Chapter 25- Vines Aren't for Climbing
Barlow decided to let me stay the night and meet them in the Research Room in the morning. I walked into the high-tech room filled with computers and strange contraptions that didn't make sense to me.
Jasmine was working in there and explained that they were waiting on the ground floor. Barlow and I were to return to Vientown. We travelled to the Union every other day for a week. I was sent on several missions to Vien Forest to stop the unrest of the pokémon.
Today, Barlow Riolu and I were heading back to Vientown when a tremor shook the ground.
"Huh? What was that? An earthquake?" asked Barlow.
We continued down the path by the cliffside. We passed a cabin when another tremor shook us and almost knocked over Riolu.
"That tremor was bigger than the one earlier, wasn't it?" I asked them.
Barlow nodded in agreement. A lady ran out of the nearby cabin and started pacing. "Are you okay?" asked Barlow.
"I saw a man with some big pokémon earlier. He said it was for mountain-climbing training and went to the Peril Cliffs behind our home. After they left, there have been these tremors. Are they safe, I wonder?" she answered.
"We understand. Let's investigate Peril Cliffs, Barlow," I ordered.
"And that's a Mission," laughed Barlow.
We headed north from the cabin and started to climb the steep wall. The wall was covered in thick vines that could be used for scaling the cliffs. We climbed quite a few tall cliffs to get to a good spot to find for the man.
"I think we need to go higher because I don't see any bulky pokémon," said Barlow.
"Agreed but how? The plain rocks are extremely slick without the vines," I responded.
Barlow laughed and pulled something black out of his pocket. He clicked a button and a sharp blade popped out. The blade was black as night. He retracted the blade and tossed it towards me.
"Use this to cut some of the vines down for us to climb," he ordered.
I held the surprisingly light blade in my hand. Barlow boosted me up and I stretched to my tallest height to cut a vine with ease. It hung down for us to climb it like a rope.
"Excellent work, Kellyn," praised Barlow.
"Thank you. It was really the blade," I responded.
A hearty chuckle escaped his mouth. He walked over to humongousus leaf and explained, "I don't know who named it, but this is Springy Grass! Springy as in bouncy."
"We can travel around the cliffs using these," I continued. I ran forward and jumped on the leaf. It felt like I was flying. I've never experienced such an interesting plant in Fiore. We continued through the cliffs. Another tremor shook us, but this one was much more powerful. A rock started to fall towards us.
"Watch out!" I shouted as I pushed Riolu and Barlow out of the way. The rock fell inches away from me and it continued down the cliffs. Thank you.
"Thanks. That was a close o-." Barlow stopped speaking and his eyes widened with fear. I looked in the area and gasped. Two Rampardos were creating a hole on the wall of one of the cliffs. A Dim Sun goon was controlling with some machine. It wasn't a gigaremo.
"The tremors came from them ramming the wall," I whispered.
"We need to stop this but we can't jump. We need to climb up and over," grumbled Barlow.
I had to cut down a few vines to be able to get high enough to cross to the other side. We started to climb the vines. As we got higher, the vines got thinner.
"Barlow!" I shouted. "Be careful! The wind is getting stronger and the vines are thinner. It's a long way down!"
He shouted something, but I couldn't hear because of the wind. I felt Riolu's paws grab my back and hold on. I couldn't hold on anymore.
"It's okay. Just hold on," I yelled.
The wind picked up and my feet gave out. I hung only with my upper body strength. I swung myself to the right and gripped a new group of vines. I glanced down and saw the ant-like pokémon ramming the cliffside. We were so high up that the tremors were mere vibrations coming through our hands.
Fear filled my body causing my joints to lock up. I forced my eyes closed and breathed heavily. I willed my body to continue the climb. Gligar were circling the top of the cliff. If we got too close to the aggressive pokémon, we would be done for.
All that was left for me was to climb down. I made my decent when the vine that I was holding snapped. Riolu and I fell seven feet before I grabbed another vine. I smacked my head on the rocks and let out a gasp. Pain shot through the side of my head. Kellyn!
I winced in pain. The words gave my head a buzzy feeling. The vine started to rip. It was at least a thirty feet drop to the hard surface. If I fell, it would be unlikely for me to survive.
I reached for a new vine and grabbed on. That vine was weak but not too weak. I was able to support us I sense a gigaremo under us. Let me jump down and crush it. I can survive the fall from here.
"Please be safe. I trust you can do it," I responded.
I felt a weight disappear from my back. My weakened body was able to climb down from the cliff. I noticed a crushed yellow gigaremo with Riolu next to it. Barlow followed shortly.
"Well, that was hard," he said while gasping for air. He looked up and jumped back. "Kellyn! The side of our head is bleeding!"
