It's good to back, I hope you missed me. The last few months have been rather busy and my energy to write have been practically non-existent. I'm hoping to get back in the groove soon, but I'll make no promises. Due to the amount of time passed since last time, here's a little recap of the current arc.

Casey, Mia and Tyson have left Dalemer town, heading towards Nelacnari City on the opposite side of a large forest. In order to speed up their travels a little, they rent a canoe, and as they sail through the rivers, they come across an injured Poliwhirl. With the intentions of getting Poliwhirl back to its trainer, they come across Kyle. He claims to have found the Poliwhirl much like themselves, and caught it to get it to a hospital in the forest. Kyle leads the group to an inn, as thanks for their help. During the night, Tyson discovers Kyle in the act of a strange ritual and is attacked by Poliwhirl. The next day the group sets out again but is beset by a storm, which separates Tyson from the rest of the party. Kyle convinces Mia and Casey to head for the Lake of Purity, as that is Tyson's likely destination as well. Last thing we knew, Tyson had washed ashore somewhere, only to be found by a Houndour and its trainer.

...whew, that was hard. For the future, I don't I'll add much in the way of recaps, unless they are an integral part of the story.


Chapter 29 – Concern

Monday the 3rd of Ashleaf

06:21, Dalemer Forest

Light had barely broken through the canopy of the woods, but already the forest was teeming with activity. Caterpie's and Weedle's had come out of their nightly shelter to bask in the morning light, while Lotad's and Lombre's were swimming in the cold rivers. A pack of Deerling was grassing near the river and overhead a flock of Pidgey made for their usual hunting grounds. Elsewhere, in the heart of the woods, Casey, Mia and Kyle were also up and about. Neither Casey nor Mia had slept well and so Kyle had decided to rise early, getting an early start. They were already packing up the camp; breakfast would have to be consumed on the road.

"I think we should try the other leg of the river this time," Casey said as they packed up the tents.

"Okay," Kyle replied, struggling with his part of the tent.

"I'm still not getting much reception," Mia said as she put away her Pokégear. They had agreed to leave it turned on and to check it at various intervals. Maybe, just maybe, they would get a hold of Tyson.

"Let's check it again later then," Casey said and packed up the last part of the tent. "I think we're about ready to go now, aren't we?"

"I should think so," Kyle said. "Let's get the canoe loaded then." The group quickly packed up the canoe and was soon on their way down the river, going along on the leg they hadn't searched the night before. They paddled slowly, almost only drifting along, looking for clues as to where Tyson had washed up.

"Are you getting anything, Mia?" Casey asked as he slowly guided the canoe downstream. Mia fished out her Pokégear and opened the phone.

"Nothing," she replied shortly. "I'm not getting any signal at all."

"I think most of the forest is too dense for satellites to penetrate," Kyle said from the front.

"Then how will we find him?" Casey asked.

"Weren't you guys heading somewhere when I met you?" Kyle asked.

"Yeah, the Lake of Purity," Mia asked. "Why?"

"Because then that's likely where Tyson is headed," Kyle said. "Think about it. Usually if you get lost, the best idea is to either stay put, or meet up at a designated location, right?"

"And since Tyson can't sit still for long…" Casey began, before Kyle cut him off.

"He'll likely be heading for the lake," Kyle concluded.

"You're right," Mia said with a smile.

"And even better, a couple of a Rangers that I know live near the lake," Kyle continued. "So even if Tyson won't be there when we get there, we can organize a proper search party."

"That sounds great," Casey said relieved.

"How far to the lake?" Mia asked.

"If we keep to the rivers and speed up a little, it should take no more than a few days," Kyle replied.

Mia turned around to face Casey "Do you think Tyson can take care of himself for so long?" Mia asked him concerned.

"This is Tyson we're talking about," Casey replied with equal concern. "He can hardly take care of himself for five minutes." He sighed. "But still, if anyone can survive on their own in an unknown forest, it's him."


Monday the 3rd of Ashleaf

06:53, Dalemer Forest

"Achoo!" Tyson sneezed and woke from his sleep. He sat up and felt a blanket slide away from him. Bleary-eyed, Tyson looked around camp. A single tent was standing, its entry open as if to freshen up the air inside. Next to him was a small bonfire, almost reduced to mere cinders and ash. Where am I? Tyson thought as he looked around the unfamiliar campsite. The last thing I remember was the canoe tipping over, then… "Kyle!" Tyson exclaimed and jerked. The sudden motion sent a pang of pain through his chest and Tyson collapsed again, wincing in pain.

