"Man, those twin sisters were no joke!" Sauron said, rubbing his shoulders. He set down his red travel bag on the bank of the large river in front of him, and sat down on the grass under the shade of a large oak.
"No kidding! That lotad was something else! We had nothing effective against it, and it could take a hit." Said his twin sister, Shadi. She sat down on the other side of the bag, setting her own orange one behind it.
"Well, our special attacks weren't doing much, but Shiki really pulled through with that scratch." Sauron said, stretching and laying back. He pulled his red sport sweater down to cover his stomach, and settled in to enjoy a well-earned nap.
Shadi brought her knees to her chest, and wrapped her hands around her legs, locking her fingers together where her cutoff black gloves met. She rested her head, and let her blonde pigtails wrap around her in the light wind. A small gust came, and weaved its magic on the tree above them. A bright, sunny day in the Hoenn region. She thought to the battle they'd just fought. Thay had battled the adorable identical twin girls Nao and Mio on a bridge over the river they were now facing.
Their battle had been energetic and fun. Sauron's starter, a treecko named Hiro, had been weaving in and around their seedot and lotad. Shiki had made quick work of seedot with a few well-placed embers, but the slippery lotad had been much more resilient. For a long time, the three Pokemon exchanged blows. Hiro had found an opening, launching it into the air. And Shiki had finished it with an extremely powerful scratch from her tiny talons, knocking it over the bridge entirely. When she'd seen it, her first thought was that Shiki had killed the poor lillypad-frog-thing. But the two sets of twins had had a good laugh about it after they simply found it unconscious on the riverbank.
As thanks for the good battle, the darlings had given Shadi a few flowers. Shadi smiled to herself and reached for said blossoms she'd tucked under her headband. She looked up when she heard a noise over the river to see some Wingull flying around each other in the breeze. Their white bodies stood out against the deep blue sky, and almost disappeared when they flew in front of some clouds. Their graceful movements reminded her of the latest cover of the Trainer's Journal starring Gym Leader Winnoa.
Winnoa was Hoenn's second strongest Gym leader. She had mastered the use of flying-type Pokemon, and was herself a very graceful (albeit…aloof) woman. Shadi had spent weeks reading about the region's Gym leaders in the Trainer's Journal magazines. The Journal, as far as any young girl like Shadi was concerned, was law on both trainer fashion and battling styles. Her pumps, black shorts, and black tee under a red tank-top was the haute of young female trainer's style. Her only personal flair were her pigtails and her headband, which her father had given her on the day she'd turned eleven. She remembered that day well, the day the two had started on their journey.
Only a week ago, mind you. But that is an eternity for an eleven-year-old.
An acorn fell beside her, and she looked up to see a wild Taillow rummaging through the tree, flying off with a few more in its beak. What it would ever do with an acorn Shadi could only guess, but suddenly she remembered that they had stopped here for lunch.
As if on cue, her stomach rumbled.
"Do you ever think of anything except for eating?" Sauron said in an amused tone.
This earned him a (not so light) fist to the ribs, and as he coughed and curled to protect himself, he knocked over his bag, spilling the contents out. Sauron sat up and collected the healing potions and a few empty pokeballs. Shadi smirked.
"Do so! And Mom keeps telling you to zip your bag closed so that you don't lose anything" She said.
"You're not my boss, you know."
"Am too!"
"Are not."
"I'm older than you!"
"By a minute! Doesn't count."
"Does so! Mom even made me carry your diary so that you wouldn't leave it in every Pokemon Center we visit!"
"It's a journal, not a diary." Sauron cried defensively.
"Same thing! The only difference between ours is the color." Shadi laughed.
She was the older twin, and per their parents' rules, was responsible for making sure all the chores were done. She was the one who did her homework, made meals, and cleaned her side of the room. Sauron was the one who got them into trouble. He kept having "good ideas", and something always went missing or broke when he did. It got so bad once when they were ten, that they were grounded for a week when they'd gone over to Grandpa Norman's gym and Interrupted a challenge. Sauron wanted to find out if Grandpa Norman's vigoroth wasn't actually a fighting type, so he'd caught a taillow in a net after getting Shadi to lure it in with a pecha berry. When they were watching a challenge, it pecked its way out of his sweater, and got caught up in the fight, knocking out the opponent's machop. Grandpa Norman had admired the girl's fighting style, so handed her a badge, but Shadi and Sauron were given a thorough tongue lashing afterward.
