The twins arrived at the pokemon lodge the next evening, marking the beginning of the trek through the Nappalchan Mountains.
"This is it," Kristine said to Jason. "The Nappalchan Mountains."
Beyond the lodge resided snow-capped mountains as far as the eye could see.
"First of three pokemon lodges," Jason mentioned. "That means we need to be prepared and pack up on a lot of things."
"Right," Kristine agreed. "But there are ranger outposts throughout the mountains, so we're not all entirely alone in between lodges."
"Well, sis," Jason said as he and Kristine stood before the lodge. "We're going to be in here for a long time."
"Yeah…" Kristine came to that realization. "But we're going to get through it together."
The two walked inside the two-story pokemon lodge.
"Hello there!" Nurse Joy greeted from behind the lobby counter. "Here to book a night?"
"Yes, please," Kristine replied.
"Okay then," Nurse Joy took to her terminal. "One room with twin beds…and done. Room 212 on the second floor."
"Thanks," Jason said.
"Have a good evening," Nurse Joy nodded. "And don't forget to watch the safety video."
The twins proceeded to the nearby staircase.
"Safety video?" Jason asked Kristine.
Kristine shrugged. "Must be for the Mountains."
After reaching the top of the staircase, the two entered their room several doors down to the right.
"I do like the pokemon lodges," Jason said as he walked into a wooden interior and cabin ambiance.
"Mmhmm," Kristine agreed as she spotted the jacuzzi in the bathroom.
"So what's this safety video Nurse Joy told us about?" Jason wondered as he headed to the couch and used the remote to turn on the television.
"Welcome to the Western Nappalchan Mountains Pokemon Lodge," the video automatically began with a male voice narrating it. "For many trainers, this pokemon lodge serves at the beginning of a long trek through the Mountains from Saint Brandon to Richland Port."
Kristine walked over to sit down next to Jason.
The video displayed the geography of the Mountains from orbit.
"The distance between Saint Brandon and Richland Port is 825 miles," the video continued. "The Mountain Range extends to nearly 800 miles, making the Nappalchan Mountains one of the most grueling and daunting challenges for any trainer in Inventum. The amount of time it takes to complete the trek varies depending on the Trainer's pace and weather conditions, and possible sightseeing opportunities. It usually takes trainers between 80 and 100 days to complete the trek, with Richland Port just a few days away."
"That's more than we've been trainers," Kristine mentioned.
"No kidding," Jason added.
"Let's go over the key safety features in the Nappalchan Mountains," the narrator explained.
The video then cut into some footage of part of the trail.
"Always remember to stay on the designated trails with green mile markers. For your safety, it is highly inadvisable to venture off the trail due to rugged terrain and other unknown dangers."
The video then displayed what a ranger outpost looked like. "There are only three pokemon centers throughout the Nappalchan Mountains, but the Mountains host a strong ranger division provided by the government of Inventum, and along with the support of Teams Tranquility and Power, the rangers of the Nappalchan Mountains have established numerous ranger outposts. These outposts are designed to provide shelter and supplies, and it is recommended to stock up upon visiting each outpost.
The video then displayed a snowstorm.
"In the event of severe weather such as storms and blizzards, seek shelter immediately. Consult with each ranger outpost about weather forecasts before planning the next step in your trek through the Mountains."
The video then displayed a still photo of a team of rangers carrying away someone on a stretcher.
"In case of an injury, notify the nearest person immediately. Rangers are patrolling the Mountains 24/7 and will be able to assist you to the nearest outpost. Helicopters will be on standby if you need to be extracted from the Nappalchan Mountains, where you will be treated in the nearest city."
The video then displayed several still images of wild pokemon in the Mountains.
"There are many wild pokemon in the Mountains, and it is legal to capture them. But please be respectful of their environment, and be aware of the dangers they may possess. While most Pokemon will not harm trainers, some may. Sneasel, for example, like to steal equipment and ambush trainers and their pokemon, while froslass are known to create illusions of comfort in their icy caverns for unsuspecting travelers.
"In any event, remember to be aware of your surroundings throughout your trek through the Nappalchan Mountains. Be safe, be wary, be responsible, and most importantly, have fun in one of the most important steps as a pokemon trainer."
The video then ended, displaying the credits afterward.
"So this is it, huh?" Jason said.
