"Why does this always happen to me…" Jaune groaned, nearly tripping over another tree root.
"Grolll!" The little Pokémon grunted beside him, easily keeping up with Jaune despite its tiny legs. Apparently Jaune's Aron never ran low on energy.
It was a nice, sunny day for training in the Emerald Forest with Pyrrha, Ren and Nora….. until the bomber set off a wild Voltorb colony living around an abandoned generator, resulting in a massive explosion that separated everyone. Jaune was thrown all the way to the lowest point in the mountains, a densely forested area behind Beacon, and was working on a several hour hike back towards the school. He just hoped everyone would congregate there and he could meet up with them, especially since he lost his scroll in the explosion.
"And we're out of water…" Jaune groaned after rummaging through his bag for the third time. Gods, he just wanted to find the others as soon as possible, but it's not like he could fly in the air and search for everyone from the skies.
Now it was a matter of avoiding tree roots and poison ivy, and hopefully any more Voltorb that may have been blown all the way out here with him.
A chorus of green leaves rustled in the breeze above him. There was a slight nip in the air, indicating a future storm on the horizon. The forecast said it wouldn't rain until nightfall, but still. He hoped he could make it back to Beacon before the rain came.
"Seriously, why haven't I gotten a flying Pokemon yet?" The blonde sighed. Too late to dwell on that now. "Come on Jaune. One foot in front of the other-"
A red and white orb rolled out of the shrubs next to him, Jaune freezing in his tracks.
It was beaten and bruised from the explosion earlier, and still angry that humans invaded its home.
"Oh shit." He went completely stiff, knowing he wouldn't clear the area if that Pokémon decided to blow. He needed to get away from this thing before it got any ideas. It didn't look like it wanted to run away either.
Aron postured up in front of it, but Jaune really wanted to avoid more self-destruct blasts from these guys if at all possible.
Maybe he could talk it down?
"H-hey there little fella." Jaune had to clear his throat to shake out the nerves. He REALLY didn't want to get blown up again.
The Voltorb growled and started sparking. This thing was not here for a peace talk.
"Aron Protect!" Jaune shouted, pulling his arms up bracing for impact. Aron erected a blue shield in front of them right as the Voltorb lit up with a bang. Heat and air rushed past them, the loud boom making his ears pop.
When the dust cleared, Aron was still standing with the shield holding strong, the Voltorb clearly unconscious after that self ending move.
"Thank the gods we didn't die." Jaune exhaled a long sigh. That was too close. Granted, not as close as the entire Voltorb nest blowing up and sending everyone flying, but still close.
Aron turned to him with a happy squeal, her form starting to glow.
"Aron? Aron what's happening?!" Jaune got to his knees, realization finally dawning as Aron's form started to grow bigger.
"Aron, you're evolving! You're finally evolving!"
"Grollll!" Aron chortled, it's voice going from high pitched to a lower octave.
The transformation only took a few seconds, and by the time it was done a larger, white armoured creature with new spikes and plates stood before him triumphantly.
"WOAH~" Jaune couldn't stop ogling at his Pokemon's new form. Aron, or Lairon now, was so much bigger and tougher looking. "You look like a badass!" Jaune jumped for joy at this news. Lairon jumped a bit too and grunted, running around Jaune's legs like she wanted to be picked up.
"Slow down Aro- Lairon! You're too big to pick up-OOF!!!" The armoured Pokemon didn't listen, attempting to jump on Jaune's legs so he would finally cooperate, but knocking him backwards instead.
"Groollllll?" Lairon sniffed his face quizzically unsure what just happened.
"S-sorry girl, you don't know your own size anymore. You're too big to pick up now." He smiled sympathetically and gave her a few scratches on the chin. Though she was clearly disappointed, Lairon quickly found herself too caught up in her new form again, seeing how quickly she could run with longer legs. Her added bulk was clearly impeding her progress though.
"I-I gotta tell Pyrrha! She's not gonna believe this!" Sitting upright he tried fishing his scroll out of his pocket, only to remember he didn't have a scroll at the moment.
If he ever found it again.
With a groan Jaune fell flat on his back, staring at the tree canopy above him. Small bits of sky were visible through the openings in the leaves. The sky was still a beautiful shade of blue. It wasn't going to get dark or stormy any time soon at least.
Now it was a matter of working up the energy to get back up and keep going.
Any second now…..
"A few minute break couldn't hurt…" Jaune groaned to himself. Getting blown up and wandering for several hours will knock the wind out of anyone's sales.
Jaune was no exception.
It wasn't even two minutes later that something new caught his attention.
A streak of red and grey passed overhead, barely visibly through the gaps in the leaves, but definitely not his imagination.
