Chapter 25 – Adventure on Route 119

Brendan yawned as he reentered the Mauville city limits, stretching his tanned arms up over his head. A warm twilight, teeming with the chirps of cicadas and June bugs, was setting across the fields. Cicadas, he thought, humming to himself. What month is it, again…? Summer is flying by.

He'd just come out of New Mauville, having shut off the facility's power at Wattson's request. It seemed like just yesterday that he'd won the gym battle against the man, but in reality it had been weeks ago. Battling through the scarce amount of Pokemon living there had been nothing challenging, but the place had given off a creepy vibe – much unlike the land surrounding it. Brendan was ready to relax for the rest of the night. After all, he'd need as much rest as he could get, with Route 119 being his next destination.

His conversation with his dad echoed through his mind once more as he walked. On his way over to Mauville, he'd gotten the call – it was about May. He hadn't sounded too serious, but apparently his dad wanted him to keep a look out for her and tell him if he saw her. Brendan was a little confused at this, knowing it had something to do with the argument she'd had with her family back in Littleroot, but didn't delve much deeper into it. It wasn't much of his business.

In any case, he, strangely enough, hadn't seen or gotten word from May at all. Wattson hadn't seen her, and neither had that Wally kid, the one she'd apparently made friends with. She'd probably just gotten a head start on him into Route 119 – which could take anywhere from a few days to a month to traverse – but either way, it was a little discomforting. He'd been planning on meeting up with her and heading to Fortree City together – secretly, he was interested in how she was raising her Pokemon – but, he decided, crossing his arms, that'd just have to wait. There was no reason to worry – if she was still unheard of once he reached Fortree, then he'd deal with that, then.

The street lamps flickered to life as Brendan entered downtown Mauville, illuminating the swarms of mosquitoes and moths fluttering around in the air. It was a weeknight, so the streets weren't too populous, and a few blocks ahead was the red roof of the Pokemon Center. Taking his time, the trainer swerved off to the left down a side street until reaching the Pokemon Gym. Gotta check in with Wattson!

Sure enough, the man was standing outside, chucking and waving at a passing couple who were walking an Elektrike. Upon crossing the street, Brendan was noticed by the man and he beckoned him over.

"Evening! I hope everything went well!"

Brendan grinned and gave a small salute. "Yup, it's all good. No problems. But that's a neat project, ya had there. Ever think of expanding it?"

Wattson scratched his chin, taking on an uncharacteristic air of seriousness. "Hmm… I've always dreamed of modernizing Mauville, as you know. It's not that I'm not capable –"he gestured to the gym behind him, shining brightly in the night like a beacon. "But I think the town's good just the way it is, wahahaha! This is the way it was when I grew up, and I don't wanna take any chances in changing it, y'know? I've given up on those dreams."

Brendan huffed. "I hear ya. Well, it was nice talking to you, sir. If you ever want a rematch, you know who to call! That is, if you're not retired by then."

Wattson laughed and gave the boy a pat on the shoulder. "There's that sense of humor you and your old man are known for! Go on now, kid! Wahahaha, goodnight!"

Grinning, Brendan mounted his bike and started back towards the Pokemon Center. As much as he wanted to stay around and stop in Mauville's shops and the Game Corner, he had a long trek to prepare for and supplies to pack. Feather Badge, here I come!

Steven ran one hand through his hair as Latios skimmed along the top of the sea towards the seashore where it had first appeared earlier that day. The whisper of the wind quickly died down, replaced with the distant buzzing of the jungle just a few hundred yards inland. He flipped open his Pokenav to check the time: 10:01PM. Not too late – he still had the time and energy to hike onto the plains of Route 123, where it was comfortable and significantly safer to camp out.

But the same could not be said for May. She'd grown quiet in the past twenty or so minutes, and it was understandable. He felt bad for her – guilty, even. He couldn't bring himself to say what his father wanted him to say – to apologize for her involvement in the whole issue – but he still pitied her.

However, after today's excursion, Steven had newfound confidence in the trainer. He hadn't been expecting her to be that involved, that helpful, and boy had that resourcefulness come in handy. And the connection she had with Latias – that was a surprise, too. But, just as he'd predicted, May was capable. Determined, and a little headstrong, but capable, nonetheless.