"One of the most important steps…." Kristine repeated. "Well, bro, I'm going in the jacuzzi. I have a feeling it'll be the last time I get to do that in a while."
"Have fun," Jason replied.
After a good night's rest, the two got up at almost the same time the next morning.
"You ready to do this?" Jason asked Kristine.
Kristine took a deep breath and gathered her gear. "I think so."
Kristine headed into the bathroom as Jason put on his clothes and gear.
Shortly after, Kristine walked out of the bathroom, fully ready to go.
"Day one of the Nappalchan Mountains," Jason said.
"Let's do it!" Kristine spoke with confidence.
The two continued downstairs to the pokemon lodge. Several trainers stood before Nurse Joy and a pokemon ranger.
"We have a storm system approaching the Western Mountains this afternoon," the ranger announced. "I strongly suggest that you all remain in the immediate area, at least until the evening."
"Well, that's day one in a nutshell," Kristine muttered to Jason in a slightly disappointed tone.
The two proceeded to the counter.
"How bad is the thunderstorm?" asked one trainer.
"It's capable of severe rain and wind," the Ranger replied. "We think it's going to be a bad one, but you'll be safe as long as you remain here. It'll take between four and seven days to reach Outpost Alpha."
"Well, we'll be hanging around here for one more day," mentioned a familiar voice. The twins saw that it was Liz who just spoke.
"I guess we can get some training in before the storm comes," said Amanda, who was also present.
"Sure can," the Ranger nodded. "Just remember not to venture too far off the path. Yellow flags off the path mean the path is near, orange is moderate, and red is far. Green means you're on the path, of course."
"Gotcha," Amanda acknowledged.
The ranger continued. "If any of you have further questions, I'll be here all day." He then departed from the group.
Jason and Kristine approached Liz and Amanda.
"Hey all," Liz waved at the twins.
"Morning!" Kristine waved back.
"Hey, guys!" Amanda smiled. "Guess what?"
Amanda pulled out her badge case and opened it, displaying the Mystic and Tranquility Badges to Jason and Kristine.
"Congratulations!" Kristine gave Amanda a high five.
"Thanks!" Amanda spoke excitedly. "Squirtle evolved into Wartortle against Aria and Vaporeon. And we just managed to get through Justin and his Milotic!"
"That Milotic, I tell ya," Liz snickered. "Nearly wiped out my whole team."
"You made it to Milotic unscathed?" Jason asked, impressed.
Liz nodded. "Milotic was the real challenge. But we got through her, thanks to Mankey. Charmander evolved just before the battle."
Liz turned to Amanda. "Now that we're all caught up, and we're right here, we need to have a pokemon battle."
"A pokemon battle, huh?" Amanda smirked. "Let's go!"
"I can ref," Kristine suggested.
"Sure," Liz replied.
"Jason, did you want to join in?" Amanda asked. "I think you and Kristine would make a cool ref duo."
Jason laughed. "Well, I was going to go ahead and do my morning training routines."
"You can go for it if you want," Kristine said. "I'll join you later on."
Jason nodded. "Okay."
As the group headed outside, Kristine, Liz, and Amanda walked towards a nearby flat area while Jason ventured down for a nice area to train.
Kristine took to the center of the field, while Liz and Amanda assumed opposite positions.
"So, who wants to go first?" Kristine asked.
"I guess I will," Liz responded. "Let's go, Phanpy!"
Liz threw her pokeball, summoning her newest pokemon, Phanpy.
"Phanpy!" the small, elephant-like pokemon greeted. It was light blue in color and had long, floppy ears and a short trunk.
"Phanpy, huh?" Amanda looked at Liz's Pokemon.
"Caught her yesterday," Liz said. "First battle."
Kristine pulled out her pokedex to examine Phanpy.
"Phanpy, the Long Nose Pokemon," the pokedex explained. "For its nest, phanpy dig a vertical pit in the ground at the edge of a river. It marks the area around its nest with its trunk to let the others know that the area has been claimed."
"Alright then," Amanda smirked. "Go, Ledian!"
Amanda threw out her pokeball, summoning the evolved form of Ledyba.
"Ledian!" the taller ladybug-like Pokemon hovered vertically in the air.
"Your Ledyba evolved!" Kristine took note.
"Yep," Amanda nodded. "Just a few days ago, too."
