POKEMON HEART SOUL ADVENTURES
I'm back! Missed me?
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Ugh, okay... I can already hear the chirping crickets... anyway, no matter, I'll just restart the narration from where I ended it last time! And last time, we saw that several quite shocking things happened to some friends (and not-so-friends) of ur bold heroes: both Ursula and May have been captured by the resident criminal teams, Team Rocket and Team Vicious respectively... and while Ursula still seems to have some fight left in her, May is being blackmailed into fighting for Team Vicious, with poor Max being used as a bargaining chip. Things aren't looking so good for them...
And our heroes, who still know nothing about all of this, are about to disembark in the third of the Sevii Islands, Kin Island... where new adventures will be waiting for them! Those of you who have played Fire Red and Leaf Green probably already know what to expect, but others might be pleasantly (or not) surprised...
Okay, then... let's not waste any more time, and let's plunge headfirst into our new chapter! The long wait is over... now, enjoy the ride!
And, of course, if you'd be so kind as to leave me a review...
oooooooooo
Chapter 26 - Welcome to Kin Island
"Well, that's it... this is Kin Island!" a satisfied Gary Oak stated, leaning slightly from the bridge of the ship that was taking him and his friends to their next destination. It was already possible to see that Kin Island was not, in fact, a single island... but rather, two islands that were joined together by a huge bridge of strengthened wooden planks. The smaller of the two islands was covered in a luxurious ilex forest, looking very deep and ancient, and created a very sharp contrast with the modernized larger island, where a relatively large city was visible on the coast, very close to the beach. Strangely enough, the port was not adjacent to the city itself, but was standing a couple kilometers away from it, and a convoluted paved road went from it to the mainland.
"Yeah... it's probably the most populated island in the archipelago. Or at least, one of the most populated." Brock commented as he flipped through a guidebook he had taken out of his backpack. "Still, it appears that this is alsoa pretty quiet place, where few things out of the ordinary ever happen. The two main attractions, by the way, are the Bond Bridge, that huge wooden bridge that's joining the two islands together... and the mysterious Berry Forest, where Berries of all types are said to spontaneously grow. Many people used to journey there, but now, for reasons unknown, the influx of tourists has greatly diminished."
"I'd like to know why..." Ash said to himself. "And of course, I'd also love to go take a look there! Who knows what we'd end up finding, out there..."
Misty smiled sardonically as she glanced sideways at Ash. "For some reason, I knew you'd say that, Ash Ketchum!" she commented. "When it comes to getting in trouble, you're a world-class authority!"
"Pika..." Pikachu commented, sighing in resignation. He had almost forgotten how those two loved to trade barbs with each other...
Dawn, on the other hand, tried to come up with a possible explanation for Brock's previous statement. "Well... maybe it just doesn't have to do with anything creepy or frightening, and tourists simply don't care about the Forest as much as they used to." she ventured, though she privately knew that Ash would have insisted for going there anyway. "After all, the forest doesn't look that dangerous from here. At least, not any more dangerous than other places I've been to..."
Gary shrugged and smiled patiently. "Point... but you should know as well as I do that some places are more than meets the eye... anyway, we should get ready and take our things... we're about to stop!" he stated. The harbor was getting closer, and from the outside of the ship, it was possible to see several people standing near the coastline to greet the newcomers... but it wasn't a noisy, hyperactive lot, thankfully. All the people standing there were being very calm and collected, and were standing in orderly lines as the ship slowed down. Ash thought it was a little strange at first... but then, he remembered that Brock had spoken of that place as a quiet, peaceful island, and convinced himself that it was just the inhabitants' way of doing.
Pikachu leapt on the ship's railing and stood on his back paws to take a good look at the islands, with Ash stopping for a moment to pick up his best friend and hold him in his arms. Both of them were curious to discover what sort of new adventures were waiting for them in this place...
oooooooooo
"Say, Jessie... you sure we're going in the right direction? I think we left Kin Island behind a little while ago..." Meowth meowed with an hint of mocking in his voice, which obviously didn't do much to lighten the fucsia-haired girl's already sour mood. Team Rocket's hot air balloon had followed Ash's team ever since they had left Knot Island after Ash's battle with Phoebe, but thanks to some unfortunate problems with changing winds, they had lost track of their target, and the balloon had been knocked away from its intended path. And now, it seemed Team Rocket was unable to find their way back...
