"It was your fault. It was all your fault. Everything was your fault, and
always has been your fault. What would this planet be without you? What
would it be without any of us? You were the one, Eric. You were the one who
set the gears into motion. You were the key that fit the lock. Slowly
turning.. turning.. until you unlock the doors to the eve of our
destruction. The gears continue to spin. And soon, you will find out what
it means to suffer.."
The white light that filtered down from the sky was blinding. Plants withered away beneath his feet, and Pokemon disappeared, turning to dust, floating away with the breeze. Fires raged uncontrollably.. The waters dried, and humans fell to his feet, begging for mercy.. begging, and accusing.
"You released it.. you were the one!"
"You have doomed us all! Why..? Why would you do this to us?"
"My children are dead! It's all your fault!"
Countless numbers of fingers slowly lifted up, pointing to him. There would be no escape. Not this time. They both lay dead.. the dark form shook his head, folding his arms over his chest. No escape this time.
No escape.
Ever again.
---------
"AH!" Eric screamed, falling off his cot. His blankets were wrapped around him tightly as he struggled to get them off of him. "I didn't do it! I didn't! Quit blaming me!"
The light soon came on, blinding him. He covered his eyes with a hand. "No! It's not my fault.."
"Eric! Eric, snap out of it. You were dreaming, ya?" Edd slapped his face hard, while Mistral and Bugsy made their way back to him from the kitchen, cold cloth in hand. He didn't need cold water.. the cold sweat over his face was enough reality for him. "C'mon. Get up."
Edd helped Eric free of the blankets, sitting him back on the cot. "Eric.. you're shaking. What happened?" Mistral asked, sitting next to him, placing the cold cloth to his head.
"Everyone was saying it was my fault. That everything just disappeared. It was too bright to tell," Eric closed his eyes, resting his head in his hands.
"Are you talking about what happened in Violet City?" Mistral asked, wrapping her arms around him, shaking him gently. "Because that wasn't your fault. You did what was right."
"This was something different. I had destroyed something.. and then it happened. It's.. I can't remember, now. It's all leaving me," Eric muttered, taking the cloth from Mistral, rubbing his head with it. "What time is it?"
Bugsy looked back at the clock hanging on the wall. "Almost dawn.. six twenty five.."
Everything had seemed so real, but he couldn't piece together what he had seen. The dream about Kazin seemed real enough, as did this dream.. did it have some kind of connection with the dream he had just had? With the rapidly fading memories of the dream, he couldn't make any connections. Everything was dying.. there had been death in the dream about Kazin.
Eric slowly glanced over at Mistral, who had her eyes closed, her arms still around him tightly, her face buried in his left arm. "Don't listen to anyone else. It's not your fault," Mistral muttered, trying to calm him. He had gotten control of his shaking, and Edd proceeded to pack his sleeping bag back into his backpack. If it was dawn, it was nearly time to leave, anyways. Bugsy sat down on her own bed in the corner, pulling her knees up to her chest.
"What'd I say?" Eric asked, looking over at Bugsy. "Did I say anything in my sleep?"
Edd stretched a bit, looking over at Mistral and Eric. "You were screaming really loudly, about how it wasn't your fault. Before I could wake you up, you started saying something about killing everyone. Really creeped Bugsy and Mistral out, ya."
The dream finally slipped his concious mind, though, he had a feeling it would return to haunt him. Everything.. his choices, and now Team Magma.. but what about Kazin? The only way to prove his theory would be to see if Kazin did return. Eric pulled out his Pokedex, and opened it. Mistral opened her eyes, and looked down at the Pokedex. Edd and Bugsy both went silent, as Eric punched in a search for 'Vulpix'. The information popped up onto the screen, and it switched to the 'Map' screen on Eric's prompt. Several pictures of Vulpix appeared on the screen, mostly around Mt. Mortar.
However, one picture of a Vulpix was gently edging its way down Route 44.
He closed the Pokedex, and pocketed it. "What was that about?" Edd asked, looking from Bugsy, to Eric, then to Mistral. "Checkin' on those legendary Pokemon?"
"Yeah, you could say that," Eric lied, slowly standing up. Mistral released her arms from him, looking a bit disappointed. "Let's get going. We've worn out our welcome, and Goldenrod is only through the Ilex Forest."
The only way to get them off the subject was to return to his Pokemon League aspirations, which made anyone who knew him think he was back to normal. It was the easiest way to hide his true emotions. It would make an excellent shield.
------
"Be careful in the Ilex Forest," Bugsy smiled, waving to the three trainers. "And, Eric.."
Eric turned, looking back at Bugsy, who blushed, looking down. "Be careful who you're around. It's hard to trust anyone anymore, and the road to the Pokemon League only gets harder from here on.."
