Pokémon: Hoenn Travels.
-The Important Stuff:-
1) I am not at all affiliated with Game Freak nor Nintendo, or any other companies that write/produce Pokémon.
2) I do not own any part of Pokémon.
-A Waiver:-
1) This is not a direct steal from anything already Pokémon-related that exists, not the show or a game or a novel/book. It is my own creation, therefore I may bend the rules a little bit to fit my needs.
2) The names of Professors, Gym Leaders, and Cities were taken from Ruby Version.
Chapter Seven:
Crushed
"That was pointless." Doug groaned loudly as we walked out of the police station and back into the sun. We wandered from the building and to nearby benches, dropping against the hard seats. "They told us to go fuck ourselves."
"No, they politely told us to let them do their jobs and not make it harder on them," I corrected him. "They weren't rude."
"Well, you'd think they'd want help."
"Doug, we are not exactly crime-fighting professionals," I reminded him. "We could cause more issues than solutions."
"We dealt with Team Rocket."
"Ok, they were dumb, Doug. Do you remember their poems?"
"Yea, but what do we do now? If they aren't helping us, and Cornelia Rowe has been kind of dismissive, and Norman gave us the vaguest directions on the planet," he snapped. "What do we do now?"
I pursed my lips, then slowly smiled. I grabbed the poster that we had snagged off of the pre-teen from my pocket and unfolded it. I shook the paper, gaining Doug's attention from the crinkling sound. "We have this. We can go to Slateport City."
"And physically put ourselves in the middle of a gang?" Doug's expression was skeptical as he glared at me.
"Or we can go home?" I offered.
"So Slateport," Doug said and I laughed. "How do we get there?"
I pursed my lips, pulling the paper close to my face. There were no directions on the flyer, just the city name. "I don't know. You could go ask Roxanne."
"No."
"Come on, Doug."
"You could go ask Roxanne." He pointed at me. "I will stay here with Phantom and Luma."
I glanced to our Pokémon, who had been seated quietly in front of us since we had left the police station. "Fine, I will go ask Roxanne how to get to Slateport. You will go find us lunch."
Doug nodded. "Deal."
With our plan set, we headed in our different directions. I easily found Roxanne back in the Gym and discussed with her the best way to get to the next city. She was shocked to learn that Doug and I did not have access to a Pokémon that could ferry us to Slateport, but she assured me that there was another way.
She excused me when she had to tend to her Pokémon and I hurried back out to the bench, finding Doug there with a paper bag.
"What are we having for lunch?" I asked.
"Food," he sarcastically answered. "How do we get to Slateport?"
"We swim," I shot back.
He stared down at me, his eyes slowly narrowing. "That's helpful."
I chuckled and waved for him to follow, heading back out of Rustboro City and toward Petalburg Woods. "So," I explained to him as we walked. He reached into the paper bag and produced something wrapped in aluminum foil. Unwrapping it, I discovered a burrito. "We have to go back into the woods," I began to explain as I further unwrapped my food. "South of the forest there is a small ferry station."
"We take a ferry to Slateport City?"
I shook my head, unable to respond because of the huge bite of food I had taken. Luma was bothering me for a bite as well. I pulled off a piece of the shredded chicken burrito and handed it down to her. "We take a ferry to Dewford Town."
"Dewford?" Doug repeated through a mouthful of food.
"It's a small island community," I explained. "Apparently it's a very scenic little tourist stop."
"Okay, how do we get from there to Slateport?"
"Another ferry."
Doug was nodding, his burrito almost gone. He dismissed Phantom as he asked for a bite too. "I'm hungry, man. Leave me alone."
"I'm hungry too!"
"Here Phantom." I ripped off another piece and tossed it in his direction. "When we get to the ferry, I have some cans of food I can give you and Luma."
"Thank you, Rowan," he hissed. "At least someone cares."
"Man, this burrito is good," Doug remarked, laughing as Phantom swore at him. "So, another ferry."
"Yes. If we time it right, we will catch that ferry this afternoon when we arrive in Dewford."
"And if we time it wrong?"
"We have to wait until tomorrow morning."
"What do we do for an evening in some place called freaking 'Dewford Town'?" Doug snapped.
I shrugged. "Beach day?"
We made our way back into the woods. Our travels through were much quicker than the first time through since neither of us were trying to find and catch Pokémon. We traversed through the dense woods and came out on the other side. We paused momentarily to gain our bearings so as to not accidentally travel back into Petalburg.
