Chapter 5: Chespin i choose you!
Jack woke with a start.
He could tell immediately that he hadn't slept well that night, the tiredness he had felt the night before had already began creeping its way back up towards his eyes mixing with the strong chemical aroma of the mattress on which he was now lying spread eagle and making his head spin.
It also became clear to him that it was still very early in the day - the low grumble of snoring could be heard from two directions around him, signalling clearly that Ash and Clemont were still sound asleep.
Reluctantly pushing himself off his borrowed bed and rubbing sleep lazily from the corners of his eyes he made his way in a almost drunken stumble toward the shared communal wardrobe that had come conveniently with their temporary accommodation, pulling off his nightwear in favour of his more traditional daytime attire, deciding that he should at least try to make the most of his early start before slowly reaching for the door-handle and slipping silently out of the bedroom as not to disturb his friends.
:***:
Compared to his previous morning experiences today he concluded was rather dull in comparison. Only thin slivers of daylight could be seen, spaced periodically amidst the dense canopy of forest that encapsulated the Pokécenter he was staying at which harshly limited his view of anything particularly exciting, or anything but miles of dense woodland for that matter.
Hardly the most exciting thing to observe over breakfast.
Taking his meal from a large pinkish Pokémon known as a Chansey, Jack sat himself down by a clear blue window he watched a a small group of Pidgey squabble over a vibrantly coloured piece of fruit laying alluringly in the undergrowth just off the beaten path which could be seen stretching off though the trees and into the distance, idly tossing his food around his plate with his fork.
As he watched the fruit seemed so shift slightly before erupting into a cloud of shimmering purple fumes that engulfed the surrounding area eventually clearing away to reveal an enraged Gloom and several dazed Pokémon scattered around at its feet.
Turning back to his plate he forcedly and with much effort consumed the contents (an unceremonious mess of hash browns and baked beans) before sliding out from beneath the canteen style table at which he was seated, returning his empty plate with a inaudible "thanks." and making for the exit.
A short walk he had decided would be the best way to alleviate the underlying fatigue that still clawed away at his waking movements, believing that the tranquility of the forest and the crisp morning air would somewhat restore his senses. Choosing this time to stray away from the route designated by the pathway through the trees and to instead find his own way to his destination (wherever that may be).
He walked for some time, watching his surroundings as the surrounding vegetation became ever thicker followed eventually by the shifting of shadows and snapping of twigs in the dark.
Jack was not intimidated by the unknown sounds of the forest but instead embraced them as they simulated the familiar rush of adrenaline, heightening his senses and eliminating his drowsy feeling altogether. Despite this however one thing also became abundantly clear:
He was quite lost.
:***:
"Pikachu, use iron tail." Ash mumbled in his sleep, envisioning a climactic battle in which he and Pikachu were battling hard.
"Pika."
Beside him Pikachu joyfully rolled over, stretching its tiny yellow body into an awkward position and slipping back into an apparently equally as enjoyable dream.
Clemont on the other hand was not so relaxed.
He'd rolled over with a tremendous yawn that was only stifled as he dropped right off the edge of his bed, landing on the hard wooden floor in groaning human mess.
Rubbing his head Clemont sat up and looked around the compact, 3 bed quarters they had been assigned for the night, evidently (as could be seen by his slightly crossed eyes) in a daze.
He pushed himself off the floor and stretched, noting with slight surprise that the bed to his left was now empty.
"Probably up early for more training." he shrugged, which to the young man seemed a very likely answer as he had over the last few days observed Jack fall into a state of what he liked to call 'battle brooding' representative of the battle his friend would face soon ahead.
A focus he greatly admired and which he could not see currently looking down to his right to see Ash laid still in a drowsy slumber, calling out moves which trailed off slowly becoming loud snores in the process.
It was then an idea came to him.
Creeping over to his backpack, Clemont withdrew a small silver spun whistle before advancing toward his sleeping companion.