Before Eric could inquire as to what that meant, Bugsy turned, and left the guard house seperating Azalea Town and Ilex Forest. The Security Guard looked up at the small group. "Well, be on yer way. I'm sure you're itchin' to catch alot of early mornin' Pokemon if you're going into the forest this early in the morning."
"Yeah. I suppose," Eric muttered, turning again. He gave one last glance towards the door they had come in through, before entering the opened door to Ilex Forest. The path they stepped on immediately went north at a ninety degree angle. The trees, as they followed the path, got more closely knit. The shadows danced with delight at the prospect of trainers entering the forest so early in the morning, before the sunlight lit up the paths fully.
"Are you sure this was a good idea?" Mistral muttered sleepily, glancing around the bushes at the side of the road. A Spinarak weaved its web above them, looking quite content with its hiding place. "Because it's still really dark.."
They both agreed to have Edd release his Shroomish, so they could get some light onto the path. The Shroomish, excited to chosen for the job, appeared, and lit up the path. The bushes around them shook violently at the light, and a few bug Pokemon from the forest retreated into the sanctuary of the trees.
"Paras! Paras!" a small, orange bug Pokemon was quick to stop the team about half-way through the forest. It seemed intruiged by the Shroomish, and kept running circles around it.
Eric glanced over at Edd. "Well, if you want a Paras, now might be a good time to capture one," he advised, tapping his foot impatiently.
"Why don't you catch it?" Edd asked, smiling up at him. "I've already got some Bug Pokemon from Hoenn, anyways."
Eric contemplated the catch, then gave a quick nod. "Okay. Mind stunning it for me while I dig out my Pokemon?"
"Sure thing. Shroomish, use your sleep powder!" Edd commanded. The Shroomish started to shake, much to the Paras's surprise, and was soon covered in a light blue powder. It yawned, and layed down, falling asleep. Eric stopped digging through his pockets for the right Pokeball, when he noticed that the Paras was dead asleep.
Using this opportunity, Eric quickly pulled out an empty Pokeball, hitting the Paras atop the head. It stayed normal for a few seconds, before turning a bright red, disappearing into the Pokeball. The Pokeball hit the soft grass of the trail, and began to shake, though, only a few times.
"Odd. Maybe it wanted to be caught," Mistral blinked, watching the Pokeball stop moving so early. The Pokeball finalized the capturing process with the tell-tale soft 'ding'. Eric bent over, and picked it up, looking it over. "Perhaps."
"H-hey! I was chasing that Paras!" a voice called out from the bushes, and, after a few moments, a bug catcher fell out of them, struggling with what looked like a Weedle. Mistral bent over, and picked the Pokemon off the boy easily, and it hissed, struggling to get away. "Now you're gonna steal my Weedle?!"
"No. I was just helping you," Mistral muttered, dropping the Weedle. It hissed again, and took off into the bushes.
"You let it go! Man, you people steam me up. Who wants to battle me first?!" the bug catcher growled, pulling out a Pokeball. Edd stepped forward, pushing Eric aside. "Lemme handle him. I bet I can win," Edd winked, pulling out his own Pokeball.
The Bug Catcher threw out his first Pokemon.. a Kakuna. Both Eric and Mistral shook their heads in frustration. Edd was quick to summon his Pelliper, who seemed happy to finally be out of its Pokeball after such a long time.
"Kakuna, Harden!" The Kakuna leapt, and fell on its back. However, it did harden its shell, looking alot tougher now. "Wing Attack, Pelliper!"
Edd's Pelliper gripped the Kakuna tightly, and began to hit it hard with its wings. By the time it was done, not even the hardened shell had saved the Pokemon from the fierce onslaught, and the type advantage. The Kakuna was returned to its Pokeball, as was the Pelliper. Next out from the Bug Catcher was a Spinarak. It looked determined to battle, but quickly retreated behind its trainer when Edd released his Lairon.
"Lairon, use Metal Sound!" Edd commanded. The Lairon slowly began to shake, causing its thick steely hide to ring out at a deafening tone. Edd, Mistral, and Eric covered their ears, but the Bug Catcher simply started yelling at his Spinarak to use String Shot. When the noise had died down, the Spinarak quickly leapt forward, looking a bit wobbily at the legs.
The string that issued from the Spinarak was quite effective in slowing down the Lairon. "Before he can hit you with another attack, use Headbutt!"
The Lairon let out a low growl, and charged towards the Spinarak, and slammed its head into it, sending it flying into a tree, where it promptly fell to the ground. "Aww, man.. I don't have any more Pokemon," the bug catcher sighed, returning his Spinarak to its Pokeball. He quickly strode off into the bushes, where he let out a gasp, pulling out his bug net, probably chasing another bug Pokemon that was too big for him.
