"Meloi! I said, enough with the electricity!"

"Mareep! Ma!"

"Oh for the love of….Stop showing off! We're already having enough problems without you making this harder!"

Travelling along Route 110 on the road underneath Cycling Road turned out to be a lot more hazardous than I thought. I knew it would be a long, tiring hike, but I didn't expect the place to be filled with trainers. Tough trainers. Trainers that couldn't be taken on with Pokemon like Mareep, Skitty and Charmander. Thankfully most of them were more interested in looking for the rare Pokemon found on the route. That was another thing that made this whole thing even more difficult. The whole route was overgrown with tall grass, forcing us to pick our way through very slowly in case we disturbed the local Pokemon. After one too many wild Pokemon attacks, we all ended up releasing our own Pokemon to attempt to scare off the wild ones. Our only problem was that with so many Pokemon, there were a lot of personality clashes….

"Heather! Stop hitting people with those vines!" Jasmine ordered after Heather turned and slapped me with one of her whip like vines against the back of my legs when I dared to lag behind.

"Bulba! Bulbasaur!" she snapped defiantly and gave me another whack for good measure.

As you've probably guessed, Jasmine's Bulbasaur was attempting to lead the group through the grass, chattering away and acting like a self-important tour guide. However, Meloi was less than impressed with Heather lording it over the group and attempted to put Heather in her place. What ensued from that was a vicious battle of bolts of blue electricity coupled with snake like vines and razor sharp leaves, until both Jasmine and I gave in and recalled the chief troublemakers Meloi and Heather to their Pokeballs.

We travelled as far as we could that first day, stopping quite frequently to rest and eat. Nikki and Scott had a four man tent folded down and packed away into one of their bags and we managed to pitch it in a clearing when the night was drawing in. It was just as well that we did…

Not long after the tent was pitched and the four of us had clambered inside, we began to hear raindrops hitting against the tent. None of us were really that bothered, and we just carried on talking and eating supplies. I did notice that Nikki and Jasmine were especially concerned with me, often asking if I was feeling all right. The constant questioning was annoying, but I couldn't blame them. I mean, I had thrown up quite violently earlier on. Numerous times, actually. I couldn't really blame them for being worried…

As we stayed in the tent, we were only half listening to the sound of the rain hitting off the tent material, then all of a sudden, it got worse. The rain was practically bouncing off the tent, making noises like bullets on glass as it ricocheted off. There wasn't any wind, thank God, but the sheer noise coming from the rain was bad enough. This wasn't right…This was the middle of the summer and the weather had been so good this morning. Rain like this wasn't normal for the middle of summer.

"They didn't forecast rain…did they?" Nikki asked, huddled up in a corner of the tent, her arms hugging her orange and red egg.

I shook my head, feeling a sudden chill go through my body. The temperature had taken a sudden drop and I had to pull my hoodie back on again.

"This is really unusual!" Jasmine actually had to shout to be heard over the noise of the rain now. "This is the middle of summer!"

"It's freezing…" Scott inputted.

"I'm not cold…" Nikki said, unhelpfully.

At that declaration, I shuffled over to where Nikki was sitting and huddled into her. To my surprise, she was radiating warmth! I breathed out with relief and snuggled in closer, already feeling my shivering body warm up. "You're so warm!" I grinned.

"It's the egg," Nikki explained for me.

I put my freezing hands on the egg and I was amazed to feel a warm, comforting heat radiating from it, and a rhythmic thumping pulse. I breathed out in amazement. This was the first time I had considered that egg to contain a real, living, breathing thing. Despite myself I smiled and looked up at Nikki, who smiled back.

As the night grew in, it got colder and colder and the rain became heavier and heavier. Whilst Scott and Nikki fell asleep, curled up under as many blankets and jackets as they had, Jasmine and I stayed up for a while. To make as much body heat as possible, we let out all our Pokemon. It was cramped and often uncomfortable, especially with Aurora's heavy, rounded body right on top of my stomach, Meloi shocking me occasionally in her sleep and Persian growling every time I moved a muscle, but at least it was warm. Jasmine fell asleep soon after, but I stayed awake, listening to the lashing of the rain against the tent, wondering what on earth had caused such a sudden change in the weather.

Little did I know, this was only the beginning of something far worse to come.

The rain had mostly let up by the morning; it was drizzling which wasn't exactly pleasant in itself, but it was a vast improvement on the torrential downpour that we had the previous night. We didn't have umbrellas either so we had to try and take the tent down as quickly as possible to avoid getting too wet. After we had the tent packed away, we were sodden, but as Nikki rightly said, "Why put on a raincoat if you're already wet?" and we carried on. Scott and Jasmine huffed, claiming she was just trying to make the best out of a bad situation and attempted to storm on ahead. I say "attempted" because the rain that had fallen overnight had turned the Route into a boggy marsh, forcing us to wade through thick mud. I cursed, wishing I had Wellington boots as we trudged through the gloopy sludge. We got stuck a few times, our feet sinking into the squelchy, disgusting mess. We had mud splattered all the way up our legs after literally two minutes of walking.