"What was that?" Jaune stood up finding renewed energy at the sighting. Quickly he searched for a bigger opening in the trees, finding a small clearing with much more visible sky.
The shape of that Pokémon. There was no mistaking it as Pyrrha's Garchomp. It was gliding through the sky over the valley, landing high on a cliff. A flash of Red hair as her trainer hopped off her back, and the two disappeared out of sight.
"PYRRHA! DOWN HERE!! PYRRHA!!!" Neither Garchomp nor the redhead heard him, continuing to stay out of his sight line.
"Dammit." Jaune huffed. He couldn't get her attention from here, and he wasn't able to fly up and just tell her. He would need to climb his way up the cliff side or go on a long round-about hike, both of which would take way too long.
"It's too bad I don't have any Pokémon that can learn Fly…" Huffing, Jaune started preparing himself for the long trek up to Pyrrha, only to notice something interesting. There was a boulder, oddly shaped like a ramp. His SirFetch'd did know the move Brave Bird… maybe with enough of a head start, the fowl could get the both of them to the top of the cliff without issue.
It was brilliant!
"Lairon, return." Jaune recalled one Pokemon to swap it out for another. The golden SirFetch'd took form, standing up straight and cocky ready for a fight, only to realize there wasn't one. He looked up to Jaune clearly annoyed.
"SirFetch'd! I think I can make the two of us fly! Wanna give it a go?"
That got SirFetch'd's eyes to light up in anticipation, only to turn to scepticism soon after.
"Quack?"
"Hey, I don't think you will actually need to learn to fly. See?" He pointed to the boulder. "This thing is practically a ramp, yeah? And the move Brave Bird sends you flying in a straight line towards the enemy. So if you use Brave Bird to launch yourself off the ramp rock, it will send us flying right for the top of that cliff!"
"Quack!" SirFetch'd was really liking this idea, looking up to Jaune with admiration and excitement.
"What do you say pal? Are you ready to fly?" Jaune smiled.
"QUACK!" The bird Pokemon raised his lance and shield, unable to contain himself. Jaune couldn't help but mirror the bird's actions by pumping his own fist.
"Alright buddy, I think you should stand right about…. here, and I'll stand right around here…. Yeah! Just grab me with your feet as soon as you lift off from the rock and we'll both be soaring!"
"Quack quack quack quack!" SirFetch'd squawked impatiently. He was just as ready to try this as Jaune was.
"Okay SirFetch'd! Use Brave Bird!" Jaune shouted. The duck wasted no time, body lighting up in flames as he rushed for the rock at top speed. He pushed as his webbed foot touched the edge of the boulder, grabbing Jaune's shoulders right as it rocketed forward at an upwards angle.
They were doing it! They were going to make it. This was so cool!
This was, wait…
The momentum peaked and their angle started to change. Jaune could feel his stomach flipping over itself. The cliff side was approaching faster than before.
Hold on a second, why were they descending?!
"W-WAIT! NO NO NONONONONO-"
BAM!
The two collided head on with a loud crash.
Jaune's entire body was in absolute agony, and based on the moans from SirFetch'd he wasn't faring much better.
Through the dirt and roots his broken face was now buried in and currently holding him in place, he could barely moan one single coherent word.
"…… ow."
XxxxxxxxxxxX
"Ahh!" Jaune couldn't stop a pained hiss as Pyrrha tightened the makeshift splint around his arm.
"I'm sorry!" The redhead apologized for probably the twentieth time since she started.
"I told you, don't apologize. It was my own fault." Jaune groaned, flinching when Pyrrha went a little too tight again.
"It was your own fault, and I know I shouldn't be apologizing. I'm just-" she stopped, having to take a breath trying to collect herself. "Just…. what were you thinking?!" Pyrrha finally exploded.
"You're lucky you two mostly hit dirt! If it had been a pure rock face..." She paused for a moment, shuddering at the mental image of her dead boyfriend. "That was really, really stupid."
"Quack…" SirFectch'd, currently sitting by his trainer and being doted on by Jaune's Chansey, lowered his head shamefully. He was also bandaged up, Chansey putting a wrap around a huge swollen bump on his head.
"It…. Seemed like a good idea at the time?" Jaune tried.
She wasn't pleased with that answer.
"Look, I saw you on the cliff above and thought it was the best way to meet up with you quickly. I was just too excited. I didn't think it through."
"And what could be so important that you would risk your life AND your Pokémon's just to show me?"
The blonde reached for his Pokeball belt with his good hand, grinning stupidly as he summoned the newly evolved Lairon from her ball. Despite how much it made his face hurt, he couldn't help but smile wider.
Lairon struck a pose as soon as she realized there was company, only to break composure at seeing Pyrrha. Her new bulky tail was wagging fast enough to produce a light breeze, and possibly break someone's leg if she wasn't careful.