"Good job, Lairon! You won me a battle! I'm proud of you, ya?" Edd grined, hopping onto its back, the Shroomish following, still lighting the path. The Lairon continued down the path, and Mistral and Eric followed at a fair pace.
"So, are you worried about that dream?" Mistral asked, looking over at Eric. She was looking quite sheepish.. or was she just being timid because of the question? "I mean, dreams don't always come true. I'm sure Kazin's alright, too."
"I know he's alright, Mistral. And I don't believe that the dream was real.. but, it seemed real," Eric replied, looking ahead at Edd, who was celebrating his own victory by scaring away a Caterpie on a tree he passed.
Mistral gave a nod, and smiled, looking ahead. "Listen, don't let it get to you, okay?"
"I'm not. I have better things to think about.. like the next badge at Goldenrod," Eric shrugged, looking over at Mistral to see what she was looking at. Her eyes were locked on Edd, who was still riding the Lairon, heading towards a small house straight down the path. "And why did you put your arms around me when I had that bad dream?"
Mistral's face flushed for a few moments. "I, uh.. well, I was feeling bad for you. And you were shaking, so I thought that, being your friend and all, that I could help calm you down.. hehe."
"Uh-huh," Eric grinned, nudging her in the side. "Are you sure about that?"
"Damn sure! I've got a boyfriend in Cianwood anyways," Mistral lied, though, she struggled to make it as believable as possible. It seemed to work, as Eric gave a sage nod, looking ahead just in time to notice that Edd had already reached the guard house, and was holding the door open for them. "Sorry," Mistral whispered, moving around Edd to enter the guard house.
"What was that all about?" Edd asked, looking up at Eric, who stepped into the guard house that seperated Ilex Forest to Route 34. "Did you ask her out or something?"
Eric waited for Edd to step in, Lairon trailing behind him, before closing the door. "No. I was just talking to her about the dream I had, and I moved the subject to her embracing me while I was shaking. She was quick to note that she has a boyfriend in Cianwood."
"If that's the case, why isan't she in Cianwood following her boyfriend around?" Edd asked, glancing over at Mistral, who was sitting in one of the many chairs lining the wall, trying to rest her feet. "Sounds a bit fishy to me, ya."
"Maybe. Like Bugsy said, I shouldn't trust alot of people now," Eric repeated what he had heard, but shrugged. "But I can trust you guys, so I shouldn't go around and point fingers at every person I suspect without proper evidance."
Edd gave a nod, and dropped the subject, hopping back onto his Lairon. "Hey, Mistral! If your feet are hurting, why don'tcha have a ride with me. ya?"
Mistral looked up, and smiled, nodding. She quickly clambered onto the Lairon, and let out a sigh of relief. The guard was busy talking to an old lady, both were grinning broadly. "So I says to him, I says, 'You're pretty suspicious sneakin' around here at night'. So I battled him with my Growlithe, and he takes them both out in one attack! Imagine my surprise when he became Pokemon League Champion, AND defeated the Elite Four!"
The Old Lady laughed at the prospect.
"Pokemon League Champion.." Eric muttered, opening the door for the Lairon. Route 34 shone with the bright sun, and without a cloud in the sky. It would be easy to make it to Goldenrod City, and they'd have plenty of time to do some shopping or something before they went to take on the Gym Leader. Things were working out for the better.
-----
Goldenrod was a gigantic city, possessing some large, important buildings within. One of them was the infamous Radio Tower, which broadcasted music and interviews with famous people in the world of Pokemon to the radios and Pokegear of the world.. well, the Pokegear outfitted with a radio card, anyways, which Eric wasn't lacking. His mother had bought the one that came with the radio card.
"So this is Goldenrod City.. I've heard alot about this place. They have casinos, a huge department center, and the Radio Tower.. I wanna visit them all," Mistral sighed dreamily. "Especially the department store.."
"Go ahead. I'll catch up to you when I defeat the Gym Leader here," Eric smiled, moving away from Mistral. Edd was quick to follow, having already recalled his Lairon.
"Oh NO you don't!" Mistral growled, grabbing both of their collars tightly. She pulled them back, their attempts to break free from her death grip failing. "You're both going shopping with me."
"Aw, man! We'll be in there forever, ya? I'm with Eric, I think we should challenge the Gym Leader first," Edd muttered, still struggling. Eric had long since given up. "Well, you can go, but I want Eric to come with me," Mistral grinned evilly, sticking her tongue out at Edd. Edd brushed himself off when he was released, and nodded. "Good luck, ya?"
"I'm gonna need it," Eric muttered, being dragged towards the large department complex. "I'll meet you outside the Casino, Edd."
Edd gave a long wave, before turning. "Think i'll hit the casino and get me a new Pokemon."
