-Chapter 13
My tired eyes open to see the bright rays of morning seep through the curtains. For once, I slept soundly through the night. Dee and I did go to that party last night, but we didn't stay long. Most of the people there were a bunch of wild party goers, and I'm just not into that kind of scene. Dee had a lot of fun at first, but I feel like she grew bored of it after a while.
As usual, Dee was up before me and she just finished getting out of the shower. A towel is in her hand and repeatedly drying her hair. Her Liepard and my Typhlosion are also awake and lying on the ground. I rise off of my bed and greet Dee, "Hey."
Dee smiles and says, "Good morning Noxis. Fun night last night huh?"
I shrug my shoulders, I wasn't really entertained, mostly bored actually. It was good to get out and socialize though. "I guess," I reply.
"Today, we set out for Lavaridge!" Dee exclaims. She's really excited to get there. It's a great place too, I've been there a couple of times due to ranger duties.
"Let me shower first," I say, walking by Dee and entering the bathroom.
I strip down and enter the shower stall. As I start cleaning myself I began to think about the last few days. Dee and I have somehow gotten closer. She's a lot warmer towards me compared to when we first met; albeit we were on opposing forces. She has really shown me a lot of great things in the world in the little time we've spent with each other. It's honestly the little things that she's done and shown me. It's just interesting, I've never really gotten to be good friends with anyone ever since entering ranger school. Can I say I'm happy? I'm not sure yet. Sure, I enjoy my time being around Dee, but I actually get this nervous feeling in my chest most of the time.
I sigh, I'm pretty sure I'm just getting worked up over nothing. I'm done showering and I dry myself off and reenter the main room. Dee is packed and ready, Liepard and Ty are up and about, and I quickly pack my things so we can leave. After finishing packing, I take a quick look around the room to see if I forgot anything. After the final inspection, Dee, our Pokémon, and I leave the room and head down to the first floor to return our key to Nurse Joy.
When we walk out of the Pokémon Center I immediately smell the scent of the nearby sea. It's a refreshing smell and one that will bring good memories. It's extremely sunny out and my skin is already irritated with the heat.
I ask, "Should we fly to Lavaridge?" It would be faster after all.
Dee quickly answers while shaking her head, "No, let's walk. I've never been to Hoenn so I want to see as much as I can up close."
I nod, it's understandable, I'd do the same thing if I've never been to a new region. "Alright, let's get going then. Mauville City isn't too far from here, we can rest there for a little bit."
Dee and I start walking north to exit Slateport. We're immediately greeted with the songs of the wild Pokémon. The Hoenn region has a very interesting selection of Pokémon, I'm personally accustomed to the Spheal line and Zigzagoons. Since Dee hasn't been able to travel Hoenn, she'll probably be fascinated with all of the Pokémon Hoenn has to offer. My eyes catch the flock of Wingulls that fly over us and the Electrikes racing in the tall grass. The scent of the sea intertwines with the scent of nature and my senses are enjoying the combination. Or it could simply be some Oddish using Sweet Scent to allure trainers to catch them. Regardless, the smell is refreshing.
"Wow, look at all of these Pokémon," Dee says, she's looking at the same scenery I am.
"Hoenn's Pokémon are fairly interesting," I say.
A Zigzagoon calls out to me and Dee as it's already wrapping itself around Dee's legs. Dee smiles and crouches down to hold it. As she pets it she says, "Ah, it's so cute!"
Zigzagoons have been one of my favorites of the Hoenn region. Not Linoone, but Zigzagoon. There's just something about its stripes and the fact that it runs in zigzags that charms me. It's definitely an interesting Pokémon since it cannot travel straight until it evolves into a Linoone.
The Zigzagoon nests its head on Dee as she cradles it like an infant. It lets out a satisfied sigh with a smile that I'm sure definitely caught Dee's heart. I remark, "Looks like it really likes you."
Dee smiles, replying, "Should we take it with us?"
"I'm sure it wouldn't mind traveling with us for a bit. If it happens to continue following us, we know where it stands and we can have it continue following us."