"So, if that way is Petalburg." Doug pointed down the pathway that led away from the woods. I could see buildings poking out over the roadway ahead of us. "And that way is north," he pointed off to his left.
"We need to go that way." I turned to my right, facing a massive field of tall grass that swayed gently back and forth in the small breeze.
"There's no path," he grumbled.
I laughed, looking up at him. "Do you need to have a pathway?"
"Makes it easier," he shrugged.
I chuckled again and left the cleared pathway I was standing on and pushed into the grass. The breeze ruffled my hair, blowing my ponytail away from me and causing my bangs to fall into my eyes. Luma leapt into the grass beside me and took off in a sprint away. Phantom chased after her. I made it a few steps out before I turned back to look at Doug. He was still standing at the edge of the field.
"Come on, Doug." I waved him out into the grass with me.
I heard him release a loud, overly dramatic sigh before he finally took a step in my direction. I giggled, looking away from him and back out in front of me. Sunlight kissed the long, vibrant stalks of green grass and cast a warm glow over the landscape. Overhead, a small flock of birds flew in the same direction we were moving. I could already smell the salty whisper of sea water.
Ahead of me, still prancing through the grass and bounding at tiny, nearly invisible bugs, was Luma, chortling happily. I could only see the very tip of Phantom's raised tail as he followed behind Luma silently. The field extended for quiet some distance, but pushing myself onto my toes and staring out across the grass, I could see the shoreline.
"See a dock or anything?" I asked, glancing up at Doug as he finally caught up to me and matched my stride.
"Yeah, a really small one with a wooden shack built on top of it."
"Shack?" I echoed. "Are you being pessimistic?"
"No, it's a shack."
The field was easy to traverse, regardless of Doug's initial complaints. As we got closer and the grass shortened, I was finally able to see the same dock. The structure on the dock was indeed quite simple, built completely out of dark wood that seemed slightly splintered. I could see an older man propped at the end of the dock; a fishing rod cast off into the water. A very small boat was bobbing in the water nearby.
"Is that the ferry?" Doug quietly asked as we approached.
"It doesn't look like a ferry."
"It looks like a surefire way to drown."
I pushed him gently as we climbed up onto the dock and walked the length of it. The man seemed aware of our presence as he settled his fishing rod against a stand so that he could leave his seat and face us.
"Good afternoon," he grinned at us. He wore a straw hat over his head and a pair of faded overalls. Overhead a bird cawed loudly and swooped down, landing on his shoulder. "Hey there, Wingull," he greeted it, scratching gently against its chest. The Pokémon leaned into the affectionate touch before launching back off into the sky.
"Hello," I replied to him as Doug half-heartedly waved. "We were told there was a ferry service here that could take us to Dewford."
"At your service, ma'am." He swept his hat off his bald head and bowed lowly in front of me.
"We are gonna drown," Doug breathed behind me.
Doug and I sat limply on the bench at the end of Dewford Town's dock. It was much longer than the small dock near the Petalburg Woods. It was also maintained much better and was clearly made for much larger ships.
Both of us were still recovering from the choppy trip across the ocean. It had taken a couple of hours and the seas had not been kind, especially in such a tiny vessel. I clapped my hands over my head, waiting for the headache to subside as Doug burped and released a loud breath.
"I didn't even know I could get seasick," he muttered.
"Don't mention getting sick," I pitifully murmured in response.
Phantom and Luma were sprawled out on the docks ahead of us, catching their breaths with their eyes closed and their tongues panting.
"Something I can do for you guys?"
When another voice spoke, I slowly lifted my head and squinted into the late afternoon sun. Doug didn't bother to move. "Hello," I said. "We were just waiting."
"For the ferry to Slateport?" He guessed. Doug and I both nodded, though Doug's head was still lowered. "You missed it."
"We what?" Doug's head finally shot up.
"It comes around two, so you were about an hour late."
He grumbled loudly and dropped his head into his hands again. "Great."
"When's the next ferry?" I asked.
"Tomorrow morning," he told me what I already knew and I realized I should have been more specific.
"What time in the morning?" I reiterated.
"Usually about eight."
I nodded, offering a tight smile. "Thanks."
"Sure thing." He started to walk away, but then stopped a few steps from us. He spun back around, facing us again. "If you need something to do, I recommend hiking through the Granite Cave. There are lots of Pokémon in there and its actually quite beautiful, because of all the reflective granite and crystal."