-----
"Oh, would you take a look at this? It's so cute!" Mistral giggled, holding up what looked like a Clefairy. "It's a Clefairy Doll. You use it to escape battles by distracting the wild Pokemon," Eric muttered. "But I suppose you can use it to decorate your room."
It only took three hours to get through all six stories of the Goldenrod City Department store, and Mistral had left nearly all of them a wreck. Eric had no idea where she was getting the money, but she had enough of them to buy all sorts of items, Pokeballs, and food for her Pokemon. He had gotten lucky, and Mistral had bought him a Great Ball to add to his collection.
"It might help someday," Mistral smiled, forking over the money for all the items she had in the bag, and the Great Ball. Eric was quick to pocket it once she handed it to him. "I could've bought it myself with the money I earned fighting the gym leaders.."
Mistral shook her head. "Nonsense. Never look a gift horse in the mouth. My father used to say that all the time. So, go ahead, it's on me."
"And so are your bags," Eric muttered, struggling under the weight of the many bags she had piled onto his arms and hands.
------
When they had both left the department store, they took a bit of time organizing her stuff into her new backpack. She was feeling generous, so bought Eric one of the newer backpacks to replace the one that had, by now, become quite ragged. Eric moved what little items he did have from one backpack to his new one, much like Mistral was, and made sure to double check every pocket incase he might've missed something. He checked to make sure his badge case was in the backpack somewhere around thirteen times.
Finally, they made it to the casino, after Mistral insisted on stopping for lunch, stopping to look at clothes, and stopping to look at the Pokemon being groomed at the local Pokemon Salon. Which meant they had to take a detour through the Goldenrod City Tunnel.. which meant more shops.
"Make it stop," Eric groaned lifelessly, as Mistral dragged him from the Goldenrod City Tunnel.
"Aw, quite your whining. I'm done now. Let's go find Edd and heal our Pokemon.. where were we going to meet him again?" Mistral asked, helping Eric to his feet.
"The casino. He mentioned something about wanting to play there."
Mistral quirked an eyebrow, walking across the street towards the large casino complex. "Isan't he too young to gamble?"
------
"C'mon, daddy needs a new pair of shoes!" Edd grinned, shaking the dice in his hands. He threw them, and they landed inside the table, landing on a pair of fives. "Winnah! It's amazing, ladies and gentlemen! This kid has the devil's luck!" the man who ran the table announced.
Eric and Mistral wound their way through the spectators and scantily-clad women to move next to Edd. "Oh my god.. Edd, how much money do you have now?" Eric muttered, noticing all the chips on the smaller trainer's side.
"I've got about.. oh.. fifty thousand Zenni, now," Edd replied, rolling the dice again. The dice revealed a six and a five. "Again! What is this?!" the man running the table groaned, hesitant to give the smaller trainer anymore chips.
"Tough luck, buddy. Hand over the money," Edd grinned, shoveling his chips into his coin case, climbing off the stool that had been set up for him. One of the scantily clad women kissed him on the cheek, winking at him. "I'll call you," he waved to the girls.
Mistral picked Edd up by the collar, and shook him. "Oh, no you won't. You're too young to be hanging around with those kind of people. And who said you could even gamble?!"
"Well, you just witnessed how good I am. Hehe."
-----
"I'd like an Abra," Edd muttered, looking over the list of Pokemon he could trade in for coins. "And i'll be getting a Dratini, and a Sandshrew. There should be enough coins inside for them."
The woman behind the counter looked surprised, but took the coins, pulling out three Pokeballs. "And who will I be registering these to?"
"The Abra and the Sandshrew will be going to me. My friend Eric, he's the tall one behind me, will be getting the Dratini," Edd smiled. Eric blinked in surprise. "A-are you sure about that? Dratini are hard to come by.."
"I've already got one," Edd shrugged. "Besides, they're really good when they evolve into Dragonite. You could use one."
Eric wasn't quite sure wether to strangle Edd or hug him. A Dratini.. a Pokemon that could only be found in about three or four places in the entire WORLD. Someone must be at the Safari Zone twenty-four hours a day to be catching enough to hand out for prizes.
The woman typed on the computer, and placed each Pokeball in succession into a small chamber. The Pokeballs were zapped with what looked like lightning, before taken out. They were surprisingly cool, however, as Eric noted when he took the Dratini's Pokeball, putting it into his pocket. "Well.. I dunno what to say, Edd.. Thanks."
"What're pals for? I'll just be expecting you to help me catch a Pokemon I want sometime," Edd grinned, causing Eric to fall over. There went gravity again..
"I knew there was a catch," Eric muttered, tears streaming down his face, as he rubbed the side of his head that had hit the hard tile floor. "Alright.. deal."