"So are gonna get the food or not?" Sauron said, snapping Shadi from her flashback. He was already reaching for the two pokeballs on his belt.
"I thought I was the one always thinking about food…" Shadi leered.
"Well, it's past twelve, and we just had a good battle and all…" Sauron tried to deflect it, but a sudden growl from his stomach betrayed him. Good thing, too, because Shadi's had done the same, but quieter. While Shadi reached beside her to open her bag, Sauron let out his pokemon.
"Lunchtime, Boys!" He said happily as two beams of light materialized in front of him.
"Treecko!" Called a green lizard. It stood upright, curling it's strong tail, looking pleased to hear food was coming. Almost knocking it over, a small grey dog rubbed against its red stomach. Two sets of amber eyes met as they immediately began to chase each other around the tree.
"Poochy-enaa!" The dog howled with glee. After a few laps, the Treecko quickly scurried up Sauron's leg and around his neck. He settled in with a purr, and Sauron brought his hand up and stroked its scales behind where its ears would be. Poochyena crouched, barking and playing with acorns and leaves that Sauron was kicking up.
Shadi couldn't help but giggle. She reached to her own belt. Lobbing a pokeball in front of her, she released a small, orange chick with some yellow tufts of feathers sticking up from its large head.
"Torchic!" It squeaked, tilting its head back and flapping its tiny wings. Shadi's heart melted a bit.
"C'mon, Shiki! It's lunchtime, girl." Shadi called, holding out her arms. Shiki obeyed happily and jumped up with her powerful legs. Shadi caught her in a hug, and in one motion set the adorable (and super soft) bird on her shoulder.
"Hey, Sauron! Tell your Pokémon to line up or they won't get any extra!" She said while standing straight and placing her free hand on her hip.
"Okay," Sauron straightened his sweater "Hiro! Natsu! You heard her."
Hiro jumped off his shoulders, knocking Sauron out of balance, who took a step back, almost stomping on Natsu's paw. Natsu jumped with a yelp, but Sauron kneeled down quick and brought him close, rubbing Natsu's shoulder. He stopped cold when he reached a scar, however, reminded of the night they met. They looked at each other, and Sauron's mouth broke into a huge smile.
"Sorry, buddy. Any closer and you'd have gotten a tummy rub, too."
Natsu looked up at Sauron with big eyes, showing the black fur that framed his face and ran under his belly. His tail was wagging furiously and his eyes were begging for a rub. Sauron couldn't refuse and reached down. As his foot scratched air, Natsu remembered the night he'd met Sauron.
It was windy and unusually cold for a summer night. Natsu was walking nervously around a forest, tense and alert to every sound. He was only a few weeks old, and was tripping over his own paws. More than once he'd stumbled upon some Zigzagoon. It was impossible to see them because of their camouflage, and Natsu learned on his first encounter that their quills could be shot at will. He crouched under a bush and tried to get the last few quills unstuck from his lip. As soon as his paw made contact, though, he winced and settled for licking the sore areas on his flank. A cracking branch not far away put him on edge again. He was getting ready to run when a boy and a girl came into a small clearing, holding two flashlights.
"Shadi, not far now and we'll be at the spot Frank told us about!" Said the boy.
"Sauron, if we're not back to camp soon, Mom and Dad will be mad with us." Said the girl, slightly annoyed. "If we get in trouble again, Dad said he might not bring us to Grandpa Birch's next month."
"But we won't get into trouble." Sauron said matter-of-factly.
"It's because you're not worried that I am." Shadi retorted.
For some reason, Natsu decided to follow them. He stayed a stone's throw away at all times, though. Something twinged at the back of his mind. He remembered this feeling from when that Linoone had looked his way. It's sleek, smooth fur and large, streamlined body had raised every alarm in Natsu's mind, and before it had time to smell him, Natsu booked it as fast as he could in the other direction. He felt that same instinct come up again, but he was too curious in the pair of humans. The twins walked a good distance before stopping at a large tree. Sauron started searching around the trunk, as wide as he was tall.
"And you're sure Frank wasn't just pulling your leg?" Shadi said, hugging her arm. Being left to stand there made the forest feel cold to her. She turned back a few times, shining the light around. She was met with swaying leaves and branches.