"You make the first move, Pandy," Liz spoke.
"I thought we agreed not to call me that!" Amanda threw a fit.
"Pandy?" Kristine snickered.
"It's a nickname she had when we were much younger," Liz explained.
"Yes, yes," Amanda rolled her eyes. "Alright then. Ledian, Supersonic!"
"Ledian!" Ledian complied before letting out a supersonic screech.
"Phanpy, Rollout!" Liz quickly commanded.
"Phanpy!" Phanpy ran before curling herself into a ball, rolling herself towards Ledian.
Ledian's Supersonic hit Phanpy with no effect.
"Ledian, up in the air!" Amanda responded.
Ledian flew just high enough to avoid Phanpy's Rollout.
Liz smirked at Amanda. "This is going to be interesting."
"Ledian, Silver Wind!" Amanda commanded.
"Light Screen!" Liz responded.
Meanwhile, Jason ventured off the trail as he passed by a yellow flag.
"Right," he spoke aloud to himself. "Guess we won't go any further than here. No streams or anything nearby. Sorry, Magikarp."
He looked around until he could find a field flat enough to train efficiently in. That was when he suddenly saw a pokemon from a distance on top of a large rock.
"What is that?" Jason asked as he approached the pokemon.
The pokemon was small but stood tall in a focused stance. It is dark blue in color and resembled that of a canine. Its ears, neck, and tail are black, as is its face, appearing as if the pokemon wore a mask across its eyes. It stood tall as it looked to the sky, anticipating the incoming storm.
Jason used his pokedex to examine Riolu.
"Riolu, the Emanation Pokemon," the pokedex explained. "The aura that emanates from its body intensifies to alert others if it is afraid or sad."
"It's a fighting type…." Jason examined further in the pokedex.
Jason approached Riolu.
"Hey, Riolu?" Jason asked. "Whatcha doing?"
Riolu paid no attention to Jason. He just stood there, staring into the sky.
"My name is Jason," Jason introduced himself. "I'm a trainer going through the Mountains. How are you?"
Still, Riolu paid no attention to him.
"Alright then," Jason spoke. "I'll let you be."
Jason walked away from Riolu.
"Okay, Jolteon, Swellow, and Ralts! Let's go!" Jason released all three of his pokemon.
"Jolt!" Jolteon barked.
"Ralts!" Ralts greeted.
"Swellow!" Swellow chirped.
"Okay," Jason addressed. "Today, we're going to –"
The release of Jason's Pokemon caught Riolu's attention. He jumped off his rock and approached Jason.
"Riolu?" Jason seemed confused.
"Rio…" Riolu approached Jason and his pokemon. After carefully examining Ralts, Swellow, and Jolteon, he pointed at Jolteon. "Riolu!"
"Jolt!" Jolteon barked and approached Riolu.
"Do you want to battle, Riolu?" Jason asked.
"Rio!" Riolu nodded.
"Alright then," Jason smirked. "Standby, Jolteon!"
"Jolt!" Jolteon complied.
"You make the first move, Riolu," Jason addressed.
"Riolu!" Riolu charged at Jolteon head-on.
"Jolteon, Double Team!" Jason commanded.
Jolteon projected multiple copies of himself. Riolu ran through one of them, confused. He then struck through another copy with an open palm.
"Jolteon, Thunder Shock!" Jason followed up.
Jolteon emerged behind Riolu, but Riolu sensed his presence. Riolu's hands glowed blue as he examined Jolteon's copies.
"Riolu!" Riolu also projected multiple copies of himself just before Jolteon struck through two of them.
"Riolu knows Double Team too?" Jason asked himself.
Riolu then charged Jolteon with an open palm.
"Swift!" Jason commanded.
"Jolt!" Jolteon jumped backward, firing a bunch of stars at Riolu.
"Rio!" Riolu braced for impact, taking the damage. His hands glowed blue once more, and he fired back a barrage of stars at Jolteon.
The stars all struck Jolteon, exploding upon impact.
"What's going on?" Jason wondered.
Jolteon emerged, still standing through the impact.
"Okay, Jolteon, use Thunder Fang!" Jason commanded.
"Jolt!" Jolteon charged at Riolu head-on.
"Riolu!" Riolu also charged at Jolteon.
The two struck each other with Jolteon's Thunder Fang and Riolu's Quick Attack, knocking each other back.
