Chapter 24: Route 4

-Black-

This was the fourth and the last day of their stay in Liberty Garden.

White had been busy all morning. One minute she could be checking all the messages on her Xtranceiver and the next minute she could be yelling at the cameraman to be more careful with the equipment.

Meanwhile, Jiao was saying goodbye to Victini. Four days ago, Victini had been temporarily captured by Team Plasma and fortunately, he was saved and Victini bombed Team Plasma's boat into smithereens.

After that, Jiao "confessed" about her—in short, psychic abilities to affect the environment and understand pokemon. Also, she admitted that soon after she came here, she met Cadvan and because of him she's currently having those extremely odd eyes and now he's her teacher.

Cadvan wasn't only some old psychic, but he was also a very strong pokemon trainer. Cadvan became Black's training opponent, but that old man had beaten him every time within six rounds. Cadvan was the perfect opponent for training his pokemon!

Unfortunately for Jiao (and her pokemon), he seemed like a demonic teacher. For the past few days, Cadvan and Jiao would disappear for almost the whole day, then come to the pokemon centre to join everyone for dinner. Every time, Jiao could only take a few bites of her vegetarian meal before her head dropped on to the table. Faolan looked every bit as exhausted as his trainer.

" What have you been doing to her? She's only a…girl!" Professor Juniper had complained to Cadvan once, but that didn't seem to change Cadvan's mind at all.

White turned to approach him, apparently done with her pony tail swished and her glossy brown hair reflected the morning light.

White frowned," Why are you staring at me? Is there something on my face?"

"I was just thinking about my pokemon and stuff. That's not illegal, right?" Black answered nonchalantly. In anticipated response ,White rolled her eyes like she was thinking: Ughh…boys…

" Well, you'd better get up and going. The boat's gonna depart in ten minutes and the next one comes 1hour later. We've got a tight schedule this week and so we can't afford—"

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Black interrupted. He didn't need a lecture bright and early in the morning. He slung his bag and hurried towards the direction of the ferry, and set his mind on the fourth gym. That's right, it was the gym in Nimbasa City which can only be reached by crossing a desert. It would take 5 days even if they took the route that was under construction, and there was the other problem…

And as he was still calculating the number of days to becoming the champion of Unova, he barely heard Cadvan yelling at White why didn't they inform him that they were already at the jetty and it almost made him and Meng Jiao miss the ferry…

-蛟-

"So we have to cross a desert for five days?" I spoke incredulously. A desert just after the third gym in our journey? I had only experienced desert routes after I defeated the pokemon Champion Cynthia when I played Pokemon Diamond!

And then there would most likely have a sandstorm… I thought grudgingly. Faolan, always so sensitive, pushed his warm nose into my palm, giving me some comfort.

Man's best friend, huh? I thought. I heard Faolan's mind voice, a feeling that only home can provide, I knew you as long as I could remember.

"Oh well," Cadvan interrupted. "We'll go to the department store to buy desert clothing."

He grabbed my wrist with a vicelike grip, "This will familiarize you with how the human society in this world works. You two better stay here. Don't even move a finger until I return!"

" There's no need to be so harsh on Black and White," I protested weakly. " They aren't even your students!"

" I'm sorry, but that's my nature," Cadvan stated matter-of-factly.

"Now hurry," he snapped as he dragged the unwilling me away. " I have no patience with doing something like shopping. Let's get that shopping over and done with!"

-A while later (since you can't look at your watch when holding bags of shopped items)-

Cadvan came dragging me back in a ridiculous outfit over my casual clothes. A dirt-brown hat was pushing down my short black hair over my eyes and my nose, mouth and the rest of my body was covered by and oversized cloak, which was said "To be used by trainers when crossing a desert territory."

Black gagged when he saw me. "Dude, what are you wearing?"

"Desert clothing," I mumbled half-heartedly, my concealed face hot from the stares from passers-bys.

Cadvan conveniently took the two shopping bags from my hold and handed one each to Black and White. "Here you go. This'll make the journey less painful for you youngsters. The weather report said that there's one big one today, so if you have enough common sense, you'll put them one."