Positioning himself as close as he dared go to Ash's ear, hidden beneath a mess of sprawling black bed hair, he raised the whistle to his lips and blew down hard.
Ash's bed must have at that point became hot magma because he then jumped so far in the air that he nearly went crashing through the ceiling before landing with a dull thud on the unforgiving wooden floor, Pikachu on the other hand leapt from the bed beside Ash and hopped with a disgruntled look on the floor beside its trainer.
"Hey!" He cried in outrage "What on earth was that for?"
"Ash do me a favour and look at the time." Clemont commanded "Starting today you've got to take initiative and start doing some real training, if not you'll fall way behind here and will most likely lose your battle at the Santalune Gym."
A pause.
"You've got to trust me here, take it from a Gy- i mean someone who knows full well the strength of a Kalos Gym Leaders."
"Clemont." Ash sighed rubbing his head with a wince "Believe it or not i've challenged and beaten many Gyms before, i think i know what i'm doing."
Clemont fixed him with a spiteful glare.
"Although i suppose it wouldn't hurt to prepare a little bit." He backtracked quickly.
"Good." Clemont chimed with contentment, "get dressed and meet me outside in 10 minutes, you've got some serious training to do."
:***:
As Clemont had instructed, 10 minutes later Ash traipsed doggedly through the sliding doors that lead to the back of the Pokémon center - now haphazardly dressed, cursing as the partial sunlight that had managed to claw its way through the leaves above blinded his vision temporarily, forcing his reluctant eyes to adjust to the environment in turn revealing Clemont and a deflated looking Bonnie standing in the middle of an etched battlefield, amidst a variety of different contraptions.
"So what's the deal Clemont?" Ash asked with curiosity, glancing at a particularly intricate machine with numerous spouts and levers.
"I'm glad you asked." The other boy beamed with pride.
"Thanks the power of science I have managed to create a series of machines that will enable us to train Pokémon to a higher level of performance, Just the trick in preparation for your upcoming battle!" He announced.
"Now i think we shall start with…. Ah this one." He said marching toward a smaller chunk of metal and wires which he now placed at Ash's feet.
"Tell me Ash." Clemont questioned as he flipped numerous dials on the device "what do you know about the Santalune City Gym?"
"Not a great deal really." Ash replied truthfully, "I've heard that the Gym leader specialises in bug type Pokémon."
"Correct ." Clemont confirmed, "are you also aware that Bug type Pokémon have a natural affinity for arena affecting moves such as sticky web, which could put you at a significant disadvantage if you get caught within them?"
"Yeah obviously that would be bad." Ash remarked.
"Good." Clemont voiced with an air of finality "Now send out both your Pokémon and take your place at the end of the field."
With that Ash did as he had been ordered, releasing a relaxed looking Froakie from its Pokéball and letting Pikachu drop gracefully from his shoulder as Clemont struggled to remove Bonnie (who had dropped silently into sleep as they had talked) steadily from the battlefield.
And so it began.
:***:
Jack gritted his teeth as he forced his way through the tightly packed undergrowth, scolding himself for being so foolish as to wander off so far into the forest.
Clambering with effort through an unforgiving thicket of thorn that tore at his palms - drawing little specks of blood like some morbid mosaic - he finally began to feel the forest slacken before he finally crashed in an exhausted mess into a secluded forest grotto.
Water ran gently through the spongy grass beds which clumped together to form expanses of organic pillow, eventually pooling together in a shimmering lake that glistened with illusionary malice as Jack stumbled toward it and dipped his head to its surface, gratefully washing the sweat of his labour from his face.
The boy sighed as he fell backwards onto the grassy beds behind him and exhaled a sigh of relief closing his eyes gratefully as a chorus of Pokémon song started up all around.
Soothing song washed over him, calming his mind and forcing him to fall deeper into his blissful daydream, ignorant to the odd feeling around his midsection.
Breaking free from the trance Jack's eyes snapped open. There, wrestling with the belt around his waist was the same familiar spiny green and brown Pokémon he had seen way back at Professor Sycamore's Lab.