"If you don't rest up, you'll never get better," a voice said from behind him. Tyson turned around and stared at a boy around his age. The boy had short and curly brown hair. The blue eyes in his face seemed as cold as ice. He was holding a stack of firewood in his arms. "And trust me; I don't want you around any longer than I have too."

"Sean!" Tyson mumbled and clenched a fist. "I still haven't forgotten what you said to me back in Barme Town!"

"Hm?" Sean murmured as he walked over to the fireplace and dropped the wood. "What did I say?" he asked casually as he started building the fire anew.

"You called me clueless," Tyson said anger flaring in his voice. "You don't even remember do you? I bet you don't even… argh!" Another stab of pain shot through Tyson's chest and once more he collapsed. It took a few moments for him to catch his breath. By then, Sean had the bonfire burning.

"And was I wrong?" Sean asked, raising an eyebrow. "You can't even take care of yourself."

"I can take of myself just fine, thank you," Tyson spat back.

"Then how come you ended up with a chest full of bruised ribs?" Sean asked, without a hint of emotion in his voice.

"How do you kn…?" Tyson started to say, then looked down at himself. He was sitting in only his underwear, thankfully still covered by the blanket. His upper body, however, was completely exposed. Looking at himself, Tyson could see several dark-purple spots and even a few band aids. "Did you do this?" Tyson asked slowly.

"If by 'this' you mean taking your clothes off and covering your wounds, yeah," Sean said, sipping from a mug. "I had to get you out of your wet clothes."

"But…" Tyson said. "I don't understand." Sean grunted a sound which could only be an approval, which caused Tyson to grit his teeth. "What I mean is… we aren't friends. Why did you help me?"

Sean put down his mug and looked at Tyson. A moment passed, then another. Finally, Sean said, "We may not be friends, but would you leave a stranger to die? Or even a rival?" Tyson started, then stopped as the image of Poliwhirl lying on the shore came back to him. If it was Kyle I would he thought and rubbed his aching chest. "So, what happened?" Sean asked. "Last time I saw you, you were with your friend… whatever his name was. Why aren't you together now?"

"Casey," Tyson said. "His name is Casey."

"Whatever," Sean replied disinterested.

"It's a long story," Tyson said, looking down at the blanket.

"You've got time," Sean replied. "After all, you're not going anywhere until your ribs get better."

Tyson sighed. "Where do I begin?" Then, Tyson began to tell everything that happened since they left Pirepsah City, the place of their last encounter with Sean. He told Sean how he had lead the group through the Goma Passage in no time at all and how they had ended up in Relyb City again. Here, they had spent a day with Bruce, before heading off towards Dalemer Town. With great enthusiasm and gesticulations, he told how he had beaten Agitha, the leader of Dalemer Town Gym. His gesticulations, however, left him breathless and in pain, causing Sean to shake his head in resigned defeat. Then, his spirits fell as he told of the explosion in Dalemer Forest and how he and his friends had fought against Vector and his Lugia.

"You seriously expect me to believe you guys saw a Lugia?" Sean asked disbelieving. "A Lugia controlled by some shadowy, evil group no less?"

"Well, when you put it that way it does sound a little farfetched…" Tyson admitted.

"You think?" Sean asked. "Continue."

Tyson proceeded with the aftermath and Casey's subsequent loss to Agitha, after which the group had set out towards Nellacnari City. He told Sean of their strange encounter in the forest with the canoe-rental and how they a few days later had come across an unconscious Poliwhirl.

"Or at least, that's what we thought at the time," Tyson said. "When I think about it now, I'm pretty sure it was awake the whole time. Anyway, I tried to capture it, but the Poké Ball wouldn't register it. That's when we realized it must belong to someone else already, so we decided to bring it along down the river, in the hopes of finding the owner. And we did." Tyson took a long sip of the mug that Sean had provided him during his tale. "The owner of the Poliwhirl turned out to be a young man named Kyle. He claimed to have found the Poliwhirl as injured as we did and had caught it to take it to a Pokémon Center. In truth though, he's probably responsible for Poliwhirl's injuries."

"Let's stick to the story for now," Sean said. "What happened after you met Kyle?"

"He took us to an inn in the forest," Tyson replied. "He offered to pay for our food and our stay, so we took him up on the offer. Then, at night… I saw something." Tyson grimaced and rubbed his forehead, as if trying to help his memory. "I saw… Kyle, I know that. I saw him… doing… something." Tyson strained, as if trying to remember hurt him psychically. "He was… I don't know what he was doing," he said finally. "All I know is that I barely touched the door and it came wide open with a loud creak, and then Kyle set his Poliwhirl to attack me."