I raised a hand to feel my ear and pulled back. My hand was covered with blood. "I'll be alright," I answered.
We climbed another vine down and hid behind the bottom cliff. I turned to Barlow to explain my plan, but he wasn't there.
"Hey! What are you up to?" shouted Barlow. I panicked and followed him towards the clearing.
"Why are those Rampardos ramming the wall?" I shouted next with as much authority.
"R-Rangers? Uh.. I'm a geologist! I'm here for soil analysis. Yep, I'm a geologist," the Dim Sun Grunt said.
"Mr. Geologist, what exactly is the soil composition around here?" Barlow asked.
"Huh? The s-soil composition? Um, well, uh, let's see… Uh, there's red clay, and, um, some calcium, and a whole lot of dirt, and… Um, some water, yes, water, and uh… A dash of salt, and…" he continued.
"We know you aren't a geologist," I said to spare him the embarrassment.
The freaked out grunt started to type something on his computer thingy. "Rampardos, batter them down," the grunt shouted.
The Rampardos turned around with fury in their eyes. They charged and I jumped to the side. "Capture On!" Barlow and I shouted.
Barlow ran head on towards the Rampardos and head it down while he started to capture it. All was well, until Barlow was sent flying towards a tree. His body stopped moving and adrenaline pumped through my terrified body.
Barlow's Rampardos was about to crush poor Barlow. I threw myself in front and I felt my ribs cave in. Blood flew out of my mouth and I rolled around defenceless.
I forced myself up and continued to capture the Rampardos. Riolu hit the angered Rampardos and helped me capture one of them.
I wobbled forward and tried to capture the other. Riolu sent punches and kicks towards the Rampardos. Rampardos growled and slammed Riolu into the rock. He too became limp.
"RIOLU!" I shouted. Pain shot threw my abdomin and I collapsed.
With wobbly arms, I carried myself forwards only to be nailed by the Rampardos. My arm snapped and I cried out. The grunt started to laugh menanically.
"This is it, Ranger," he laughed.
I inched back towards the wall and leaned back. Rampardos readied himself to finish me. I closed my eyes, but the blow didn't come. I opened one eye and was thoroughly surprised. Rampardos stood two feet away but was held in place by none other than Riolu. His strained body shook with the stress.
"Riolu… How…?" I whispered.
I almost admitted defeat. Almost… I remembered that my partner was still fighting. He was still fighting to save everyone. My body wanted me to stay down, but my brain told me to save my hero. Yes… Kellyn, you are my hero. You always find a way to save the day. I want to be a hero like you. I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles. So, here I am, enduring.
His body was turning white. The glow was blinding and caused the grunt to jump back. Riolu grew taller and stockier. His body changed shapes and Rampardos started to slide back. Riolu pulled his fist back and punched hard. Rampardos flew back and hit a tree. The glow disappeared and Riolu was no longer recognizable.
"R-Riolu," I wheezed out.
He turned and smiled. Call me Lucario. The red bandana was not as loose. He turned a darker shade of blue. Finish him.
I continued to capture the Rampardos and a blue orb formed. The Rampardos calmed down and ran away. Lucario picked me up and I sent a fierce glare towards the grunt. His computer exploded and he started to sweat.
"He… hehe... Don't think you'll win, you clueless Rangers! Team Dim Sun will put your lights out!" he shouted while fleeing.
We stood their for a while in silence. "Thank you, Lucario. You truly were a hero back there," I weakly whispered.
We need to grab Barlow and get out of here. Lucario's voice seemed deeper and more mature. We grabbed him and wobbled out.
Outside the cliffs, Barlow woke up in shock. He jumped back and started up his styler. "Woah, Barlow. Calm down. I captured them," I told him.
He looked shocked and stood up to my height. He winced and grabbed his head. Blood came from a gash in his arm. I was bleeding quite a bit too. I had one wound on my head and one coming from a gash near my broken arm.
"I'm impressed," Barlow whispered.
I gave him a weak smile as my legs gave out. Lucario held on to me tighter.
"Let's head back to Vientown. Mission clear. Your performance has been outstanding. You are qualified for Ranger Rank 4," he told me.
"Thank… you… s-... s-... sir…"
My body fell back and I saw people start to surround me. I coughed out more blood and the pain turned to a numbing. My ears started to ring as my eyes closed.
Hello,
I've been at summer school in the city so I haven't been able to update.
Riolu evolved everyone! I wasn't going to evolve him, but then I was like, "What the heck."
I can't wait for Rhythmi and Kellyn to meet again. Not that I don't like writing action, but I really am ready to continue with some romance. I promise it won't be too cliche.
Remember to review. It keeps me going.
Peace