"Then what're we waiting for?" Mistral butted in, smiling. "Let's go to the Pokemon Gym! Eric's got another badge to earn!"
-----
End Chapter 10
The white light that filtered down from the sky was blinding. Plants withered away beneath his feet, and Pokemon disappeared, turning to dust, floating away with the breeze. Fires raged uncontrollably.. The waters dried, and humans fell to his feet, begging for mercy.. begging, and accusing.
"You released it.. you were the one!"
"You have doomed us all! Why..? Why would you do this to us?"
"My children are dead! It's all your fault!"
Countless numbers of fingers slowly lifted up, pointing to him. There would be no escape. Not this time. They both lay dead.. the dark form shook his head, folding his arms over his chest. No escape this time.
No escape.
Ever again.
---------
"AH!" Eric screamed, falling off his cot. His blankets were wrapped around him tightly as he struggled to get them off of him. "I didn't do it! I didn't! Quit blaming me!"
The light soon came on, blinding him. He covered his eyes with a hand. "No! It's not my fault.."
"Eric! Eric, snap out of it. You were dreaming, ya?" Edd slapped his face hard, while Mistral and Bugsy made their way back to him from the kitchen, cold cloth in hand. He didn't need cold water.. the cold sweat over his face was enough reality for him. "C'mon. Get up."
Edd helped Eric free of the blankets, sitting him back on the cot. "Eric.. you're shaking. What happened?" Mistral asked, sitting next to him, placing the cold cloth to his head.
"Everyone was saying it was my fault. That everything just disappeared. It was too bright to tell," Eric closed his eyes, resting his head in his hands.
"Are you talking about what happened in Violet City?" Mistral asked, wrapping her arms around him, shaking him gently. "Because that wasn't your fault. You did what was right."
"This was something different. I had destroyed something.. and then it happened. It's.. I can't remember, now. It's all leaving me," Eric muttered, taking the cloth from Mistral, rubbing his head with it. "What time is it?"
Bugsy looked back at the clock hanging on the wall. "Almost dawn.. six twenty five.."
Everything had seemed so real, but he couldn't piece together what he had seen. The dream about Kazin seemed real enough, as did this dream.. did it have some kind of connection with the dream he had just had? With the rapidly fading memories of the dream, he couldn't make any connections. Everything was dying.. there had been death in the dream about Kazin.
Eric slowly glanced over at Mistral, who had her eyes closed, her arms still around him tightly, her face buried in his left arm. "Don't listen to anyone else. It's not your fault," Mistral muttered, trying to calm him. He had gotten control of his shaking, and Edd proceeded to pack his sleeping bag back into his backpack. If it was dawn, it was nearly time to leave, anyways. Bugsy sat down on her own bed in the corner, pulling her knees up to her chest.
"What'd I say?" Eric asked, looking over at Bugsy. "Did I say anything in my sleep?"
Edd stretched a bit, looking over at Mistral and Eric. "You were screaming really loudly, about how it wasn't your fault. Before I could wake you up, you started saying something about killing everyone. Really creeped Bugsy and Mistral out, ya."
The dream finally slipped his concious mind, though, he had a feeling it would return to haunt him. Everything.. his choices, and now Team Magma.. but what about Kazin? The only way to prove his theory would be to see if Kazin did return. Eric pulled out his Pokedex, and opened it. Mistral opened her eyes, and looked down at the Pokedex. Edd and Bugsy both went silent, as Eric punched in a search for 'Vulpix'. The information popped up onto the screen, and it switched to the 'Map' screen on Eric's prompt. Several pictures of Vulpix appeared on the screen, mostly around Mt. Mortar.
However, one picture of a Vulpix was gently edging its way down Route 44.
He closed the Pokedex, and pocketed it. "What was that about?" Edd asked, looking from Bugsy, to Eric, then to Mistral. "Checkin' on those legendary Pokemon?"
"Yeah, you could say that," Eric lied, slowly standing up. Mistral released her arms from him, looking a bit disappointed. "Let's get going. We've worn out our welcome, and Goldenrod is only through the Ilex Forest."
The only way to get them off the subject was to return to his Pokemon League aspirations, which made anyone who knew him think he was back to normal. It was the easiest way to hide his true emotions. It would make an excellent shield.
------
"Be careful in the Ilex Forest," Bugsy smiled, waving to the three trainers. "And, Eric.."
Eric turned, looking back at Bugsy, who blushed, looking down. "Be careful who you're around. It's hard to trust anyone anymore, and the road to the Pokemon League only gets harder from here on.."
Before Eric could inquire as to what that meant, Bugsy turned, and left the guard house seperating Azalea Town and Ilex Forest. The Security Guard looked up at the small group. "Well, be on yer way. I'm sure you're itchin' to catch alot of early mornin' Pokemon if you're going into the forest this early in the morning."
