."
"She has a point, Ethan," added Lyra, switching out Cynder for Cascade. "This is our journey, not hers. And we did only ask for her to help us with Team Rocket."
"I'm also going to observe how you battle and train. We're all going to have to be at our best to take on Team Rocket."
"Then we'll show you what we're made of," said Ethan, heading up the stairs. "We'll start with the next battle!"
Leaf and Lyra ran after Ethan to the second floor, only to find Ethan being challenged by an older man. The man sent out a Noctowl while Ethan switched out Growlithe and sent out his Flaaffy. The Noctowl took the opportunity to use Reflect, raising its defenses. Flaaffy used Thundershock to weaken the Noctowl, who used Peck to attack. However, the physical contact between them caused Noctowl to be paralyzed thanks to Flaaffy's Static ability. Flaaffy took this chance to finish off the Noctowl with another Thundershock, ending the battle.
"Now that we've made each other's acquaintance, shall we trade phone numbers for future battles," asked the gentleman, returning his Noctowl to its pokéball.
"Um, sure," said Ethan, adding the gentleman's number to his Pokégear. "Lyra, is it okay if I give this guy your number, too?"
Lyra nodded, walking ahead to run into another sailor. However, unlike the sailor downstairs, this one wanted to battle. Leaf stood back, watching intently as Lyra's Quagsire began to battle against a Poliwag. She wondered why the younger trainer was using a same type Pokémon when it should be easier to use an Electric-type. The Poliwag used Water Gun, which obviously didn't do much damage to Cascade. Cascade turned and slammed Poliwag with her tail, knocking out Poliwag. Both trainers switched out their pokemon, sending out a Poliwhirl and Flaaffy.
This time, it was too obvious who had the advantage over the other. Leaf watched the Poliwhirl attack with Double-Slap, hurting Voltage a bit. The attack annoyed Voltage, who angrily zapped the Poliwhirl with Thundershock and defeating it.
"That's the first time I've lost in a while," said the Sailor, offering his hand to Lyra. "Can I get your number? You look like you'd be fun to battle, so I'll call you when I get stronger!"
"Yeah, I don't mind," replied Lyra, shaking his hand. Right as Lyra added her new contact, her Pokégear began to ring.
"Hello," she asked as Ethan joined the group again.
"I saw! I heard," said the voice on the other line, one she knew was Irwin. "You beat Morty of Ecruteak Gym! That's just incredible! I actually went to the gym's entrance to cheer you on."
"Wh-what?"
Lyra didn't even see the juggler at the entrance nor did she hear anyone enter the gym. Or was she so focused on the battle against Morty that she didn't even notice? She hoped that that's what it was.
"Yeah, but everyone had these candles on their heads, it was kinda creepy," continued Irwin. "So I chickened out and took off for home."
"Oh, that's why I didn't see you," thought Lyra, sighing in relief. "And what's a 'chicken'?"
"Thanks for cheering me on," said Lyra, happy that she already had a fan. "I'll try to get more gym badges soon!"
"Okay, call you later!"
"Sounds like you have a fan," sang Leaf, as they all walked to the ladder nearby. "Reminds me of the trainer fanclub over in Saffron City. If you guys ever visit Kanto, you should probably go visit there! But, I think you should make a name for yourselves first. How many badges do you have so far?"
"Four," replied Ethan and Lyra in unison.
"Only halfway? Well, that's expected of new trainers. It took me a while to get my fifth badge, but lots of stuff was going on at the time. It looks like it's the same for you two."
The group fell silent when they approached the ladder and returned their Pokémon to their pokéballs to make it easier for them, quietly going up the next two floors to reach a large room. There were two trainers here, which Ethan and Lyra decided to battle one. Leaf moved on ahead, heading outside. However, even from outside, she can clearly see the battles inside the lighthouse. She could see that they didn't have a full team of Pokémon yet. She sighed, remembering that she didn't have a full team herself until she received her Lapras from that scientist in Silph.
"Sorry for the wait, Leaf," said Lyra, quickly walking outside after winning her prize money. "I guess it's kind of annoying for you to wait for us, huh?"
"No, it's fine. But I was wondering what kind of Pokémon you have with you now," asked Leaf, curious to see the other Pokémon.
"Oh, I have a Quilava named Cynder – he's my starter – and a Noctowl named Zephyr. Then there's Cascade, my Quagsire, and Voltage the Flaaffy. The other three are all girls, so Cynder is in a middle of a harem."
