Chapter Ten: Unexpected Capture

"...You know, I wonder if anyone has figured out why some fire types are able to drink water, And yet it hurts them when it gets on their body."

Salem lifted his head from the surface of the small pond where he had been lapping at the water and blinked at his trainer. He tilted his head for a moment before snorting and shaking himself off, droplets flying away from his muzzle. Rin squeaked in protest as she was sprinkled, Swatting playfully at her Pokémon. He danced out of the way with a huff, tail wiggling. The young woman shook her head at him, but the grin on her face proved that she wasn't really annoyed. Resisting the temptation to chase after the Poochyena, Rin went back to scrubbing at her dirty dishes.

Lunch had been pretty simple in the end, but not for lack of options. Most of the cooking utensils had been in need of a good clean before they could be used again, so Rin had had to settle on eating something cold and washing the dishes afterwards. She had pulled out a couple of packages of granola that had been mixed with dried fruit and had collected some of the berries she had found on the bushes growing at the edge of the pond. None of them had any particular use in healing Pokémon unfortunately, but at least they weren't poisonous. She and Salem had eaten their fill, enjoying the simplicity of the meal, and had spent some time laying next to each other in the grass, taking a little time to digest before they had to move again.

Making sure to dispose of the soapy water well away from the pond so that it didn't become contaminated, Rin at last rinsed off the last bowl and set it aside to dry with a sigh of contentment. Happy with the work she had accomplished, the young woman found a spot near her backpack to sit down before she pulled it to her and unzipped one of the pockets. Now that the dishes were out of the way, she planned on sorting out the garbage she would need to get rid of when they reached Silverbank, Silently hoping that the Pokémon center would have a washing machine she could use as well. Pulling out the small bag of dirty clothes, Rin placed it behind her before she tackled the rest of the mess inside her bag. Ten minutes later, she was feeling pretty confident that she had almost everything organized, though most of it still lay on the ground around her.

Snapping her wallet shut now that she had placed the money she had one off of Anna into it, Rin then picked up the solitary great ball she had found and rolled The blue and white sphere between her fingers. Slowly, her gaze drifted towards Salem, who had curled up next to her, his chin resting on her thigh. His eyes were closed, one of his pointed ears twitching, and she couldn't help but smile when she realized he had fallen asleep. After a moment of thought, she clipped his pokéball onto the first slot of her belt. Even if she never used it, it was safer to have the ball close at hand, just in case.

Picking up a small white box, Rin lifted the lid and glanced over the shiny set of empty pokéballs inside. Her mother had either gotten her a custom set or else she had found a special Collection when she had been shopping, because Rin had never seen pokéballs that looked like what she now held in her hands. There was one that was red and gold, another that was a soft green color, and one that was so darkly purple that it almost looked black. Running her fingertips across The top of one of the devices that resembled a Premier ball with a pale blue band instead of a red one, Rin found her mind drifting once again towards her plans for the future.

Yes, she was here, on a journey with a Pokémon, something she had never imagined herself doing. And yet, she had made that decision. After years of therapy and gentle coaxing from Friends and family, she had finally been pushed over the edge when she had discovered that note from her mother. But going on a journey was only half of the experience.

And yes, she had decided that her experience would include battling, she had come to that realization last night in the cave, but she still wasn't sure about what kind of battling that would be. Did she want to become an ace trainer, raising a few strong Pokémon and challenging others she would meet? Or did she want to aspire to training a variety of Pokémon and establish herself as a challenge that others could come to? Or maybe she would travel along the more traditional path of overcoming challenges her self, collecting badges and special items.

Rin sighed to herself as she once again ran her gaze over the assortment of empty pokéballs. No matter what path she ended up choosing, each of them would result in her eventually needing to catch other Pokémon to travel with her. She wasn't sure how she would handle that, Let alone Salem. He was so overprotective of her, she couldn't see him allowing another Pokémon to get close to her easily.