"Go on," Sean said frowning.

"We left the inn the next morning all four of us," Tyson continued. "I know what you're thinking, why would we leave with Kyle if he attacked me, right?"

"Actually I was thinking you were probably hypnotized to forget," Sean said.

"Well, I'll tell you, he had me hypnotized," Tyson said, completely ignoring Sean's reply. "So we all left the next morning, but in late afternoon there came a storm. We were trying our best to steer the canoe safely to shore, but without luck. Instead, the waves tipped us over. I helped Casey and Mia ashore, but afterwards there was no trace of Kyle. I swam out, trying to find him. And I did." Tyson paused for a moment. "Or rather, he found me. He attacked me from behind, after which he tried to kill me. The last thing I remember is lying on a beach, before waking up this morning."

"So you're not just dealing with an evil shadowy organization supposedly in possession of a legendary Pokémon, you're also dealing with a sociopathic, likely evil, trainer. Does that sum it up?" Sean asked with evident disbelief.

"I know, it sounds unlikely…"

"Unlikely?" Sean countered. "Unlikely doesn't begin to describe it. It's crazy, outrageous. Impossible, even."

"Hey, if you had told me all this would happen when we met in Barme Town, I wouldn't have believed it either," Tyson replied. "But I'm telling you, it's the truth."

Sean looked at Tyson. He didn't say anything, just looked into his eyes, trying to discern truth from fiction. "Alright," he finally said. "I believe you." Tyson smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. "However, since I can't just leave you here in the forest, we'll have to stick together – at least until you recover."

"But I'm fine," Tyson said and began to rise. The once simple movement was an enormous effort and he had to give it up not even halfway up.

"Clearly," Sean said. "We're not going anywhere today," Sean decided. "Get some rest and we'll talk some more later."


Wednesday the 5th of Ashleaf

13:32, Dalemer Forest

"I'm still not getting a signal," Mia said as they stopped for lunch. They had left the canoe when they set out from camp this morning and had hiked since then. According to Kyle, the last part of their travel would be easier to traverse on land than by river. And the sooner they reached the lake, the sooner they could get help from the rangers.

"Try again," Casey said sullenly.

"But, Casey," Mia started. "I've already tried five times today, and…"

"It's been three days already!" Casey replied angrily. "We don't know where he is or how he's doing, we haven't been able to reach him or even get a location on his Pokégear. Heck, we don't even know if he's still alive!"

"I know that, but…"

"Just try again!" Casey shouted.

Mia looked sad and hurt. She looked down, then tried calling Tyson again. A minute passed but nothing happened. "It's no good," she finally said.

"I know you're worried about your friend," Kyle said from atop a fallen tree, "but shouting at Mia isn't going to fix anything. She's only trying to help."

"… I know," Casey said and sighed, then turned to Mia. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm just… really wound up right now." Mia didn't reply, she just kept looking down at her feet. None of them had even touched their lunches yet.

"Now then, if no one is going to eat, shouldn't we get going?" Kyle asked. "If we press on, we could be there tomorrow evening." No sooner had he finished making his suggestion than Casey had gotten up and grabbed his bag. Kyle got up, gave Mia's shoulder a reassuring squeeze and soon, the group continued.


Wednesday the 5th of Ashleaf

17:41, Dalemer Forest

The walk through the forest had been a massive ordeal for Tyson. After lying still all of the day before yesterday, the unlikely pair had spent all of yesterday, making their way towards the Lake of Purity. That part had been Sean's idea, when he asked Tyson why they were crossing the forest in the first place. When Tyson mentioned they wanted to stop by the lake, Sean decided they should head towards it, in the hopes of finding Tyson's friends. Tyson had seized the idea and had pushed himself as much as he was able. Even so, the pair had only made a small headway yesterday, due to the numerous breaks that Tyson's body required. When they had stopped the evening before, Tyson had remembered his Pokégear and wanted to give it a try. But it didn't work. Sean had offered to take a look at the device, but as far as Tyson knew, he had made no progress on it the day before.

Today, the pair had made better time, as Tyson's body was starting to recover. They had followed Sean's map and had covered quite a distance through the forest. Presently, they were following the riverbed, heading north.