Dee smiles at my words and speaks to Zigzagoon, "Please make yourself at home. We'll take care of you." The Zigzagoon nods and positions itself to crawl up Dee's arms and onto her shoulder.
Dee and I continue walking with Typhlosion and Liepard at our sides. Every time I glance over at Liepard, I swear it's licking its lips and waiting for the perfect moment to eat our new friend. I don't blame Liepard though, if Dee grows too attached to the Zigzagoon, Liepard just might grow jealous and want to attack Zigzagoon. But I'm just hoping nothing is going to happen and we'll all get along nicely.
As we continue forward, Dee points out the large bridge that hovers over the water and route. Although it's not necessarily a bridge it is an alternative route for bicyclists to get from Mauville to Slateport, or vice-versa, without having to deal with wild Pokémon or strange trainers attacking them. It's a rather short road, but because it overlooks the waters and route, you can a different perspective than you would on the route itself.
The further we traveled into the route the more Pokémon we saw. Electrikes were playing with Poochyenas, Zigzagoons were resting, Gulpins seemed like they were sleeping, Plusles and Minuns were their inseparable pair and were causing mischief with other Pokémon, Wingulls perched on the ground to pick at the grass, and Oddish were playing near the edge of the route, watching their reflections in the water. Spouting out of the water were Wailmers that have a gleeful smile as trainers travel by. One thing that is similar with Hoenn and Kanto are the massive amounts of Tentacools that swarm the waters. The Tentacools are easily seen with their red crystals peeking above the ripples of the water. It's ridiculous how high the population of Tentacools is around the globe.
Several trainers were battling each other on the route, many of them having first stage or basic stage Pokémon. Their hearts were in the battle and the heat of aspiring master trainers were in their every command. I remember when I was like that, wanting to be something great. Hopefully these trainers can do it though.
Dee and I continue on our way on the route as we were spectators for a couple of Pokémon battles. There was one battle in particular that caught my eye that was between a trainer with a Poochyena and Nuzleaf against a trainer with Marshtomp, Taillow, and Wingull. This battle caught my eye because the Taillow evolved into a Swellow in the middle of the battle and proved how strong it became by evolving.
We finally make it to the end of the route and Mauville City is in our sights. Tall buildings with plenty of people moving around. We're immediately greeted by a giant, flashing neon sign advertising the casino. I'm not much of a gambler so casinos aren't much of an interest to me. I don't really like the atmosphere either. The further we walk into the city the more we see. Tall billboards were advertising several products, the advertisements changed every few seconds. I was able to catch a glimpse of Elesa, the model gym leader, on a few of these ads. Mauville has a very futuristic vibe and environment, but it's not as technologically advanced as the Unova region. Dee and I find a Pokémon Center and decide to rest there and get something to eat.
Pokémon Center food is not that bad. They have fairly interesting meals using nice ingredients. The meal in front of me is simply rice and meat, I've lived off of such simplicity ever since I became a fugitive. Dee got a fruit salad that was nicely arranged to look like a Bellossom. We even got complimentary poffins to eat too, which are always a nice thing. Typhlosion, Liepard, and Zigzagoon were eating PokeBlocks that are suited to their taste. I know for a fact that Ty likes to eat spicy and dry PokeBlocks. Liepard is eating sour and Zigzagoon is munching on an assortment of blocks.
Dee quickly glances around the Pokémon Center and says, "How much longer until we get to Lavaridge?"
"Not that much further. We have to get through another route, take a cable car to the top of Mount Chimney and head south from there onto the Jagged Pass. After we get down from Jagged Pass, we'll make it to Lavaridge," I answer.
"That sounds like quite the hike. The hotspring will surely feel nice," Dee says. She's really looking forward to the hotspring. I don't blame her, they are a great stress reliever.
"It won't take that long, we'll get there mid afternoon at most," I assure.
"That's good to hear. And I can't wait to see more of what Hoenn has in store. There's a lot that I haven't seen," Dee says.
With her formerly being part of the military, she should have been able to be stationed all over the world. I ask, "Were you not stationed here for a little while?"