"Thanks," I smiled again. He waved and headed off the dock. I nudged Doug's side, earning an irritated grunt. "What do you think? Want to go on a hike?"
"No, I want to vomit."
I stood up, stretching my arms over my head and pushing myself up onto my toes. "Well, I am going to go on a hike, and catch Pokémon." He grunted again, still not moving from his seat. I laughed and leaned down beside him. "I think that means you'll owe me dinner."
"Let's go on a hike." He shot to his feet and headed down the dock. I laughed and followed after him.
Luma and Phantom kept pace until we made it to the soft, warm sand of the beach. "Hey Rowan?"
I glanced back at her. She was rolling around in the sand. "I may not be a psychic Pokémon, Luma, but I think I know what you're going to say," I snickered.
"I want to stay out in the sun," she purred.
"That's what I thought." I walked back toward her and offered her an affectionate pat to the head. "Meet back up for dinner?"
"Definitely."
I waved to her and headed back up the beach. The entire island was surrounded by a beautiful shoreline with golden, shimmery sand and crystal blue water. The sand led right up a white stone pathway that wound its way through the small shops and businesses of Dewford Town. The buildings were white and tan stone facades with wide windows, most of which were thrown open. There was a Pokémon Center, a small shop, and many tourist stalls with towels, bathing suits, and other beach necessities. There were food trucks and open-air marts set up with all kinds of options of food; their smells wafting through the salt-laced air of the beach.
"Maybe we just stay here for a while," I muttered, glancing up at Doug as we slowly walked through the town. There were small groups of people milling about, their quiet, but happy conversations mixing together.
"I wish we could," Doug agreed.
We followed wooden street signs that pointed through the roads of Dewford and toward the north side of town. Eventually, the paths gave way to sand again and headed off toward a rocky outcropping some distance from town. The signs kept assuring us we were following the route to Granite Cave.
The sand eventually became rocky and lead right up to the opening of a dark cave. Doug and I came to a stop outside the opening, peering in.
"I'm not going in there," he finally said.
"Holy Murkrow, Doug," I laughed, grabbing Typhlosion's pokéball from my bag. I held it up and he stared at it curiously. "You've turned into an old woman." I tossed it up into the air and it broke open, releasing my fire Pokémon. He was immediately roaring.
However, the sight of Doug quickly silenced him. He stared at Doug for a moment, before releasing a happy chortle and grabbing him into a hug. Doug grunted and fell into the muscular chest of the fire Pokémon.
"Ty," I laughed, patting him. "Feel like exploring a cave?"
He released Doug and a low, agreeable growl. He turned in a half-circle, spotting the black entrance of the cave. Without hesitation, he disappeared into the darkness. I watched as the fiery collar around his neck strengthened and lit up the space. I smiled up at Doug, who was straightening out his clothes and smoothing out his hair.
"You look good enough to explore a cave, Doug," I said and he shot a glare at me. I laughed at him before following my Pokémon into Granite Cave.
I felt a small breath of surprise leave me as I walked out of the sunshine. The light off of Typhlosion was reflecting off the walls, resulting in hundreds upon hundreds of small shimmering dots of light. It was as though glitter was scattered across the walls and ceilings of the cave. The opening was a narrow corridor, but several feet in, the entire cave opened up into a massive, vaulted area. While Typhlosion's collar lit up the area we were standing in, I could no longer see the ceiling or the walls of the cave.
I glanced behind me. Doug was several feet behind and was moving slowly, I assumed he was waiting for his eyes to adjust to the dark.
Sounds in the cave; a trickling drip, drip, drip of water, the tinkling sound of small pebbles striking a larger rocker; were amplified by the size of the cave. I knew if I spoke, my voice would reverberate through the space.
I turned to speak with Doug, when the sound of something much larger filled the space. The roar echoed off the ceilings and the entire cave seemed to shake. I nearly flattened myself against the floor and I felt Typhlosion lower himself over me to protect me.
After only a few seconds, the sound and reverberations ceased and I slowly straightened up. "What in the world was that?" I quietly asked.
"Sounded like a Pokémon." Doug was finally beside me. He was staring out into the darkness ahead of us. "But I am not sure it's one we should go looking for."
I was nodding, even though I wasn't sure he could see me. "I agree, I'm inclined to say let's just go back and hang out on the beach with Luma and Phantom."
"Yeah, let's do that."
"Ty." My voice caught in my throat when I turned and realized the area was dark. I could see the fiery aura of my Pokémon disappearing further into the cave. "Oh, no."
