Surprise Surprise it's an upload! Turns out I have like 90 followers on this story. I can't disappoint 90 people if I don't try right? Anyways please enjoy my poorly planned story.
Day 20
Another day, another coconut, another fish, another tree... berries and roots.
"I think I'm losing it, Wilson," says Daniel with a smile on his face.
Wilson returns a concerned smile right back. The tropical oddish understands the entirety of Daniel's message, even the fake smile the man wears. Daniel's face now sports a thin beard while a black bush sits atop his scalp under his t-shirt turban. His body is evenly cooked, save for the sandal lines and shorts. Callouses are starting to form on his dirty hands and feet. The nails on his fingers and toes harbor dirt despite the maintenance Daniel performs. Daniel's appearance reflects how he feels. Tougher than before, but much more uncomfortable.
"Wilson," Daniel sighs, "Have you ever been in a pokemon battle?" Daniel's pitch and velocity change with those words, attempting to summon some enthusiasm.
Wilson shakes his head. No, but his face shows no aversion to the idea.
"Well, show me some moves then. Hit that tree over there." Daniel points to a bushy tree where the beach and forest meet.
Wilson walks over to the target and gives it a little kick. Nothing happens.
"No, I mean like... something more exciting. Use... uh..." Daniel wracks his brain and stares at his feet.
Ok. I don't have bulbapedia. Think about the likely move pool. Acid? Absorb?
"Wilson, use acid!" commands Daniel.
Wilson's eyes meet Daniel's. A connection forms between the two. Wilson faces his target and opens his mouth. A stream of purple liquid erupts from the little radish and strikes the tree. The purple liquid eats away at the tree upon impact and evaporates, leaving a leaky crater and a precariously standing trunk. Wilson's mouth remains agape, while Daniel's mouth drops. They stand in place for a while, until the tree starts creaking.
"Oh shit. Wilson get over here!" Daniel's words are quick and panicked.
Wilson, without a moment's hesitation, turns around and runs toward his trainer. The tree falls towards the beach, right on the spot where Wilson was standing. It lands slowly and doesn't even kick up dust. It is quite anticlimactic.
"Great job Wilson! But I think that's enough excitement for today," says Daniel as he pats Wilson on the head.
Wilson smiles and stands triumphantly on his toes.
Day 22
Daniel and Wilson are hiking toward the summit of the island. Although Daniel has long lost any method to precisely measure time, he estimates that it has been about two hours since he and his pineapple oddish have left camp. In the distance, the island's caldera rises abruptly from the forest. Its steep face is intimidating, but far from being a sheer cliff. The forest this far in is thicker than Daniel is used to. The crash of waves and the humming sea breeze is replaced with a cacophony of bugs and pokemon cries. The sun occasionally peeks through the canopy as vines slither their way to the top. Daniel is very mindful of his step. Earlier today he tripped over a sharp rock that selfishly jutted out from the ground. He swears there are more and more selfish rocks as he heads closer inland.
Eventually, the canopy starts to break. The sun reaches the two hikers once more. The wind whirs away the insect orchestra below. Soon enough, the ground changes from a gentle slope to a rising challenge. The slope is about 70 degrees, so Daniel grabs some vines to keep himself stable. Meanwhile, Wilson does his absolute best to balance on the man's right shoulder. He sits as if mounted on a horse, facing Daniel's head.
"Yeah hold on tight, Wilson. I wouldn't want this coconut to fall off the tree" Daniel quips. Wilson responds with an unamused glare.
A few weeks ago Daniel would have lacked the upper body strength to make this climb. However, his routine of climbing coconut trees has transformed him. His back, shoulders, arms, and legs are more defined and tanned than they have ever been. They are also much sorer than they have ever been. He could probably pass as a Hawaiian surfer now. Or Alolan, considering the circumstances. After a while, Daniel and Wilson stand at the edge of the caldera.
