Hello again and welcome to a new chapter of this story, and with it, the beginning of the end, so without further ado, let's begin.
"Krookodile, use Thrash" Stephen's Pokémon launched a great variety of punches to Serperior, and she fell to the ground, we had stopped the boat for a quick battle, and I just lost, "I told you there wasn't a way ye could beat me Red-eyes, you aren't strong enough, and there is no way ye can beat the last two gym leaders…" what… motivation, "Unless I help you" Stephen added, "And why would ye help me?" I asked him, "Because you be my brother, for what other reason?" he answered, "I don't believe ye" I responded, "Alright, then I won't help you" Although it hurts to say it, I need my brother's help, I will have to trust him, "Fine, I believe ye" I said, "I knew you would change yer mind, but to begin with, your Pokémon need to recover from the beating Krookodile gave them"
Stephen made use of what he learned on med school and helped my Pokémon recover, and while he was at it taught me some basic way to make them feel better after a battle, after that he checked how was my injury, "Does it hurt?" he asked, "Only if you touch it" I answered, "That means you be better, then now, let's begin with the training, so to start the first thing we need to train, is you" he said, "What do ye mean with that?" I asked, "Well, so far your strategies are simple and easily countered, you need a good plan and contingency plans and more contingency plans in case the other don't work, you see what I mean?" he answered, "I guess we will be here for a while" …
Stephen explained me a few things and gave me a few advice for the next gym it is a Dragon type gym, so it will probably be a tough fight. "The first impression can determinate the result of a battle, you have to choose between faking a weak attack, or use a full power one, the chose is in yer hands, but thing twice before making your move" Stephen advised me, "And a good technic is important, so I'll tell ye my secret, you see, The Doc is a good doctor, but he is an even better Pokémon trainer, because he and his Pokémon are synchronized, not by weird transformation based in friendship and strangely specific, but by learning each other moves, and moving in unison" he actually caught my attention after saying that, "Ye be making that up" I said, "I am not believe it or not" he answered, "Alright, so how do I learn that technique?" I asked, "I have no idea!" he answered laughing, "Why be ye laughing?" I asked confused, "Because it isn't something one can teach, you'll have to learn it by yourself, I can only do some basic things with it" he answered, "So why do ye tell me this if I can't learn that?" I asked, "No, you can learn it, but the how… ye are not going to like it" he said, and he was right, I didn't like it a bit.
"So let me see if I understand, ye want me to get to Opelucid city by myself, crossing all of the forest, are sure this be the only way?" I asked "I told ye you wouldn't like it" he answered, "But is the only way I know" he added, I began regretting accepting his help, "Oh, and you won't be alone, Zoroark will go with ye, but I need ye to hand me over her and the rest of your crew Poké balls" I hesitated in doing it, but I eventually accepted, "Well, I will be waiting fer you on Opelucid's Poke center, good luck Red-Eyes" the everyone except for Zoroark got in the boat and prepared to sail away. Gible had to be carried in because she didn't want to leave without me, I hope she'll be fine, "Sailer, before I leave, you'll need this" he said and then throwed me a bag, "Use it wisely" then they he sailed away, getting lost in the horizon, "It be only ye and me now lass" I told to Zoroark, I then proceeded to open the bag to see what was in there, and if it were of any use.
Inside was a compass, a can of beans and a lighter, "This be more useful than I thought… well the north is that way" I checked by finding the sun, the compass was calibrated, "Then let's go, let's advance as much as we can before the sunset, if ye see something that could be of use tell me" I said and we began heading north, for a while I remained silent, but I decided to break the ice and start a conversation, if I can call it one, because I was the only one talking, "It was a long way to this moment, it still feel like if it were yesterday when ye became my first Pokémon. I have to say that I had my doubts, before meeting ye, my only experiences with yer species weren't… pleasant to say it in a way, but with, fer some reason, I always trusted ye, and ye did as well, be almost like if we knew each other, maybe that be the case…"
We continued walking for a while, until we came a cross a small river, "Well, the water is flowing really fast, but I am sure is not that deep" I took a large stick and tried to measure how deep the water was, it covered hall of the stick, "I think we can cross it" I said and began taking out the stick, but in a matter of second a Basculin gave it a bite and broke it in half, if that were my leg, I would have lost it, "I think we should look for a safer way to cross" Zoroark expression showed she agreed with that idea.
We walked trying to find a way to cross, but it looked like there was no way across, and to make matters worse it was beginning to get dark, "I think we should stop fer now. Help me collect wood to make a campfire" we began doing so and soon we have the campfire ready, I took the can of beans and carefully put it to heat, when they were ready I took a spoon I always carried with me and sat next to a tree and began eating, and I was about to offer Zoroark when I realized she was eating a berry, "Where did ye got that?" I asked her, in respond she took another from her mane, "Do ye store thing in there?" she kind of answered, but I couldn't understand, "I hope there were a way we could understand each other better" I said and continued eating the beans, then something came to my mind, "Maybe there is a way…"
"Listen, in my grandfather's ship they taught me a sign language they invented, it may not be the best for what I have in mind, but it could work, so what do ye said lass?" she smiled and nodded in respond, "Alright, where do I begin…"
Well, this was chapter 27, hope you all liked it and see ya next chapter.