"Rio!" Rio regained his balance and charged at Jolteon once more.
"Jolteon, Swift!" Jason commanded.
"Jolt!" Jolteon fired a swift of stars, all striking Riolu.
A cloud of smoke enveloped Riolu. As the smoke cleared, Riolu emerged, still approaching Jolteon.
"Jolteon, Thunder Shock!" Jason followed up.
"Jolt-eon!" Jolteon emitted a bolt of electricity aimed at Riolu. The attack effectively zapped Riolu. He took too many hits to be standing up.
Suddenly, a white glow outlined Riolu. He fell on one knee, enduring the attack. He then got up, catching his breath.
"Riolu…" Riolu gave a bow to Jolteon.
"That had to be a move," Jason said.
Riolu then began to depart from Jason, Jolteon, Ralts, and Swellow.
"Hey, Riolu!" Jason caught his attention.
"Rio?" Riolu turned around to face him.
"You did great," Jason commended. "You fought hard. Would you like to join us?"
"Rio…" Riolu looked down as if he was disappointed in himself. He then headed back to the tall rock he stood on before.
"Riolu?" Jason followed Riolu with his pokemon in tow.
Riolu hopped back onto the rock. He looked directly at the sky, where a formation of dark clouds was seen from a distance.
"The storm…" Jason muttered. "You're going to try to endure the storm."
"Rio," Riolu gave a nod.
"But why?" Jason asked.
He received no response. Still, he continued training with his pokemon.
Meanwhile, Amanda and Liz were in the middle of a heated battle. After an intense first several minutes, Ledian managed to defeat Phanpy after landing Supersonic and Silver Wind. The momentum seemed to shift to Liz's favor after she sent Charmeleon out.
"Charmeleon, Ember!" Liz commanded.
A thick Smoke Screen covered the middle of the field, separating Charmeleon from Ledian. Charmeleon spat out a ball of flame right through the screen.
"Dodge!" Amanda yelled.
Liz smirked. "Dragon Rage in the air!"
Liz's prediction was correct. Ledian flew up into the air to avoid Ember, only to be hit by a sphere of dragon energy. She crashed against the ground hard, unable to get up.
"Ledian is unable to battle!" Kristine declared.
"Return, Ledian!" Amanda recalled her pokemon. "You did good, taking out Phanpy."
She threw out her second pokeball. "Go, Staravia!"
"Staravia!" Staravia greeted and took to the skies.
"I really need an electric or ice pokemon," Liz mentioned. "Or rock, now that I think about it."
"Think all you want about countering my team with type advantages, but I'll find the best strategy possible no matter what team I'll have!" Amanda responded. "Staravia, Wing Attack!"
"Staravia!" Staravia dove down as the smoke began to dissipate.
"Dragon Rage!" Liz commanded.
Charmeleon fired another sphere, this time at Staravia,
"Dodge!" Amanda yelled.
Staravia broke off the assault.
"Keep the pressure! Ember!" Liz wanted to continue the counterattack.
"Charmeleon!" Charmeleon spat out another ball of flame.
"Double Team!" Amanda called.
Staravia created multiple copies of herself as Ember went right through one of them before fizzling in mid-air.
"Smoke Screen, now!" Liz issued.
Charmeleon released thick black smoke, concealing himself.
"Use Wing Attack to expose Charmeleon!" Amanda responded.
Staravia descended, using her wings as a strafing attack to dispose of the smoke.
"Now's your chance! Metal Claw!" Liz saw her opportunity to land an attack.
"Char!" Charmeleon jumped in the air as Staravia came within range.
"Attack Charmeleon!" Amanda promptly yelled.
It was too late for Staravia to strike. Charmeleon jumped up struck her side with glowing steel claws, sending her spiraling down the field before crashing.
"Oh no!" Amanda became concerned.
"Oh yes!" Liz felt the momentum. "Ember! Then follow it with Dragon Rage!"
Staravia was slow to get up. Charmeleon was attacking way too fast for her. Ember struck her head-on, followed by Dragon Rage seconds later. As the smoke cleared, Staravia was down and out.
"Woah," Kristine muttered underneath her breath. Liz was good before, but she's more confident and aggressive. She called the skirmish. "Staravia is unable to battle!"