"He said that his older brother heard from the old lady down the street that there used to be a small dragon shrine here in Dewford before that big war." Sauron said as he searched. "If thats true, then there might be some cool items still in it."
"Sure." Shadi said with trepidation. "Or there could be, um, y'know, g-ghosts." she swallowed. if there was one thing she couldnt handle...
"Found it!" Sauron yelled.
Shadi nearly jumped out of her skin.
Sauron was kneeling behind the tree, holding the flashlight with his head tilted against his shoulder. He reached over a stone about a foot tall with a flat top. Beside it were two small wooden poles, with two slats of wood bridging them. A rusted set of chimes were dangling from the middle, and Shadi could see two more loops of string on either side.
"Sauron, you probably shouldn't mess with a shrine. That is just begging for something to happen." Shadi looked over her shoulder again nervously, but her eyes were drawn back to the shrine. There was a beautiful sereness to the simple little shrine.
The stone itself was curious to see. On the front and sides were the eroded carvings of a strange trident. Years of decaying leaves had left a layer of dirt on the flat top. Swiping the dirt off, Sauron pushed the chimes aside and felt around, finding a smaller hole in behind. He reached in and felt around blindly for a few seconds before he sliced a finger. After reeling a bit, he reached back in and pulled up what looked like a scale. It had lost its color, but what was left was still hauntingly beautiful. Parts of the edges looked so sharp it made no surprise as to his bleeding finger.
"Shadi, it's a dragon scale!" He said smiling. A strong gust of wind hit the tree, almost rocking the whole trunk. Shadi gasped, snapped from her trance.
"S-Sauron, that's nice, but I don't think we should be here." She said. She hugged her arm so tight that she seemed to shrink.
Just then, a ghostly shadow fell from the tree, followed by three more that dangled from the lower branches. It rose off the ground, a small skirt of mirth below it. Shadi shined the light its way, but the beam just passed straight through. All four of their round heads turned to her, and they opened their large menacing eyes.
"Shuppets!" Shadi screamed.
To Natsu, still hiding behind a bush, they all looked delicious.
Sauron put the scale in his pocket, and picked up a small stone, hurling it at one of the Shuppets hanging from the tree. He hit it directly between the eyes, and it fell to the ground, vanishing.
"I knew it! Rock throw isn't just a Pokémon move!" He jumped with glee, momentarily forgetting his surroundings.
One started toward Shadi. She swatted, but her hand passed straight through. Although she did feel SOMETHING when it did. She almost fainted, stepping back and tripping on a root.
Meanwhile, Natsu was torn between exposing himself, and trying to sink his fangs into those incredibly good looking Shuppets. One of them got too close, and he couldn't take it anymore. He lunged, and came down with a hard bite, making it cry in pain before it went limp. The other two stopped moving toward the twins, and turned toward Natsu. Instinctively, Natsu used a sand attack, kicking dirt and rocks in their direction.
"Shadi! I think that poochyena is helping us! Sauron said in wonderment as he helped his sister to her feet. "We've gotta help it, too!"
Natsu, now fully enthralled by the battle, tilted his head back and let out the cutest little howl. He squared up and faced the Shuppets, and charged forward, aiming to tackle one, but he passed straight through.
"Poochyena, normal attacks don't work on Ghost-types! Try using that bite again!" Sauron called.
Shadi wasn't sure who was more confused, her, or the Poochyena. Sauron was trying to give commands to a wild pokemon. It looked at them, and immediately shrunk back, remembering that there were humans here.
Wrong timing, as one Shuppet screeched, making Natsu flinch. To Natsu's view, the other Shuppet started getting very large, and soon it was all he could see, everywhere around him. Overwhelming malice surrounded him. All the light from the flashlights was disappearing. He could faintly hear the muffled sounds of the boy yelling over the screeching shuppets.
Sauron hurriedly set Shadi down on a nearby log as she was still too faint to stand. She clung onto her brother's arm and pleaded for him to stay.
"Sauron! Don't go! What if there's more of them? Don't leave me alone!" She said, eyes wide with fear.
"Don't worry. I'll be right in front of you the whole time. And ghost attacks can't hurt humans." He said with a smile.