Dee shakes her head, replying, "No, the only time I was close to the Hoenn region was by ship and it was only to stop to drop of cargo. Otherwise, I've only been stationed in my home region Unova, Kanto, and Sinnoh. Since Kanto and Johto is connected to Kanto, I got to see a lot of Johto too. Hoenn and, I guess, some of the lesser known regions like Almia and Orre, are the only regions I haven't been able to visit."
"There's not much to Almia or Orre. Orre is all sand with a few cities and towns here and there. Almia, and the other Ranger regions, are rather tranquil," I answer her. I've been to Orre a few times. It's honestly not that bad of a region if you can handle the roughness and grim atmosphere.
"I still want to visit them all, at least once," Dee confesses. She, like many other people, want to travel the world and see what it has in store. One of the minor reasons why I became a Ranger was to travel to the regions and see how the differ from one another. But to me, nothing can top my home region of Johto.
Dee, myself, and our Pokémon finish our food and we're quickly back on the streets of Mauville. We work our way through the many crowds of Mauville, but we manage to make our way to the next route we need to go on. This route has a very tall building, the Trainer Hill I believe, that is suppose to challenge trainers as they pit trainers against each other in several consecutive battles. Directly west from the Trainer Hill is a large house that is said to house a family full of trainers that take on challengers all the time. We work our way north and I can start to see the sand of the nearby desert. Along the rocky terrain were bundles of sand that flew away from the desert. Luckily, we don't have to go through the desert.
Dee notices the gusts of sand twirling in the air and she remarks, "Is there a sandstorm?"
I reply, "Not exactly. There's a desert close by known for its violent sandstorms. The sand is so rough that we would need goggles just to walk through it."
"The weather in Hoenn is rather odd isn't it? Or at least the terrain. Just a few minutes ago we were traveling along the calming waters, but now we suddenly have a desert," Dee says.
"Hoenn is a rather interesting region. Given its mythology and all," I say.
"Kyogre, Groudon, and Rayquaza right? Kyogre created the ocean and Groudon gave rise to the land. Kyogre and Groudon continuously battled for supremacy until Rayquaza stopped them," Dee says, knowing the general ideas of the mythology.
"Yeah, it's an interesting story. Much like other regions, there's always some sort of interesting mythology surrounding the Legendary Pokémon and the regions," I say.
"You must be really well versed in mythology to know so much," Dee says.
I shake my head, replying, "No, I'm simply just really interested in mythology." Rangers are practically forced to be well versed in mythology because when it comes to most Pokémon, especially legendary ones, knowing the mythology behind each individual Pokémon can help solve problems.
Dee and I approach a turn in the route where we could also see a gate that separates the route from the desert. The gate is simply just glass doors between large pillars that rest against the rocky terrain. The glass door is to prevent the sand from getting onto the route, but it ultimately fails because the sand can rise over the gate.
After we take the turn on the route, we can see Mount Chimney. We quickly move towards the stairs that give us our first footing at the base of Mount Chimney. We find the cable cars and a line of people wanting to go up. My eyes trace the cables that transfer the yellow cars and it rises to the top of the mountain. The line isn't too long and the people enter the cable car quickly, so waiting to enter our cable car didn't take too long.
We enter the cable car and Dee, her Liepard, and Zigzagon immediately looks outside the glass windows. As we ascend higher and higher, we get a better view of the Hoenn region. I can recognize some of the cities from here like Mauville's flashing signs and Slateport's beach. I can also feel the heat of Mount Chimney seeping into the cable car. Luckily, with today's technology, the cable car is equipped with an air conditioning system that tries to keep it cool inside.
Dee gasps in awe as she sees the grand view of the Hoenn region. I really like looking at regions from a high vantage point. Although Honchkrow does a great job of flying high into the sky, it's something about just looking at a view from a mountain that does something for me.
The cable car opens for Dee and I to exit and the heat is intense. My mind immediately flashes back to when I was nearly burnt alive by the blue flames. I start focusing on the present again and tell Dee, "We'll have to head down the Jagged Pass to make it to Lavaridge." I point directly at the declining slope and ash covered trees in front of Dee and myself. Dee nods and we proceed forward.