"Er, return, Staravia!" Amanda recalled her pokemon. "You're good, Liz. I'll give you that." She pulled out her final pokeball. "Come on out, Wartortle!"
"Wartortle!" Wartortle materialized from the pokeball.
"All right, let's dance!" Liz remained confident.
"Wartortle, Water Gun!" Amanda called.
"Wartortle!" Wartortle spat out a fast and powerful stream of water.
"Use Dragon Rage and run to the right!" Liz responded.
Charmeleon fired Dragon Rage and began running. His move collided with Water Gun, creating a small explosion of steam in the air.
"Keep using Water Gun!" Amanda commanded.
Wartortle used Water Gun in hopes of taking Charmeleon down.
"Smoke Screen!" Liz yelled.
Charmeleon fired off Smokescreen in the immediate area once more.
"This again, eh?" Amanda smirked. "Wartortle, Rapid Spin!"
Wartortle withdrew to his shell and hurled himself at the Smoke Screen.
"Wait for it…." Liz remained patient.
Amanda knew it was another attempt to use Metal Claw. But she was willing to let Wartortle take a hit if it meant she could knock out Charmeleon right here, right now. The number of moves he used was tiring, as sweat drenched down his forehead and arms.
Wartortle broke apart the thick smoke.
"Metal Claw to catch him, then use Dragon Rage!" Liz commanded.
"Char!" Charmeleon's claws glowed. As the shell rapidly darted towards him, he timed it right, latching right on to it.
"Go!" Liz followed up.
"Water Gun! Now!" Amanda issued.
"War!" Wartortle spat out Water Gun from within his shell.
"Char!" Charmeleon fired Dragon Rage.
Water Gun collided with Dragon Rage when it was still inside Charmeleon's mouth. The result was another explosion. Wartortle took some of the damage while Charmeleon took the brunt of it. He was essentially struck by his own powerful move in addition to a super-effective move.
"Char…" the weary pokemon stumbled backward.
"Rapid Spin before he does anything!" Amanda yelled.
Still in his shell, Wartortle struck Charmeleon in a near-boomerang fashion. Charmeleon fell to the ground soon after.
"Charmeleon is unable to battle!" Kristine declared.
Liz recalled Charmeleon and smirked. "Well played, Pandy. Well played."
Amanda's gleaming eyes from Wartortle's victory over Charmeleon turned into a simple glare towards Liz.
Liz laughed. "Okay, let's go, Purrloin!"
"Purr!" the pokemon crossed her arms before Wartortle.
"Use Water Gun!" Amanda ordered.
"Fake Out!" Liz quickly issued.
Purrloin pounced towards Wartortle, sprinting as fast as she could. Before Wartortle could fire off Water Gun, Purrloin clapped her hands, sending a shockwave close enough to impact her opponent. Wartortle stumbled backward.
"Ugh, Wartortle, Protect!" Amanda went on the defensive.
But Wartortle did not respond. It appeared he flinched from the attack.
"Fury Swipes, go!" Liz followed up.
Purrloin attacked Wartortle at close range, landing powerful swipe after powerful swipe.
"Get back in it, Wartortle!" Amanda encouraged him. "Rapid Spin!"
"War!" Wartortle shouted, withdrawing to his shell and spinning it to knock Purrloin back.
With Wartortle taking considerable damage and Amanda going on the defensive, Liz saw the opportunity to win the battle.
"Water Gun!" Amanda yelled.
Wartortle shot out Water Gun from within his shell.
"Pursuit, Purrloin!" Liz responded.
Purrloin zigzagged around Wartortle's Water Gun head-on, striking him with a devious attack. Wartortle was knocked back, popped out from his shell, and unable to get up.
"Wartortle is unable to battle!" Kristine declared. "Purrloin wins, which means that Liz is the winner of the match!"
"Alright!" Liz cheered.
"Return, Wartortle!" Amanda recalled him. "Good job out there."
"Great work, as usual, Purrloin!" Liz commended before recalling Purrloin. She then faced Amanda. "You're getting better."
"Yeah, so are you," Amanda acknowledged. "I get too defensive in battles sometimes."
"Defense is a sign of weakness," Liz said. "Attacking and deception are the keys to winning."
Kristine looked overhead to see the incoming dark cloud formation.
"Well, that storm is coming a little early today," she took note.