"Rowan." Doug's voice was wary.
"Ty!" I shouted again and took off in a full sprint after my Pokémon. I heard Doug shout my name again and I could tell he was following me. I knew it would only be a few steps before he caught up to me, but our movement was halted again when another roar resounded through the cavern.
I dropped to the ground again, throwing my arms over my head as though that would stop me from getting crushed from falling boulders. After a moment, everything silenced. I could hear Doug coughing behind me, and after a moment, he started calling my name again.
I shook my head, shot to my feet, and hurried off into the dark after Typhlosion's disappearing form. Though I was nearing him, I suddenly hit the corner of a wall, hard. The edge was sharp and I could feel it cut into my shoulder. I swore into the darkness and ran my hand up my arm. I didn't feel blood, so I reached out, felt the edge of the wall, and realized Typhlosion had found another hallway.
Keeping my arm out on the wall, I ran down the hallway. I could tell I was nearing Typhlosion. I also heard Doug swear behind me, and I assumed he found the same corner I had found.
I rounded a sharp turn in the hallway and slid to a stop. Typhlosion was standing just ahead of me, in front of a large boulder. He had a hand extended and it was pawing at the edge of the boulder, where it was stuck against the wall.
"Ty?" I asked softly, coming up beside him and setting a gentle hand on his flank. He glanced down at me and released a soft, but sad growl. I looked up and at the wall, noticing now what he was actually touching.
"Rowan!" Doug exploded around the corner and screamed my name.
His shout resulted in whatever kind of Pokémon's tail was stuck between the boulder and the wall to roar again. The entire hallway shook and pebbles dropped from the ceiling and onto my head.
Doug swore again, softer this time. He grabbed my arm, exerting very little pressure. "We need to get out of here."
"It's a Pokémon, Doug."
"I know it's a Pokémon and it's fucking angry!"
I pulled my arm from his weak grasp and pointed at the boulder, and therefore at the tail wedged against the jagged rocks. "No, it's hurt and stuck. We can't just leave it."
"This entire place could come down on us, Rowan, and you want to stay to try and get a pissed off Pokémon free?"
"You think Ty is just going to let me take him out of here."
Doug ran his hands up into his hair. "He's a Pokémon, put him in his pokéball."
"He can break out and he would."
"So, what, Rowan? You want me to call out Steelix in here to break down the boulder and bring down the ceiling on us?"
"I am not asking you to do anything, Doug."
My shout was interrupted when Typhlosion suddenly let loose his own roar, planted his feet, and released a barrage of flames with a strength I had never seen. The heat off the flames was overpowering and Doug grabbed me tightly, pulling me back around the corner. I coughed as smoke and dust filled the corridor we were in.
I waved the smoke from my eyes and noticed that the flames had ceased. Still coughing, I ducked around the corner, ignoring Doug's commands to leave. Typhlosion had thrown himself against the stone and was knocking large sections off of it. As soon as the boulder stopped giving, he sent another powerful flamethrower into the surface of it. He kept up the smashing and firepower until the rock around the Pokémon's tail finally gave way.
The boulder fell and the tail pulled through the opening. Another roar filled the area, followed by the sound of rock against rock smashing. I watched the boulder start to crumble. As it fell away, I finally laid eyes on the Pokémon that had been wedged against the wall of the cave.
It was a tall, grey and silver Pokémon. It stood on two legs and towered over me. It was even taller than Typhlosion. Metal horns protruded from its well-protected head and intelligent, but fearful blue eyes peered in my direction.
Doug had wrapped his hand around my arm again, but we were both silent and still as we waited to see what the steel Pokémon was going to do. When it finally bellowed loudly again, and pawed the ground as though it were going to charge, a final flamethrower exploded from Typhlosion's jaws. It plowed into the steel Pokémon and pummeled it off of its feet. The Pokémon dropped to the ground, where Typhlosion continued his attack. When he was sure it was unconscious, his attack ceased. He walked over to the Pokémon and reached down, running a paw over its face. He then straightened up and looked back at me expectantly.
"You want me to catch it." I said, grabbing a pokéball and threw it out at the downed Pokémon. It was sucked into the ball and it quickly dinged with success.
"Typhlosion has a fucking crush on a steel Pokémon and we almost get crushed to death," Doug spat as I walked away to pick up the pokéball. "Can we please get out of here now?"
I handed the ball off to Typhlosion, who carefully cradled it in his paws as he made for the exit. I came up beside Doug, nodding. "Please."