"Che…Che…Chespin." it huffed as it struggled to remove the belt from underneath Jack.
"Hey!" Jack exclaimed as he hastened to retrieve his belonging.
At that the Chespin only glanced at him with a startled expression and began to pull harder until the belt came free causing the small quilled Pokémon to scurry off into the trees with its newfound prize.
Jack cursed loudly.
Not only had he gotten himself lost he had also failed to save his belt which he now realised contained Riolu's Pokéball which in turn rendered him completely alone. He was not having a good day.
So deciding that it would be wise to follow the Chespin, he took off into the forest in its wake.
:***:
Ash threw himself to the earth as a entangled mess of adhesive web and small blue frog sailed overhead, narrowly avoiding taking his head off in the process.
"FOAK-KIE-FRO." Froakie yelled as fell with a thud several feet behind the cowering trainer.
Pikachu, it seemed, wasn't fairing any better against the onslaught.
The yellow mouse Pokémon dodged and weaved in some sort of backtracking dance as it tried again and again to flee to some safe point of vantage.
"You'll have to do better than that!" Clemont called over the whirring of gears erupting from the strange machine at his feet, chuckling at their misfortunate situation.
Ash cursed and grit his teeth as he crawled over to where Froakie had fallen and pulled hastily at the mass of white fibre that had enveloped his tiny frame, he would have to find some viable solution to this - after all Clemont was right he'd stand no chance against a bug type specialist if he couldn't learn to counter basic bug type moves.
He pondered this as his fingers worked against the artificial webbing.
Then an idea came to him as if it had been plucked miraculously from thin air.
Freeing Froakie and allowing Pikachu the time to return swiftly to his side he called out the first stage of his plan.
"Pikachu, Froakie watch the webs closely and when i say use iron tail and bubble."
They both grunted in agreement.
This time when the third volley of webs shot from the machine beside Clemont they were prepared.
"NOW!" Ash signalled.
Pikachu and Froakie both sent respective attacks at two high speed webs sent on a direct collision course toward the three.
Miraculously the collision jolted the projectiles and propelled them backwards with haphazard accuracy straight back at the machine from whence they'd came, smashing into the contraption with such force that it began to hum and splutter as Clemont scooped up a still drowsy Bonnie and bolted in the first apparent direction away from the commotion.
The device exploded.
Metal, springs and wires (slightly charred by the explosion) shot in all directions as a column of thick black smoke billowed in their wake.
Ash, Clemont and Bonnie, as well as the two slightly dazed Pokémon, rose cautiously from cover.
At this Ash suddenly let out a whoop of joy.
"Clemont, you got any more of those machines? I think i've found my strategy."
:***:
Jack dropped to his knees with a clumsy degree of stealthiness, there about 20 feet ahead perched in the wake of a large white tree and strikingly majestic-looking tree sat the Chespin, looking particularly pleased with itself as it toyed with Jack's belt - tossing Riolu's Pokeball ungracefully in the air like it were a fascinating toy.
He crept forward, struggling to maintain his cover as the dense undergrowth lessened to reveal yet another (much smaller) forest clearing, this time lit dimly and stricken with creeping vine that clashed with the picturesque green of the grass underfoot.
The Chespin had now dropped the belt with disinterest and turned toward the pile of much smaller deflated Pokeballs that it had freed from the pocket of the discarded treasure, before picking them up with haste, rushing toward a shallow grove beneath the towering white tree and depositing them within.
After deliberating for a brief moment Jack decided to capitalise on this moment of weakness.
He slipped his jacket from his shoulders and held it aloft in his arms, cupping the sides to form a makeshift net. Then he struck.
Chespin yelped as it was caught off guard and struggled, now reduced to a blob of dark mass under Jack's sturdy jacket, before lying still in a black heap.
Cautiously Jack removed the jacket.
There underneath his torso lay the green quilled Pokémon, cowering in a compact ball as a wave of remorse washed over Jack, he had not meant to scare this poor Pokémon only to retrieve what was stolen.