For sure, he knew that ghost and normal type pokemon were immune to each other's moves. Although it was just an idea right now, he had a feeling humans would be classified as Normal types if anyone ever bothered to experiment.
Although, he couldn't quite look her in the eye when he said it. He relied soo much on his sister. She was his best friend. This time, he'd be the one helping her. But he also knew that he'd never admit that, and Shadi would never admit to being afraid of ghosts. So he knew that if he ever told this story within her earshot, he'd have a what-for from her. That made him shudder even more than the ghosts around him.
"Sauron! What is that?" Shadi said in a huff, turning toward the fight.
A Shuppet had closed its eyes, and three sparks of light formed around it. They grew into blue flames and started circling it.
"Will O'Wisp!" Sauron said through his teeth. He turned to the Poochyena that was just shaking off the Night Shade. "Poochyena, you gotta move!" He shouted just in time.
Natsu dodged the first ball of flame. It vanished into the ground, leaving only slight burns where he'd stress-shed some fur. Yet the surrounding leaves and ground were untouched. Will'O'Wisp only targeted living things.
"Alright!" Sauron cheered. "Now get in there as fast as you can and Bite!" He said as the other Shuppet disappeared into a shadow on ground.
Natsu howled again, and...vanished.
"Wha-?" Sauron was stumped.
In the very next instant, the Shuppet rose from the Shadow Sneak where Natsu had been, and before it could turn around to find its target, was slashed from behind. The Shuppet fell forward, and vanished.
"No way! A sucker punch?" Sauron was speechless. But it was just a little too much distraction.
The last Shuppet shot a Will O'Wisp again, and this second ball of flame connected. Natsu was swallowed by it, and Sauron jad to look away at how bright it got. When the light settled, the quills sticking from Natsu's mouth and patches on his shoulders were on fire. Natsu howled in pain. He'd have taken fifteen more Zigzagoon needles over the sharp pains the fire brought. He tried to quell the flames by rubbing them on the ground, but they kept shifting along his body.
"Don't lose focus, Poochyena!" Sauron ran forward. Too slow.
The Shuppet now closed its eyes. For a second, it did nothing, then It opened them with a loud screech with black flames appearing out of nowhere. The wind around them seemed to die. This was one of the most powerful ghost-type moves, a signature of the type, Hex. Sauron had read that if a Pokemon was affected by a status, like a burn, the move was even more powerful. This Poochyena was already hurt. It may have lived a NightShade, but Hex was a different story altogether. Sauron threw another rock, but it dissipated into powder when it touched those black flames. He wouldn't make it to the Poochyena in time.
The Shuppet loosed it's attack with a screech.
The wall of black flame moved forward with an evil intent. It itself almost felt alive, hungering for flesh. It coiled in and around itself until it resembled an arrowhead, dashing its way toward the Poochyena. In a last, desperate gamble, Sauron threw his flashlight at the flames. He missed. But when it shattered against the tree, the sound startled Natsu, who yelped. The battery bounced back, and hit him in the jaw. Sauron couldn't believe his eyes. The electricity in the battery coiled around Natsu's teeth. This Poochyena knew Thunder Fang.
"Go!" Sauron yelled desperately. Natsu turned, but it was too late.
The flaming arrow closed in.
And hit nothing.
Sauron tripped, and slid forward. He didn't want to look up. For sure that brave little Poochyena was dead. He pounded the ground with his fist.
"Don't go running off, you two! How many times do we have to tell you not to runn off before bed?" Came a familiar, piercing voice.
"Mommy!" Shadi gasped. At seeing her, all her worry melted away. She finally let herself breathe. Big mistake. As soon as she exhaled, the tears came. She leaped toward her mother, sobbing.
"May! May, did you find them?" Came another voice, a man's. He burst onto the scene with worry all over his face. He took stock of the situation.
A large wild Shuppet was looking confused that it's attack had hit a light screen. Another was not far away, dead, with Fang marks deep in its throat. His wife, May, was patting her Altaria and hugging their daughter. The large, blue, bird-like dragon had its gaze locked on the Shuppet. It's cotton-like wings were wrapping around May and Shadi. By the trunk of the tree his son was crouched on the ground, blood all over his hand, also crying. A very young poochyena was laying on the ground with severe burns, Zigzagoon quills sticking out of its mouth. The Shuppet snapped out of confusion, and vanished, knowing that now it was outmatched.
