Chapter 16 Pinwheel Forest Exit/ Skyarrow Bridge
The voting will be closing! Please help me choose! The name will be announced next chapter! Poll on my bio page!
Sophie: Though it may take one more chapter for me to actually learn it.
Also, the song that Jen was singing? I did not write it. I simply adapted the song 'Blown Away' by Carrie Underwood. All I did was change the word Oklahoma to Unova.
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Loud shouts and the crashing through bushes interrupted us as we ate breakfast.
Maria and her Leavanny jumped up. "You guys stay here! I need to check that out." She said before running off.
Soon after she left, shouts approached us from behind. Before those shouting reached us a small Pokémon came stumbling out of the bushes.
Runrunrunrun. I gotta run! The female voice rang through my read before any of us was able to get a clear view of exhausted Pokémon.
I dashed forward and scooped up the Eevee. "We have to go! Now!" I start running not waiting for the others.
Don't worry. I send the terrified Pokémon I now had in my arms. When she heard my voice she calmed slightly. I'm not going to hurt you.
I come to a halt and the others catch up to me. The shouts and crashing has gotten louder and angrier behind us. "Oh no."
We have ended up a small clearing. There is a stone resting in the center, but the trees surrounding the clearing are only thin enough to get through in one area.
The area now blocked by Team Plasma grunts.
"Hand over the Pokémon, kid. It's ours." The one who seemed to be in charge of the group came forward and held out his hand demandingly.
I bend slightly over in an attempt to hide the Eevee.
Before I can verbally reply to the Grunt's demands, Jennifer has stepped in front of me, anger in every line of her body.
"Why should she? It is quite obvious that this Pokémon was running from you. Even if you were its Trainer, we wouldn't give it back to you."
I look at the Eevee in my arms. Her ears are drooping with exhaustion from running. Are they your trainers?
No! I was released by my previous trainer for not listening to his orders. I've been living in this forest since.
Anger flew threw my veins at the information given. Before I could continue the conversation, a hand appears on my shoulder.
I have a plan. Just stay back, kay? Use Dawn to let the other two know. T doesn't take her eyes off of the Grunts as she digs around in her bag.
Okay. I give a tiny nod before turning my mental attention to my Eevee. Dawn? Tell Jen and Tim that T has a plan.
Want me to set up a temporary Psychic channel between the four of you?
Can you handle that much?
Yup! I'll be fine!
All right then. I can tell when the channel is up, and notice Jen and Tim start just a bit. T, used to having a Psychic channel open, continues fishing around in her bag.
So what is this plan? Jen sends back.
Instead of answering her, T walks forward until she stands in front of all of us.
She looks over the Grunts. "Six of you, huh?" She tosses a small packet into the air and catches it with her other hand. "Oh well. It's been awhile since I got to play."
"Get out of our way and hand over the damn Pokémon!" One of the Grunts starts forward and tries to push her aside. Before he gets too close he falls over.
"Guess he got lucky." T is tossing five packets in the air, juggling them between her hands. "He got one with Sleep Powder." She gave the remaining grunts and smile. "You see, most of these packets carry Sleep Powder in them. At least one of them has Poison Powder. I got them mixed up, so I'm not really sure which one it is." She watches as a couple of the Grunts roll their eyes. "It's very potent poison. The last person who got the poison packet was unconscious before he was able to take the antidote. And everyone else was asleep, unable to help him. I left before I could find out how it ended. As far as I know, that man is dead." Her smile grows. "Now, I wonder." She catches all five packets and chooses one from the pile. "Is this the poison one?"
She threw the packet at one of the grunts. He flinched back as the packet exploded at his feet. Panic took over his expression before he fell to the ground, completely asleep.
"Nope. Another Sleep Powder. Oh well. Next!" She shrugged and threw the next packet, watching as the next Grunt fell asleep.
The next two packets also contained Sleep powder. Tourmaline twirled the last packet between her fingers as she looked at the last Grunt, the one who seemed to be in charge. "Well, it looks like this must be the poison. But I still need to know for sure." Her smile has long since transformed into a smirk.
As she prepares to throw, the Grunt turns and attempts to run. The packet explodes on his back and he falls to the ground snoring.
"Idiots. Who in their right mind would keep Sleep Powder and Poison Powder in the same color packets?" She snorted and nudged the Grunt closest to her with her foot.
"So you do poison packets." Jen went over to examine another one of the Grunts
"Yeah, but I only use them if I am in extreme danger or I am seriously pissed." She put her hands in her pockets. "Sleep Powder is in the green packets and Poison Powder is in the purple."
