Welcome to the 36th chapter of Lucas's Adventure: Book A! There are now as many chapters of this story as there are seasons of Survivor as of April 7, 2018. That's pretty crazy.
This chapter took a while, but only because I was writing my new story in conjunction with it. There are two chapters out right now of Poke Wars: Episode I, so I recommend checking that one out. It's not just a parody of Star Wars.
In other news, my third quarter of school has ended. Just a couple more months and I'll be free. Until my senior year begins, that is. And only six days until I get my wisdom teeth out. That'll be fun.
THURSDAY, JULY 15, 201X - 12:34 PM
ETERNA CITY, SINNOH
HIGH TEMPERATURE: 76 DEGREES
It means they're after us.
Even though Lucas had been the one to say those words, they chilled him directly to the bone. He didn't like to think about that. He didn't like to think about anything related to Team Rocket.
Unfortunately, when the time came to talk to his mother, the floodgates were open. After all, she was his mother - he could trust her with just about anything, he figured.
"Yes, it does" Aubry replied. "Are you willing to make one promise to me?"
"What is that?" Lucas asked his mother, although he had a pretty good idea of what it might be. There were only a couple of possible options.
"You won't take any unnecessary risks, will you? I know that you're a pretty cautious person in general, but don't be anywhere without a lot of witnesses if you can help it. I don't think they're likely to try to kidnap you if you're around a lot of other people".
He had to agree with his mother there. Witnesses would serve as a deterrence against Team Rocket grunts looking to capture his team, since no sane criminals wanted to be caught. The smart ones, like the Sinnoh branch of Team Rocket, would absolutely not go into the middle of the city to do that. As long as they stayed in Eterna City, they should be relatively safe.
"I won't. Don't worry" Lucas replied. "We're not going to take any unnecessary risks, and we're going to stay safe. I really don't think that we're going to have any problems with Team Rocket".
"I wish", Aubry said, "that I could be as confident as you about that. I am tempted to tell you to come home right now. At least, that way, you'd be with me".
"And you think I'd be safe then?" her son asked her.
"Honestly, Lucas, I'm not quite sure. Either you'd be safer, or you'd only serve to put the rest of us in danger. It all depends on how desperate Team Rocket is to capture you".
"What happens if they capture me?" Lucas asked his mother.
"I honestly don't want to know" Aubry replied. "And really, you don't either".
"But I do" her son replied, trying to sound clever, implying that his mother didn't know what he was really thinking. Which, to be fair, she couldn't possibly know for sure.
"Fine. I don't know what would happen to you, but I would hazard a guess that it wouldn't be anything positive. At all costs, you must stay out of their clutches".
I must stay out of their clutches, Lucas echoed in his own mind. If I get caught, it'll be bad. A lot of very bad things will happen to me then.
"Anyway, you're in Eterna City now? What's that like?"
"Haven't you been there before?" her son asked her. "I thought it was a very popular tourist destination".
"Indeed it is" Aubry replied. "In fact, your father and I went there on our honeymoon. Man, that was almost twenty years ago now...our twentieth anniversary is coming up soon".
Tears started forming in Lucas's eyes at the mention of his parents' wedding anniversary. He would have loved to be there. He really would have. And yet, it wasn't going to happen.
"I don't think I can come" he replied. "I'm sorry to tell you that. We're going up to Snowpoint City after we're done with Eterna City. Just the gym battle here, and then we can go north".
"It's cold up there" Aubry said, even though both of them knew that it was unnecessary. Judging by its name and northerly location, one could have figured that out very easily. "You're going to want to bring some warm clothing".
"Don't worry; we will" Lucas said. "Anyway, I should probably say good-bye now; we were just about to head to the gym".
"Okay. Have fun and stay safe!"
After hanging up, Lucas walked over to his Pokemon. He saw that Kasama had disappeared.
"Wait...where did Kasama go?" he asked.
"I suppose...that he got lost somewhere in the woods" Solanna said tearfully. "I never thought that I'd lose him so soon...but it was kind of hard to keep track of him at all times".