Scoffing, he spoke up. "Here we are… This should be the same spot we left from."

Steven awaited a reply from the trainer, but got none. Not even a movement, like if she were looking around. And she hadn't let go of him, despite Latios having slowed down, and there was a slight pressure on his back, like-

Johto… Why am I in Johto? I thought as I surveyed my surroundings. It wasn't Olivine, but from the huge, looming trees surrounding me and the silhouette of a familiar tower on the horizon, I could feel it – this was Johto. The air was crisp, the ground was uneven, and every few seconds there was a strange noise echoing across the landscape that I recognized as the call of a Noctowl.

I sighed. It seemed like forever ago that we'd left for Hoenn. Exploring the remote mountains of northern Johto, meeting all the Pokemon I'd seen in battles on TV – what a dream that was.

A dream… I sat up, gazing into the woods.

"…This should be the same spot we left from."

Hmm…? Suddenly the world around me blurred, darkened, and was no sooner replaced with another one. A beautiful scene – the ocean melting into the land, dark blue speckled with moonlight pressing against the dark mass of green that was Hoenn. That's right… Latios, and Steven… Are we finally…?

"May?" Steven spoke up again and I inhaled sharply. Embarrassed, but warm, nonetheless, I sat up and slid back.

"Whoops, hahahahaha! Guess I fell asleep!" I exclaimed, shoving my hands in my pockets and feeling my face heat up. Oh geez, talk about a mess! "I had a long day yesterday and didn't get a lot of sleep, so…!"

In my peripheral vision I noticed Steven's expression fall. "Is that so…? If you're not feeling well, you should take a break at Mauville's Pokemon Center. The journey ahead to Fortree is rough, believe me."

"Uhh-huhh…" I collected myself and then met the trainer's worried gaze. "I'm alright, really. I just travelled a lot. My Pokemon and I can handle this."

Reassured, the man nodded and turned around. Latios was just about at the shore now and slowed to a stop, cooing. The two of us jumped off of the Pokemon, landing gracefully in the sand, and Steven said his goodbyes to it before it zipped back up into the clouds. I watched Latios' slick form until it was out of sight completely, pondering whether all that had just happened was even real or not.

"Thank you again, May," Steven's voice once again drew me out of my thoughts – wasn't he the one always off in his own little world? – and I nodded at him, tightening my bandanna. "You were of much more help than I expected. These developments with Magma are… troubling."

I hummed in agreement, uneasiness flooding my head once more. "I thought Team Aqua would give up after Mt. Chimney, but… I get the feeling it's not gonna be that easy."

Steven let out a long sigh and ran one hand through his hair. Somehow, the expression made him seem older and more worn out. "Yeah, that's true… We'll just have to keep an eye open for them. Or… I will." He gave me an apologetic look. "You should focus on the Gym challenge. I'm sure that's hard enough on its own."

I scoffed and flashed the man a grin. "Hey, I'm not afraid of a bunch of pirates. I've done pretty good so far, right?"

He returned the look and shrugged. "That's true."

A gust of salty air blew in from the ocean, ruffling my hair and rattling the trees beyond the beach. It was dark, but after that nap I was anything but tired. I wonder… is Steven going the same way? I looked him up and down – the trainer's eyes were focused on the woods. He was lost in thought again. A little twinge of excitement sparked in my chest – maybe we could head there together, since he knows the way and I don't…?

Just then the soothing silence was interrupted by the buzzing of a phone. My hand fell to my pocket but stopped as I saw Steven pull out his own Pokenav. It was lit up, letting off a soft white glow. He tensed as he examined the object, and then, suddenly in a hurry, waved and gave me a brief smile. "Well, I have to take this. Until next time, May."

"Goodbye," I called in response as he turned away and started walking off rather briskly, speaking discreetly into the device. I pouted and was suddenly reminded of who Steven actually was – the son of a business tycoon, a working adult, and a well-off, experienced man. Between the life he lived for his father, the life he lived combatting Aqua and Magma, and whatever his personal life was comprised of, surely he didn't have time to go frolicking through the jungle with a newbie trainer like me.

But, still… I thought back dreamily to the events at Southern Island and turned tail, heading into the woods, following the map of my own Pokenav. It was a long ways to Route 119, and even further to Fortree.