"A harem?"
"Don't mind Lyra. She reads too much manga," said Ethan, readjusting his hat. "I have a Bayleef, Togetic, Gyarados, Flaaffy, and a Growlithe."
"You have a Togetic," asked Leaf excitedly, remembering her own Togetic back home in Pallet.
"Yeah, he evolved a while back before I battled Morty. Why?"
"I have one, too, back home! By the way, I've heard that Togetic can evolve further with help from a special stone. I don't know yet what it is, but I know the stone is very rare. It won't be easy to find one."
"Okay, I'll keep that in mind. So, ready to continue on up?"
Lyra and Leaf nodded, entering the next room. This one had another two trainers there, but they were beaten quickly since they didn't have many Pokémon with them. There was another set of ladders that helped them ascend two more floors, entering yet another room with two sailors. Ethan and Lyra did their best to defeat them as fast as possible because they really wanted to see the sick Pokémon at the top of the lighthouse. After climbing one more ladder, the three finally reached the room where the sick Pokémon was, which turned out to be an Ampharos, as well as Jasmine. The gym leader wore a light blue dress with a white cardigan over it, a large red bow holding it together.
"If you're here to get me to return to the gym, I'll have to refuse," said Jasmine, who was kneeling beside the sick Ampharos. "I'm not leaving Amphy alone just for a battle."
"That's the sick Pokémon," asked Lyra, watching the Ampharos wheeze as it slept.
"This Pokémon always kept the sea lit at night… But it suddenly got sick. Even now, he's gasping for air."
Leaf kneeled down beside the Ampharos, placing a hand on its head.
"How long has he been sick," she asked Jasmine.
"Oh, um, almost three weeks now."
"Three weeks? That's too long."
Leaf stood up, staring out the large windows of lighthouse in thought.
"What is it, Leaf," asked Ethan, watching her from the corner of his eye.
"That Ampharos obviously has pneumonia. If he isn't cured soon, there's a chance that he may die from it."
"D-die," gasped Lyra, unable to even imagine a Pokémon dying. "What can we do to help? I mean, we can't just let the poor thing die from some sickness!"
"There is one thing we can do," replied Jasmine, standing up and dusting off her dress. "I've heard of a wonderful pharmacy in Cianwood. But that's across the sea, and I can't leave Amphy unattended. May I ask you to get some medicine for me?"
"Of course we will," said Ethan, almost scoffing at the idea of just ignoring Amphy. "We're not heartless enough to let a Pokémon suffer. We'll be back soon before you even know it!"
"Take this Pokémon with you," said Leaf, handing Lyra a pokéball. "He should help you to cross the sea safely. I'll stay here with Jasmine to help. I'm sure she'll need some breaks from watching over Amphy."
"Are you sure, Leaf," asked Lyra, placing the pokéball in her bag safely.
"It's fine. Besides, Rain won't listen to you if you use him in battle, so it's best to have him help you cross the sea instead. And you're only going straight to Cianwood to get medicine, right? It shouldn't take more than an hour to get there."
"How do you know that?"
"I've already seen most of Johto three years ago. You two should get going now."
Jasmine walked over to a metal door nearby, opening it up by entering a number combination.
"You can take the elevator to the bottom floor," she said, earning confused glances from the three. "What is it?"
"You mean that the elevator worked this entire time," asked Ethan with disbelief.
"Yes, it does. Oh! You must have seen the sign I placed on the first floor. I put that there to keep people from bothering Amphy. I'm actually surprised that my plan's working."
"Yeah, okay, we'll be going now."
Ethan quietly walked to the elevator with Lyra following him. They were silent as they entered the elevator, feeling the movement of the machine as it descended to the first floor.
"This whole time… We could have taken the elevator," said Ethan, rather depressed that he didn't check on the elevator to see if it worked despite the sign.
"It's okay, Ethan," chuckled Lyra, placing her hand on his shoulder. "The elevator isn't the problem right now."
The elevator stopped, its doors opening to the first floor of the lighthouse. They ran out, dashing through the room until they were outside again. They ran down the street, Ethan checking his Pokégear to see where, exactly, was Cianwood City. The map on the Pokégear indicated that it was southwest of Olivine, near a set of islands. Ethan closed up the Pokégear as they reached Route 40, which was a small beach. Small waves crashed against the shore, the rhythmic sound giving a relaxed atmosphere. Unfortunately, it wasn't the time for relaxing.