Lucas realized that, in the pizzeria earlier, there had only been fourteen of them rather than fifteen, whereas there would have been fifteen had the Pikachu been there. Somewhere over the last few days, they'd lost track of the Pikachu, and he'd disappeared somewhere.
In his defense, however, it was pretty hard to keep track of everybody when you were in a group this large. This was of course not a good excuse, it was just the reason why Lucas had been so spacey about it.
"I'm really sorry to hear that" Tanner replied. "I hadn't noticed that either".
"It'll be fine" Solanna replied, clearly trying not to cry. "I just...thought that I'd be such good friends with him, for a really long time. Now it seems that that won't happen...and it's my fault".
"We'll find another Pikachu" Andromeda said, patting the girl on the back. "We're going to name him Kasama as well".
To Lucas, that sounded like it would probably have been a small consolation to Solanna. However, the girl seemed okay with that. She instantly looked a little more cheerful, but it was clear to see that she still wasn't too thrilled about having lost one of her Pokemon.
"Do you think", asked Solanna, "that there's anything I could have done any differently, besides keeping Kasama in his Pokeball the whole time?"
"I suppose that there would be. Except…".
"Pika!"
All of them turned to see a yellow blur running directly towards them.
"Kasama!" Solanna exclaimed. "You're all right!"
"Indeed" the Pikachu replied happily. "It's so great to be back with you guys!"
Lucas could sense just how happy Solanna had to have been to be reunited with her Pikachu. It was probably the best feeling ever.
"I don't want to be in that forest ever again" Kasama said. "It was very scary. And dark. And dangerous".
"You won't have to be" Andromeda replied, stroking the thin yellow fur that covered the Pikachu. "From here on out, we're staying away from Eterna Forest. That place isn't fun".
"Indeed" Orkun replied. Lucas's Lucario had been standing away from the others for a bit, but he'd come back to join the group once more. "I still remember Lucas almost drinking from the toxic river…".
The boy referred to blushed a little. It was kind of embarrassing to be reminded of the time that you had almost died due to your own stupidity. Thankfully, Orkun didn't continue on that path.
"Are you guys ready for our next battle?" Vinaka asked. The Vulpix hadn't spoken in a while, but it was clear to see that she was excited as well at the prospect of another gym battle, something she hadn't had in so long.
"I sure am" Tanner replied. "This is actually my first battle with you guys. How many badges did you get?"
"Just two" Andromeda said. "The Relic Badge and the Coal Badge. Solanna only has the Coal Badge, but she can go back and challenge the gym leaders later. Right?"
"Yeah" Solanna said. "I certainly plan on doing that at some point".
They all stood on the street corner for a while, before a taxi came. The cabbie asked them if they had anywhere in the city they wanted to go, but Lucas replied that they were going to walk to the gym. After all, it wasn't that far, and they all figured that a little exercise would do them some good.
THURSDAY, JULY 15, 201X - 2:48 PM
CORONET RANGE, SINNOH
HIGH TEMPERATURE: 71 DEGREES
"We had a chance back there, you know" Muller said, as they walked through a large clump of pine trees.
"I've said it before", Sam replied, "and I'll say it again. We did not have a chance when we were inside the pizzeria. There would have been far too many witnesses, too many people who could have noticed what we were doing. Really, it's better this way".
"But we don't have the children".
How thick can some people get?, Sam asked himself.
Right now, the pair were in the middle of the Coronet Range, the large line of mountains that ran down the middle of the Sinnoh region. It had only been a short train ride from here to the edge of the mountain range, in Coronet Town. They'd been able to purchase tickets without revealing their identities, which was always a plus.
They'd disembarked from the train about forty-five minutes ago, and since then they had kept up a fairly consistent pace. Route 216 was a fairly hilly one, and it could get quite tiring, especially for someone like Muller, who wasn't in quite as good shape as Sam was.
"How long do you think it'll take to hike up there?" Muller asked, panting.
"Probably about a week" Sam replied. "I assume that, by there, you do mean Snowpoint City, right?"
"Yeah, I mean Snowpoint City" Muller said in response. "We'll make sure to buy really warm clothes for when we're there...agreed?"
"Yep".