"There's a crossing a short distance ahead," Sean called back to Tyson, who was starting to feel the strain of the day's ordeal. "After that, it's a little further north to an intersection. I suggest setting up camp there."

"Sounds good to me," Tyson huffed as he struggled to keep up. "While we walk, why don't you tell me about yourself?" Tyson asked as he climbed over a fallen trunk, doing his best to keep up with Sean.

"Not much to tell," Sean replied distracted as he searched for the crossing. "I'm a trainer like you, though way out of your league. I'm collecting Gym Badges, again, much like yourself. That's all you need to know." He pointed a little ahead and to the right. "The crossing is right there. It doesn't look to deep, so I think we'll be alright."

"What do you mean 'out of my league'?" Tyson asked as he caught up to Sean.

"We'll take that later," Sean said dismissively. "For now, let's just cross." Tyson frowned but didn't have the energy to fight Sean, so instead he followed him across the river. They continued north along the bank, until they came to the intersection of two rivers. The one they were following was running north-south, with the intersecting river going east-west.

"So, which way do you think they have gone?" Tyson asked.

"The Lake of Purity should be east of here," Sean said. "But let's make camp here and set out tomorrow."

"Okay, that sounds…" Tyson trailed off as his eyes caught something on the opposite side of the east leg of the rivers.

"What?" Sean prompted.

"Do you see something over there?" Tyson asked, placing a hand above his eyes to shield from the lowering sun. Sean grunted and looked across, scanning the edge of the forest. He was about to deny seeing anything, when a reflection from something caught his eye.

"There's something alright," Sean mumbled.

"Let's go see what it is," Tyson said.

"We can use the bridge a little downstream," Sean said and pointed eastwards. Tyson nodded and the unlikely duo started towards the bridge.


Wednesday the 5th of Ashleaf

18:55, Dalemer Forest

"There we are, you two," Kyle said as the forest started to thin at the top of the hill. "Down there is the Ranger camp I was talking about, and just behind that, the Lake of Purity." Mia and Casey joined Kyle at the top of the hill and looked down on the compound. There were three large barn-like buildings, placed to form three quarters of a square. In fact, it looked much like an old farm. The courtyard inside the 'square' was covered in grass and a few flowers, with berry trees decorating the lengths of the buildings. Behind the top of the 'square' the forest picked up again, with a small clearing a bit in.

"We made it," Mia said with evident relief.

"Let's go ask them if Tyson showed up," Casey said.

"Easy now," Kyle said. "Once we get down there, I'll make sure you two are taken care of. While you get a room and something to eat, I'll meet with the leader and find out about Tyson. If needed, I'll ask him to organize a search party."

"Thanks, Kyle," Casey said.

"Hey, no problem," Kyle grinned back. "No problem at all." The trio started walking down the hill towards the compound.


At the same time, some kilometers south

"It's over there," Tyson shouted and pointed. He was about to burst into a run, when Sean grabbed his arm.

"Don't overexert yourself," he said. "I'd hate to have to carry you the last 50 meters."

"Thanks for the concern," Tyson scoffed, but slowed to a brisk walk. When they got over there, the boys started moving aside the branches and dirt that covered it up. It didn't take long before the shape of the object became apparent. "It's our canoe!" Tyson exclaimed and starting uncovering it with greater enthusiasm. Sean, however, merely frowned. "If this is our canoe, Casey and Mia must be nearby."

"I wonder about that," Sean said slowly, looking around him.

"What do you mean?"

"If they were going to the Lake of Purity, they should have gone east here, right?" Sean asked. Tyson nodded. "If you look at this map, you will find that this river," he pointed to where they were standing, "flows directly into that lake." He traced the river with his finger before tapping it on the Lake of Purity. "So why leave the canoe behind if they can sail all the way there?

"Maybe they camped a little further inland, then?" Tyson suggested. "Maybe they will come back here tomorrow?"

"Hmm," Sean said. "I don't know. But I do know that we need to set up camp now. You go gather firewood, I'll start preparing for dinner."

"Why do I have to…"

"Because you just might run into your friends and be out of my hair, if you go look for firewood," Sean replied. Tyson found himself unable to counter that and headed into the woods. Left alone at the riverside, Sean found Tyson's Pokégear again. He turned it on and looked at the GPS menu. He frowned again.


Wednesday the 5th of Ashleaf

21:24, Dalemer Forest

The fire was burning low, but there was still light enough to see by. Sean and Tyson were sitting around the campfire, each buried in thoughts. Tyson had been unable to find any trace of Casey and Mia while searching for firewood. Sean was absently tinkering with the Pokégear, seemingly trying to fix it.