"Hmph... alright, genius, since you're so much better than me, why don't you show me where we must go, huh?" Jessie snapped as he rolled up the Sevii Island map sh was holding. Further contributing to her frustration, Meowth just shrugged and retorted with what, to him, was something so obvious he shouldn't even have had to mention it...
"And what am I supposed to know about this place, Jessie girl? You were the one who insisted she knew well where to go..." he answered.
Before the two of them could get a quarrel started, James sighed and tried to act as a peacemaker. "Er... well, instead of arguing whose fault this is... don't you think we'd better descend and try to find out which island is this?" he said, hands splayed wide as to keep the two quarreling sides apart from each other. "And maybe we can get some rest and something to eat, too... we've been flying for quite a while now, after all..."
Jessie and Meowth glared at the azure-haired boy, as if telling him not to stick his nose in their quarrel... but a few moments later, they convinced themselves that James did have a point, and arguing was pointless at the moment. Sighing, Meowth got to the balloon and began making it descend towards the island they were flying over. "Meh, guess you've got a point here, James-boy..." he meowed. "Alright, let's try to find a place where we can land. After that, we'll see what we can do..."
Meowth pulled the rope, blowing some hot air out of the balloon, and the trio began getting close to the island, getting a chance o take a better look at it. The side of the island they were in was covered in luxurious green forests, much like the rest of the Sevii Islands up until then... but they all immediately saw that there was something different in the clearing they were about to land in: namely, there seemed to be a few people waiting for them, as incredible as that might have sounded!
"Huh? Who are those guys down there? They look like they're all dressed in black..." Jessie said as she tried to take a better look. In fact, they all seemed to be wearing the standard Team Rocket black uniform, and one of them stood out among the others because of his bright purple hair and matching goatee, not to mention his somewhat shifty expression. They did not seem to be hostile, though... and instead, they seemed to be waiting for James, Jessie and Meowth to come down so that they could give them the greeting they deserved...
With all necessary care, the trio landed their Meowth-ballonn in the clearing, a few dozen feet away from the group of grunts... and as James and Jessie were already trying to think of a way to explain their presence there, the goateed man raised a hand, telling the rest of the grunts that he would be the one to handle the situation.
"Well, well, well... look who decided to visit us! Te famed Jessie, James and Meowth!" Petrel greeted, walking to them with a nonchalant air about himself. "Sure, your fame is thanks to a less than stellar streak of failures, but still... everybody in Team Rocket has heard of you at least once! So I guess you can be proud of yourselves, from a certain point of view!"
"Well, that's not exactly the way we were hoping to become famous..." James meekly protested, knowing all too well which rumours might be circulating about himself and his friends. "But... hold on a sec, who might you be, mister?"
"And most of all, what's this... welcome commitee all about? How did Team Rocket reach here as well? We knew nothing of this!" Jessie exclaimed, hopping off the hot air balloon. Petrel shrugged, not considering the question to be important.
"Well, all in due time, okay?" he answered matter-of-factly. "You just need to know that my name is Petrel, and I'm the second of the four executives our leader, the great Giovanni, has put in command of the new Team Rocket branch in the Sevii Islands! You see... while you were wasting your time chasing after that insignificant Pikachu, our boss was after far bigger fish..."
"Hey, hold on a sec here!" Meowth protested. "Capturing those twerps' Pikachu has been our mission ever since the second episode of the animated series! We're not telling you say we've only been wasting our time!"
Petrel did not seem to care about that comment. "A talking Meowth... meh! If I were you, kids, I would have gone and sold off that Pokemon for an hefty sum, instead of dragging hm around like some sort of pet! Have you got no idea how valuable a talking Pokemon would be?"
Even the meek James felt insulted by that statement, and both members of Team Rocket placed themselves in front of their already fearful companion in a protective way. "Hey, what are you suggesting, pal?" the azue-haired boy exclaimed. "We may be criminals, okay, but we don't betray our friends! And Meowth is our friend, in case it wasn't clear!"
"Yeah! You try taking him, and you'll have to deal with us!" Jessie added.
Meowth's oversized cat eyes sparkled in gratitude, as golden stars lit up all around him! "Thanks, guys... you ARE real friends, after all!"