"Brendan, honey, everything is fine now." May said in a calm voice, stroking her daughter's hair. Brendan couldn't help but see how closely they resembled each other. He walked over and brushed May's light brown bangs behind her ear before giving her forehead a relieved kiss.
"I got here just in time." She said, blushing. "Sauron almost took a burn-boosted Hex to the face protecting that Poochyena."
At his wife's words, let go of the pokeball on his belt. He also stroked his daughter's hair. She'd probably want to sleep with them tonight. Any experience with ghost-types was off-setting, A bad experience with them was downright traumatizing. At remembering his first experience with ghosts, he shivered. Clearing his throat, he walked over to his son. Sauron was visibly shaken, greif on his face.
"Dad! (Hic) I couldn't s-(hic)-save it!" He sobbed as he looked up.
Brendan kneeled down and hugged his son so hard he thought he has going to crack a rib. He held Sauron there until he stopped sobbing.
"You did great, son." He said over and over.
When Sauron stopped shaking, Brendan let go and reached for a small bag behind his back. He felt around until he found a spray bottle filled with medicine. He also pulled out some disinfectant, and began to bandage up Sauron's hand.
"Dad, don't worry about me, go look at the Poochyena." Sauron sniffed. He couldn't bring himself to beleive that it was dead after trying to protect them.
"Hold still, Sauron. What did you even cut your hand on?" Brendan said when he saw how clean a cut it was.
Sauron pulled the scale from his pocket. Brendan had to stop when he saw it. That was one heck of a rare find. Dragons were very rare and powerful Pokemon. Even he didn't know where May had met her Altaria. He knew she'd captured it young, when it was still a small bird known as a swablu, but she'd never told him where. After telling him to put it back in his pocket, he finished bandaging the cut.
"Dad, go help the Poochyena." Sairon said on the verge of tears again.
Brendan turned around to get a better look at it. Burn marks on its shoulder and ears, electrical burns on its lips, and not to mention the quills that were showing the first signs of infection. This poor little guy had been through some hell. He quickly reached in his bag and opened a sturdy metal bottle and tried to get it to swallow.
The potion just sat there. He put his hand in front of its nose, It wasn't even breathing. Unbuckling the bag, he set it beside him and leaned down. He put his ear to it's belly and heard a heartbeat, so there was at least a chance. He reached into the bottom of his bag and brought out a metal case.
"Honey, it is only a wild Poochyena. No need to use those. If it's gone, it's gone. Sauron did well, but even you can't save them all." May said with a sad smile.
"Sauron almost got really hurt protecting this little guy. And it's only mostly dead." He said as he pulled out a yellow crystal. He crushed it, and mixed the powder with some of the medicine he'd poured into the cap.
"As long as it's only unconscious, a revive crystal and a full restore should work wonders."
He propped the Poochyena's head up, pouring the mixture down its throat. He couldn't help but note the smell of electricity.
That meant the burns on its lips weren't from an outside source. This Poochyena knew Thunder Fang. At least his son had his father's nose for sniffing out good Pokemon, he thought.
After a good thirty seconds, Natsu began to cough and gasp for breath. His eyes darted around, but he had no strength left to run away. As he slipped back into sleep, he heard the boy's voice tell him it was going to be alright. He felt a strong, but gentle hand rubbing his belly, and it felt amazing.
Shadi reached into her bag and brought out two lunch boxes. Setting them down, she went in again and pulled out a small bag of Pokémon food, along with some pokepuffs they'd bought at the flower shop not far from here. Sauron pulled out three bowls for everyone. A necklace had sneeked its way in between two of them, and Sauron picked it up quickly. He took a second to admire the carved pendant Grandma Birch had made from his dragon scale. It was the same trident shape they'd seen on that shrine about a year ago. Matching sets of beads and fake bones were slipped onto the braided black string on either side of the pale emblem. Sauron didn't know what the symbol meant, but it was a journey-going gift from his grandmother, so he kept it safe in the bag.
"Line up, everyone! Shadi instructed, bringing Sauron back to the task at hand. "And no stealing food, or you get no Poképuffs!" She frowned directly at Hiro.