"So, what did you mean I was out of your league?" Tyson asked again. Sean didn't reply, just kept on tinkering with the device in his hands. "Hey, I asked you a question."

"Sorry, what did you ask?" Sean asked politely. Tyson was taken aback. For the first time since they had been together, Sean actually seemed friendly.

"Oh, uh, nothing," Tyson said and bit his lips. It was hard to get mad at a guy who was only trying to help. "So, uh, how's it going with the Pokégear?"

"The GPS is back up," Sean replied, turning the device in his hands. "It has been since yesterday."

"WHAT?!" Tyson exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?!"

"Because," Sean started, then stopped. "Because somethings not right."

"What do you mean, 'not right'?" Tyson asked.

"I just have a bad feeling that something is going to happen," Sean sighed. "Take a look." He edged closer to Tyson and showed him the GPS interface. "According to this, your friends should be north of here."

"But the lake was east, right?" Tyson asked.

"Exactly," Sean replied. "At first I thought I hadn't fixed it right, but when we found the canoe, I knew something was up. And now that their GPS locates them to the north, I'm starting to think you might have been right about this Kyle-guy."

"I told you it was the truth!" Tyson replied, almost wounded. "So will we go north tomorrow, or…?"

"Shh!" Sean said. Tyson shushed, straining his ears. He was about to speak when Sean suddenly kicked dirt over their remaining fire and turned off the Pokégear. "Why did you…"

"Quiet," Sean said. "Look." He pointed towards the opposite bank, where a group of small, dark creatures, nearly invisible in the gloom, floated. There seemed to be at least two different kinds, maybe more. One of them had a face, largely resembling a skull, with a single pink eye pulsing back and forth between both eye sockets. The other seemed to have a wooden head with branches instead of ears and a slim, wavering body. The creatures slowly floated over the river and landed not far from the two boys. But either they didn't see them, or maybe they didn't care, as the creatures continued slowly north, into the woods.

"Were those ghosts?" Tyson asked, his face a pale mask.

"I think so," Sean replied. "And I think we should get going now."

"You mean away, right?" Tyson asked just a little scared.

"No, I mean after them," Sean replied. "Those ghosts are going north, towards your friends. And if this Kyle abuses his own Pokémon and tried to kill you, I wouldn't be surprised if he has something to do with those ghosts too." Sean grabbed his bag and stepped slowly into the forest. Tyson gathered up his courage and followed suit.


Well, how was it? I'm a little concerned that the latter half seems a bit rushed, but I decided to mash the main points of the next two planned chapters in there as well. Otherwise, we'd just have more senseless walking and filler conversations. At least now we're getting close to a resolution here.

As always, feel free to leave a comment. See you next time.

Party listing:

Casey:

Turtwig; Male; Nickname: Twurt; Type: Grass; Ability: Overgrowth; Current Moves: Tackle - Razor Leaf - Seed Bomb - Absorb

Corphish; Male; Nickname: Ruffer; Type: Water; Ability: Hyper Cutter; Current Moves: ViceGrip - Leer - Harden - Bubble

Joltik; Female; Nickname: Tjoule; Type: Bug/Electric; Ability: Compoundeyes; Current Moves: Spider Web - Thunder Wave - Screech - Electroweb

Fletchling; Female; Nickname: Flare; Type: Normal/Flying; Ability: Big Pecks; Current Moves: Tackle - Growl - Quick Attack - Peck

Tyson:

Torchic; Female; Nickname: Corona; Type: Fire; Ability: Blaze; Current Moves: Peck - Growl - Flame Burst - Ember

Karrablast; Male; Nickname: Clamper; Type: Bug; Ability: Swarm; Current Moves: Peck - Leer - Endure - Fury Cutter

Tynamo; Male; Nickname: Lieel; type: Electric; Ability: Levitate; Current Moves: Tackle - Thunder Wave - Spark - Charge Beam

Ferroseed; Male; Nickname: Spike; Type: Grass/Steel; Ability: Iron Barbs; Current Moves: Harden - Rollout - Metal Claw - Pin Missile

Mia:

Totodile; Female; Nickname: Jaws; Type: Water; Ability: Torrent; Current Moves: Bite - Water Gun - Ice Fang - Aqua Jet

Horsea; Female; Nickname: Equina; Type: Water; Ability: Sniper; Current Moves: BubbleBeam - SmokeScreen - Water Gun - Focus Energy