"That makes sense." Tim came and led me back towards the stone so that we could look over the Eevee. "Do you have a Super Potion, Sophie?"
"Something better! I have some Fresh Water." As I dig around in my bag, the Rare Candy I had found the other day fell out of my bag.
It fell onto the stone, just in front of the Eevee's nose. After sniffing at it for a moment, the Eevee ate it.
Tim and I jumped back when suddenly the Eevee began to glow. We watched as the light of evolution grew and faded around the still wild Eevee. Once it was completely gone, a still exhausted Leafeon lay on the stone. She tried to stand up, but her legs collapsed under her.
I rushed forward and helped her drink the Fresh Water. "Silly thing. Here, this should help." After she finished, I put the empty bottle back into my bag. I carefully looked her over for any other injuries. "Do you want to come travelling with me? If you stay here, more of those Grunts will probably be sent after you. If nothing else, I can find a safer place for you to live."
She looked up at me. Will you give me a new name?
Only if you want me to.
She nudged my hand so that I would pet her. I think I would like that.
I looked at the others. "I need a poke ball. Dawn helped me talk to her, and she would like to come with me."
Tourmaline narrowed her eyes a bit, but tossed me a Premier Ball. "I got this when I was last in town. That do?"
"Yup!" I smile at her.
I set the poke ball on the stone and the Leafeon nudges it with her nose, allowing herself to be drawn in and caught. I quickly let her out and look her over.
"I think you look like an Ivylace. How does that sound?"
Ivylace yipped in happiness and butted my hand.
A slow clap begins behind us, causing us all to turn.
Another Team Plasma Grunt is standing over the sleeping forms of his comrades. "Congratulations. And thank you for catching the Pokémon for us." He drew a poke ball. "I'll be taking it now. And all of your other Pokémon as well."
Before he can release his Pokémon, I quickly send Jolt out. "Jolt, use Thunder Wave."
"Wha-?" The Grunt suddenly falls over stiff with paralysis.
The others look at me.
I shrug. "What? I was getting irritated."
"Well, looks like you guys took care of this group." Maria appeared from behind some of the trees. "I already called some of the other Rangers. So I'll just tie these guys up and we can be on our way." She glances up from where she is securing the Grunts. "After we take care of the camp that is."
"Sorry." We all call and wait patiently for her to lead us back to clean up and then continue on our way.
xXxXx
It was near noon when we had made it to the small pond that resided in the forest. We stopped to rest and watched as some of the other Trainers surfing around on their Pokémon.
As a boy on a Basculin floated by, Jen leaned back. "You know, I have never understood why Trainers have to teach Pokémon how to Surf. Fly and Dig don't make sense either."
"Because most of the time those Pokémon already know how to do those things?" I ask as I gently stroke Ivy's head, listening to her purr and the call of Pidoves.
"Yeah."
"Now that I think about it…" Tim flicked a small pebble into the pond.
"Does it really matter?" T leaned against a tree trunk.
"No. But now I'm curious too." Maria frowned as she tried to figure it out.
"Easy." I said, watching a slowly drifting leaf.
"Easy? I've been trying to figure it out for years and you say it's easy?" Jen looked over at me.
"You aren't teaching them to swim, dig, or fly. You're teaching them how to hold passengers and not get them wet or drop them. To create tunnels big enough and stable enough to walk in." I look around at the faces of the others. "At least, that's what I think."
"You make too much sense kid." Tourmaline frowns. "Kids your age should be all about…I don't know. But you seem determined to throw our perspectives of the world for a loop."
I grin up at her. "Someone has to turn the world upside down."
"And why not you?"
"Nah, I'd prefer it to be someone else."
"Aaand now you're making no sense."
I shrug at her and stand up. "We should be going. It's not too far to the end of the forest right?"
Maria stood up and dusted herself off. "Nope. Just about an hour more of walking and we should be out."
"Let's get going then!"
xXxXx
"Sophie! Tim! Come on. It's just a ledge." Maria called up to us as we gazed down from the top of the ledge.
Tim glanced at me before looking down again. "We were fine when we sat on the ledge last night. Why are we having trouble now?" He whispered to me.
"Because last night we were just sitting. Now we are planning to jump." I reply just as quietly.
"You two need help down?" A voice suddenly came from behind us.
Startled I start to topple forward. As I try to get my balance back, Tim grabs one of my arms and another hand catches the other and tugs, causing all of us to fall backwards safely.
I look up at the one who had spoken and then saved me. "Please don't startle me like that Ranger Lumtol."
Maria's mentor gave a shaky laugh. "Sorry, sorry. I didn't think that you were so focused that you didn't hear me come up behind you."