"It happened after fighting another rogue Voltorb." The blonde chuckled.
Several long seconds of silence followed.
He wasn't expecting Pyrrha's reaction to be so….. quiet. It was starting to worry him.
"W-what do you think?"
"Jaune…." Pyrrha breathed, leaning down to give Lairon some chin rubs and look her over. The little tank was too excited, trying to jump up on Pyrrha knocking her backwards.
"Lairon no! I told you you're too big for that." Jaune scolded, but all the redhead could do was laugh.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing!" She breathed trying to get her normal cadence back. "I've just never seen such a beautiful Lairon."
"Wait, really?"
"Of course." She rubbed just under the armour on Lairon's face, her back leg kicking a bit with pleasure. She had a new favorite spot that she didn't know existed until now.
"Look at her. The sheen on her armour, her movements, that face. I've never seen one so well trained. It has me excited for when she evolves into an Aggron. Isn't that right girl~ Are you excited to win some battles~"
"GROLLLL!"
"O-oh geez." Jaune was blushing a bit under all the praise. "It was all with your help, a-and Lairon's hard work. We wouldn't have been able to do it without you."
Pyrrha stood up, making her way over to Jaune and taking a seat next to him. SirFetch'd watched from Jaune's other side, very confused as to what was happening. Chancy knew exactly where this was going, forcing SirFetch'd to look the other way to give them privacy.
"If I wasn't so mad at you right now, I would kiss you."
"W-wait, really?!" Jaune reeled back immediately, unable to stop the blush spreading across his face.
Pyrrha couldn't contain her laughter for long. "What you did is impressive, but it's currently being outweighed by the stupidity of your last stunt."
"Do you…. think you could forgive me before the bullhead finds us?" He scratched the back of his neck trying to play the question off in a cool delivery.
It didn't work.
"Aw, you don't want to walk the whole way back?" Pyrrha teased. The blonde looked down at his swollen knee that he definitely wouldn't be walking on any time soon.
"I'd rather not…."
"I'm joking." She rolled her eyes at his nervous chuckling. "Did you think I was being serious?"
"Honestly, it can be hard to tell sometimes."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"N-nothing! I meant nothing!" He tried flailing his arms in denial, forgetting about the injured one. He winced back at the explosion of pain.
"Jaune?!" Pyrrha dropped the teasing attitude immediately.
"I-I'm fine! Sorry about that." Jaune grinned awkwardly. For some reason his weird expressions always got Pyrrha to smile. His heart was racing faster and he couldn't help the heat flushing his face. He wasn't sure if it was the fact she was still upset with him, or that she seemed into whatever he was currently doing. It was likely a mix of the two.
"Hmm…. Maybe I can forgive you enough to do this." Pyrrha laced her fingers through the ones on his uninjured hand. They slid into place like they had been made to fit each other. She leaned her head against his shoulder, the smell of her pomegranate conditioner flooding his sinuses. It was nice, a smell he had grown to really enjoy.
"Grollll!" Lairon shuffled her feet with the expression of a Pokémon ready to cause trouble.
"Lairon… I know that look on your face. Please don't do what I think you want to do." Jaune pleaded.
"Grollll?" The armoured tank perked her head to the side, wiggling her backside like a Meowth ready to pounce. She had her eyes on the very narrow gap between Jaune and Pyrrha.
"Wait! Lairon no-"
Too late.
Lairon had forced herself in between the two and sat down with a happy huff. Jaune was clutching his jostled knee trying not to curse.
"Jaune?" Pyrrha reached over the happy Lairon to check on him.
"I'll live." He forced out through a pained hiss. Dammit that hurt worse than the initial injury. He was going to need to train Lairon to be more careful-
A peck on the cheek brought focus away from the pain. He looked up to see Pyrrha holding back more laughter, leaning over Lairon in an attempt to get closer.
He couldn't help but return the smile. This was all too ridiculous to believe.
"Quack!" SirFetch'd almost sounded suggestive. Jaune changed focus to see the yellow bird giving him a cheeky grin and a wink, like he had done a good job somehow.
"Yeah yeah. You and me both, bud." He ruffled SirFetch'd's feathers on the not injured side of his head, the shiny bird giving him a wink. "You and me both."
~~~
Follow link to my Deviantart for comic I made to go alongside this chapter!
https//porterhawk/art/Pokemon-RWBY-Some-Pokemon-Werent-Meant-to-Fly-862278996
Thank you ChrisRainicorn for beta reading this, and inspiring this spin off to your fantastic work.
I'm so happy to see this one completed! Onto the next thing on my to-finish list.
Hope you all enjoyed! leave a comment if you feel like it XP