"You got that right," Liz looked up.
The storm drew near. The winds were slowly picking up, and the temperature was dropping. The sky gradually became darker as the storm rolled in.
"Riolu!" Jason tried to catch Riolu's attention once more. "Riolu, you don't have to endure the storm!"
"Rio!" Rio still looked right at the sky.
"Ugh, fighting pokemon," Jason muttered in frustration. He then turned to his pokemon and recalled them for their safety. "Return, guys."
"Riolu!" He spoke to Riolu once more. "If you want to join us, I can train you!"
Riolu paid no attention to Jason. Jason could hear a crash of thunder a moment later.
"You're going to get sick or even hurt if you stand there!" Jason pleaded.
"Riolu!" Riolu spoke, not backing down.
The sky became darker, and the winds were getting colder.
"Errr…" Jason knew he had to get back. As much as he wanted to stand out there with Riolu, that wouldn't be fair for his pokemon and his sister. He had to leave.
"Stand strong, Riolu!" Jason said before heading back to the trail.
Jason walked by the yellow flag and trekked back up to the trail. He took one last look at Riolu before he heard another distant crash of thunder. He then proceeded back to the pokemon lodge, where his sister was waiting for him at the front.
"I was going to wait a few more minutes before going back out there to find you," Kristine said to him. "How was the training?"
"Fine," Jason replied. "I saw a riolu out there, trying to train too. Only he's going to embrace the storm.
"What?" Kristine looked over in the distance. "Jason, they're saying this is a bad storm. Why is he out there trying to endure the storm?"
"He's a fighting pokemon," Jason simply explained.
"Ugh…" Kristine sighed.
"Fighting pokemon tend to believe they have much to prove to feel like they have a purpose in this world," said the pokemon ranger from earlier, approaching the twins upon overhearing their conversation. "Especially if they are at the beginning of their evolutionary line."
"Should we do something about Riolu?" Jason asked the ranger.
"Our goodwill would tempt us to go out there and face the dangers trying to rescue a pokemon willing to embrace them," the ranger responded. "I will insist that the both of you do not attempt to go out there. With high gusts of wind, heavy rains, and numerous lightning strikes in the area, it's a high possibility that you'll get injured trying to rescue Riolu."
Jason looked out through the window as the rain began to fall. "I shouldn't have beaten Riolu in battle."
"It would not have made a difference," the ranger said. "Riolu is going to do whatever it takes to stand out there. All we can do is assist him after the storm."
Jason sighed and approached the windows. "Alright."
The storm quickly rolled in as it began pouring heavily outside. Jason couldn't help but stand there, looking out the window.
"You should at least back away from the window," Kristine suggested.
"There's a pokemon standing out there," Jason objected. "And there's nothing we can do about it."
"I'm sure Riolu will be fine," Kristine replied. "We'll go help him when the storm ends."
Nurse Joy then walked up to the twins.
"Kristine?" Nurse Joy asked. "I'm available if you want to get your machop checked out."
"Oh yeah," Kristine turned around. She briefly faced Jason. "I'll be back." She then walked with Nurse Joy to one of the patient rooms.
Still, Jason stood there, gazing into the black sky as bolts of lightning were striking the ground from a distance. He could hear the howling winds as the rain slammed hard against the ground.
"Riolu…" Jason muttered. "You're one tough pokemon…."
A while later, Kristine walked out to the lobby and noticed Jason was still standing there. She went to approach him.
"So Machop's leg is healing quickly," Kristine said. "He'll be in fighting shape in no time."
"That's good," Jason replied, still looking out the window.
Kristine saw that Jason already had a connection with Riolu. She knew he wanted to be out there with Riolu, and the only reason holding him back was her, as well as his pokemon.
She placed her hand on Jason's shoulder and said nothing.
The worst of the storm soon passed. The winds were not as aggressive, and the rain was slowing down.
"Okay, everyone!" the pokemon ranger announced to everyone in the lobby. "The storm is soon passing, and we will no longer be under a severe thunderstorm warning in just a few minutes. It'll be safe to travel, but please be careful; it's going to be very wet out there."
"Good," Jason muttered.
He stood there for a few more minutes with Kristine at his side. As soon as he saw the sun breaking through the clouds and the rain coming to a drizzle, he ran out of the pokemon lodge to where Riolu was. Kristine was right behind him.
