Chapter Twenty-six
Evolutionary Journey
Morning came and went quickly as Steph, Brendan, Matt, and Dewdano prepared for the exploration of Mount Chimney. "We don't know how long the journey will take us to scale down the mountain, so we best be prepared," Brendan had said. Each of the travelers made sure there was enough water to fill the water bottles and enough berries to eat.
Once everyone had felt that enough preparations had been made, the group headed out, following the beaten path that led up to the mountain's grand staircase. They scaled it quickly, and once they reached the top, they all stared at the sight before them.
"The cable car's broken?" Steph exclaimed, reading the sign that was plastered to the front of the cable car station. "How're we going to reach the top of the mountain now?" Dewdano offered a growl in protest.
"We could always climb it," Brendan grumbled unhappily, folding his arms across his chest. "But we all know how long that would take."
"That doesn't seem very plausible," Steph replied. "If only we had a Pokémon that could fly so far…"
"You and I both have Wingulls," Brendan pointed out. "If they evolve into Pelippers, they could fly us to the top."
"Well, this is true," Steph said, pretending to consider this, "if we actually could find the time to evolve them!" She shook her head in disdain and Brendan frowned. "I guess we have to climb, then."
"Wait a minute," Brendan said suddenly, before Steph could start her way to the face of the mountain. "Send out your Wingull. I have an idea."
Steph looked at Brendan oddly, but she put her hand to the flap of her pack and flipped it open. She reached in for her Wingull's Pokéball and casually let out Peter. The Wingull cried out in delight, circling gallantly in the air, as he always seemed to do.
"Make your Wingull fly to the top of the mountain," Brendan instructed, "and that rough journey alone should be enough for it to evolve."
Steph blinked blankly, Peter squawking jubilantly above her head. "I thought Pokémon could only evolve in battle," she wondered aloud, looking up at the jolly Peter.
"Not so," Matt chimed in. "There are many conditions under which Pokémon evolve. I think Brendan's right." He looked over at Brendan and raised an eyebrow. "For once, anyway."
Brendan frowned at Matt. "Wow, thanks." Dewdano chirped happily, unaware of what the humans were quarreling about.
"Would you two just stop?" Steph exclaimed, starting Dewdano and Peter. She looked up at the stunned Peter and, taking a deep breath, yelled, "Peter, fly up to the top of Mount Chimney!"
Peter stopped circling in the air, and for a second, Steph was afraid that her Wingull would disobey her. Peter then, without looking down at his trainer, folded his wings to his body and rocketed upward. Once he had torpedoed in the air as far as he could, he unfolded his small wings and beat them hard. The higher he flew, the windier it became. The wind ruffled Peter's feathers and provided some resistance for his small body. Steph watched her Wingull intently, as did her friends, and they all stood speechless as they watched him soar, higher and higher, until the thick gray smoke clouds swallowed him up entirely.
"Oh no, I've killed him," Steph mumbled to herself, waiting for Peter to return. The Wingull was struggling to keep his wings flapping under the high winds. The further he got, the rougher the journey became. Peter could see that top of the mountain, but he just couldn't go on much further. He willed himself to go with all his might, fighting the strong gusts as well as he could. Suddenly he felt a warm white glow envelop him, and then Peter found that he was much bigger than before, probably even bigger than his trainer. His enlarged wings had more control against the pressure in the air. Peter easily finished the last few lengths to the top of the mountain. Once he got to the top, he saw a bubbling pit filled with lava, some oddly dressed people surrounding it. He circled the lava pit, ignoring the people, taking in the view of the surrounding region.
Peter looked back down, and all he could see was smoke. He folded up his wings and, taking a last look at the volcano, dive-bombed downward, feeling the surging air on his wings. Once he survived the thick veil of smoke, he could see the land beneath him. He spotted his trainer and her friends and circled over to them.
"Peter!" Steph yelped in surprise as she saw the newly evolved Pelipper. Peter squawked as he neared his trainer. Steph was surprised at how large he had become.
"See? I told you," Brendan gloated arrogantly as Steph stroked Peter and Dewdano looked on jealously.
"Well, Peter's only big enough for one of us at a time," Steph sighed, her fingers running through Peter's soft white feathers. His beak was now big enough to hold a human, and his wings were still tipped with a sky blue. "We'll have to take it slowly." Steph turned to the cheerful Pelipper. "Are you up to it, Peter?"
Peter cawed happily in reply, and Steph smiled.
"You go first, since Peter's yours," Matt suggested nonchalantly. Steph nodded, and Peter lowered himself enough so that his owner and Dewdano could climb onto his back. Steph did so, Dewdano following her. She was amazed at how comfortable she was, and she wasn't prepared when Peter suddenly took off into the sky. Steph drew in a sharp breath, feeling jolted as she clung onto Peter. She also felt exhilarated as she felt the rush of air as Peter beat his great wings. Dewdano seemed unfazed by all this, watching the shrinking earth below him. They were soaring so high that when Steph looked down, she could only see smoke. The top of the mountain was becoming visible, and Steph could hear the familiar hissing of lava. She nervously held onto Peter until, at last, he landed on the top of the mountain. Dewdano hastily jumped off, and Steph immediately followed. Peter wasted no time in sending for Brendan and Matt.
Steph suddenly found herself on a battleground of sorts. Members of Team Aqua and Team Magma were fighting battles around the pit of lava. Dewdano growled ferociously. "Oh, no," Steph muttered, holding Dewdano close to her.