Hiro huffed and turned his head. Shiki had started that fight, and Hiro refused to acknowledge that stealing some of the stupid bird's food was an unequal retaliation. Shiki jumped down from Shadi's shoulder and played with Natsu until Sauron set their bowls down. When Shadi poured the food, Hiro took his bowl, and climbed atop the lowest branch of the tree, just out of Shadi's reach. Shiki and Natsu were oblivious, and happily munched down on their food. Shadi's brow furrowed.
"Or sassy behaviour." She sneered.
Hiro was totally fine being so petty. He'd been upset ever since that stupid bird had outstaged him in their last battle. Shiki was careless, and had twice almost hit him with loose embers, making him lose his focus.
"Give him some room, Shadi. He's still not over that battle." Sauron said with an understanding smile. Although he knew why, he refused to say anything to Shadi. She was too excited at being the one to land the finishing hit.
"And anyway, he's going to shine in Rustboro tomorrow." Sauron pronounced.
The twins opened their boxed lunches and dug in after folding their hands. Their mother knew just what to pack for the day's trip to Rustboro from Petalburg. They'd stopped by Grandpa Norman's gym yesterday to tell him that they were going to go challenge Roxanne's gym. Grandpa Norman had laughed with a big smile and congratulated them on becoming trainers. He told them, when the time came, he was looking forward to the day they'd challenge him. He also gave them some fishing rods that their mother had used on her journey. That night, even their father's friend, Wally, had shown up with his parents and congratulated them. He'd talked a lot about when he and their parents had all been young trainers. And he wished them luck against Roxanne.
"I remember when I had to face her. She was the same age as us, but she knew her stuff. All three of us had a tough go of it. But, y'know, she was super cute when she lost, hehe." He'd said with a blush.
"And I still can't believe you picked Flannery over her." Brendan said, earning a glare from May. Flannery was her best friend after all.
"Well, you know what happened after Sootopolis, Brendan." Wally said, blushing hard with a smile Shadi had never seen before.
"That's enough of that!" May said. "There are children here." She said sternly. Both Brendan and Wally flinched, with weary smiles and nervous chuckles.
"S-sorry, honey."
"Yessum!"
All of the adults laughed, and Grandpa Norman invited them to have some matches in his dojo, which everyone refused immediately. He'd laughed even harder, and just then Grandma had come in with a tray of cookies. She also gave Shadi a set of earrings that she told her were a set that May had worn for her matches in the Grand Hoenn Festival when she was only a few years older than Shadi was now. Her mother had smiled nostalgically, remembering the event. And also noted that they were a gift from Roxanne.
Shadi went into a daze when she thought of the rock-type gym leader. All of the Trainer's Journal magazines agreed that Roxanne was by-far the most stylish of the Hoenn league Gym Leaders. Roxanne used rock-types, but contrary to their strong, burly, muscular bodies, Roxanne was a slender pale beauty. Her purple and black dresses wowed audiences and Shadi was jealous of her perfect black hair. But even more, Shadi was amazed at her ruthless battle style. Roxanne was known for using both her Pokemon's brawn and her brilliant mind to face challengers. And even in televised matches, Shadi could tell when she'd figured out how to prevail over her opponents.
"--aaaaydi, Shadi!" Sauron called, snapping her from another daydream. "Might wanna finish your lunch before Shiki does."
Shadi looked down, and saw Shiki pecking at her salad.
"Sh-Shoo! No! Bad Shiki! This is my food!" She stammered. She pulled up the box so fast that some of the rice came out and landed in her hair and on the ground. Shiki flapped excitedly and climbed on Shadi's shoulder, pecking away.
Sauron was hysterical.
"Just wait until i call mom tonight from the Pokemon center." He gasped for breath. Natsu had been sleeping on his lap, and was startled awake by the sudden noise. Out of habit, he howled. Sauron laughed even harder. Even Hiro was snickering from his branch.
Shadi blushed a bright red.
"Oh, can it!" She huffed, trying and failing to kick an acorn his way. Natsu noticed it, and jumped off Sauron's lap. His back paw pushing on the, uh, sensitive part. Sauron doubled over.
"Ha!" Shadi laughed smugly. To bring her back, though, Shiki finished pecking rice from her hair. She jumped to the ground and started pecking through the dirt to find more. She was kicking up more leaves and acorns, so Natsu started to chase her around.