Jason trekked down the rocky area from the path to the yellow flag he saw before. He then jogged to the field where he had trained and saw Riolu still standing on the rock.
"Riolu!" Jason yelled, running to him.
"Rio…" Riolu turned around. He was wet and weary from the storm. He was trembling all over the place, as Jason saw.
"Riolu…" Jason softly spoke and approached the base of the rock.
"Oh my…" Kristine gasped.
"Rio…" Riolu suddenly passed out and fell forward. Jason was able to catch him with his hands.
Kristine ran over to Jason's side. "We need to get Riolu to the pokemon lodge. Now!"
"Right," Jason replied and ran with Kristine back on the path to the lodge.
They came storming into the lobby, alerting Nurse Joy.
"What happened?" Nurse Joy asked as the twins ran up to her.
"This riolu is wild, and he decided to brace the storm," Jason explained.
"That's not good," Nurse Joy examined Riolu. "He's shaking."
"He's been like this the whole time," Jason replied.
"Let me take him," Nurse Joy said as she took Riolu off of Jason's hands. "We're going to get him warmed up and put some antibiotics in him. We don't want him getting sick."
Nurse Joy took Riolu into a nearby patient's room.
Liz, who saw the commotion, walked up to Jason and Kristine.
"What's going on?" Liz asked.
"I found a wild Riolu while I was training," Jason explained. "He insisted on enduring the storm, no matter what I did to try to convince him otherwise."
"Riolu, huh?" Liz seemed interested. "Riolu are known to be tough. That one was probably trying to prove himself as strong and resilient. You should see their evolution, lucario."
"I recall seeing lucario on TV in some of the pro matches," Kristine replied.
Liz looked at Jason. "You got an excellent pokemon in your hands."
"He's not mine," Jason replied.
"He will be once he realizes you took him here," Liz assured him. "Trust me."
"Kind of like how Machop owed his life to me specifically because I convinced him to be carried out of the zubat cave," Kristine added.
"I still won't understand why fighting pokemon think they have to do those things," Jason shrugged.
"It's in their blood," Liz said. "It's partially why they are fighting types. They love competition, and their parents are usually strong themselves. It wouldn't surprise me that Riolu's parents are both very strong lucario somewhere deep in the Mountains, and one of Machop's parents could be a machamp for all we know.
"They just simply fight for their self-worth. They see a challenge, and they think there's no other way than to endure it. Riolu never thought about sheltering from the storm because he only did that as a baby. Machop wasn't going to accept help at first because he probably grew up on tough love. That is the nature of fighting pokemon through and through."
"You're absolutely right," Kristine replied.
Jason looked over by the patient room, which was closed. "Yeah. I hope Riolu didn't get into serious trouble there."
"I'm sure he'll be fine," Liz replied.
As the sun set, Nurse Joy walked out of the patient's room and approached Jason, Kristine, and Liz.
"I have Riolu resting now," Nurse Joy announced. "He'll be fine. He wanted to get up and leave, and I insisted that he spends the night here."
"Can I go see him?" Jason asked.
"Sure," Nurse Joy smiled.
Jason followed Nurse Joy into the patient's room, where Riolu was resting on the bed.
Riolu turned to Jason. "Riolu…" he spoke softly.
"Hey, buddy," Jason greeted. "Are you alright?"
Riolu nodded.
"Good," Jason smiled. "I was getting worried about you out there, but I know you're a tough guy."
Riolu gave a slight smile back.
"Listen," Jason continued. "I wanted to know if you wanted to tag along with me. I'm competing in the Inventum League, and I'm traveling all across Inventum to battle with every single gym leader, and I'm traveling alongside my sister. She and I both have outstanding teams, and I would like you to join my team if you're interested. I have two badges, but I still need ten more, and I think you and I would both have a lot of fun getting those badges."
"Riolu…" Riolu pondered at the thought. He was grateful for the battle with Jason and Jolteon earlier and was even more grateful for Jason's assistance following the storm.
"Well, I can give you the night to think it over," Jason replied. "You don't owe me anything. You're more than welcome to join me only if you truly feel you want to do that."
Jason approached the door of the patient's room. "Get a good night's rest, at least," he said.
"Riolu," Riolu gave a nod.
Jason left the room, with Kristine waiting for him just outside.