Not one person saw Steph, and she decided to advance carefully, stealthily creeping around the battle areas. Dewdano was silent and quick-footed as he dashed alongside her. She had somehow managed to make it to the edge of the crater of lava when she was seized, none too gently, by her shirt collar and was yanked roughly backwards. She yelped in surprise and Dewdano snarled viciously at the attacker. Steph twisted her body around to face the Team Magma member who was about to hurt her.
"You stupid girl," the Team Magma grunt, the one who had hassled Steph in Meteor Falls, glowered angrily at his victim. "Not even the broken cable car daunted you, eh? Well, prepare to get your reward for making it all this way." Steph looked down and saw that she was dangling over the bubbling lava. She immediately stopped struggling and turned limp in the enemy's strong grip. Dewdano started to cower in fear.
"Unhand her!" a familiar voice called, and Steph looked up desperately to see Brendan, his ruby red eyes gleaming with hatred. Steph knew right away that Peter had just brought Brendan up.
The Team Magma man turned around, and Steph was relieved that she was no longer inches away from death. She kicked her assailant in the knee, making him yell in pain and loosening his grip, and seconds later Steph found herself on the ground besides Dewdano and Brendan.
"We settle this with a battle," Brendan continued, his voice quivering slightly.
The Team Magma member snorted. "Now two versus one? That hardly seems fair," he grunted. All at once, Steph saw two other Team Magma people, one a black-haired girl a bit older than herself, and a stout man, came up behind the attacker.
"Stand your ground," Brendan commanded bravely, and Steph obliged. The Team Magma members sent out their Pokémon: a Numel, which looked very much like Carmel, a Zubat, which was a blind purple bat, and a Mightyena, the evolved form of Poochyena.
"Go, Wingull!" Brendan called, sending forth his Pokéball, and watching as his Pokémon appeared after the familiar burst of light.
Steph swallowed nervously, reaching into her pack for a Pokéball. "Let's do this, Alex," she whispered, cupping the Pokéball in her hands before tossing it high into the air. Alex appeared after a moment, glaring at its foes with malice.
"Oh, we're outnumbered," Brendan sighed as the Mightyena, which was under the command of the girl Team Magma member, bit his Wingull. His Wingull cawed a bit at the impact. "We're done for."
Steph seemed undaunted as she called out fir Alex to use Spark against the Mightyena. Small electrical charges began to surround the Electrike's body as he raced straight into the Mightyena, making it fly back a little. It looked up, seeming only slightly harmed, its cruel mouth twisted into an angry snarl. The Zubat, noticing this chance, beat its wings as it flew over to Alex and sank its tiny but sharp teeth into the Electrike's side. Alex yowled in pain.
"This ain't looking good for you two," the female Team Magma member smirked, her pearly white teeth nearly blinding Steph, who was momentarily distracted and didn't notice the Numel unleashing a small stream of orange fire at Alex, who began to look scathed and tired. Steph winced slightly, but she didn't let her fear show.
Brendan's Wingull quickly darted forward, its beak opening to blast a jet of blue water at the Numel, which was too slow to dodge it. The Numel immediately collapsed, its eyes closed in pain. The stout man looked upset as he held out his Pokéball and recalled his Numel.
A soft lighting glowing from Alex and the Wingull interrupted the moment of triumph for Steph and Brendan, and Steph realized with fascination that the two Pokémon were evolving. Brendan's Wingull slowly began to change shape and grow larger, taking on Peter's shape. Alex also became much bigger, its new form a yellow-and-blue dog-like creature with a lightning-rod-like head.
"Oh, my new Pelipper is so beautiful!" Brendan exclaimed. Steph rolled her eyes, still aware that she was caught in a battle. Her new Pokémon was nearly as tall as she was. She didn't know the name of the species, but she figure she would bother Brendan about it later.
"No time to dawdle," Steph said as the Mightyena rushed at Alex, Alex swiftly sidestepping to avoid its foe's gaping jaws. Brendan's Pelipper swiftly flew forward and unleashed another strong stream of water at the Zubat, which became hurt, its wings flapping a big slower, but still didn't faint.
Suddenly a burst of blue water that seemingly came out of nowhere, striking the Mightyena square on its face. Steph flinched in surprise as she saw Peter hovering over her, carrying Matt on its back.
"I told Peter to fly me over here so no one could catch me," Matt explained as Peter dove down to the ground, landing besides his stunned owner. "Anyway, let's beat these guys." Steph reached into her pack, drew out Peter's Pokéball, and recalled him. Matt was already holding his Pokéball, and he tossed it nonchalantly, releasing something Steph didn't recognize. It was a light blue, with orange fins on top of its head. It stood on two legs, unlike most Pokémon Steph had ever seen. Dewdano looked at it suspiciously.
"Marshtomp, use Mudshot on the Mightyena!" Matt called, and his Marshtomp opened its mouth, and all spectators watched as a great torrent of mud hit the Mightyena on its chest. It fell backward immediately, its eyes closed in pain. The Team Magma girl glared at Matt as she recalled her Mightyena. She stood beside the other defeated grunt.
Alex finished the Zubat off with a well-aimed Spark, and soon all three of the Team Magma members were grumbling in defeat. After everyone had recalled his or her Pokémon, Steph led the way along the edge of the lava pit, where there were no skirmishes. She saw an oddly familiar man drawing closer, and Dewdano growled at him in recognition.
"Oh, no," Brendan mumbled.