The following day

"Ahhhh, I could use a shower…" I thought out loud.

The intensity of the midday heat had waned a bit, but the humidity seemed to get worse with every step. Each breath was like taking in a gulp of steam. Along with this rise in humidity came more and more plants on either side of the trial, until enormous, tropical ferns were brushing against my knees and a canopy of trees colored all shades of green arched far up over my head.

There were no signs marking Route 119, so I only assumed I was going the right way and forged onwards. As unimaginable as it was, the undergrowth thickened, and before I knew it I had entered a clearing in the forest and the grass all around grew up taller than me.

"Wow," I told Mightyena, "This is amazing! I'd never see anything like this in Johto. I didn't even know grass could get this tall." I squatted down and plucked a blade from the ground, twisting it around in my hands. It was thick and healthy, almost like a vegetable.

Suddenly there was a bristling noise coming from behind me, and I spun around, on guard. Mightyena did the same. My eyes narrowed, and I took another step backwards.

In response, there was another noise, and a patch of grass directly in front of me quivered. Mightyena let out a snarl.

"Who's there?" I called, stepping towards the grass.

Whatever was hiding then moved backwards, away from me, and I frowned. Is it a Pokemon?

"Mightyena," I gestured to the grass, and the Pokemon charged forwards, roaring.

There was then a whining sound, and the Dark-type came rolling out, entangled with another mammal Pokemon I didn't recognize. Still on guard, I pulled out my Pokedex.

"Linoone, the Rushing Pokemon. When hunting, Linoone will make a beeline straight for the prey at a full run. While this Pokemon is capable of topping 60 mph, it as to come to a screeching halt before it can turn."

"Linoone! Use Fury Swipes!" came a voice from a patch of grass to my left.

I responded by ordering a Bite from Mightyena. The battle worsened, and I stormed into the grass where the enemy trainer's command had come from.

"Ahg! Let go of me!" came a voice as I reached out and grabbed hold of something that felt like a collar. So there is someone in here! I was about to push the kid out when my foot caught on a root and sent both of us flying forwards – right into the tussling Mightyena and Linoone.

"Ow…" I groaned, pulling myself up from a pile of dazed Pokemon and people. Unfortunately, the kid was on the bottom.

"Uhg!" he exclaimed. "What'd you do that for, dammit?!"

I scowled as I helped the two Pokemon off of the boy. "What did I do that for? Why are you surprise-attacking trainers and hiding in the grass like that? What do you think you are? A ninja?!"

He got to his feet and gave me a nasty look. "I'm part of the Mimic Squad, thank you very much. And that's our battle strategy!"

Already the kid's attitude was getting under my skin. "Well, you shouldn't be surprised if trainers react like that, then. It's a dangerous world."

"Huh? What are you taking this so seriously for, lady? When did you start training? Yesterday? It's just a battle!" He looked incredulous.

I sighed. Maybe I am just blowing this out of proportion. It's not like he's with Aqua, or anything. He's just some camper. "Well, I'll battle you, but only if it's fairly."

He agreed, and we battled on somewhat fair terms. Despite Linoone's speed, Mightyena was able to trip it up and get in two powerful Bites – that was all that was necessary to knock the Pokemon out of commission. There were three other trainers hidden in the grass that I had to deal with, all of them calling themselves the "Mimic Squad" as well, but between Mightyena and Wingull I was able to burn through their Bug- and Normal-type teams in little time.

After walking for quite some time, I burst out of the tall grass – it stopped and gave way to normal grass as suddenly as it had sprung up. Ahead of me was a completely different landscape – like I'd gone through some kind of tunnel into another world. The Route was open and sloped upwards. Just ahead of me stretched a river, and beside it a defined pathway. Growing all around were the same amount of tropical plants, bordered by denser jungle on either side of the river, and all sorts of bridges and cliffs were in the distance, like big orange gashes in the endless green. The route alone made the entire section of Hoenn I'd already been through feel miniscule.

Unfortunately, the last vermilion bits of sunlight were now disappearing and my legs – muddy and scraped from the offroad hiking – were quite literally about to give way. I still hadn't switched the bandage, either. Looks like I'll have to stop here.