Tim collapsed on the ground as all the adrenaline left him at once. "I really just don't think that either of us can jump down that ledge. Our nerves just can't take it."
"Oof. You two okay?" Maria asked as she heaved herself back up the ledge.
Lumtol helped me stand up before also giving a hand to Tim. "Sorry. I startled them by accident."
"That's it. I am not jumping. I am just…I am not jumping. Ledges and I are not friends!" I dust myself off as I speak, unable to look anyone in the eye.
"See, now you're sounding like a kid." Tourmaline's voice calls out from below the ledge.
"I don't care!"
"Kid? Are you pouting?" Tourmaline asks as Maria nods to her mentor and jumps back down the ledge.
"I am going to—Eep!" What I was going to say gets lost as I am picked up and gently handed down to Maria at the bottom of the ledge.
Lumtol looks at Tim. "I don't think that your sister will be able to catch you…"
"Here, Elegant can carry him down. She's small enough to fly in this forest and it's not that far." A Swablu flew up and grabbed Tim's shoulders.
Before he could protest, he was lifted from the ground and deposited on the ground below the ledge.
I was standing there silent until Tim stood next to me. "Tim could you please tell them that I won't be speaking to them for the rest of the day?"
"What makes you think that I want to talk to them?" Tim said, looking off into the forest instead of the other people surrounding us.
Lumtol landed behind us. "Sorry you two. But hey! You're down now and don't have to worry about the ledge."
"Since when do you have a problem with ledges, Tim?" Maria asked. "You never had one before."
Tim blushed and opened his mouth before quickly closing it. Maria rolled her eyes at her brother's refusal to speak.
Lumtol looked Tim over. "You know…Maria, do you think that your brother…"
"Hmm? Oh." Maria studied her little brother for a minute. "Yeah, I think he would."
Tim glances between them with suspicious eyes for a minute before finally speaking. "All right. I give. What are the two of you planning?"
I'm just planning on giving you an Egg." Lumtol told Tim as he reached into his pouch and brought out a Pokémon Egg.
Tim's eyes grew wide and he held up his hands. "Wait, wouldn't Sophie be better? She's the one who is going to be a Breeder!"
Maria rolled her eyes again as she grabbed her brother's hands and arranged them so that he could properly hold the Egg. "Sophie already has an Egg and she just got a new Pokémon. Anymore and it would be too much."
"Besides. Every trainer should raise at least one Pokémon from an Egg. Let this one be yours." Lumtol said as he settled the Egg into Tim's arms.
"I agree with them Tim." I leaned over and carefully examined the Egg. "That's good. It seems healthy. You have to keep it warm Tim!"
"Well, if I do anything wrong, you have to tell me. Are you talking to everyone again?" He asked as he shifted his hands to a more comfortable grip.
"Nope. I am going to ignore them as much as possible. But I'll talk to you."
As the others laugh at my stubbornness, Tourmaline turns me around with a smirk on her face as she shakes her head and pushes me ahead off her as I pout.
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"Well, this is where we let the four of you continue on your way. We need to go make sure that all those Grunts we caught are handed over to the police." Lumtol bade us goodbye, resting his hand on Maria's shoulder.
Maria smiled at us. "I wish all of you luck on reaching the goal of your journeys. Come back and visit the forest sometime."
I silently wave goodbye to them as the others give their own farewells.
As we start walking across the bridge, our eyes keep drifting to either to the view of the water or to Tim's new Egg. By the time we made it halfway, we were walking in companionable silence, completely unaware of all the others on the bridge. We did not even notice when Burgh walked past us on his way to Nacrene City.
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Author's Note: I'm so sorry it took me so long to get this chapter done. Not only that, but it is shorter than the others have been. I'm sorry.
I am sad to say that Evolution of a Whisper has decided to be an attention hog. All the plot bunnies I have for my other stories? They've been shoved into the corners of my mind.
So until I hit a story block in Evolution of a Whisper, I will be putting the others on Hiatus. I apologize to all looking forward to my other stories.
But in the good news, we are entering Castelia City next chapter. This ark is going to take at least three chapters, but it might reach as much as five. The plot bunnies for this ark are massive. You can blame my Beta reader Morohtar Singod. He keeps feeding them. And he feeds them at night which causes them to multiply and evolve!
*breathes* I'm sorry about everything taking so long. And this is not my best chapter. Please accept my apologies and continue reading!
And a note from our friendly Beta:
Morohtar Singod: I REGRET NOTHING! They just come to me and I pass them to Shards. Blame the bunnies not me. That's all.
I am not a writer! I am a puppet controlled by fictional characters!