"Look, there are islands over there," said Lyra, pointing to the four islands in the distance.
"Those are the Whirl Islands," explained Ethan, taking out Gyarados' pokéball and releasing him from it. "Don't get too close to them because there are whirlpools around them."
"Whirlpools? Hm… I wonder what kind secret is hiding in those islands."
"For now, it's out of our reach. Anyway, we should get going."
Ethan climbed on his Gyarados while Lyra nodded, taking out the pokéball Leaf lent her. She tossed the pokéball toward the water, releasing the Pokémon within it. Lyra screamed at the sight, causing Ethan to jump from surprise.
"What? What is it," said Ethan in panic.
"Leaf's Pokémon is so adorable! It's… It's… Ah! I want it," gushed Lyra at the Lapras staring at her in confusion.
"That's it? Stop fangirling and get on it. That Ampharos isn't going to wait forever for us!"
"Right. Sorry."
Lyra carefully approached the Lapras, who looked around for his trainer.
"Um, hi," said Lyra, giving a small wave. "Your name is Rain, right? Leaf told me that you can help me across the sea. I'd really appreciate you helping me because we have to get medicine for a sick Ampharos."
Rain gave a brief stare at Lyra before turning around for her to jump on his back.
"Ah, thanks," said Lyra, climbing onto his shell. "Next stop is Cianwood!"
Initially, the duo believed that they would arrive in Cianwood in no time at all. Of course, things don't always go according to plan. There was still one big obstacle in their way, and that obstacle was the many swimmers seen in the water. It seemed like the universe was against them getting anywhere on time. Lyra had to admit that it was really awkward to have Pokémon battles in the sea. She only used Zephyr, whose flying abilities kept her safe above water, and Cascade, who was a natural swimmer. Though, in some battles, she had to resort to Voltage because her electric attacks were much stronger against the Water-type Pokémon the swimmers used. In those times, Lyra was glad that Rain provided some solid "ground" for her Flaaffy to use.
During one of her battles – Ethan was a little further ahead, held back by a battle of his own – she noticed that Voltage was rather restless, more eager than usual to fight. Her behavior worried Lyra, who wondered if her Pokémon was developing a very aggressive personality. Had she been paying more attention to Voltage, she would have already noticed that the Flaaffy had a natural aggression toward other Pokémon. However, in this case, Voltage was restless from an entirely different reason. As Voltage finished off a swimmer's final Tentacool with Thundershock, her body suddenly began glowing a familiar light. Lyra quickly took out her Pokédex to see what Pokémon her Flaaffy was evolving into.
"What's Voltage evolving into," she asked her Pokédex.
"Why are you asking me? I have no idea what her evolution is," it replied.
"You're a Pokédex! Isn't this your job?"
"I can't tell you what I don't know, you idiot! Just wait until your Flaaffy is done evolving!"
Lyra looked up, watching Voltage's body grow much larger than before yet somewhat familiar as well. When the light faded, an Ampharos stood proudly on Rain's back.
"Congratulations," said Lyra's Pokédex. "Your Voltage evolved into Ampharos."
"I can see that."
"Wait, if you already knew what an Ampharos was, why the hell did you ask me to tell you?"
"Because I didn't know that Flaaffy evolve into Ampharos!"
"How could you not know? It's obvious if you look closely at their similarities! I swear, you are beyond stupid."
Lyra angrily stuffed the Pokédex back in her bag, regretting that she had asked for its help. However, she quickly calmed herself as she looked at Voltage's new form. The Ampharos was definitely larger than her previous form, now a bright yellow instead of pink. She had lost all her wool but had the same-looking tail and orb, though the orb was in a different color and the tail had an extra ring. She also had a jewel in the middle of her forehead. In the end, she was identical to the Ampharos in the lighthouse. Yet, Lyra knew too well that Voltage was very different from Amphy and other Ampharos.
"One of a kind," said Lyra, petting Voltage on the head. Voltage looked away in embarrassment, making Lyra chuckle.
"C'mon, don't start acting like that tsundere! Then again, it does make you cuter."
"Lyra! I can already see Cianwood," called out Ethan a couple of feet away. "We're almost there!"
"All right, just hang on a little longer, Amphy. We're almost there. Rain, go follow Ethan's Gyarados!"