I surveyed my surroundings once more. There was a house not too far off to my right. It was covered in vines and pollen, but the light shining through the windows indicated that it was occupied. I didn't feel like begging for a place to stay, and there was still a sliver of worry that my father might still be trying to track me, so that was out of the question. Camping out was an option; I'd done it on plenty of other Routes. But the menacing noises that were rising out of the nearby made my skin crawl – I'd heard plenty of stories about the dangers of nocturnal rainforest animals.

With a sigh, I sauntered over to the nearby river. It was wide and the bottom was nowhere in sight, but flowed lazily. I reached my hand in, and, after a moment of hesitation, took a sip of the water. Despite its murkiness, the water's taste wasn't unbearable, and just as I'd expected, it was freshwater – ideal for washing.

I called out Lombre and surfed across the stream to a small patch of open land on the opposite side, hoping it would promise some privacy. The Pokemon had no problem swimming, and seemed happy to finally be in contact with water again.

Once at the other side, the first thing that caught my eye was an enormous bush at the border between grass and jungle. Childish curiosity caught hold of my heart, and I started towards it.

"Yes," I murmured to myself in thought as I observed the thing up close, "this is definitely…"

My mind flashed back to a brochure I'd seen in Slateport City, advertising a new TM called 'Secret Power' and how it could be used at certain places in the wild to form something trainers called a 'Secret Base'. Among the areas listed as popular Secret Base locations was a bush looking very similar to the one in front of me. Back then, I'd thought it was a silly idea, but now…

"Mightyena!" I threw a Pokeball into the air. "Come out and use Secret Power!"

The Pokemon, as though it had used the move dozens of time before, glowed a bright green and then leapt into the bush. I waited hopefully. After a good minute or two, a clump of the bush's exterior – half my height – fell to the ground, and Mightyena emerged, shaking the twigs and leaves from its fur.

I lit up. "Wow, so this is… A Secret Base? Then… if I go inside…"

My Pokemon practically pushed me forwards. I got on all fours and crawled through the entrance, excitement bubbling up within me. After a moment of stumbling in complete darkness, with branches scratching at my body from either side, I entered… a room. The clearing was no bigger than my room at my house in Littleroot, and yet it was incredibly cozy, lit by only the waning light from outside. A thick covering of leaves and twigs served as walls, and in the corner was, to my astonishment, a PC.

I had no idea how the PC got there, and frankly, I didn't care. I was too exhausted, and too excited. More memories of the brochure in Slateport flashed through my head and I hurried over to the machine, loading it up, inserting my Trainer Card… and sure enough, there were the two pieces of furniture I had bought.

After spending a little too much time enjoying my Secret Base, the day's journey began truly taking its toll and I made my way back down to the river, clad only in pajamas.

The water was as black as the sky above in the deepening night, aside from the reflection of the moon. There wasn't a soul in sight. Yawning, I slipped off my shoes and stepped back in. The feeling of stepping into water that wasn't ice cold was still bizarre to me, but I enjoyed it nonetheless, sitting on the ledge and splashing my feet around for a bit before undoing the bandage.

The cut itself had healed some, but the bruising was still hard to look at. Gee, of all the places to get injured, I get it from biking in the woods, I thought to myself with a light laugh. Figures.

Accompanied by the distant sounds of the jungle's nightlife and the calm flow of the river, I started washing up. A riverside was no substitute for a Pokemon Center, and it was a struggle to keep my clothes dry while rinsing out my hair, but I managed, somehow. The same breeze from earlier in the day continued, and combined with the water, served as a great way to cool down.

Eventually I sat back down and began rewrapping the cut, and my thoughts moved back to Steven Stone.

Still, I wonder about him, I thought. What would he be doing in the middle of Route 118, anyway? And he did give me that TM. And, come to think of it, didn't Brawly call Steven his superior? And that whole thing with Flannery, and that blue-haired freak? It was no use. I scolded myself for not questioning him earlier in the day. I'll never figure that guy out.

Feeling refreshed, I hurried back up to the Secret Base and collapsed on the small mat I'd bought in the Slateport Market. It wasn't a bed, but it also wasn't twigs and mud. And a Secret Base certainly beat traveling throughout the night through a dark, dangerous, and impossibly deep jungle, accompanied only by the buzzing and rustling around me.