Petrel moved his hands in front of himself, his smile never fading. "Alright, kids, alright... I was just sayin', is all!" he answered. "Anyway, I'm here to make an interesting proposal to you... one that, I'm sure, you will find to be impossible to refuse!"
Jessie, James and Meowth seemed to lose some of their hostile air, but they didn't completely drop their guard. After all, they still knew too little about that Petrel guy and about Giovanni's new ploy. "Hm? A... proposal?" Jessie repeated Petrel's words. "And... what would that be? What about this project of yours?"
Petrel chuckled, inviting the clumsy criminal trio to follow him. "Hehehee... now, just be a little patient, okay? Come with us, and we'll tell you everything about it! Don't worry, there's no catch behind this..." he answered. "I'll just say that, should you do your job well enough, you might get a chance to impress the boss... and after that, it wouldn't take much for you to regain your former glory, now would it? And you will even have a chance to catch that Pikachu that has been giving you so much grief! What about it? Everybody wins!"
It was too great a chance for the trio to pass it over... and while they did seem to have reservations at first, they needed nothing else to be convinced. After a few scant moments of silence, Jessie and James looked at each other, as if wordlessly asking the other what he/she thought of all this... and one second later, Meowth joined their pensive silence.
"Well, what do you think, guys?" James asked. "If you want my opinion... I don't exactly trust this guy. But it's worth a try, isn't it? After all, we always wanted to capture Pikachu and get back in the boss' graces... and this is as good a chance as any!"
"And this is a great chance to catch two Spearows with one Pokeball, as it were!" Jessie exclaimed, beginning to like the situation more and more. "Okay, we can give it a try! We don't have much to lose anyway!"
"Well said, Jessie! Count me in as well!" Meowth answered, eager for a chance to revert to being Giovanni's favored pet. His feline eyes gleaming with determination, the cat-like Pokemon turned to Petrel and gave him the answer all three of them were in agreement with. "Alright, pal, you got yourself a deal! You just need to tell us what you have in mind, and we're game!"
Petrel rubbed his hands together with clear glee. It was going exactly how he wanted it, and those fools had fallen for it hook, line and sinker! "Oooh, very good, I knew you'd make the right choice for me... er, I mean, for everyone! Alright then, yopu should know that Team Rocket is currently searching for..."
Jessie, James and Meowth's ears seemed to perk up as they listened with rapt attention to Petrel's explanation, never once imagining what they were getting into...
oooooooooo
Ash and his friends' first impression about Kin Island being a great place to be were fading away a little, after they had gotten through the narrow path leading to the main city. That was not to say it wasn't a quiet and pleasant place, in fact, it was even a little too quiet; or at least, Ash and Pikachu seemed to think so as they walked among the houses, whose doors and windows wer all closed and locked, and the empty shops. And to think there were so many people at the harbor to greet them, and they all looked glad to see visitors... it all seemed to be justa memory now, and Kin Island's main plaza seemed to have turned into a wasteland...
"When our tourist guide said it was a quiet place... it really meant it!" Misty commented ironically, her hand wiping some sweat from her forehead. It was definitely warmer there than in the other islans they had been to, considering they had moved towards the Equator, and Dawn had even been forced to take off her trademark woolen hat. "I was sure expecting such a city to be a little more lively, though... it sounds like a graveyard as it is!"
Pikachu nodded as he turned to his trainer. "Pika pi, pika pika pikachu pika pichu?" he squeaked, to which Ash answered with a goofy laugh and a scratch behind the electric mouse's ear.
"Well, can't blame ya for thinking that, Pikachu... maybe we came here right wen they're having their afternoon nap!" he affirmed. "Well, no prob, that just means we'll find a place in the shade and wait it out. It's not going to last that long, I guess."
Brock and Gary looked unconvinced. "I don't think you got it right, Ashy-boy..." Gary answered. "First off... okay, it might not be the busiest time of the day, but it's still strange that there's nobody out, and everything is closed... don't ya think so?"
"And I don't like this silence as well." Brock stated his opinion. "It almost feels like people are afraid to go out. It's not the 'good' kind of peace and quiet, do I explain myself? There's a strange tension in the air..."
"You're right, Brock... and there's not a soul outside..." Dawn said, admitting to herself that she was starting to get creeped out by the whole business. The sense of solitude was almost overwhelming...