"How is he?" she asked.
"He's doing fine," Jason replied. "I asked him to join me, and I gave him the night to think about it."
"A pokemon as strong as Riolu would be a great fit for your team," Kristine added.
"Yeah," Jason agreed. "Let's see if Riolu wants to join us."
Later that night, the twins headed back to their room, where they booked one additional night at the Lodge. While Kristine had no problem falling asleep, Jason was on his back, staring at the ceiling.
"Riolu…" he muttered. He had already felt a connection with Riolu as if he could relate to him in some ways. Riolu didn't seem like the kind of pokemon that would simply give up on things. He seemed to be the type that would seek challenges and overcome them.
Jason loved challenges, and he knew it. All of his pokemon were trained to endure tough challenges. That was what made him good in battles, and that was what got him through his battle against Aria.
Jason wanted Riolu really badly. But he believed Riolu should have the free will to decide whether or not he should join Jason. He saw how Kristine has her team and how she convinced all of her Pokemon to join her, save for Fletchinder, when he demanded a battle as Fletchling.
Jason's perception of capturing wild pokemon completely changed since he became a trainer. This wasn't about confining random pokemon into a ball; this was about forging friendships and enduring challenges together. This was bonding between people and pokemon, encouraging each other to grow as individuals.
Jason felt close with his pokemon, and he felt like he could be great friends with Riolu. He calmed himself to sleep when he realized that there should be no hard feelings no matter what Riolu may choose.
The next day, Jason and Kristine got up and began their usual routine, where Kristine went to the bathroom to get dressed while Jason got dressed in the living area. After packing up their things and getting geared up, the two headed down the stairs, hopeful about making progress through the Mountains this time.
Jason proceeded towards the center of the lobby to talk to Nurse Joy.
"How's Riolu?" Jason asked her.
"Oh…" Nurse Joy stumbled for a few seconds. "He, Riolu, got up and left about half an hour ago. He didn't make any indications or anything. He just left. I'm sorry, Jason."
Jason gave a slight sigh and realized that Riolu probably went back to the wild. He smiled at Nurse Joy. "Thank you."
"Thank you for bringing him to me!" Nurse Joy smiled back, showing empathy for Jason.
Jason walked back to Kristine in a slightly sad mood.
"He left," he addressed her.
"I'm sorry, Jason," Kristine patted Jason on the back. "I know you wanted him to join you, but you're a very good person for letting him make that decision."
"Yeah…" Jason replied. "Thanks. I suppose we should get moving."
"It's about five days from here to the first ranger outpost," Kristine informed.
"Let's move on," Jason suggested. He was already done with the pokemon lodge.
The twins walked out of the pokemon lodge and walked down the path heading east.
"Shall we get our morning training in, at least?" Kristine asked.
"Sure," Jason nodded. "We should find a field shortly up ahead."
The two continued walking down the road while Jason was still digesting Riolu's rejection in his mind.
"Riolu," the twins suddenly heard Riolu's voice behind them.
Jason turned around to see Riolu standing about ten yards from him.
"Riolu?" Jason asked.
"Riolu!" Riolu smiled and nodded. "Riolu riolu!"
"Well, look at that," Kristine smiled. "Riolu wants to join you!"
"You want to join us, Riolu?" Jason asked.
"Riolu!" Riolu affirmed.
Jason squatted on his knees with a huge grin on his face. "Then welcome to the team!"
Riolu ran towards Jason and hugged him. After a brief moment, Jason pulled out an empty pokeball.
"This is your pokeball," Jason explained. "I'm going to take you inside real quick so that the pokeball knows whose home it is."
Riolu acknowledged as Jason lightly tapped him on the chest with the ball, sending him inside. Riolu became bound to the ball without incident.
"Well, congratulations, Jason!" Kristine commended.
"All right, Riolu joins the team!" Jason cheered. "That's five pokemon and one more to go!"
The twins found a flat area shortly after and trained there for a while as Jason introduced Riolu to his and Kristine's pokemon. Then, they continued onto the path into the Nappalchan Mountains, where the terrain became more rugged and challenging for them.
It was the beginning of their journey through the Mountains, and despite the thunderstorm delay the previous day, both Jason and Kristine would say that they were off to an excellent start. The next stop: A pokemon ranger outpost known as Ranger Outpost Alpha.