"Yeah. I suppose," Eric muttered, turning again. He gave one last glance towards the door they had come in through, before entering the opened door to Ilex Forest. The path they stepped on immediately went north at a ninety degree angle. The trees, as they followed the path, got more closely knit. The shadows danced with delight at the prospect of trainers entering the forest so early in the morning, before the sunlight lit up the paths fully.
"Are you sure this was a good idea?" Mistral muttered sleepily, glancing around the bushes at the side of the road. A Spinarak weaved its web above them, looking quite content with its hiding place. "Because it's still really dark.."
They both agreed to have Edd release his Shroomish, so they could get some light onto the path. The Shroomish, excited to chosen for the job, appeared, and lit up the path. The bushes around them shook violently at the light, and a few bug Pokemon from the forest retreated into the sanctuary of the trees.
"Paras! Paras!" a small, orange bug Pokemon was quick to stop the team about half-way through the forest. It seemed intruiged by the Shroomish, and kept running circles around it.
Eric glanced over at Edd. "Well, if you want a Paras, now might be a good time to capture one," he advised, tapping his foot impatiently.
"Why don't you catch it?" Edd asked, smiling up at him. "I've already got some Bug Pokemon from Hoenn, anyways."
Eric contemplated the catch, then gave a quick nod. "Okay. Mind stunning it for me while I dig out my Pokemon?"
"Sure thing. Shroomish, use your sleep powder!" Edd commanded. The Shroomish started to shake, much to the Paras's surprise, and was soon covered in a light blue powder. It yawned, and layed down, falling asleep. Eric stopped digging through his pockets for the right Pokeball, when he noticed that the Paras was dead asleep.
Using this opportunity, Eric quickly pulled out an empty Pokeball, hitting the Paras atop the head. It stayed normal for a few seconds, before turning a bright red, disappearing into the Pokeball. The Pokeball hit the soft grass of the trail, and began to shake, though, only a few times.
"Odd. Maybe it wanted to be caught," Mistral blinked, watching the Pokeball stop moving so early. The Pokeball finalized the capturing process with the tell-tale soft 'ding'. Eric bent over, and picked it up, looking it over. "Perhaps."
"H-hey! I was chasing that Paras!" a voice called out from the bushes, and, after a few moments, a bug catcher fell out of them, struggling with what looked like a Weedle. Mistral bent over, and picked the Pokemon off the boy easily, and it hissed, struggling to get away. "Now you're gonna steal my Weedle?!"
"No. I was just helping you," Mistral muttered, dropping the Weedle. It hissed again, and took off into the bushes.
"You let it go! Man, you people steam me up. Who wants to battle me first?!" the bug catcher growled, pulling out a Pokeball. Edd stepped forward, pushing Eric aside. "Lemme handle him. I bet I can win," Edd winked, pulling out his own Pokeball.
The Bug Catcher threw out his first Pokemon.. a Kakuna. Both Eric and Mistral shook their heads in frustration. Edd was quick to summon his Pelliper, who seemed happy to finally be out of its Pokeball after such a long time.
"Kakuna, Harden!" The Kakuna leapt, and fell on its back. However, it did harden its shell, looking alot tougher now. "Wing Attack, Pelliper!"
Edd's Pelliper gripped the Kakuna tightly, and began to hit it hard with its wings. By the time it was done, not even the hardened shell had saved the Pokemon from the fierce onslaught, and the type advantage. The Kakuna was returned to its Pokeball, as was the Pelliper. Next out from the Bug Catcher was a Spinarak. It looked determined to battle, but quickly retreated behind its trainer when Edd released his Lairon.
"Lairon, use Metal Sound!" Edd commanded. The Lairon slowly began to shake, causing its thick steely hide to ring out at a deafening tone. Edd, Mistral, and Eric covered their ears, but the Bug Catcher simply started yelling at his Spinarak to use String Shot. When the noise had died down, the Spinarak quickly leapt forward, looking a bit wobbily at the legs.
The string that issued from the Spinarak was quite effective in slowing down the Lairon. "Before he can hit you with another attack, use Headbutt!"
The Lairon let out a low growl, and charged towards the Spinarak, and slammed its head into it, sending it flying into a tree, where it promptly fell to the ground. "Aww, man.. I don't have any more Pokemon," the bug catcher sighed, returning his Spinarak to its Pokeball. He quickly strode off into the bushes, where he let out a gasp, pulling out his bug net, probably chasing another bug Pokemon that was too big for him.
"Good job, Lairon! You won me a battle! I'm proud of you, ya?" Edd grined, hopping onto its back, the Shroomish following, still lighting the path. The Lairon continued down the path, and Mistral and Eric followed at a fair pace.