'He's going to have to accept the fact that there is going to be another Pokémon once that egg hatches though...' Rin thought wryly as her eyes fell on the Pokémon egg sitting nearby, nestled partially in its soft sling.

With a sudden snort that made Rin jump, Salem abruptly blinked open his eyes, looking around dazedly as if having forgotten where he was. She smiled at him when he squinted up at her, finally setting down the box of pokéballs to run her fingers through his neck fur.

"I hope you had a good nap," she said, Receiving a sleepy wag of his tail. "Hey, listen. I need to talk to you about something," she then started, glancing back down at the pokéballs.

But as Salem sat up, a curious expression on his face, she found that no words would come out. Her mouth Opened, but the air seemed to get stuck in her throat. Rin tried several times to push the words out, but eventually gave up with a resigned sigh. Bringing up adding other Pokémon to the team was just going to have to be a conversation for the future.

"We should be heading off soon, before it gets too late," she said instead, Starting to pack up her belongings once again. "Would you like a treat before we head out?"

Salem's confused expression melted away into one of enthusiasm as he saw Rin pick up the container of pokébites. But just as she started to twist the lid off, his attention snapped towards the trees just past Rin, his ears quivering slightly as they strained forward.

"...Salem?" Rin froze mid-action as she saw the Poochyena mix stiffen, his hackles rising.

Salem didn't respond, but after a moment, Rin finally caught hint of The sound that had drawn his attention. Putting the jar of treats down, she pivoted around, coming up on her knees as she did so, and peered into The forest, trying to locate the source of the sound of pounding hooves. It didn't take long for her eyes to fall on the hurried movement of several large brown bodies weaving their way between the trunks of the trees, each of them making their way steadily in her direction. She caught one glimpse of long, strangely curving horns before her eyes widened with first surprise and then alarm.

"Get out of the way Salem," Rin cried as she hastily snatched up her bag and the egg before stumbling to her feet and managing to unsteadily run a few steps to the edge of the clearing. She tossed her bag ahead of her before glancing back, relieved to see Salem right behind her.

Just as she reached the first clump of bushes, the herd of Stantler exploded into the clearing, hooves thundering against the ground, bugles of alarm escaping them as they tossed their heads. There came a hollow clunk of wood and the sharp crack of plastic as the Pokémon sprinted through the clearing, trampling over the items that had been left behind. Rin gaped in amazement as the herd rushed by just inches away, but was driven to gasping as a second group of Pokémon ran into the clearing, clearly pursuing the fleeing Stantler.

For the last two months, before she had embarked on her journey, Rin had been closely following the endeavor of Alolan scientists as they worked with Professor Spruce and his assistants to introduce a new species into the Arion region. She had been fascinated by the lithe grace and beauty of the pack of Lycanrock they had been working with, the rock type Pokémon winning over her admiration quickly as they displayed a cunning nature and a fierce loyalty to one another. The scientists had chosen two sets of mated adults along with their young, a litter of four Rockruff. And here just feet away from her, was that self same pack.

Dropping quickly to one knee, Rin set the egg aside before reaching for her backpack, hastily unzipping the side pocket and pulling out her Pokédex. Twisting back around, she had just lifted the device and clicked it open when the last tail of the Lycanrock pack whipped out of sight into the trees. She groaned in disappointment, slumping back before abruptly jumping with surprise as the pokédex unexpectedly spoke.

"Rockruff, the Puppy Pokémon. This Pokémon has lived among humans since Times long past. Normally, they have pleasant dispositions, though they start to become moody and aggressive as they near evolution. When their affection is earned, they show their love by rubbing The rocks on their necks against the object of their affection. This, unfortunately, is rather painful."

As the device chirped happily in her hands, Rin's eyes had quickly flickered to the screen of the pokédecks before her gaze swept over the clearing, almost immediately focusing on a small figure that she hadn't noticed before that moment. Unlike The photographed Pokémon's happy expression, the flesh and blood Rockruff had his face wrinkled into a snarl, white fangs bared. His light brown fur seemed to bristle as their gazes met, his tail, which normally would have been curled tightly over his back, lashing as his button ears pressed back against his head. He growled low in his throat for a moment before abruptly launching forward, intent on his attack.