The Jagged Pass isn't anything terrifying. There's tons of rocks that protrude out from the mountain and plenty of volcanic ash to cover the ground. The further down we go though, the greener everything gets. This pass is pretty rough in terrain since there's so many rocks sticking out, but there's enough space to move about that you don't have to worry about falling off any ledges.
There's also a nice view of a forest path that leads straight to Lavaridge Town. Lavaridge is a fairly small town, but it is a very lively community that attracts plenty of tourists. The hot springs is definitely the main reason why so many want to visit the town, with people challenging the Gym Leader as a close second. From here, I can see the outdoor hot spring, and I actually can't wait for a soak right now.
There's plenty of wild Pokémon on the pass. Machops are lifting large boulders, Numels are peacefully resting, and Spoinks are bouncing on rocks. How these Pokémon manage to live in a terrain filled with ash is kind of strange to me. The amount of volcanic ash here isn't a lot, but having too much ash in your system is bad for you. It must be a Pokémon thing.
Liepard and Typhlosion quickly make their way down, it was almost as if they were racing each other. Dee and I quickly follow and enter the forest path. The forest path is very brief and we're finally in the grasp of Lavaridge Town.
There are plenty of people up and about here, but there's an awful lot of people at the outdoor hot spring. I don't know if there's some sort of celebration, but I don't really want to be hot spring with so many other people. Actually, I'd prefer being in a hot spring solo since I'll probably, or most likely, be uncomfortable with people near me.
Dee and I make our way to the Pokémon Center. The Pokémon Center here is different since it connects to the hot springs. We approach the Nurse Joy of Lavaridge and she greets us with the usual Nurse Joy warmth and smile, "Welcome to the Pokémon Center. Will you two be staying here?"
"Yes," Dee answers, "and what are the available times for the hotsprings?"
"The outdoor hot spring is booked for the rest of the day, but the indoor hotsprings are completely available," Nurse Joy replies.
"Indoor?" Dee asks.
"Yes, the indoor hot springs are a couple of hot springs that are inside a cave of the volcano. The water does tend to be hotter than the outdoor hot spring, but it is just as relaxing," Nurse Joy answers with a smile.
"And why is the outdoor hot spring so full for the day?" I ask. I'm genuinely curious since there's so many people out there right now.
"It's a locals birthday today, and he decided to reserve the outdoor hot spring for the whole day. I hope that is not a problem," Nurse Joy says, her tone became slightly concerned.
"Oh, not a problem. I've never been in the indoor hot springs, best to try it out now than to not ever try it," I say.
Nurse Joy nods with her warm smile. She slides two key cards across to me and Dee and says, "I hope you enjoy your stay and enjoy the hot springs."
As Dee and I make our way to our room number that is printed on the key card, Dee suggests, "Let's get ready, eat, and head to the hot springs after?"
I nod, it's not a bad plan, it's not like we're swimming or anything.
Author's Note: I am EXTREMELY sorry for this EXTREMELY late update. And the chapter doesn't even begin to forgive how long it has been since I've updated. So many things happened to me so I couldn't exactly write this story that much, but like I said, I am determined to finish it no matter how long it takes. And to give a quick run down on what happened to me during the delay... Relationship issues, super dramatic things happened and just sent me into a huge depression where I could only write things for my other stories since they tone for them are a lot darker and grim. And due to that depression, I was suffering in school so I was trying to do my best to pass my classes. It also doesn't help that a bunch of amazing games came out that I wanted and bought a 3DS for: Fire Emblem: Awakening (awesome), Animal Crossing: New Leaf (addicting...for a while), Shin Megami Tensei IV (I don't even know who I am anymore.. T^T). But I'm fine, if you guys were wondering, and I will be doing my best to write this story as I write my 7 others, literally 7 others. There's also going to be a conventions in my city similar to Comic Con and I'll be going, and friend wants me to dress up, but I don't know as what so I'll have to figure that out soon. Anyways, I hope you guys have been well. And thanks for being extremely patient with me. =]
And Pokemon X/Y is coming in 2 months, I'm really excited! And Mega Evolutions? ...can I get a Fire/Psychic Typhlosion? xD