The Lapras swam after the large, intimidating Pokémon, the sandy beach of Cianwood getting closer. There were rocks that kept the stronger waves from hitting the shore, making the water calm near the sand. Eventually, they touched shore, returning the water Pokémon back to their pokéballs. Even though it was called "Cianwood City", it didn't look much like a city. It actually looked more like a town, especially with the wooden houses.
"Lyra, you should go heal you Pokémon at the PokéCenter," suggested Ethan, looking at the small wooden buildings. "I'll go look for the pharmacy that has the medicine we need for Amphy. It shouldn't take long."
They parted, Lyra casually walking to the Pokémon Center. She stopped and took out Cynder's pokéball, releasing him so he can walk with her. The Quilava looked happy to see her, standing up on his hind legs to get a better view of the new city they were in.
"Cynder, did you know that Voltage evolved," asked Lyra, kneeling down so she was eye-level with her Pokémon. "She's really tall now. Not as much as me, but it's a big difference."
Cynder's ears perked up at what she said, then drooped down as he stared at the ground.
"Huh? Cynder, are you okay?"
"I think he's depressed," said Lyra's Pokédex from her bag. "He's the only one in your team that isn't fully evolved. Way to go, jerkass, for making your Pokémon feel this way."
"How is this my fault," retorted Lyra, annoyed by her Pokédex's insults. "Don't Pokémon grow up differently? Anyway, it's going to be okay, Cynder! You'll evolve again soon, I'm sure of it! Wait a minute… Hey, Pokédex! How did you know that Cynder isn't fully evolved?"
"If there's one thing I'm sure from being in Professor Oak's lab is that starter Pokémon usually evolve about two times. Well, the ones from Kanto are the only ones I know, but I'm sure it also applies to the Pokémon Professor Elm had. See? I may not know everything, but I definitely know more than you, dumbass!"
Lyra sighed and was about to roll her eyes when something caught her eye. It was a blur and, oddly enough, it seemed to dash through the ocean. Whatever it was, it sure was fast. From the way it passed by, Lyra figured that it was heading north of the city. She doubted it would stay very long and may end up being a waste of time to see what it was, but her curiosity was enough to push away her doubts. She began to walk to where the blur headed, Cynder following loyally behind her. It didn't take long for her to discover what the blur was. What surprised her was that it was a very familiar Pokémon, one she'd seen back in the Burned Tower of Ecruteak City.
"S-Suicune," muttered Lyra, staring in surprise at the sky-blue Pokémon. Cynder jumped in front of Lyra, ready to protect his trainer should Suicune suddenly attack. Suicune roared, making Cynder tremble in fear. He held his ground, watching with Lyra as Suicune suddenly dashed around them. It stared at Lyra again, this time more intent than before. The stare made Lyra feel uneasy because it felt like she was being analyzed. Was Suicune seeing how strong she was at the moment? Suicune looked away and ran off again, gracefully running over the ocean waves as it disappeared into the distance.
"Wasn't that Suicune just now," asked a breathless voice. Lyra and Cynder looked to see Eusine running toward them, stopping to look in the direction that Suicune ran off to.
"I only caught a quick glimpse, but I thought I saw Suicune running on the waves," he continued, regaining his breath.
"It definitely was Suicune," confirmed Lyra, smiling up at him. "I don't think I can a forget a Pokémon like that."
"And how can you forget it? Suicune is beautiful and grand! And it races through towns and roads at simply awesome speeds. It's too wonderful a Pokémon to forget, but… I really want to see Suicune up close."
"Maybe you can lure it out with some bait or something?"
"No, I'll battle you instead."
"Wait – what?"
"If I defeat you as a trainer, I'll earn Suicune's respect! Come on, Lyra. We're going to battle now!"
Eusine grabbed a pokéball that was clipped to his waist, tossing it to send out a Drowzee. Lyra took a couple of steps back as she told Cynder to use a Flame Wheel. Cynder charged at Drowzee, his body covered in flames as he rolled straight into the Drowzee. However, the Drowzee endured the hit and took advantage of Cynder being close enough to use Hypnosis. The move put Cynder to sleep, worrying Lyra that he won't wake up in time to defeat the Drowzee. The opposing Pokémon followed up with Dream Eater, hurting Cynder in his sleep as it regained health. As Cynder continued sleeping, despite Lyra yelling to wake him up, Drowzee attacked with Confusion, weakening Cynder further. He finally woke up in time before Drowzee could use Dream Eater again, charging at Drowzee again with another Flame Wheel. Cynder backed off a bit and tackled Drowzee with Quick Attack, knocking it out.
