An Age of Valour
by the Lady of the Mists
Chapter Twenty-one: A Friend Who is Not a Friend
With the winning of the Plain Badge, the group decided to splurge and treat their Pokémon to a nearby salon, since they'd all done such a great job battling and it was going to be awhile before they were back in a city again. Lydia went to the department store with Jennie to pick up some more supplies, since they were going to have Jennie's Pokémon to take care of as well. By the time that they were back, Jesse was already waiting with the Pokémon and before they knew it, they were back on the road, but this time with a new friend and sister.
It didn't take long for day to pass into night and pretty soon, they were setting up camp, with Jesse pitching up the tent while Lydia stirred the stew that was going to be their dinner. Jennie was flipping through some Pokémon magazines, lying on her chest as she flipped the pages.
"So, how far away is the Ice Path, anyway?" she asked, glancing up at the older trainers. "It's says in here that it's a great spot for catching some ice-type Pokémon and since that's what I'm gonna be specialising in, I think that's where I should head towards."
"Ice Path is right outside Blackthorn City," Lydia answered, reaching for the map in her bag and checking it to be sure. "And we're heading in the opposite direction after we're finished with Ecruteak."
"What?" Jennie was dismayed. "Why?"
"Because that's where we need to go to get some badges," Jesse answered, looking towards his sister. "We have to go to Olivine and Cianwood and get the badges there, then double back." Jennie stared at him, then at Lydia, then back again.
"Well, if we're doubling back, anyway, what difference does it make which way that we go?" she wanted to know.
"Because the Silver Conference is at the Indigo Plateau, which is not too far away from Blackthorn," Lydia replied as she brushed her light brown hair out of her eyes. "And if we're running short on time, I'd prefer not to have to take a boat ride all the way back to Cherrygrove and then have to get all the way back up to Blackthorn—"
"Okay, okay, I get it!" Jennie threw up her hands in annoyance. "I just really want to catch some ice Pokémon. I love Wartortle and Pidgeotto and Smoochum, but I would like to catch some new ones."
"Yeah, tell me about it," Jesse agreed. "There's nothing around here but Pidgey and Ledyba." He shook his head as he finally gave up on pitching the tent and looked towards the girls. "Okay, do you know how to put this together? Either of you?"
"No, that's supposed to be a guy thing," Lydia said with a grin. Jesse scowled at her and she grinned, stirring the stew again. "Look, you were the one who insisted on buying the tent, Jesse. I was perfectly content on sleeping in the sleeping bags."
"What if it rains?"
"So we'll get wet hair?"
"You haven't seen Jennie on a bad hair day yet."
Jennie looked up in alarm and she immediately ran her fingers through her hair fretfully as Lydia looked at Jesse. "Trust me," he said, fighting a smile. "It's not a pretty sight and then we'll have to endure her whining and moaning about it for a week straight."
"Shut up, Jess," Jennie muttered, going back to her magazine. "Do you have any brothers?" she asked, directing the question towards Lydia.
"Not that I'm aware of."
"Lucky you," Jennie said coldly as Jesse stuck his tongue out at her. "So, do you think we're gonna find Dad when we get to Ecruteak?" she asked, diverting the conversation away from her.
Lydia shivered slightly as she felt apprehension go through her, but neither one of the siblings noticed, though she could've sworn something flicker behind Jesse's eyes. But it went by so fast that Lydia was half-sure that she had just imagined it. "I don't know, Jen," she admitted. "You never know, he might have already moved."
"His letter came only a couple months ago!" Jennie exclaimed. "He couldn't have moved away in just a couple of months!"
"This is the guy who left us without saying a word, Jennie," Jesse muttered, avoiding their eyes. "I wouldn't expect not too much out of him if I were you."
"Really?" Jennie asked mockingly. "He was awfully concerned about you, Jess. And he even knew that you had left the academy to go start your own journey. That's not exactly the sound of a deadbeat dad. He said that he loved us and beside that, why would he even bother contacting us if he didn't want to have anything to do with us?"
"She's got a point," Lydia said quietly to Jesse, who shot her a 'stay-out-of-this' look before returning his attention to his sister. She sighed as Umbreon stood up, sniffing the air around them as he growled slightly. "Guys, shut up!" she whispered and both siblings stopped arguing to look at her. "What's up, Umbreon? You smell something?"
She stood up as Umbreon trotted across the campsite and stared out into the dark woods. Lydia frowned as she looked towards Jesse, raising her eyebrows as he whistled for Natu, who flew down onto his outstretched arm. "Natu, who's out there?" he asked.
Lydia closed her eyes as Natu flew upwards, casting her psychic energy towards the trees. She could sense someone close, very close, but she couldn't tell whether they were a friend or enemy or even if they meant any harm. "Who's there?" she called, walking up next to Umbreon. "Show yourselves!"
"Oh, yeah, that's real smart," Jennie muttered. "Calling out to someone when we don't know who's out there or what they want."
Suddenly, Lydia froze, realising that it wasn't just one person. "There's a least three," she said quietly. "Male . . . about our age. They're trainers . . . one of them is a fire trainer, I think."
"You're scary sometimes," Jesse muttered as he stood up, scanning the distance as Natu flew overhead, finding the intruders. "I mean, that's a very useful skill to have, Lydia, I'll admit, but . . . it's scary." He shook his head as she smiled faintly. "Natu, find anything?"
"Well, what have we got here?" A young man with blond hair and cold eyes had appeared in their campsite. Umbreon made some small noise as he growled at him. "Come take a look at this, fellows."