"Let's sleep in tomorrow, Mightyena. We've earned it."

The Pokemon snorted in agreement and curled up at my side.

I woke up late the following day, and decided to continue the hike without any more dawdling in the Secret Base or in the river. The humidity had worsened and the clear sky made for unbearable heat, but I'd gotten sleep and that fact alone was enough to keep me moving. After first crossing the river back to the main section of the Route, we stopped in the house I'd spotted the night before purely out of curiosity.

After standing at the door for a moment – if it could be called a door, since the empty frame was covered in hanging vines and leaves – I pushed my way inside to find a large, well-furnished room, which actually looked normal for a house in the middle of the wild. Except for the Wingull. Yes, the Wingull perched on the cabinets and lying asleep on the floor and poking at birdfeed placed on a table were definitely not normal.

Mightyena growled as one landed on its back and began picking through its fur.

"Oh! Hello there!" Came a man's voice, and out from a hallway emerged an, again, relatively normal-looking fellow. A Wingull was perched on his shoulder.

I blinked. "Umm, hi. Sorry for intruding. I was just wondering…"

He nodded. "Yes, yes! I do live here, in the middle of nowhere! I work part-time as a ranger in these parts." He began sifting through a drawer on the other side of the room. "You're a trainer?"

"Yes," I told him.

"Great!" he seemed to find what he was looking for, as he straightened and then bounced towards me. The Wingull chirped loudly. I could only imagine how unbearable living in a house full of those loud Pokemon might be. "We have lots of trainers come by in these parts, since Route 119 is such a long and dangerous path, y'know? Staying overnight, and stuff! We're almost like an unofficial hotel."

I shifted uncomfortably as more and more of the Wingull began to stare at me with those beady eyes of theirs. "Well, that's interesting," I tried my hardest to sound polite, "but I think I should probably get go-"

"Here!" the man chirped. He was starting to remind me of a Wingull himself. I was then handed what looked like a TM – probably for some Wingull-like move, right? Bird Poop attack?

Nonetheless, I accepted it. "Oh, err, thank you! …You didn't have to!"

He shook his head. Around twelve Win gulls mimicked the movement. "Nonsense! I've been looking for a trainer like you – experienced, but not too experienced. One that might find use out of the HM for Fly!"

Fly! I thought, looking at the item – and the crazy bird man – in a new light. "I- thank you!"

He gave a little salute in reply.

A woman who had been sitting in the corner then stood up and approached us – I must have had mistaken her for a Wingull, as well, as she was wearing a white- and blue- sundress. She was holding a large book, but the cover was facing away from me.

"Trainer, have you been to Mt. Pyre, by any chance?" she questioned. Her eyes were beady and black, though less disturbing than those of the Wingull's. "Or are you coming from Mauville?"

The name rang a bell, but I shook my head. "Mauville. But I have heard of Mt. Pyre…"

She nodded, adjusting the pair of round glasses on her nose. "It's a place where dead Pokemon are honored. You'll find that eastern Hoenn has many more interesting sites than western Hoenn. Speaking of death, you must have heard of the Cave of Origin as well, right?"

I frowned and shook my head once more, blushing. "I-I only just moved here recently."

The woman looked aghast. The Wingulls began covering their beaks with their wings. "You haven't heard of the legend of the Cave of Origin? You really must read up on Hoenn, trainer, if you're planning on exploring this far and – let me guess, challenging the League?"

My frown twisted into a scowl. "…Sorry. Like I said, I just moved here. Is the Cave of Origin some kind of folk tale, or something?"

The couple rolled their eyes at each other. "I bet this poor trainer doesn't even know who the League Champion is."

"You think so?" the male responded.

"The Cave of Origin," the woman went on, moving her scrutinizing gaze back over to me, "is known as the place of Birth and Rebirth. Similar to how Mt. Pyre is a place of death and rest for the spirits of Pokemon, the Cave of Origins is where they are revived and reborn."

Wonder sparked to life in my chest. A legendary place like that…? I thought back to Southern Island – Could those places be related? I'll definitely have to learn more about it!