It was in this sympathetic mood that he too let his guard down, the Chespin fired a round of pin missiles straight into his gut - temporarily knocking the air from his lungs and leaving him panting for breath as the spiny Pokémon ran for the trees.
Acting on instinct alone, Jack's hand leapt toward the small grove beside him, closing around a deflated Pokéball which he then hurled without hesitation toward the fleeing Pokémon.
The ball collided as Chespin was reluctantly sucked inside. Wobbling precariously in 3 tense rotations it finally clicked signalling a successful capture.
Jack stared at the ball with a dumbfound look on his face before rising to his feet and retrieving the Pokéball.
"I guess i just caught a Chespin." He stated still bewildered by the events that had just unfolded.
Still clutching the Pokéball he retrieved his belt and spare Pokéballs and slumped down against the trunk of the looming pale tree once again. He then raised the Pokéball and released his newly caught Chespin who landed on the forest floor in front of him seemingly frozen in disbelief.
Turning to look at its new trainer it exploded with comical anger.
"Hey…HEY, cool it wont you!" Jack retorted as the Pokémon continued to rant variations of its own name "I'm not the one who decided to steal and got themselves in this mess in the first place.
It was indeed no use, the Pokémon carried on with its one sided argument until Jack raised himself to his feet:
"Alright then, you can sit here and rave all day if you want but i'm out of here which means you are too."
"Chespin Che." it replied turning to hug the dazzling white oak
"We've all been homesick before buddy, you'll get used to it now lets go!" Jack said with an air of finality before raising Chespins Pokéball and trying to recall it.
Chespin merely jumped out of the way before fixing Jack with a glare.
All the commotion has caused a growing mass of curious Pokémon to form around the edges of the forest clearing, an atmosphere that slightly unsettled Jack as he was greatly outnumbered it seemed.
"I really think you should get in the ball now." Jack suggested through gritted teeth, reaching for the second Pokéball set on his belt as he did so.
To his great diss appointment and dismay his new Pokémon simply pulled a face and jumped away into the crowd of forest spectators that had now pooled into a sea of faces that shifted in a mesmerising manner all about him.
"Great." He though to himself. "More running."
:***:
Team Rocket dozed peacefully in the calmness of the moment.
The river trickled with a playful patter underneath the weathered boulders that now made up their makeshift bed, hidden by curtains of emerald green pine that shielded the shallow valley from the cool breeze that whisked overhead.
James' eyes fluttered open, he had been having a wonderful dream about a particularly rare bottle cap when he had seemingly overheard a faint crashing of forest to his left. He grimaced as he raised his sore head (an apparent disadvantage to sleeping on a un-cushioned chunk of rock) which he tilted to one side with curiosity, a small spiny Pokémon came crashing out into the clearing - skidding to an abrupt stop before the incline that paved the way straight down to the river several feet below.
James quietly shook his slumbering companions awake, much to the distaste of Jesse in particular opened her mouth in protest but was silenced by Jame's frantic gesturing toward the Pokémon that sat now gazing with curiosity in their direction. The three of them clambered to their feet as Jesse withdrew a Pokéball and sent forth a Wobbufett, which landed unceremoniously on the uneven ground with a thud.
It was at that moment Chespin seemed to realise its immediate danger and yet again made a run straight for the cover of the trees.
"Where do you think you're going?" Jesse chided as she gestured to James for a menacing looking device with a transparent spherical cage fixed snugly to a length of strengthened wire. "We're not done with you yet."
Chespin quickened its pace as the device fired.
"Riolu, Force Palm NOW."
A flash of blue and the sharp crack of severed wire as Jack and Riolu joined the fray.
:***:
"Team rocket not you guys again!" Jack sighed as he came to a halt below the raised platform on which the criminals stood.
"Why of course twerp, who else?" Jesse shot back. "Now prepare for trouble."
"And make it double." James added
"To protect the world from deva-"
"Yeah yeah I've heard it before." Jack said with an air of boredom. " Can we just skip to the bit where i send you blasting off again please?"