"How about you?" I muttered. Cadvan gave me the look which said that I was going to get extra homework tonight.

" I've got my coat, don't you get it?"

-Outside-

For the first time in my life, I was actually in a real sandstorm. Wind whipped at me cloak and hair, with grains of sand threatening to get 'pollinated' into my eyes. Now I understood why Cadvan went to buy an oversized cloak for me: to allow Faolan to hid under it as well. Still, it was hard to walk in a sandstorm avoiding a moving obstacle around my legs.

To say it nicely, the journey was a boring one. Due to the sand and wind, we had to pull the high collar of the cloaks over our nose and mouth, rendering almost zero communication between us. Besides, I have the extra task of making sure Faolan was well sheltered under my cloak. Really, it wasn't an easy task!

And then I bumped into someone.

"Dui bu qi! (Sorry!)" I exclaimed, quite forgetting to use English. It didn't matter anyway, it just came out as a unintelligible grunt. The person I bumped into turned around and I realized the person wasn't Black or White.

As I tried to think of some apology, the stranger asked, "Jiao?"

I looked at the stranger's face, alarmed. Between the collar of the desert cloak and cap, I could make out black hair, spectacles, and a pair of sharp blue eyes.

"Cheren?" I questioned back, which fortunately didn't come out as a grunt.

"Hmm, how's your journey so far?" Cheren asked.

" Very smooth. Before we start talking, I think I'd better catch up with Black and White. They were right beside me just now—oh well I suppose you do lose sight of people easily in sandstorms…" my legs had already started to move before I remembered it was a terrible thing to leave a friend in a sandstorm like that.

"Uh…you can come with me if you want to!" I offered. Cheren said something but a particularly large gust of wind carried it away. The worst place to have a conversation must be a desert with a sandstorm, when whatever you say is conveniently carried away by wind that leaves sand on your tongue as a thank you gift.

Lin Meng Jiao! Where in in Arceus's name are you! A telepathic roar resounded in my head, causing me to double back out of shock. I hurriedly went to answer my teacher to avoid his wrath (which I doubt I would) Sir, I'm sorry! I met a friend and found out that I've strayed away from the group…

No need to explain using language. I can see whatever happened very clearly in your head.

Seriously…I'm still not used to the way of communications without any privacy.

Cadvan sent images into my mind. We've found a cave not too far from here. Walk straight forward, until you see a large rock in the shape of a cone, then turn left and you will find a cave.

And what if all the rocks in this desert are shaped like cones? Faolan gave a low growl. I shrugged as Cheren walked over to my side.

Let's find out how many cone-shaped rocks are there in this desert, shall we?

-White-

"Jiao!" White shrieked as soon as a cloaked figure stumbled into the cave. Jiao pulled down the collar and coughed, while Faolan loped out from the folds of her oversized cloak.

Another figure stumbled into the cave after her. Black, the first to react, sent out his pokemon. "Who are you? If you're gonna hurt my friends—"

"Would Jiao lead me here if I was a foe?" the stranger asked calmly and took off his desert cap, revealing a very familiar face.

" Cheren?!" Black choked out. "What are you doing here?"

"On my way to the fourth badge," the other boy stated matter-of-factly. " Then Meng Jiao bumped into me and lead me here. After that, my longtime friend threatens me with his pokemon."

"Oh jeez…I'm sorry. We just met several troublemakers at Liberty Garden and I haven't really recovered from that shock you know..." Black explained, scratching his head sheepishly.

" I'm the one who's sorry. I made all of you worry," Jiao apologized softly, with that voice that was sincere yet was distant.

Cadvan grunted in response. Not what you expect from someone that had been a overly worried teacher. Yet, Jiao's expression went through a series of changes in a microsecond, and she muttered a string of unheard words under her breath. The actions of the teacher and the student could have been missed by anyone—like a shadow that was always unnoticed by anybody—unless paid attention to.

White couldn't help to think that Jiao was kind of distant. Even on days where the three of them were together, she would go into a long period of silence, then suddenly become social for a while, then go back into silent mode. White twirled a lock of her hair absently as she proceeded to evaluate Cadvan.