"So, are you worried about that dream?" Mistral asked, looking over at Eric. She was looking quite sheepish.. or was she just being timid because of the question? "I mean, dreams don't always come true. I'm sure Kazin's alright, too."
"I know he's alright, Mistral. And I don't believe that the dream was real.. but, it seemed real," Eric replied, looking ahead at Edd, who was celebrating his own victory by scaring away a Caterpie on a tree he passed.
Mistral gave a nod, and smiled, looking ahead. "Listen, don't let it get to you, okay?"
"I'm not. I have better things to think about.. like the next badge at Goldenrod," Eric shrugged, looking over at Mistral to see what she was looking at. Her eyes were locked on Edd, who was still riding the Lairon, heading towards a small house straight down the path. "And why did you put your arms around me when I had that bad dream?"
Mistral's face flushed for a few moments. "I, uh.. well, I was feeling bad for you. And you were shaking, so I thought that, being your friend and all, that I could help calm you down.. hehe."
"Uh-huh," Eric grinned, nudging her in the side. "Are you sure about that?"
"Damn sure! I've got a boyfriend in Cianwood anyways," Mistral lied, though, she struggled to make it as believable as possible. It seemed to work, as Eric gave a sage nod, looking ahead just in time to notice that Edd had already reached the guard house, and was holding the door open for them. "Sorry," Mistral whispered, moving around Edd to enter the guard house.
"What was that all about?" Edd asked, looking up at Eric, who stepped into the guard house that seperated Ilex Forest to Route 34. "Did you ask her out or something?"
Eric waited for Edd to step in, Lairon trailing behind him, before closing the door. "No. I was just talking to her about the dream I had, and I moved the subject to her embracing me while I was shaking. She was quick to note that she has a boyfriend in Cianwood."
"If that's the case, why isan't she in Cianwood following her boyfriend around?" Edd asked, glancing over at Mistral, who was sitting in one of the many chairs lining the wall, trying to rest her feet. "Sounds a bit fishy to me, ya."
"Maybe. Like Bugsy said, I shouldn't trust alot of people now," Eric repeated what he had heard, but shrugged. "But I can trust you guys, so I shouldn't go around and point fingers at every person I suspect without proper evidance."
Edd gave a nod, and dropped the subject, hopping back onto his Lairon. "Hey, Mistral! If your feet are hurting, why don'tcha have a ride with me. ya?"
Mistral looked up, and smiled, nodding. She quickly clambered onto the Lairon, and let out a sigh of relief. The guard was busy talking to an old lady, both were grinning broadly. "So I says to him, I says, 'You're pretty suspicious sneakin' around here at night'. So I battled him with my Growlithe, and he takes them both out in one attack! Imagine my surprise when he became Pokemon League Champion, AND defeated the Elite Four!"
The Old Lady laughed at the prospect.
"Pokemon League Champion.." Eric muttered, opening the door for the Lairon. Route 34 shone with the bright sun, and without a cloud in the sky. It would be easy to make it to Goldenrod City, and they'd have plenty of time to do some shopping or something before they went to take on the Gym Leader. Things were working out for the better.
-----
Goldenrod was a gigantic city, possessing some large, important buildings within. One of them was the infamous Radio Tower, which broadcasted music and interviews with famous people in the world of Pokemon to the radios and Pokegear of the world.. well, the Pokegear outfitted with a radio card, anyways, which Eric wasn't lacking. His mother had bought the one that came with the radio card.
"So this is Goldenrod City.. I've heard alot about this place. They have casinos, a huge department center, and the Radio Tower.. I wanna visit them all," Mistral sighed dreamily. "Especially the department store.."
"Go ahead. I'll catch up to you when I defeat the Gym Leader here," Eric smiled, moving away from Mistral. Edd was quick to follow, having already recalled his Lairon.
"Oh NO you don't!" Mistral growled, grabbing both of their collars tightly. She pulled them back, their attempts to break free from her death grip failing. "You're both going shopping with me."
"Aw, man! We'll be in there forever, ya? I'm with Eric, I think we should challenge the Gym Leader first," Edd muttered, still struggling. Eric had long since given up. "Well, you can go, but I want Eric to come with me," Mistral grinned evilly, sticking her tongue out at Edd. Edd brushed himself off when he was released, and nodded. "Good luck, ya?"
"I'm gonna need it," Eric muttered, being dragged towards the large department complex. "I'll meet you outside the Casino, Edd."
Edd gave a long wave, before turning. "Think i'll hit the casino and get me a new Pokemon."
-----
"Oh, would you take a look at this? It's so cute!" Mistral giggled, holding up what looked like a Clefairy. "It's a Clefairy Doll. You use it to escape battles by distracting the wild Pokemon," Eric muttered. "But I suppose you can use it to decorate your room."