As they walked, Sam started thinking of their future plans. They had ten days left to capture the children. As they had seen in the pizzeria, they had survived the attack from Koloktos, and apparently without injuries, but that didn't mean that they hadn't been shaken mentally from the encounter.
"When should we play the video?" Muller asked. Sam noticed how the other man was deferring to him for all of these questions, something that he didn't mind. Muller might have been good with mechanical things, but he lacked common sense. That was his fatal flaw.
"Whenever we're alone. Whenever we know we're alone" Sam replied firmly. "And if we have coverage. Route 216 is spotty at best".
"I hate not having coverage. The Wi-Fi at the base is absolutely top-notch".
If you hate not having coverage, you should have considered not going on this mission. You should have realized that, at some points, you would have to go without using the Internet for an extended period of time. There are so many things you should have considered, Muller, but you DIDN'T. Because you're an IDIOT.
Of course, Sam did not say any of those things out loud. He wanted Muller to still think that they were a cohesive duo. Indeed, he wanted to think the same thing himself. He wanted to believe that there was a neon light at the end of the tunnel, that they were going to find those kids and get those raises. That the Sinnoh branch of Team Rocket could be safe from detection.
However, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that Muller had dangerous ideas. Dangerous for him, not for the children they were tracking down.
Eventually, they reached a small lake. It was about a hundred yards away from the edge of the route, and its crystal blue water looked absolutely gorgeous. Sam knew better than to drink lake water, but it looked almost irresistible with that color.
"Okay" Sam said. "Do you have that video? I think now's as good a time as any to see it".
"Yep" Muller replied. "Just wait a moment".
Eventually, the other man pulled out his iPhone. "Let's see how this went for them. Can't imagine that they got away that easily".
"Probably they think they can handle anything now" Sam replied, sneering into the distance. "If they think that, they're in for a rude awakening".
"All right. Here's the gym".
The gym of Eterna City was located in a place that was thankfully not very difficult to find. It was a relatively central location when compared to the rest of the town.
"Is this where we're going to fight?" Kasama asked. "If so, be prepared for some thunder! Lightning, then the thunder!"
Well, somebody's excited, Lucas thought. He was very happy for Solanna's sake, that she had gotten her Pikachu back after he'd been lost in the woods. He couldn't imagine what he would do if he lost Orkun.
The four of them signed up for the times that they would battle Gardenia. Because she could only do single or double battles, this meant that two of them would have to return at a later date in order to challenge her.
"We should let Lucas do it today" Tanner said. "He is the leader, after all".
It warmed Lucas's heart to hear Tanner refer to him as the leader, even if he didn't entirely feel that way. "Thanks, Tanner" he replied, very pleased indeed with that.
"I'll pick...Solanna to go with me" Lucas said. "I think that Kasama could really use a battle. Yeah, that's the way it's going to go. And I think that we'll beat her; we're in quite good shape at this point".
He wondered if he were being a little cocky in saying that. After all, they had had to deal with Koloktos that morning, and that hadn't made them any less tired.
However, after they had all survived Eterna Forest together, that gave Lucas more confidence in his team. He felt that they could get through just about anything now, and he had the cockiness to match.
Lucas wished that he could have managed not to be so overconfident, but it was hard not to feel that way. He'd never lost a gym battle before; granted, he'd only ever had two over the course of his journey. Perhaps his confidence wasn't warranted.
Solanna and Lucas stepped into the gym once it was their turn. Instantly, they were struck by how green everything was.
Both of the gyms they'd been to previously had battling courts that were much like tennis courts in terms of texture and the materials that they were made out of. This one, however, was different. Instead of being made of that type of material, this one was made of grass.
"That's not fair!" Lucas exclaimed, meaning to sound slightly sarcastic.
There was a laugh, a hearty but pleasant laugh, that came from the far corner of the gym. Lucas had to turn his head in order to find the source.
"Oh, but life isn't fair, little ones" the voice said, with a hint of laughter implied. "If you want the Forest Badge, you're going to have to defeat me. Easier said than done, I know".