Ash did not know what to answer to that, and he had to admit that his friends weren't wrong. That city was really too quiet for his tastes... and just one second later, in fact, a loud rumbling noise came to break the oppressive silence! A far away rumble, like the buzz of a large insect, that was quickly growing louder and nearer...
"Pika pi!" Pikachu warned, pointing to a cloud of dust that was rising in the distance and getting closer. Now that the noise could be heard clearer, Ash could sense that it came from the engines of several motorbikes that, in a few seconds, closed the distance and entered the deserted square, creating a threatening formation of rumbling steel! As the trainers turned in that direction, they saw that they were being surrounded by six nasty-looking individuals wearing leather jackets with several pieces of metal sticking out from them, ripped jeans and black boots, each of them either bald or sporting a colored mohawk. None of them, however, seemed to be the sociable type, considering how they were glaring nastily at the group of friends!
"Heheheee... say, guys, have you seen these suspicious-looking runts?" a burly bald guy, possibly the leader of the gang of bikers, laughed nastily as each member of Ash's group kept a Pokeball ready. "There's somebody here who doesn't know who's boss here in Kin Island!"
"I don't think we have much to complain about, boss! About time some fresh meat came here! The people here are such cowards that, right now, they must be huddling in their little homes... and it has been quite some time since we last had some tourist to play with!" another biker answered. Ash was starting to understand why the city was so suspiciously silent at the moment... and why tourism had hit an all-time low in that place!
"Well, I don't really care who they are or where they're from, as long as they get to entertain us!" a third man, sporting mohawk-style hair and an Arbok tattoo on his forehead, answered. "So, kids, you sure got some guts comin' here now! Guess you don't know who we are, so let me enlighten you! We are the Inferno Angels, the coolest gang in this bunch of islands, and you're in our turf now! Face us in a Pokemon battle, and let us see who's the strongest!"
As the bikers took out their Pokeballs with threatening chuckles, Ash and his friends tried to stand back, but it was clear that they had no chance to do so. The bikers would have caught up very soon.
"I don't like the way they're looking at us, guys..." Dawn said as she tried to keep her calm. Sometimes, one of the bikers pressed on the accelerator in order to make his engine roar, just for the thrll of scaring Ash and his friends a little. "Yeah, this is definitely why this place is so quiet..."
"The people here might be afraid of these bullies..." Ash summed up, before turning his hat backwards and getting ready! "But I'm not the kind of person who is scared so easily! Pikachu, are you ready? We're going to teach these guys a bit of Pokemon attling!"
"Pika!" the electric mouse quickly answered. He leapt down from his trainer's shoulder and got in front of the bikers, his cheeks already crackling with electricity, but he was simply laughed atby the overconfident scoundrels.
"Hahahahaaa! Will you look at that runt, guys?" one of the bullies said with an harsh chortle. "He thinks we're afraid of him, the little rodent! Please, blowhard, we could crush you to a pancaketen times before we even have breakfast! Go, Muk!"
The biker threw his Pokeball, letting out a huge, formless blot of toxic mud, very much like Ash's own Muk, with short and stubby arms, and a semi-liquid face that tried to be threatening, but had trouble doing so! "A Muk, huh? That's no big deal for me... Pikachu! You know what to do!" the black-haired teen exclaimed.
"Pika... CHUUUUUU!" the Electric-type exclaimed immediately. Almost without warning, a golden sheet of lightning erupted from his diminutive body and overwhelmed the muddy monster, who stiffened painfully, his eyes almost bulging out of his head... then, he dropped to the ground in a daze, his body blackened and smoking for the shock! His owner, who had seemed calm and smug up until a few seconds before, was let speechless at the quick, uncerimonious defeat of his previously undefeated Pokemon! "Wh... What? How did you... ? Who are you, brat? How could you defeat my Muk that easily?"
The gang leader angrily grit his teeth. "Ugh... to heck with that! Let's take him all together, boys! He won't be able to hack it!"
"Sure, boss!" his underlings exclaimed in unison, releasing all of their Pokemon - mostly Poison or Fighting types, but there were a few Dark types in as well - simultaneously. The leader sent out his own fighter as well, a massive and mean-looking Weezing that rose in the air, surrounded in a nimbus of noxious gases. However, Ash's friends were not to be undone by that, and they sent out their companions as well.