Unfortunately, the story stopped there. Mightyena had been driven over the edge by the Wingull perched on its back, and began snapping its jaws at the Pokemon. Startled, it flew into the arms of the woman, who gasped, before all the other Wingulls in the room began squawking and fluttering around in a panic.

With profuse apologies to the couple, I dragged my Pokemon out of the house and sighed.

The next few days were spent exploring Route 119 and digging deeper and deeper into the jungle. The scenery grew more spectacular the further in I traveled; the vegetation got lusher, the sounds surrounding me became wilder, and the sights became jaw dropping. Ferns and large plants began closing in on the trail again, and at some points I had to have my Pokemon come out and help cut a way through the greenery, but at other points, the trail would open up to a huge canyon crossable by a rickety wooden bridge.

I hadn't realized how far upwards the climb had been from the bottom of Route 119 until I got to the second of these bridges, and looking back, I could see the azure river that followed the trail snaking through the verdant rainbow of a jungle. The path was practically indiscernible from the vegetation. And if the view wasn't enough, the feeling of the waterfall's spray hitting your back was heavenly – especially in the midday heat. At night the water was been pitch-black and seemed to have the consistency of soup, but now, it was a clear blue and rushed forwards with life.

Crack!

I jumped and immediately looked down. My heart felt like it'd leap out of my chest. That noise was…!

Sure enough, there were no changes on the two boards that my feet were placed on, nor were there any cracks in the boards around me. I took a breath of relief, but was then interrupted by another crack.

I frantically began making my way to the end of the bridge, but then stopped. In… my bag…?

…The egg! I thought, pulling the object out in a rush.

Three huge faults had appeared on the top of the egg – considering all of the tumbles it had been through already, I assumed they weren't caused by me. As I held it, gazing in anticipation, another one appeared. And then another. And then a chunk of the egg fell off, and then the entire egg burst into pieces, releasing a translucent yolk all over the place – including on Mightyena and I – and, standing in its place, was a tiny blue Pokemon.

"Bagon!" it barked.

"Bagon!" I stated. "…Bagon?! Bagon! The egg! It hatched!"

"Ba-gon!" the Pokemon replied happily, bouncing up and down in my hands.

I quickly moved the thing into one arm and reached for my Pokedex, hoping the substance coating my hand wouldn't damage it too much.

"Bagon, the Rock Head Pokemon. Bagon harbors a never-ending dream of one day soaring high among the clouds. As if trying to dispel its frustration over its inability to fly, this Pokemon slams its hard head against huge rocks and shatters them into peb-"

"Bagoooon!"

I glanced up. Bagon had shimmied its way out of my arm and was now standing on the edge of the bridge. I gasped.

"Bagon!"

Before I could even wrap my head around the situation, the baby Pokemon took a leap tremendous for its size and began falling head-first into the canyon.

I felt something in my chest shatter, as well as my light breakfast start to rise out of my stomach. "B-bagon!"

Mightyena began barking in protest. I recovered in a split second and grabbed Wingulls Pokeball. "Go after it, Wingull! Hurry!"

The Pokemon burst from its storage and flew after the suicidal baby Bagon. Unfortunately, being a seagull, it wasn't as built for speed like Tailow was. But it would have to work, I thought. I watched carefully, gripping the loose rope railing on the edge of the bridge. Wingull closed in on it, wrapped its little feet around Bagon's stubby ones, and began frantically flapping its wings. Good. The fall had slowed significantly, but Wingull couldn't carry the load, of course, and disappeared into the canopy of the trees far below.

"Everyone!" I called, tossing out my other three Pokeballs, "Go after Wingull and Bagon! Hurry!"

Mightyena, Combusken, Aron, and Sableye all materialized in front of me and went after their strayed friends. The former two ran to the end of the bridge and then started skidding down the steep slope, while Aron and Sableye simply leapt from the bridge. I took another look at the patch of trees where Wingull had gone down, taking a mental note of the location, and then sprinted down the slope, worry driving each careless step I took.

A/N: So, most of this is comfy filler. But there are a good number of things in this chapter that'll be important in 26.

Just a sidenote, after this little arc I'm going to be focusing less on detailing battles/gyms and more on the main story since this is where the action starts picking up.

Thanks for reading!