I'm back! A long hiatus has been completed and I am very much looking forward to completing this, the first part of the Trip Chronicles. Just a quick recap for those who have forgotten – Iris finds herself in the middle of nowhere with Lance, the legendary Kanto Dragon master, trying to locate her childhood friend Arke before she is found by the mysterious evildoers hounding the young Dragon trainers in the Unova region. Trip and Cilan and on the path to finding her and bringing her back, but are currently in Castelia City, where Trip has managed to find Leo, the scientist from episodes past. Can he help Trip locate and save Iris? Let's find out!
oOoOo
Leo listened to Trip's story with a frown upon his face. Any inkling that the tall, gangly scientist may have felt to utter 'I told you so' regarding Team Plasma's possible involvement in Iris's kidnapping went unheeded, and Trip appreciated it. And, Trip thought to himself, if there was ever a place for Leo to give in to hubris, then his lab was it. The whole place was covered top to bottom in scientific equipment; the centrepiece being a large telescope in the middle, pointing upwards through a gap in the roof up to the sky. Any inch of wall not hidden by the various beakers and test tubes was covered instead by posters of various Psychic Pokémon surrounded by stars and moons. Thinking back to the day that they had met, with Leo standing with his Solosis and tin-foil hat, Trip could already see the resemblance between the scientist and his workspace.
"My brother is a fool and a scoundrel," Leo muttered, shaking his head. "He was wrong to bribe you into coming here."
Trip's heart dropped. "So you can't help me?"
"Now, don't jump the gun," Leo retorted. "I merely mean the means by which he lured you here were unethical to say the least. But yes, Trip, I do believe I can help you. Solosis, you are needed!"
Slowly rising from his seat, the wispy man casually dropped a Pokeball from his lab coat pocket and, in a sudden flash of light, the floating green Solosis bobbed in front of the pair. The look on its face seemed foreboding, as if it already knew of the dire circumstances in which they found themselves.
"Solosis, my friend, we need a favour," Leo whispered, eyes darting back and forth between the other workers in the lab. "You remember that lovely day spent firing rockets in the field? Well, the girl we meet…purple haired, loud natured, travelling with this boy and an older gentlemen…yes, that's right, Iris…"
Leo looked at Trip with a triumphant smile on his face. "See…Solosis remembers. Therein lies the power of Psychic Pokémon."
Trip, keeping his sceptical thoughts to himself, returned the smile weakly.
"Do you have anything that belonged…belongs, to Iris? It may help Solosis gain a closer range on her whereabouts."
Trip's hands shot to his pocket and he fumbled around in excitement. He pulled out, and smiled at for an instant, the Pokémon case which had landed Iris in trouble in the first place. The twang of guilt only lasted for a moment as Leo snatched it from his grasp and held it up in front of Solosis.
"Now…Solosis…this belonged to that very girl…she held it in her hands, ran her palms up and down its sides…now, they are apart…but please…tell us of where she is, how she is, who she is with…"
Solosis closed its beady black eyes and began to glow a shade of teal. Trip watched in awe as Leo, eyes closed as well, began to glow the same colour. His eyes slowly opened, but somehow they were distant, as if not his eyes at all, and a soft voice spoke out to Trip.
"She's…she's unharmed. Unharmed, but not safe. The quest she is on…is not as it seems. A great betrayal is coming, one which will change a life forever…and perhaps even end it. I see…mountains, rivers…trees, everywhere…a forest, no doubt…I see a girl, dark skinned, crying over…something…I can't see what…and…dragons…dragons. Dragons everywhere!"
Solosis seemed to almost give a sigh as it returned to its usual state, an exhausted look over what you would normally call a face. The same happened to Leo, who immediately threw a hand out to catch a bench as to not fall to the floor. Trip rushed to his aid, helping him down onto his seat.
"What…what was that?"
Leo managed a small grin as he wiped beads of sweat off his forehead. "That, my friend, was the amazing power of Psychic types…among other things, I have been doing extensive research into such abilities over the past few years. Of course, it helps when you share as close a bond as Solosis and I…I think you need a rest, too."
Leo returned Solosis to its Pokeball and slowly rose to his feet. "You'll have to fill me in on what I said, Trip…I have yet to determine a way for one to retain the memory of what is shared during a paired-psychosis."
"Well, you said it yourself…dragons, dragons…dragons everywhere. I know where she's gone."
"Excellent," Leo grinned. "And I have a way for us to get there."
oOoOo
I can't believe you managed to lose not one…but two, yes, two teenagers in the matter of a few days! What would Cress think? Imagine how Chili would laugh and mock your inability to complete even the simplest of tasks! Imagine what…
Cilan's mind was buzzing a million miles a minute as he paced back and forth outside of the Castelia City Pokémon Centre. Trainers, hurrying in to heal their tired and fainted Pokémon, gave the Gym leader queer looks as he ran his hands through his now frazzled hair and chewed his fingernails until there was barely anything left.
"Cilan…Cilan!"
In the distance, Cilan could have sworn that he heard Trip's voice ring out. But the streets around him were now deserted, all trainers either in the Centre or making their way back out into the long grass to capture more Pokémon. Where could it be…?
"Cilan…up here!"
Cilan's head shot straight upwards, and the sight that greeted him took his breath away completely.
"What…in…the…"
oOoOo
It had taken nearly half an hour of convincing from Leo to get Trip into his…contraption…and that amount of time nearly doubled for Cilan. Leo called it his FTD – Floating Transportation Device. Fancy name for a big, metal box, Trip thought to himself wickedly. That is essentially what it was, no two ways about it. It had a door on either side, a few seats inside, but that was just about it. What made the vehicle truly unique were the drivers floating around the outside of the box. Solosis was hovering around the front left corner, eyes staring forward in determination. Leo had explained that, as powerful as Solosis was due to intense training, that it took a number of different Pokémon to generate enough Psychic energy to keep the FTD afloat. Therefore, three more balls were thrown, and a strange array of Pokémon sprang into action to help; a flapping Swoobat, red nose shining bright; a crazily patterned Sigilyph; and finally, a shimmering Elgyem, hands glowing blue as it focused strongly on the job at hand.
In the cabin, Leo sat smiling with his aluminium hat back on his head. Cilan grabbed at the sides nervously, unable to sit still. "Are you sure this is safe? I mean, we could walk…"
"If Iris has returned to the Village of Dragons, like our young friend here believes she has, then we're much better off travelling by air. Quicker, quieter, and we will be prepared for any attack…if and when it comes."
"Why did you come?" Cilan questioned suspiciously. "And why do you seem so convinced that an attack will come?"
"I fear dragons just as much as I do Team Plasma," Leo confessed. "And, whichever of the two we are forced to face while saving your friend, I do not wish to give them the tactical advantage of the air."
Cilan sighed, not wanting to start another debate about the improbability of Team Plasma being behind the attack. Trip ignored the two, merely looking out past Elgyem into the vast forest surrounding the outskirts of Castelia City.
I'm coming for you, Iris…and I will never betray you.
oOoOo
The chase is officially on! Will Trip find her in time? Will she return to the Village of Dragons, or will fate intervene before she even gets the chance? Tune in next time to find out! Review/fave etc. if you enjoyed!