"HOW DARE YOU, YOU INSOLENT TWERP!" Jesse shouted back flushing with anger, "WE ARE TEAM ROCKET, AND TEAM ROCKET WILL NOT BE MOCKED BY A TWERPISH CHILD."
Jack was now tired of this and decided to take action whilst his adversaries were still raving at him.
Whilst Jesse continued to shout and rant, he weighed up his chances - Riolu was strong and evidently fired up for what he could tell by glancing down at it, but he would struggle to take down Team Rocket in a 2v1 regardless of his and his Pokémon's resolve - then turning to the small green hooded Pokémon that was cowering by his side he said with honesty "Chespin…i know we haven't got off to a good start but please help me beat these guys, i can't do it alone."
The Pokémon looked up at him with a mingled look of curiosity and fear that set gradually into determination.
"Chespin-Che-Ches." it confirmed.
"Alright lets do this thing then, Riolu run and use Double Team and Chespin cover it with Pin Missile."
Both Pokémon followed his command and Team Rocket, caught off guard, were sent sprawling across the mass of rock on which they were perched.
"Alright again Chespin Follow up with Vine Whip, Riolu scatter and use Dig."
The various Riolu clones shot beneath the surface of the earth as the grassy tendrils that had extended from Chespin's neck went cascading toward the still grounded Team Rocket.
But this time they were prepared.
Wobbufett cloaked in a glimmering veil of energy cast itself between the shower of green fibre and the flurry of blue fists that rose from the ground at its feet, absorbing the attack as clones vanished leaving Riolu stood entirely exposed and Chespin none the wiser to what was about to come.
It was then Wobbufett exploded with energy in unison with Jesse's cry of "Now Wobbufett use Counter!"
Riolu, Chespin and Jack were all caught in the devastating blast and were sent flying with immense force backward into the grove of trees that aided as an unforgiving safety net. Jack raised himself to his feet despite his aching bones and the metallic taste of blood stinging his tongue, checking to see as he feared his fallen companions in crumpled heaps on the ground beside him. He had lost.
Meowth bared its razor sharp claws and Wobbufett yet again began to shimmer with the same mysterious veil as Jesse and James let out a long and dragging laugh which filled the surround air, sinking Jacks spirits further.
A burst of Blue light filled the clearing as a column of energy engulfed the surrounding skyline.
Jack stood in awe as a Pokémon with a familiar aura of majesty bounded into the clearing with a deep growl of protectiveness that despite its clear defensive nature rang with gentle and kind warmth. The Pokémon itself was indescribably marvellous, gem encrusted horns sprawled in two branching trees of radiant yellow from a slender blue face inlayed with twinkling eyes, attached to a deeper blue body resemblant of some kind of deer.
The Pokémon regarded Jack with a calm and knowing gaze before diverting its attention to Chespin who had climbed to its feet and began to rush forward with a yell of delight, only to be stopped by a powerful telekinetic force that held it in place out of harms way. Finally it turned to focus on Team Rocket who had apparently sensed their reckoning as they now had replaced smug and gloating smirks with a look of sheer dread.
Xerneas let out another shrill cry as Team Rocket clutched each other tightly and whimpered with profound and apparent cowardice, The skies grew dark as an aura of cosmic energy began to build around the deer like Pokémon which it then released in a powerful Moonblast attack which shook the very earth and sent Team Rocket soaring instantaneously into the air, growing gradually smaller until they were gone with a brief flicker of light.
Shocked senseless by the sheer power of the Pokémon before him Jack stood gawping at the Legendary Pokémon that yet again regarded him and his Pokémon with a cool glare. Chespin, freed finally from its hold, sprinted forward and clasped onto the pointed nose of the grand Pokémon in an almost comical hug.
Then perhaps the oddest part of the whole ordeal was that Xerneas actually spoke… or so Jack thought, as words rang out in his mind clear as day although evidently not intended for him.