"Speaking of tomorrow, what are going to do about Shiki?" Sauron asked.
"What about Shiki?" Shadi barked.
"I mean, fire types are weak to rock and ground moves. Roxanne uses both." He replied thoughtfully.
"Oh, yeah." Shadi had to stop and think about that. Bringing her lunch back down, she got lost in thought. Her Shiki was fast and strong, but she was a fire-type pokemon. They were naturally strong with and against fire-based attacks, but tended to be a little prideful. The stalwart rock and ground types were resistant to their blazing energy. And for a fire-type, being brought down to earth or facing stony situations were not their strong points.
"I guess I'll just work something out." She said while scratching her head. "I know Shiki will pull through."
On cue, Shiki appeared and pecked at the lunchbox again.
"No! Shoo!" Shadi swatted her away again. Sauron laughed and sighed with a smile on his face.
"C'mon, Shadi! Let's get some practice in." He said. He stood up and swung his bag over his shoulder. He also whistled and waved over to Hiro, who came down the tree and climbed around Sauron's neck again like a scarf. Sauron loved the cool feeling of the scales on his skin, just enough to beat the heat of the summer sun he was walking out into. Calling Natsu, the trio escaped the cool shade of the tree. Whipping out a red and white ball cap that was his father's gift to him, he waved back to his sister, who was cleaning up the remainder of lunch.
"This is what I mean, Sauron!" She yelled at his back.
"Oh whatever." He rolled his eyes (of course Shadi didn't, ahem, see that). "Complain after I beat you."
"Oh, we'll show you!" She said proudly as she swung her bag behind her. On cue, Shiki jumped up and nestled in to Shadi's shoulder. "And I'll be the one to catch the first wild Pokemon, too." She said as she caught up.
"Nuh-uh!" Sauron chided, "I already have."
"Doesn't count! You had Natsu since before Mister Elm gave us our starters." Shadi countered. "That means you still haven't caught any."
Sauron put his hands behind his head, rubbing Hiro with his thumbs. He looked over to Shadi with a big grin, who huffed and stomped her foot. They held each other's eyes for a moment.
"I win and you buy me a lemonade when we get to Rustboro." He said.
"Fine! But when I win you carry my bag for the rest of the day." Her glare was rather comical.
"Sure, sure. Not so bad since we ate all the heavy food out of it." He said as he turned back to her and waved.
"Ah--wait!" She called. "No-fair! I wanna change it!" She said desperately.
"Whatever, whatever." Sauron said nonchalantly. "You can decide what you want after this." He turned after walking about twenty paces. "Go back a little, I don't want an ember to the face again." He said.
"You'll get more than an ember if you don't stop ignoring me like that. I'm older than you!" She pouted as she walked a few more steps back.
"Natsu, you're up!"
"Let's show them some girl-power, Shiki!"
Sauron took a deep breath as their companions took their places facing each other, and he couldn't help but smile. He took a second to look around, mentally kicking himself for not bringing the Rotom camera with him. Shadi forgot all of the teasing just prior, and clenched her fists in determination.
"Ready to go?" She asked, confident.
"Born ready." He replied boldly. Shadi threw her fist in the air. Sauron calmly pointed to his opponent, focusing Natsu on the target.
"Focus energy, Shiki!"
"Let's go, Natsu! Thunder Fang!"
A beautiful sun in a beautiful sky filled with wingull dancing around each other in the light breeze. A clear blue river banked by large, healthy trees and long, green grass. A new city at the end of the road, and two children ready to take their first steps into the world. All-in-all, a perfect day in Southern Hoenn.
A/N
Thank you soo much for giving "Double Dance" a read! My first pokemon fic is set in my favourite region, Hoenn, about 20-30 years after the events of the games (Emerald, Pearl, ORAS, Moon, Ultra Moon, and Sword). I may or may not include ash in the story, depending on plot relevance. This is my head-cannon, since im only really familiar with the games and the ORAS manga, not the anime.
I hope you enjoy, and feel free to leave a review and comment on content you'd like to see. I only have until the end of the first gym planned out, with lots of cameos and crossovers to satisfy my nerdiness, so who knows, i may have already included something youd like to see. Please keep shipping to a minimum (heh), i've already done too much of that myself XD. Meet you next chapter!