Chapter Five
The group visited with the Big Five a while longer and then left, with George and Evie calling Goodbyes to each other in their animal languages.
Radley chuckled gently. "As long as we're here, do you want to see Yusei before we go?" he asked Kalin. "There's still the matter of the car, as well."
"Let's see Yusei," Kalin said. "But then we should probably just go into the canyons. We have no idea how long this will take. Dealerships are usually open late anyway."
"Yes, I think there may even be an all-night one here," Radley remarked.
Yusei and Antinomy were both outside when the group pulled up. They looked up, and Yusei smiled. "Hey, Kalin, everyone," he greeted.
"Hey, Yusei," Kalin smiled.
"Eevee!" Evie exclaimed, recognizing Yusei from yesterday's video call.
Yusei petted her. "Hey there. You've definitely got a loving family." He looked fondly at Kalin and Radley. "The best."
Antinomy looked intrigued. "This is an Eevee?" He petted her too. "She's adorable." He smiled, looking softer than Antinomy usually looked.
Evie looked blissful at all the new attention. She closed her eyes, making a purring sound.
"She sure is," Radley said. "We're just about to head out and find a Pokeball, but we wanted to stop in first and say Hi."
"You're welcome to come with us, if you're free," Kalin suggested.
"I'd love that," Antinomy immediately declared. "I'm free." He glanced to Yusei questioningly. Would he be able to come along too?
Yusei considered it and nodded, starting to smile. "Yeah, I'd like to come too," he said.
Kalin smiled more. "That's great!"
"It is," Radley agreed. He glanced at Nico, hoping there would be enough food for the additional people.
She smiled and nodded. She had packed extra.
"Alright then!" Radley said. "Let's try this out and see what happens."
Soon the group was en route to the canyons. Evie looked out the window, fascinated by everything.
"I doubt she's been over this way," Kalin remarked. "She acts like everything is so new to her."
"Well, if she has been over this way, it certainly hasn't quelled her curiosity and love of life," Radley said in amusement.
As they went deeper into the woods, every now and then a Pokemon became visible through the trees. Once, what looked like a raccoon with a big, bouncy tail hopped past the van.
". . . What was that?!" Kalin demanded.
"I think it was a Sentret," Radley said.
"That's so cute!" Nico beamed.
Kalin shook his head. ". . . You said there were other Pokemon who used to hang out in your family's vineyard besides Eevee," he said. "What other ones were there?"
"The others didn't come around as much, but I remember a Clefairy, a Treeko, and a Squirtle," Radley said. "And a Sentret. Probably not that Sentret, though."
"Were they all friends?" Nico wondered.
"I think so," Radley smiled.
"Vee," Evie agreed.
"I wonder why they didn't stay together," West said.
"Well, not everyone is as lucky as the Bunch," Radley said. "And not everyone will have the desire to stay together. Some friends' paths lead them down different roads."
Kalin nodded in agreement. He certainly knew that all too well. As close as he and Yusei were and would always be, they wanted different things out of life and lived in different places to have it. Kalin had a town to watch over, while Yusei was the City's protector. Radley, too, wanted to live in Satisfaction Town. But they had talked before and Radley had assured him that if Kalin ever did want to move to the City, Radley would pull up roots and go with him. Kalin knew he would.
"It still seems sad," Nico said.
"Vee," Evie sighed.
Radley petted her encouragingly. "It is," he admitted. "Especially if they can't stay in touch." He doubted they did; Evie's gloom was very telling.
They soon found themselves in a section of the woods where the trees were thick enough to block out the sun. Everyone looked around in amazement.
"This is wild," Radley remarked.
Scotch pulled up next to the window on his motorcycle. "This is so cool!" he exclaimed. "It's just like the Ilex Forest in the games!"
"Maybe that's where we are," Kalin grunted. Although it was bizarre to think that Domino Canyon might have been the inspiration for it.
Evie wasn't listening. Instead she pricked up her ears, turning them in all directions. After a moment she scampered off of Radley's lap, onto Kalin's, and stood up on two legs to look out the other window.
"Hey, what is it, girl?" Radley asked. "Should we stop?"
"Eevee! Eevee-vee!" Evie cried.
Jordan pulled over to the side. "What is it?"
"I don't know," Radley said. "She definitely hears something that's worrying her."
Kalin opened his door and Evie leaped down, limping over the grass as she tore towards something. Radley and Kalin were swiftly chasing after her, as were most of the others. After a while, a faint cry of "Vee! Eevee!" carried to them on the wind.
"It's another Eevee," Radley realized in surprise.
"Vee-vee-vee!" Evie said as she ran deeper into the thick trees.