"This is torture…" Jasmine grumbled, trying to haul her stuck foot out of a particularly boggy patch of mud.

We'd thankfully called all our Pokemon back to their Pokeballs before we began our hike again. I don't think Meloi would have been impressed at having to navigate through the mud; it would have been too dirty and filthy for Monty's liking, considering he spent twenty three hours of the day grooming and licking himself. However, I do get the feeling Aurora would have enjoyed rolling around in it and getting herself gloriously covered in the stuff, but it would have been too much of a hassle to keep my eye on her as we moved forward.

The constant travelling was dire. Every inch of my body ached and stung from the effort of the long walk, and I was covered from head to foot in thick brown mud that had crusted over my jeans and t-shirt, making it increasingly difficult to move. Nikki had lost a shoe about a mile back and she was covered in tiny cuts all over her bare foot. At least she didn't complain and soldiered on. Jasmine and Scott did plenty complaining however throughout the whole day…

"This is taking too long!"

"Eww! All this mud is disgusting!"

"Ah, hell! It's raining again!"

"Ewww! Ewww! Scott, can't I ride on your Rhyhorn or something?"

"Why couldn't we wait for the rain to let up? Stupid rain! Don't make me come up there!"

"This is worse than the Great Marsh! I wouldn't be surprised if they opened up a new one here after all this!"

"Stupid rain!"

"I'm gonna come down with pneumonia, aren't I? We're all going to come down with it! Oh my God, we're all gonna die!"

"Idiot newscasters not telling us about this! How can they miss this? Are they dumb?"

"I don't wanna die out here! I don't wanna die from pneumonia out heeeeeeeeere!"

"ENOUGH!" I eventually bellowed, sending them both into a muffled silence. "We're not gonna get anywhere if you keep moaning about it! So put less energy into moving those mouths of yours and put more into walking!"

As I finished my rant and turned away I spat out loud to myself. "This could not get any worse!"

But just as I said that, a low rumble of thunder sounded in the distance and the heavens opened. The dull, overcast clouds that had been threatening another spill of rain finally gave in and the rain came down in floods. As the rain engulfed my almost-dried body, I blew out exasperated. I looked up right towards the heavens, spread my arms in submission and shouted out. "Thank you, universe! You just love proving me wrong, don't you!"

I looked across at Nikki, whose long black hair was lying limply, like rats' tails over her delicate face, then at Jasmine trying to pull her hood over her head, her bare legs almost blue from the cold, and then at Scott who looked about five seconds away from blowing a fuse.

"Okay, okay, let's just keep going…" I sighed, and turned around to keep going.

This was getting insane. I could handle a storm. Really, I could, if I knew about it beforehand, but for it to spring up so suddenly and not being prepared for it had really thrown me. This weather was unreal. Summers were normally full of glorious weather. I knew that this was a totally different region, probably with different weather patterns and climates and that, but the forecast had predicated fantastic weather for the next week at least. I'm no meteorologist, same as how I'm no fanatic Pokemon trainer, but I knew enough to know that weather didn't make dramatic turns like this unless there was a reason behind it.

Anyway, long story short, the four of us eventually made it to Mauville. We arrived at around six or seven in the evening, I think, but the whole place was in panic. People were running about like headless chickens shouting in alarm in the driving rain. We didn't find out what was causing the panic until after we had eaten dinner in the local Pokemon Centre, when a gaggle of trainers came storming in, complaining angrily that the only route leading east out of Mauville had been blocked! So, that meant the only route leading to Lilycove City was inaccessible…

Nikki and Scott disappeared soon after we heard that news to telephone their aunt and uncle in Lilycove, whilst Jasmine and I stayed behind to try and figure out what had caused this apparent blocking of the route. Details were scarce. All we knew was that something had caused something similar to a huge mudslide, meaning that the route out was impassable. The surrounding area was deemed too dangerous for even the rescue authorities, and they couldn't get near the incident to start clearing the mud and rocks that had fallen there. The rain was still falling too intensely, making it likely that more rocks and mud would shift under the rainfall, potentially causing more mudslides.

We hadn't heard any news of causalities, or even worse, deaths, thank goodness, although there were rumours circling around that there had been a group of trainers passing through there around the time the mudslide had hit…Obviously, everyone was worried sick, but considering not even the rescue services could go there to look to see if anyone was injured there, it was obviously out of the question for trainers to go out there. Not even really tough trainers and their Pokemon were permitted to go.

We heard a lot of trainers talking about the cause of the mudslide. Most of them were attributing it to the sudden unexplainable severe rainfall that had been falling all day. Jasmine and I exchanged worried looks as we listened to the rumours and stories. Although the mudslide hadn't directly affected us, it meant that Nikki and Scott wouldn't be able to travel through the route to Lilycove until everything was cleared! Of course, we didn't want anyone to get hurt or killed either!