It only took three hours to get through all six stories of the Goldenrod City Department store, and Mistral had left nearly all of them a wreck. Eric had no idea where she was getting the money, but she had enough of them to buy all sorts of items, Pokeballs, and food for her Pokemon. He had gotten lucky, and Mistral had bought him a Great Ball to add to his collection.
"It might help someday," Mistral smiled, forking over the money for all the items she had in the bag, and the Great Ball. Eric was quick to pocket it once she handed it to him. "I could've bought it myself with the money I earned fighting the gym leaders.."
Mistral shook her head. "Nonsense. Never look a gift horse in the mouth. My father used to say that all the time. So, go ahead, it's on me."
"And so are your bags," Eric muttered, struggling under the weight of the many bags she had piled onto his arms and hands.
------
When they had both left the department store, they took a bit of time organizing her stuff into her new backpack. She was feeling generous, so bought Eric one of the newer backpacks to replace the one that had, by now, become quite ragged. Eric moved what little items he did have from one backpack to his new one, much like Mistral was, and made sure to double check every pocket incase he might've missed something. He checked to make sure his badge case was in the backpack somewhere around thirteen times.
Finally, they made it to the casino, after Mistral insisted on stopping for lunch, stopping to look at clothes, and stopping to look at the Pokemon being groomed at the local Pokemon Salon. Which meant they had to take a detour through the Goldenrod City Tunnel.. which meant more shops.
"Make it stop," Eric groaned lifelessly, as Mistral dragged him from the Goldenrod City Tunnel.
"Aw, quite your whining. I'm done now. Let's go find Edd and heal our Pokemon.. where were we going to meet him again?" Mistral asked, helping Eric to his feet.
"The casino. He mentioned something about wanting to play there."
Mistral quirked an eyebrow, walking across the street towards the large casino complex. "Isan't he too young to gamble?"
------
"C'mon, daddy needs a new pair of shoes!" Edd grinned, shaking the dice in his hands. He threw them, and they landed inside the table, landing on a pair of fives. "Winnah! It's amazing, ladies and gentlemen! This kid has the devil's luck!" the man who ran the table announced.
Eric and Mistral wound their way through the spectators and scantily-clad women to move next to Edd. "Oh my god.. Edd, how much money do you have now?" Eric muttered, noticing all the chips on the smaller trainer's side.
"I've got about.. oh.. fifty thousand Zenni, now," Edd replied, rolling the dice again. The dice revealed a six and a five. "Again! What is this?!" the man running the table groaned, hesitant to give the smaller trainer anymore chips.
"Tough luck, buddy. Hand over the money," Edd grinned, shoveling his chips into his coin case, climbing off the stool that had been set up for him. One of the scantily clad women kissed him on the cheek, winking at him. "I'll call you," he waved to the girls.
Mistral picked Edd up by the collar, and shook him. "Oh, no you won't. You're too young to be hanging around with those kind of people. And who said you could even gamble?!"
"Well, you just witnessed how good I am. Hehe."
-----
"I'd like an Abra," Edd muttered, looking over the list of Pokemon he could trade in for coins. "And i'll be getting a Dratini, and a Sandshrew. There should be enough coins inside for them."
The woman behind the counter looked surprised, but took the coins, pulling out three Pokeballs. "And who will I be registering these to?"
"The Abra and the Sandshrew will be going to me. My friend Eric, he's the tall one behind me, will be getting the Dratini," Edd smiled. Eric blinked in surprise. "A-are you sure about that? Dratini are hard to come by.."
"I've already got one," Edd shrugged. "Besides, they're really good when they evolve into Dragonite. You could use one."
Eric wasn't quite sure wether to strangle Edd or hug him. A Dratini.. a Pokemon that could only be found in about three or four places in the entire WORLD. Someone must be at the Safari Zone twenty-four hours a day to be catching enough to hand out for prizes.
The woman typed on the computer, and placed each Pokeball in succession into a small chamber. The Pokeballs were zapped with what looked like lightning, before taken out. They were surprisingly cool, however, as Eric noted when he took the Dratini's Pokeball, putting it into his pocket. "Well.. I dunno what to say, Edd.. Thanks."
"What're pals for? I'll just be expecting you to help me catch a Pokemon I want sometime," Edd grinned, causing Eric to fall over. There went gravity again..
"I knew there was a catch," Eric muttered, tears streaming down his face, as he rubbed the side of his head that had hit the hard tile floor. "Alright.. deal."
"Then what're we waiting for?" Mistral butted in, smiling. "Let's go to the Pokemon Gym! Eric's got another badge to earn!"
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End Chapter 10