She hadn't known Cadvan for quite long, but it did seem to White that Cadvan and Jiao know something that they don't, sort of like partners in business, but what kind of business?

The two boys were still blissfully oblivious to her zoning out and Jiao making weird faces. They were having the pre-battle word-fight of battle fanatics :

" Hey, Cheren. Both of us got three badges, and both of us have the same starter pokemon. Who do your think would have the better pokemon?" Black was saying.

Cheren adjusted his spectacles, making them reflect steely light in the dim cave, " Both of our pokemon teams are obviously different, and therefore even if we battled, the outcome is affected by independent variables such as pokemon types, pokemon abilty , number of pokemon and such. Hence, a battle between our full pokemon teams would not be fully accurate to see who is stronger."

"In other words, let's just use our identical starter pokemon in this battle!" Black interrupted before the bespectacled boy could prattle on any further.

Faolan gave a somewhat contemptuous snort (Could a dog be contemptuous?) Right on cue, his owner spoke up, "Black, isn't using PIgnite to battle against a Tepig affects the outcome of this battle as well? There's no need to worry about that though, since Cheren's Pignite is calling me a human with a tail-sized brain…why did I even speak up in the first place…"

Jiao's statement trailed off and became a monologue that White can barely hear. Cheren was oblivious and was continuing the dialogue," That could have been the best option. Unfortunately, my Tepig had evolved into a Pignite some time ago and—"

" Didn't you hear what Jiao said?" White interrupted the two boys. Black and Cheren turned towards her with faces that said Huh?

"Seriously?" In answer the two boys shook their heads in unison. White facepalmed. Those two boys are indeed Arceus-leveled pokemon battle fanatics!

White tried to hide the irritation out of her voice as she gave the two a less-than-a-minute summary," Jiao said just go and battle!"

In the other side of the cave, Jiao covered her face with her hands.

Black and Cheren got the message. Muttering "if you say so", they went outside into the sandstorm, apparently thinking that there was more space outside than inside.

"I don't think so," Cadvan piped up from his spot in the far end of the cave. "Young lady, Black decided that you were in such an unsociable mood that it would ruin their pokemon match if you saw it."

"And you don't sound too sociable either, gramps!" White snapped. As if to fuel her increasing irritation, the shorty started braiding his bush of a beard and sang "Night night Sandshrew on the ground". Before White would start a duel of words with Cadvan, Jiao pulled White away to the cave entrance.

"Don't mind what he says. My master's always like that," Jiao told her as she righted her cap. "Besides, it's really unusual for you to be so stressed about something other than your work."

"Of course! Look at Black! Every time someone mentions a pokemon battle, he forgets about everything and ignores everyone!"

"That's what I'm talking about. You really do focus a lot on Black, don't you?"

"I absolutely dislike that Cadvan too! And Black's friend—"

"Oi, oi , calm down. You're sensitive to what Cadvan said because he said Black thought you would ruin his pokemon battle. Besides, you voiced your frustration on Black first and longer than Cheren or Cadvan." Jiao interrupted. Continuing in a bland tone, she said," He must really be someone special to you, huh."

" Wh-What are you talking about! Black's my work partner! It's natural for me to get annoyed with his attitude!"

"Work partner?"

"Assistant!" White was completely flustered by now.

" Oh yeah, Cadvan was lying about the part that Black thinking of you as some spoilsport. Cheren and Black thought that this cave was indeed to tiny for a pokemon battle. Pretty much obvious to anyone, anyway."

White narrowed her eyes, " You're not comforting me, right?"

" For your information, I'm picking up their thoughts. Faolan can tell if I'm lying," Jiao grinned deviously. " He'll whine if I lied."

The battle ended with Black winning the battle, and never did Faolan whine.

I am sorry for this very huge holdup. The reasons for that were tighter schedules, exams and truthfully, laziness to type out the documents. I really do feel guilty about coming up with a unexciting chapter after one prolonged period of holdup. I did set a goal to complete this fanfiction by the end of this year, so let's see if I hold up my promise...

Thanks for your support and patience!

Your inconsistent writer