Rin nearly dropped her pokédecks in surprise, falling back onto her rump painfully as she instinctively flinched away. But just as she lifted her arms to protect herself, Salem had jumped forward, putting himself between her and the charging Pokémon. He was knocked back as the Rockruff barreled into him, both of them toppling onto The grass as they overbalanced. Salem managed to Kick the Rockruff away with his back paws before leaping a few feet to one side. The Rockruff snarled as he rolled upright, lunging towards Salem instead.

"Try to dodge Salem, then bite," Rin instructed, her voice a little shaky with surprise. She hoped her partner could manage to make his opponent flinch, because she wasn't sure if any move he had was very effective against the rock type.

Salem snorted in acknowledgment before attempting to jump to the side once again. The Rockruff just managed to clip his hip, causing the Poochyena to stumble slightly, though Salem adapted his trip to put his muzzle nearer to the rocky dog and consequently used this position to bite at one of his back legs. Rockruff yelped, sharply twisting his body around and pulling his foot free. He limped back a few steps before abruptly scratching at the ground with one of his front paws. It wasn't obvious what he was trying to do until a small rock was unearthed and he abruptly kicked it towards Salem. The yelp that was elicited from Salem was piercing as the small rock struck him hard in the chest, causing Rin to gasp involuntarily and clap her hands over her mouth.

'Of course! Rock is strong against fire! And Salem has enough fire type DNA for that to make a difference,' Rin thought worriedly, watching the Rockruff warily out of the corner of her eye as she watched her partner cough from the impact.

"Don't let him get the chance to find another rock Salem! You've got this," she encouraged, balling The hand that wasn't holding her Pokédex into a fist.

But a few minutes later, it was obvious that the fight was going badly. For though Salem scratched, bit, and even shot flames add his opponent, it was clear that the Rockruff was doing much better off in the long run. Rin silently be rated her self for not using a potion when she had the opportunity as she watched Salem panting heavily, head lowered, clearly exhausted. The young woman imagined hurrying forward and scooping him up into her arms, making a run for it, but wasn't sure she could outpace the Rockruff. The rock type seemed determined to come out on top. Just as she resolved her self to at least try, the tan canine leapt forward, landing next to the rock he had uncovered earlier with a triumphant yip, expertly launching the pebble towards Salem once again. The rock struck his ribs with a thud as the Poochyena attempted to step out of the line of fire, his sluggish steps not fast enough. With a whine, he wobbled where he stood before collapsing onto his belly, blinking dazedly. Seeing his opportunity, the Rockruff howled excitedly as he sprinted forward to land the finishing blow.

"No!" Rin lurched forward towards the Pokémon, not sure what she was going to do, but knowing she had to do something. Her gaze fell on the box of pokéballs, a couple of the metallic spheres strewn about in the aftermath of the stampede, and she instinctively, unthinkingly, picked up one of them, pressed The button on its side, and hurled it at the Rockruff.

The rock type stumbled with surprise as the ball hit him on the back of the head, but barely had just enough time to glance back over his shoulder with a blink before his entire body was engulfed in a bright red energy that shot out of the copper and orange sphere suspended in the air next to him. His entire body was quickly converted into the energy and sucked into the pokéball before he had time to even make a sound. The ball fell to the grass where it started wiggling and twitching, The captured Pokémon struggling for a moment, before slowly, gradually, the movement stopped and there sounded an audible click.

For several seconds, Rin simply stared at the now unmoving pokéball, shocked by what had just happened. She felt as if her mouth had suddenly gone dry. She had just caught a new Pokémon after having decided to wait to do that very thing. And not only that, she had caught one of the Pokémon that was part of a Scientific introduction of a new species into a region. She could just probably let him out, attempt to persuade him to go back into the wild, but there was every possibility he would start attacking her in Salem again...