Lyra called back Cynder, sending out her Quagsire as Eusine sent out his Electrode. Cascade, thanks to a Quick Claw Lyra had found in the National Park, attacked first with Mud Shot, lowering Electrode's speed. It weakened the Electrode as it used Screech, causing Cascade to flinch from the noise. Electrode took this opportunity to use SonicBoom, hurting Cascade a bit. She tried to retaliate with Mud Bomb but the attack missed. Using her Quick Claw, Cascade tried attacking again with Mud Bomb, successfully hitting Electrode and defeating it.
Lyra sighed in relief as she switched out Cascade for Zephyr, watching Eusine send out a Haunter. The Haunter immediately gave a menacing look to Zephyr, ensuring that she wouldn't be able to escape from the battle. However, Zephyr was unfazed by this, using Confusion to attack and severely weaken Haunter. The enemy tried to counter with Hypnosis, but Zephyr's ability Insomnia kept the move from being effective. With that, Zephyr used another Confusion to finish off the Haunter, bringing the battle to an end. Lyra returned Zephyr, sending Cynder out to have some time outside.
"I hate to admit it but you won," said Eusine with disappointment, returning Haunter to its pokéball. Lyra felt bad for winning because it seemed like she stopped him from earning Suicune's respect. Maybe she should have purposely lost to help him out, even a little. To her surprise, Eusine smiled, a look of enlightenment in his eyes.
"Now I see why Suicune has been keeping an eye on you," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're very good at battling, Lyra. Keep up with what you're doing and I'm sure you'll get better. As for me, I'm going to keep searching for Suicune."
The both of them stared at the sea, where Suicune disappeared to. Eusine let out a breath, looking at Lyra now.
"I have a feeling we'll see each other again. See you around," he told her, turning away and walking back to the city.
"O-okay! Stay safe," yelled Lyra to his back as she waved. She turned and picked up Cynder, surprising the Quilava to quickly lower the flames on his body.
"You did a good job battling," said Lyra, walking to Pokémon Center. "But you got hurt from that battle. It's my job to take care of you, so, for now, I'll carry you. You know, Cynder, I wouldn't mind if you didn't evolve because that way I can still carry you around in my arms. At the same time, it kind of feels like I'm keeping you from growing up. So, you evolve when you want to, okay? Just remember that no matter what you look like, we'll always be together."
Cynder reached up and licked her cheek, causing Lyra to giggle. Yet, it also caused a small pain in her heart. She's begun to realize just how much her Pokémon mean to her. At first, she thought of them as only friends. But now, they've grown into something more – They were family to her. With a broken family like hers, having her Pokémon – her new family – with her made them all the more precious to her. Being a trainer had given her more responsibility to take care of them. If she didn't, she'd lose them, and she didn't want that. She'll care for them, and in turn, they'll protect her. They all depend on each other, just as her mother told her when she first left New Bark Town.
Lyra couldn't help but smile as she neared the Pokémon Center. On this journey, Ethan found the one thing he wanted more than anything in the world: freedom. For her, the one thing she truly wanted was a family. Unlike Ethan, she didn't know it when she started out. It made her feel dumb for not knowing what she wanted out of her life. Or was she fooling herself to think she didn't need anything because acknowledging that meant acknowledging incompleteness? The very same incompleteness brought upon her family. Yet that no longer made her feel sad as it used to, it didn't hurt as much as it did then. And it was all thanks to that little Cyndaquil she received back home.
"We'll always be together, all of us," repeated Lyra to Cynder, stepping inside the Pokémon Center. "And I'll always love every one of you. Nothing will change that."
"If I was human, I'd be puking my guts out," said Lyra's Pokédex.
"Sh-shut up! I wasn't talking to you!"
A/N: Thanks for ruining the mood, Pokedex! Anyway, I'm very sorry that it took me so long to update. I was working on a request fic, there was personal stuff going on, and I needed a small break from writing. I'd like to thank you all for being so patient with me. You guys are great readers/reviewers! On a side note, the reason why Leaf let Lyra borrow her Lapras is because, well, I didn't want to make Lyra have an HM Slave. In game, I made a Sentret use Surf, and the idea of that in the story was ridiculous. Then again, it would have brought more laughs imagining a little Sentret carry Lyra across the sea. Rest assured that more ridiculous stuff will come up (there's always HM Fly). Fact: Cynder is at level 30, so he'll evolve soon, in case you were wondering.