Two more boys walked up next to him, sneering at the trio in the campsite. Lydia shoved her hands into her pockets, feeling for her Pokéballs, in case she needed them. Jennie had scooped up Smoochum and was holding her tightly to her chest. "What do you want?" Jesse demanded aggressively, his green eyes narrowed with dislike.
"What do we want?" The blond looked around them. "A lot of things, but for now, I think I'd settle for that soup over there, little boy. Oh, and uh, just hand over your Pokémon and we'll be on our way."
"Not a chance," Lydia said flippantly. "I'll tell you what you boys are going to do. You're going to walk away, laugh this off, and we'll ignore the fact that you tried to steal our Pokémon. 'Cause if you try, then we're going to have to get all violent; it's going to be very messy. We're talking bloodshed, brutality, adult language . . . I mean, it's just not something I'm looking forward to."
The blond laughed. "You hear that, guys? Little girl here thinks she can best us. Seriously, little girl, you really think that you stand a chance against us? It's three on . . . well, two and a half," he said with a sneer, eyeing Lydia's short height.
WHACK!
That comment was all it took for Lydia's hand to come flying out of nowhere and the blond staggered backwards, his hand covering the cheek that Lydia had smacked. His friends gawked at Lydia as she folded her arms across her chest.
"You had it coming," Jesse said with a sigh. "And I can tell you that you really shouldn't have said that." He rolled his sleeves up. "You boys want a rumble? Let's go."
"Not a rumble." The blond had recovered and was pulling out a Pokéball, glaring at them. "Just a battle. And if you lose, then you have to surrender your Pokémon to us." He was grinning menacingly at them now as they glanced at each other.
"Well, what if we're not interested in battling?" Jennie asked curiously. "Come on, you were the morons who came onto our campsite and started bothering us, why can't you just go and leave us alone?"
"Because we're evil," the blond said as though this were obvious. "And besides, I could use the workout." He held out the Pokéball, about to raise it in the air when an unfamiliar, deep voice spoke from behind them.
"Is there a problem here?"
Lydia spun around to find a guy probably around fifteen years old behind them, with dark spiky hair and deep blue eyes right behind them. He had his hands in his pockets as he strolled onto the campsite, keeping a close eye on the guys as they looked at each other.
"Stay out of this, loser," the blond snapped at him. "This isn't any of your business."
"Really?" The newcomer was smiling pleasantly. "'Cause it looks to me like you're causing all kinds of problems for these two beautiful girls and very nice young man. And I have to tell you, I've got a problem with that." He pulled a Pokéball out of his pocket and spun it in his hand before catching it with the other. "Don't make a nuisance of yourself, boys. Just walk away."
The blond seemed to recognise that he wasn't playing games and took a step towards Lydia, leaning closer to her. "This isn't over yet," he said quietly. "Far from, little girl. I'd watch my step if I were you. Let's go, boys," he said lightly. "Plenty of time left to go find some more trouble tonight." His friends glared at the newcomer before following the blond away from the campsite, leaving the trio with the newcomer, who had turned his attention to Lydia now that the danger had passed.
"You three all right?" he asked and she nodded, noticing that Umbreon had relaxed visibly so the moment that they were out of sight. "Good thing I came along, I think that they were about to pummel you guys."
"We could've handled them," Jesse threw at him and he shrugged. "We could have!"
"I think you're out of your league with them, kid," he replied. "They're a part of an evil team that has no other interest than to mess with kids like you and steal their Pokémon, torture them until they give in to their boss's demands. Either that, or they would have taken you with them so you could put your lives into his hands. He's got no problem spilling kids' blood and will no hesitate to sacrifice your Pokémon just to make you do what he says."
"They're a part of the same organisation that Alicia's in," Lydia said slowly, frowning as she folded her arms across her chest.
"Alicia Knightly?" The guy cocked an eyebrow. "You've met her, then?" All three of them nodded as he sighed, looking away. "Things are already in motion. You've got to be prepared, Lydia Talon."
"Prepared for what?" Lydia asked, unnerved. "And how do you know my name?"
"You have to be prepared to fight," he answered. "Because everything is about to change and you may be able to stop them."
Lydia stared at him. "Stop who?"
"Those who will stop at nothing to stop you," he replied without missing a beat. "You have powers that you don't use to your full potential. And unless you start, then you're gonna end up losing it all. Your family, your friends, your whole world will change and there won't be anything you can do to stop it."
Lydia stared at him, remembering her dream and her mother's words. "You must use your powers, Lydia . . . find out the truth . . . and why things happened the way that they did . . ."
"What truth?"
"Only when it is essential for you to know will you know what truth that is. When you are ready, you will find out."
"Ready for what?"
"When you can answer that question for yourself, you will be ready. Go back to living, my child. There are people waiting for you there . . ."
The guy was smiling, as though he knew what she was thinking. "Should listen to your mother," he told her as he walked away from her.
"Who are you?" she yelled at his back and he turned around, a strange look appearing on his face as he looked at her.
"Let's just say that I'm a friend."
"Maybe I don't want a friend."
"I didn't say that I was yours," he pointed out as he pushed his hands into his pockets and walked away into the dark woods and out of sight.
Lydia watched him go before looking towards Jesse and Jennie, both of whom looked scandalised. "Who was that?" she asked.
"No idea," Jesse muttered. "But I didn't like him."
"Me, neither," Jennie muttered.
Lydia frowned as she looked back. "Still . . ." she whispered. "There was something familiar about him."