Radley turned on his flashlight. Now the calls were much louder and increasingly panicked. As Evie ran around another bush, the cold metal of a cage became visible. The other Eevee was inside, desperately pawing at the bars and throwing itself against the bars and trying to dig into the ground since the cage had no floor.
Kalin's eyes flashed. He stormed forward, seizing the cage and thrusting it out of the dirt. The second Eevee looked up at him in awe.
"He's so cute!" Scotch exclaimed.
"Why would anyone do this?!" Nico cried.
"It could be regular hunters or poachers," Kalin said.
"Or it could be Team Rocket," Radley added. "Either way, we're not going to tolerate it!" He finally smiled a bit. "The little guy likes you, Kalin. You got him out."
Kalin grunted, but bent down and lifted the animal into his arms. The Eevee immediately snuggled, placing his front paws on Kalin's shoulder.
Satisfied, Evie limped back to Radley and he lifted her as well. "We've definitely got a new traveling companion," he smiled.
"For keeps?!" West demanded in delight.
Radley chuckled and looked to Kalin. "Well, what do you say, Buddy?"
Kalin petted the soft fur. "We don't know if he might have an owner somewhere," he pointed out.
"The current technology won't let anyone capture a Pokemon that already has a registered Pokeball!" Scotch said. "So we just have to get the Pokeballs and you can try to catch him!"
"That sounds so simple," Kalin flatly remarked.
"We'll see if it is," Radley said. "Let's head back to the van and keep going."
"What are you going to name him, Kalin?!" West asked as they started back.
Kalin froze, awkward to be put on the spot. ". . . I don't know," he admitted. "I hadn't thought about it. . . ."
"West is right, of course," Radley said. "He'll need a name."
". . . Do we even know it's a he?" Kalin wondered.
Radley sighed. "Strictly speaking, no. But going by the current information on the tail patterns, yes."
Kalin's Eevee flipped his bushy tail.
"Maybe you should name it," Kalin said.
"Oh no, he likes you the best," Radley chuckled. "Plus, you always wanted a pet and never had one of your own. Naming him is your right and privilege."
"The problem is, the only name I can come up with is Evan," Kalin said.
The Eevee warbled and wiggled his ears.
"He likes that fine," Radley said.
"Okay then," Kalin said. "But there's no sense in getting too attached. We might only have to give him up."
Yusei smiled a bit, seeing how Evan cuddled against Kalin. "Somehow I don't think so," he said.
Evie chirped in delight and talked to Evan from Radley's arms. Evan looked over, responding in kind.
"Oh, if only we knew what they're saying," Radley mused.
"I bet she's telling him how lucky he is and how nice we all are!" Scotch said.
Radley chuckled. "That's definitely possible," he said, petting Evie. "And he's probably thanking her for finding him."
Yusei looked worried. "You know, what if that wasn't the only trap set up? No matter who put it there, isn't it pretty unlikely there'd only be one?"
Radley frowned. "I'm afraid so. I was hoping not since we can't hear any other Pokemon crying out, but maybe they haven't stumbled into the traps yet."
"Then we should go around and make sure they're all taken down!" West declared.
Antinomy nodded. "Even if it's hunters, they don't have a right to come here and take whatever they want. As far as I know, mass-removing wild animals is illegal even if they're Pokemon."
". . . I wonder if there really are rules about Pokemon," Radley realized. "So many people around here think they're legends now."
Kalin grunted. "I've never understood how it's acceptable to take even one wild animal to be yours. Especially if you're going to use it to battle with."
"Yeah, I don't think we're ever going to grasp that," Radley said. "The only way I'd be comfortable with it is if the animal actually wants to come with you. I'd never wanna force it to come by battling it until it was too weak to break out of the Pokeball." He patted Kalin's free shoulder. "But let's not think about that. What we've got here looks like it would be frowned on by the Pokemon people too."
Jordan definitely looked concerned. "Maybe I should take the kids back to the van. If you get into trouble, I can try to contact a forest ranger or someone."
"That's not a bad idea," Yusei said.
West sighed. "But we want to help too!"
"This would help," Radley said firmly. "And take some of the Bunch with you. They'll be helpful if you get attacked."
Barney nodded. "You can count on us, Radley!" he promised.
Kalin was tense as they started their search. The Eevees looked around from their chosen people's arms, also seeming concerned.
"We'll also have to be careful we don't fall in a trap ourselves," Radley cautioned.
"Yeah, like a big pit!" Scotch said.
They hadn't advanced much more when a thick, dark fog began to descend over the entire group. Radley stiffened. "What's this now?"
"Vee . . ." Evie gripped his shoulder as she looked around in concern.
Kalin scowled. "This really doesn't seem man-made."