"Chespin you have served me with unwavering loyalty, and to that i owe you a great deal of gratitude. taking from others to nurse my long opened wounds as i lay dormant in my cocoon of bark and wood, now however i am free and to you i insist that you go free without the burden of my care."
A pause
"Farewell my friend."
And with that Xerneas turned and cantered into the trees, a scent of fresh leaves lingering in its wake, leaving Chespin blinking away the flow of tears and Jack and a now recovered Riolu standing alone in the clearing.
Jack, thinking upon the words of Xerneas, knew then what he had to do.
"Chespin? Hey uh, i know you don't exactly want to come along with me anyway so you cant go… i release you." He said holding up Chespins Pokéball with a sigh and moving his free hand slowly toward the button that would set his partner free.
He stopped, a vine had crept up from his feet and snaked its way around his free arm, preventing his movement and the release of his new partner. Chespin looked up at Jack with a bursting smile as it yanked his arm back down, jumped and smacked the Pokéball - recalling it back within the circular contraption that hummed contently.
Jack grinned as he looked at his Riolu and then back at the ball resting in his palm.
"Alright! I just caught a Chespin."
:***:
Ash wiped the sweat from his brow. it was now getting pretty late and he was just about sick of training - not that it hadn't been a productive session, what with Froakie valiantly casting itself in the way of an oncoming web to save Pikachu from being caught and learning the move Cut in the process (a helpful addition to his strategy as he could now slice through sticky web with ease) and Pikachu becoming apt at deflecting sticky web with pinpoint accuracy to the point of being able to hit multiple moving targets; however he was still incredibly grateful for Jack strolling through the back door of the Pokecenter to meet them, positively beaming from ear to ear.
He, Clemont and Bonnie would later find out the cause of this newfound happiness as Jack reached for his belt and withdrew a second Pokéball which he threw forth to reveal a spiky Pokémon he recognised as a Chespin from his short time back that the Professors lab.
"Awesome dude." He said congratulating his friend on his capture, "Guess i need to take more early morning walks, how'd you come across this little guy anyway?"
"Its a long story." Jack replied "But before i get into that i really ought to pay nurse Joy a visit." he said pointing at his grazed ankles and rubbing his bruised back.
"I wont be much use in a Gym battle if i'm all busted up will i?"
"Guess not." they replied with a shallow but concerned chuckle as Jack recalled Chespin allowing Clemont and Ash to rush forward and support him back to the Pokécenter with Bonnie hopping along in their wake.
:***:
Early the next morning, after everyone had been well rested and recovered from the events of the previous day they once again took to the open road and Jack was yet again met with the annoying bickering of his companions as they argued repetitively over the fastest way through the dense forest.
Jack however didn't mind so much anymore, he instead removed his Pokeballs from his belt and fixed them with a confident gaze.
"Santalune city here we come." He thought to himself as he shifted his attention to the path before him, narrowing to reveal an expanse of light stretching its way into the expanse of forest and lighting the way to the challenge ahead.
End of Chapter 5
Yo,
First of all i think i should apologise for the long wait for this chapter. Like i have said before i have had an extended and ongoing period of exams going on which has limited my ability to write and publish new chapters, this paired with the fact i've hit a bit of an uninspired writers rut where i find myself less motivated to write as i would normally be meant that you for several weeks were left without new content for which i can only apologise and repay with this extended chapter which is slightly longer than usual.
secondly i would like to clear up for anyone who may be unaware that the white tree in this chapter is indeed the same white tree containing Xerneas from games as i acknowledge that not everyone has played the games themselves.
Finally i would just like to thank you for the continued support of this series as we recently reached over 500 viewers - a number that still continues to rise - and assure you that even though new chapters may be slightly delayed for the next few weeks i am still active in gradually building up the story and am working to bring you continuations to the story as soon as i can manage.
Thats all for now, i hope you enjoyed this long awaited instalment.
Destros
oh and also don't forget to leave a review to let me know what you thought if you'd like!