"Salem!"

Rin's eyes flew wide as her thoughts returned to her Poochyena partner, shoving her concerns about what to do with the Rockruff to The back of her mind as she quickly looked back towards where she had last seen Salem. He was still where he had been after his legs had given out, but had toppled over to one side, his eyes now closed. With a gasp, Rin scrambled to her feet, hurrying over and scooping up the little Pokémon in her arms. He was completely limp, unresponsive to her touch.

"Oh no, Salem," Rin lamented, fighting back the impulse to start crying. She couldn't shed tears every time something bad happened or she'd never be a good trainer. Still, this was the first time her partner had fallen unconscious. "I'm sorry," she murmured after a moment, blinking furiously as she kept the tears at bay. "I should have used that potion sooner."

Taking a deep breath until her lungs couldn't hold any more air, Rin released a shaky huff before she gave the unconscious Salem a fierce hug, kissing The top of his head. Glancing around at the mess that was her belongings, she shuffled her way over to a potion bottle laying on its side. As she picked it up, she noticed that the clear liquid was draining from a deep crack on one side, rendering it unusable. Setting it back down numbly, she sorted through the mess until she located another bottle, this one thankfully intact. But just as she pulled the cap off the spray nozzle, she remembered that in order for the potion to work properly, the Pokémon needed to be conscious first. With a sigh, she looked around for her medicine bag, spotting it half hidden beneath one of the berry bushes.

Making her way over to the Crimson colored satchel, she leaned over to lift it from the ground, but ended up sinking into a seated position instead, her Energy abruptly leaving. Blinking against the wave of fatigue that assaulted her in the wake of the adrenaline rush, Rin settled Salem onto her lap before she began fumbling with the zipper of the bag, managing to get it after a couple of attempts. With a sweep of her eyes that took in paralyze and burn heels, awakening, and even an antidote, she saw a small container with a few reviving crystals inside. Pulling The box free, she struggled to remember how the pale yellow shards were supposed to be used before she sighed, turning the box around in hopes that there would be instructions somewhere. Luckily for her, there was a small label on the underside of the container. Reading over the small print quickly, she pulled the lid off the box, sticking a finger inside to fish out one of the yellow shards. Revive in hand, she put away the two remaining crystals before she turned her attention to her Pokémon, brushing her fingers through his fur. Working his mouth open, she placed the shard on his tongue, watching it begin to dissolve for a moment before she closed his muzzle once more. Idly, she wondered what someone would do if their Pokémon didn't have a mouth to dissolve the revive. Perhaps there were different sorts... Salem stirring had Rin's wondering's pushed aside as she watched him snort and lift his head, blinking up at her dazedly.

"Oh Salem, i'm so sorry I didn't heal you sooner," Rin said quickly, reaching out to give the little Poochyena mix a hug before she retrieved the potion and began spraying it over his body.

Salem squinted at her for a moment before sneezing loudly, clearly still struggling to catch up with what had happened. Giving himself a shake that was hard enough to make him grunt, he abruptly froze midscratch of one of his ears. Hind paw thumping against the ground as it was lowered, Salem whirled to face the clearing, hackles rising as he looked back-and-forth with a growl.

"Rockruff isn't still attacking. I managed to stop him," Rin explained hastily, earning herself another squint from the dark type.

Salem had his head tilted to one side as he considered her statement, clearly thinking hard. But then he gave his head a brief shake before giving himself another smaller shake and hopping up onto her lap, putting his paws on her stomach, and giving her a lick on her chin to help cheer her up.

Glad he didn't seem to be upset with her, Rin gave the little Pokémon another hug before she couldn't help but release a sigh, slumping back against the bush, uncaring of the prickly support, and closed her eyes, needing a minute to recover. The last day certainly had not been what she had been expecting.

"Salem," Rin mumbled quietly, beginning to slowly run her fingers through the fur on his back, "life sure is crazy sometimes."