From the corner of the room came a young-looking woman. She was short, with ginger-colored hair, brown eyes, and a short green jacket. She also wore green boots and a skirt the same color as her hair.
This was Gardenia, the Eterna City gym leader.
"Please don't call me a little one" Lucas replied. The boy was big for his age, and he didn't particularly like that title.
"Sorry" Gardenia replied. "I just like using that term. In any case, let us begin the battle, shall we?"
Each trainer held a Pokeball in their hands. Thanks to their usual practice of placing stickers on the Pokeballs so as to identify which Pokemon was in which ball, Lucas knew that his held Vinaka and hers held Kasama. Remembering what he had read during those long hours in Jubilife City, he knew that Gardenia's Pokemon were Cherubi, Turtwig, and Roserade.
"Let's do this!" Lucas exclaimed.
Gardenia brought out her Cherubi and Turtwig first. Vinaka was going to fight Cherubi, and Kasama was going to fight Turtwig. It was going to go like this until one of them defeated the other.
"Okay, Vinaka, use Roar!" he yelled, trying to get the Vulpix to use an attack that would help against Cherubi.
Cherubi took the attack head-on, but replied with a Grass Knot. This put Vinaka on the defensive, and the Vulpix was only barely able to dodge it.
He was about to look over to see how Kasama was doing against Turtwig, but then he reminded himself of something Solanna had told him all those weeks before, about how he should pay attention to his own Pokemon, not hers. It was advice he was trying to take to heart now. He wanted to be a better trainer.
"Go, Vinaka!" he exclaimed. "Use Ember!"
Vinaka, using that move, was able to create a large wave of fire, but Cherubi was ready for it and got out of the way just in time. Turtwig wasn't quite as swift; when Kasama used an electric attack (Thunder Shock), he took the brunt of the attack.
Lucas had to slap himself in the face to make sure he remembered to focus on his own Pokemon. Old habits die hard; indeed, this one was dying very hard.
Gardenia was looking increasingly desperate. She seemed to be very worried indeed that she could end up losing this battle to a couple of kids from far to the south of here. Good, Lucas thought. He revelled in her fear. He wanted to make her loss be as embarrassing as possible.
Eventually, Vinaka was able to land a Tail Whip that resulted in Cherubi flying backwards. Hitting the wall, the Pokemon resembling a cherry slid to the ground. Lucas waited for the ten-count that would signify that it was time to bring out a new Pokemon; it would be coming any second now.
And it did, but only five of those seconds were actually counted, for the Cherubi was able to get up. Lucas slapped his face once more in frustration. If he didn't get his act together soon, he wasn't going to win this battle.
And then things went from bad to worse.
Hit with a Leech Seed, Vinaka collapsed to the ground. The ten-count began, but she was clearly unconscious, not going to get up within the next ten seconds.
It didn't take long until the referee announced, "VINAKA IS UNABLE TO BATTLE!"
Lucas: Orkun - Lucario: Aura Sphere, Laser Focus, Foresight, Quick Attack, Detect, Metal Claw, Counter, Feint, Power-Up Punch (Level 16). Vinaka - Vulpix: Ember, Tail Whip, Roar, Baby-Doll Eyes, Quick Attack (Level 11). Takali - Totodile: Scratch, Leer, Water Gun, Rage, Bite (Level 14).
Andromeda: Tai - Turtwig: Tackle, Withdraw, Razor Leaf (Level 15). Soko - Luxio: Tackle, Leer, Charge, Spark (Level 17).
Solanna: Aparri - Charmeleon: Scratch, Growl, Ember, Smokescreen, Dragon Rage (Level 18). Bayon - Machop: Low Kick, Leer, Focus Energy, Karate Chop, Foresight (Level 12). Kasama - Pikachu: Tail Whip, Thunder Shock, Growl, Play Nice, Quick Attack, Electro Ball, Thunder Wave (Level 18).
Tanner: Tavua - Chimchar: Scratch, Leer, Ember, Taunt, Fury Swipes, Flame Wheel (Level 20). Zapatera - Zorua: Scratch, Leer, Pursuit, Fake Tears, Fury Swipes, Feint Attack, Scary Face, Taunt (Level 25).