Evan growled at the fog and tried to swish it away with his tail.
"It could be Ghost Pokemon," Radley realized. "Maybe they think we're intruders or maybe they just want to prank us regardless."
"Yeah!" Scotch exclaimed. "There's an episode where they get trapped in a creepy forest and keep seeing messed-up illusions!"
"Why does it havta be ghosts?!" Biff moaned.
Kalin tried to see Scotch through the mists, but it was almost impossible. He moved closer to Radley and latched onto his arm. "Do you know about every episode?" he asked Scotch.
"Well . . . not every one," Scotch said slowly. "But if it's like that one, we need a Hoothoot to help us."
Kalin grunted and opted not to question that further.
Radley looked down at Evie, who was growing increasingly nervous. "Maybe you could try to talk to whatever Pokemon is doing this and tell them we're not Team Rocket?" he suggested. "It's possible they think we're carting you two off."
Evie perked up. "Vee! Eevee!" she called.
Evan added his own voice as well. But no matter how they tried, the fog did not lift.
"Oh, this is just great," Radley finally said in frustrated disgust. "We're probably caught right in the middle of some stupid Ghost Pokemon prank! We don't have time for this!"
Kalin looked around in concern. "And I think we lost the others somewhere back there," he realized. "I don't hear anyone else now."
"Oh no." Radley hugged Evie close and made sure Kalin was still holding on to him. The last thing they needed was to get separated too. "I wonder if the other group even made it back to the van."
"Right now, I'd doubt it," Kalin said. "If this is these . . . Ghost Pokemon, isn't there anything we can do?! . . . Aside from getting a Hoothoot," he deadpanned, looking scandalized at the name.
"Honestly, right now I don't know," Radley said. "I hate to keep bringing up the anime, but Ghost Pokemon are always trouble in that. It's hard to get them to listen to you, even if you're their Trainer!"
"Bring up whatever will help," Kalin grunted.
They walked on a bit farther. The fog at last started to clear, but the scenery was no more cheery than before. They were standing in the middle of a stand of pine trees, the cones enormous and unreal.
Radley started to back up against Kalin. "We have to get out of here now!" he exclaimed.
"Why?" Kalin frowned. "What's with the giant pinecones?"
"They can explode and take themselves and anyone nearby out," Radley said.
Kalin went stiff. "What?!"
"It seems to be more like an energy burst than an actual explosion, or that's the only way I can explain them surviving," Radley said. "But either way, if all of them decide to go off at once, and we're here . . ."
"Vee!" Evie cried.
Kalin definitely didn't need any further reasons to leave. He gripped Radley's arm and turned to run back out.
Several of the huge pinecones falling prevented them from leaving. "Pineco!" one of them loudly yelled, and soon the others were joining in to create an eerie echoing effect.
"Pineco . . . Pineco . . . Pineco . . . !"
They were dropping from all the trees now, trapping Kalin and Radley and the Eevees in the center. There was nothing they could do; unless Evie and Evan could reason with them, there was no way through them. The two little Eevees couldn't possibly battle every one of the angry Pineco, albeit both looked ready to try.
The first Self-Destruct attack ended any hopes of that. Once one went, the others began to follow in a twisted cacophony of light and noise. Radley and Kalin could only clutch each other, keeping the Eevees between them, and pray for deliverance.
xxxx
Everything was so quiet when she awoke again. Evie mumbled, slowly opening her eyes. She was laying on the grass under a limp arm.
That snapped her fully awake again. "Vee?! VEE?!" She looked around, desperate. Radley had collapsed facedown, laying half across Kalin and still limply holding Evie. Kalin, too, had fallen, sprawled on his back with Evan up near his shoulder. The Pineco were laying in all directions, unconscious from using their vicious attack. And the others . . . were they just unconscious too?
"Vee! Eevee! Vee!" Evie stood, nudging Radley frantically. He didn't move. Stumbling over Kalin and trying to nudge him didn't work any better. They were both so still. . . . Too still.
Evie fell back, out of ideas. "Vee . . ." They had to be alright, but there was little she could think to do. She didn't have any healing skills. Radley had always done so much for her, even when he hadn't realized he was doing it. Thoughts of him had sustained her all through those horrible years with Team Rocket. Why couldn't she do anything for him now?
Evan stirred, looking over at her with bleary eyes. "Eevee?"
Evie perked up. "Eevee!" Two of them were okay, so that was encouraging.
Evan looked around at the grim scene, not knowing what to think. "Eevee . . ." He nudged Kalin without success.
Evie wailed. Finally she went back to Radley, squirming under his arm until it felt like he was holding her again. She licked his face and shuddered, praying he would wake up.