After getting off the phone with their hysterical aunt and uncle (I could hear them screeching from across the Pokemon Centre), Nikki and Scott returned to us later on. I had expected to see Nikki white faced and terrified, but she seemed calm enough. She explained to us that they weren't going to go to Lilycove city after all. In fact, Scott was going to head to Rustboro City and begin challenging Gym Leaders. Turns out, after seeing Elliot on television, he had made the decision there and then to start working his way up through the Gyms, passionately declaring that Elliot was now his rival. We laughed and wished him good luck with that, and then we all turned to Nikki expectantly. She blushed and asked in a tiny timid little voice if she would be able to come with me and Jasmine up to Lavaridge Town. The two of us grinned. Why did she even have to ask?

We all went to bed that night filled with a peculiar mix of feelings. I was over the moon ecstatic that Nikki was going to be coming with us to Lavaridge and I was happy for Scott considering he was going to go travelling and battling, exactly like he wanted to. I had a feeling he would go far. However, there were too many things still bothering me for me to feel happy, mainly that mudslide that had blocked the route out to Lilycove. As well as that I still couldn't get over the sudden change in weather from beautiful sunny summery weather to such a downpour of rainfall. And what about that eruption in Lavaridge…? Were my parents really there?

"Are all these things connected?" I found myself thinking as I tossed and turned late into the night. I could hear Jasmine and Nikki murmuring in their sleep and some of the Pokemon were snoring loudly, especially Meloi. All this worrying was beginning to give me a headache…

I sat up; massaging my head and then caught sight of two floating, disembodied glowing orbs at the other end of the room! I fought a sudden desire to screech and I pulled the blankets straight up to my nose, as if it would protect me!

"Mrrow?"

"Oh for God's…" I sighed, my heart thudding painfully in my chest. "Monty! You scared ten years offa me!" I hissed at him.

Realising that all I had been seeing was Monty's luminescent eyes in the darkness, I felt both relieved and very very stupid.

"What are you still doing up?" I whispered as Monty slowly padded up to me. I was confused at his sudden want to be anywhere near me, considering he was still being so standoffish and high maintenance. In fact when we first got to the room, I offered part of the bed to Monty in a gesture of friendship, but he refused to share with me, Meloi and Aurora and curled up on the floor. I guess for him, it was all or nothing.

He made that strange little meowing noise again. Now he was right next to the bed, looking at me straight in the eyes, unblinking. Those glowing eyes fixed constantly on me made me nervous. All the same, I gingerly reached out to pat him on the head. Surprisingly he let me stroke him. I ran my hands across his soft, luxurious fur and grinned to myself as he butted his head into my hand affectionately.

"Come on, why not jump up?" I suggested to him, budging over slightly to give him some room.

He looked at me once, considered it for a moment and then elegantly leapt up onto the bed and settled himself down, curling his long body into a ball. I stroked him absent-mindedly as he went to sleep. With Monty curled up next to me, as well as Meloi and Aurora taking up every spare inch of the bed, I was cramped and uncomfortable, hindering my sleep even more. And even when I was finally getting to that little happy place where I was close to sleep; the rain began pounding off the windows again. Loudly. I stole a glance at the clock. It flashed "2:53 AM" at me and I groaned.

The rain lashed against the windows as I lay wide awake listening to it. My thoughts turned to the mudslide that was blocking the route out to Lavaridge. I wondered if all this rain currently falling was going to make everything worse for the teams working to clear everything. Probably, I thought, sighing.

"I wonder how far all this rain is spreading…" I thought to myself. "I know they said on the news that Mt Chimney in Lavaridge wasn't actually erupting or showing any signs of magma, but at least if it was all this rain should have stopped it…"

"Mrrrow…" Monty protested in his sleep as I tried to turn around and somehow make myself more comfortable.

I listened to the rain bouncing off the windows and ceilings and eventually resorted to pulling a pillow over my head to muffle the noise. I finally slept, but I was uneasy and tense, inexplicably filled with sort of an impending feeling that something bad was about to happen, and it was a twitchy, disturbed sleep.

Author's Note

Hmm. Another chapter where not much happens...

I've decided that from this chapter on I'm going to stop writing lengthy travelling scenes as I really want to advance the plot.

I've uploaded two drawings for my fics. One of Sienna, Jasmine, Nikki and their respective Pokemon Meloi, Skittle and Blaze. The other is of Mai and Kei and Kei's Milotic from my other fic "The Hothead and the Layabout". Check the links out on my profile page.

Now to my lovely reviewers! Thank you to all those who congratulated me on getting into university!

WinterDahlia: Yes, it was her father's fault. There is a wider story behind it though; I hope I can find time to write it. rawrrxixeatxyou: You will be seeing Elliot very soon! Maybe in three or four chapters? Also the identity of the Pokemon in the egg will be revaled soon too! AmpharosLover666: I swear on my life I didn't know your last name is Wood too! It's a small world, huh? P.S You are awesome. Enough said. Anonymous: Thank you very much for your suggestions on Sienna's team. I have actually considered them for a long time, especially Swablu...Hmm...I'm still coming up blank on what Pokemon she should get next...Syzdoth: Again, no worries on the mix-up! I should have thought to have replaced Murphy with Monty; it would have made perfect sense! I know it's been a long time coming, considering all the mindless filler and development but the plot IS coming again. A lot of stuff happens in the next Chapter and then it all kicks off from then! :)

Wow. Long author's note yet again.

Please read and review if you can.