Daniel turns to look towards the sea. The caldera seems so much higher up than it appears on the ground. The sea expands beyond the horizon in every direction. The deep blue separates itself from the pale sky with a thin, imperceptible line. The sun shimmers directly off the waves into Daniel's eyes. He can see the beach where he dries coconuts right in front of camp. The brown things are arranged in squares and starkly contrast against the white sand. The forest blankets its green majesty from below the caldera all the way to the sandy beach. Patches of fog rest on scattered plots on the canopy. Daniel pauses and takes in the scale and vibrancy of this island.
Now the man directs his gaze into the caldera. It is a barren red crater maybe a football field or two long and littered with stones. The stones range in size from boulders to gravel. Their shapes are jagged and irregular. The stones aren't the only irregularities here. Parts of the caldera appear scorched. It is as if a wildfire broke out in small patches.
"Wilson, was it like this before?" Wilson responds with a shrug, somehow.
"I mean if I didn't know any better, I would say someone used a flamethrower here," The man said to his Pokemon.
Oh shit, something could have actually used 'flamethrower' here.
As he takes a closer look, It becomes obvious to Daniel that a pokemon battle must have taken place in the caldera. Some rocks look like they were once together and the scorched earth lines remind Daniel of a power washer. Half of the scorch lines are gathered at the center of the caldera, but a pile of stones appears unscathed. Daniel starts walking towards that pile of rocks until Wilson leaps down from his shoulder.
"Is there something wrong, Wilson?" Wilson responds with an apprehensive look.
"Don't worry. I'm sure whatever did this is long gone. Not many Kanto pokemon could possibly do this and ... " Daniel pauses.
What could actually do this? Daniel shuffles through his mental pokedex. Something that learns flamethrower. These scorch marks are large, so it must have been a late stage fire type. Maybe a charizard or a magmar. If it were a magmar, it would still be stuck on this island somewhere; if it were a charizard it could have flown off. But this caldera lacks any magma or any sign of volcanic activity, so not thematic enough for magmar.
"Ok, I'm 80 percent sure that whatever did this is long gone" Wilson doesn't look convinced.
"Alright. We can head back to the safety of the forest now." Wilson nods in agreement.
Daniel looks back at the pile of rocks in the center of the caldera. It looks almost like an altar. Something definitely stacked up those rocks like that. What or who would do something like that? Curiosity tugs at Daniel. He finds himself taking a few steps towards the center of the caldera.
Wilson turns around to find his human doing the opposite of what he said he would. This confuses and concerns Wilson. He has never seen Daniel act like this. The man seems almost possessed. Wilson watches in growing concern as his friend continues forward. The primal fear of fire keeps Wilson rooted in position.
Daniel sets foot on the scorched ground. The gravel gives a glassy crunch with each step. The wind falls silent. The air is still. The sun bears down on Daniel. A sound reaches his ears. It's a baby crying. It's quiet, hushed as if it can barely breathe. The sound shakes the man to his core. Such a sound should not be here on this deserted island, yet it's the only thing he can hear. It's coming from under the altar of rocks.
"Someone's trapped under there!" Daniel yells.
The sudden burst of sound shocks Wilson into action. The oddish springs forward towards Daniel. He'll drag the man out of here if he must. No one will burn today. Meanwhile, Daniel Frantically tears apart the pile of stones. He throws them to either side and they crunch and crack as they hit the ground. Wilson dodges a stone before ramming into Daniel's left leg and trying to push him back to the forest. Wilson's efforts do not go unnoticed.
"Wilson? Is there something..." the man's ears twitch and his eyes return to the now disassembled stone altar. Underneath its earthen embrace is an egg the size of a basketball. It is a uniform deep blue color, with a perfectly smooth surface, and it shines under the sun like a precious stone. Both Daniel and Wilson are entranced by the egg. After a contemplative moment, Daniel places his right hand on the egg. It's cool to the touch, like an ungloved hand in winter. A pulse travels up Daniel's arm.
"Oh my god. Wilson, I think this egg is still alive!" Wilson responds by resuming his push towards the forest.
"Wilson... I think this little guy lost his family. I mean the signs are all around us". Daniel cradles the egg into his arms and gives in to Wilson's pressure.
"Alright Alright man, just... that was a weird experience. And who knows? Maybe this is my ticket off this island?" Wilson stops at that thought, then proceeds to wrangle Daniel back to safety.
