Chapter 70

Walking through a forest, May hummed a soft tune as Cilan walked ahead, leading the way with a map under his nose. Somewhere behind her, Iris was walking, whispering to Axew.

Unfortunately for the Johto woman, the duo still weren't really speaking, but May was trying to keep the mood as light as possible.

'Something's wrong. The forest is far too quiet,' Iris scowled at the duo, who blinked at the revelation.

There was was pause in which no one said anything, simply listening and glancing around them.

'She's right,' Cilan frowned as May glanced around at the empty trees nervously, suddenly becoming very aware of the usually noisy pokémon being eerily absent. There wasn't a flying, bug or grass type to be heard or seen.

'Something has to be causing this,' Iris scowled before stomping ahead, her anger overriding her urge for caution, and May instinctively looked up at the sky, barely visible through the foliage above them.

'I don't know what we can do, though. If something is wrong, why would the whole forest stay quiet? And can we search the whole forest?' May grimaced as she glanced around them, apprehensively noticing anything and everything that moved in the gentle breeze.

'Well, we can't do nothing. There could be a serious problem affecting the other pokémon,' Iris huffed, stomping forward, past May, her fists clenched as she inspected the forest for any sign of pokémon.

'Iris, I'd really prefer not to burn down this forest with your anger!' Cilan called with a slight laugh, glancing anxiously at May before scurrying after the hot-headed Unovan woman.

'Then hurry up and follow me, or I'll leave you behind!' Iris retorted with an angry glare, not turning to see if the green haired man was coming after her.

The duo sent each other dubious glances before following the violet haired woman, watching her inspect one or another tree or plant.

'Not even a caterpie, weedle or wurmple can be seen,' Cilan frowned as he took out a magnifying glass and hat, apparently catching the same curiosity that had Iris enthralled, staring up at a giant oran berry tree.

'Oh no, why did I open my big mouth?' Iris groaned as she placed a cautious hand to her face, not even looking at Cilan as May blinked, wondering what in the world was going on.

'It's Detective Time!' Cilan cried with a flourish, somehow pulling out a detective had and cape from seemingly nowhere.

Glancing from one Unovan to the other, May pursed her lips, wondering if she even dared to question what was going on.

Cilan seemed completely eager to play detective, whilst she'd never seen Iris look so embarrassed before.

'Why didn't I extend his promise to behave to include this? I can't take him anywhere, I'm so embarrassed! Poor May must think she's stuck with a lunatic with a Looker fetish,' Iris faux cried as her older friend blinked in surprise, watching Cilan with clear apprehension.

'So we have a silent forest and a witness who swears she saw the whole thing!' Cilan mused as he inspected a leaf above his head. With a frown, he turned his attention to Iris, who was sighing with visible reluctance.

'I said no such thing, are you crazy?' Iris snarled at him as soon as she noticed his intrigued gaze, causing the man to blink.

Holding the magnifying glass before him, he continued, 'let's go further in the forest to see if we can find an answer.'

'Oh boy, I wish I'd never mentioned a thing,' Iris mumbled before following the man, a perplexed May following them, glancing around their surroundings with apprehension, her hands resting on her pokéballs for comfort.

If anything was out there, she would definitely call on Blaziken's help.

A/N: I had to try and work Cilan's Detective Time in somehow, I couldn't resist haha

Hope you enjoyed it, hopefully they weren't too out of character :)