"Misty calls... oh, well, I know how this will go... Psyduck!" Misty exclaimed, knowing that her clumsy duck Pokemon would probably pop up all the same. And indeed, Psyduck materialized a split second later in front of one of the gang's Pokemon - a Stunky, a smelly ferret-like Pokemon with purple-and-white fur!
"My turn now!" Dawn commented. "Alright then... Ambipom, get on the stage!"
"Come, Geodude! It's your turn!" Brock exclaimed.
"Umbreon... you do the honors!" Gary stated calmly as he sent out the Dark-type evolution of his starting Pokemon.
"And as for that Weezing... Torterra, go!" Ash concluded, letting the gigantic terrapin out and causing him to materialize in front of the gang's Poison and Fighting types! The bullies looked fearful for a moment, as they had to acknowledge that this time, they were up against someone who was a match with them...
"Er... boss..." one of the bikers murmured, casting aworried glance at the steadily-advancing tortoise. "I... I'm not sure it's a good idea to fight these guys here! Have... have you seen the size of that Torterra? And that Umbreon doesn't look weak either..."
Not intimidated in the least, the gang leader put his fists on his sides and exploded in a loud laugh. "Hahahahaaa! You idiot, you're saying we should be afraid of those kids and their little sidekicks? We've been reigning supreme on this island ever since we began riding the dunes! C'mon, boys, let's get rid of them!"
Misty frowned before that guy's stubbornness. If he thought he was up against weaklings, she would be ready to prove him wrong! "Oh, really? That just means you have only been facing beginners until now! Psyduck, use a Psychic attack!"
Psyduck's vacant expression did not change, and he tilted his head on one side, as if asking himself what his trainer meant by that. Misty shook her head in disbelief, one split second before a Primeape, belonging to a balding, muscle-bound biker, struck him between the eyes with a powerful Karate Chop, leaving Psyduck stunned for one second! The duck-like Pokemon flinched for a second... but soon after, his headache intensified, and his normally vacuous eyes flared up, shining a dangerous shade of red!
"That was a big mistake, cue ball!" Misty commented with a wry smile. "You cause Psyduck's headache to worsen, and his psychic powers increase as well! You should remeber that, next time!"
"What? What do you mean, you little..." the biker began saying. But he was not able to finish his sentence before Psyduck's Psychic attack went off, engulfing the ferocious monkey Pokemon in a nimbus of mental energy and tossing him back to his trainer, like a fallen leaf in the wind! Trainer, motorbike and Pokemon fell to the ground in a dazed heap, and remained there!
"There. That's what I meant!" Misty commented, thanking her clumsy duck Pokemon with a gentle stroke on his head. "Thanks, Psyduck! In the end, you are a reliable Pokemon after all!"
The other enemies weren't faring much better against the rest of Ash's friends: Gary's Umbreon was fighting a Hitmonlee... and while, in normal circumstances, the Dark-type would have been in danger against a Fighting-type, Gary's greater experience and skill were quickly subverting what seemed to be an obvious outcome! A well-aimed Confuse Ray stunned Hitmonlee, who began blindly rushing around and kicking the air, in a vain attempt to strike at something, anything at all! Then, Umbreon leapt up and disappeared before everybody's eyes... only to reappear at Hitmonlee's side one second later and strike at him with a spectacular Faint Attack!
Geodude was easily taking down a Murkrow belonging to the bikers, forcing the crow Pokemon on the ground with a well-aimed Rock Throw. As the rocky Pokemon raised his fists in the air to celebrate his victory, Ambipom was easily taking down a Nidorino who had tried to stab her with his poisonous horn: first Ambipom had evaded the attack with a swift backflip... then, she had stood up on her hands, and had used a Doubleslap attack, hitting him with the hands on her tails!
"Hmm... you brats seem to be a little tougher than I first thought... but can you do the same with me? I doubt so..." the bikers' leader chuckled as he and his Weezing approached Ash, Pikachu and Torterra. "I wanna see whether your big turtle can beat my Weezing! He's my gang's ace Pokemon, so... I'm afraid your luck has run out! Weezing, strike with a Sludge Bomb!"
The toxic Pokemon let out one of his raucous calls, then widened one of his two mouths and shot out a huge blot of toxic mud that flew towards Torterra... but Ash reacted in time and gave the right order at the right moment!
"Torterra, Withdraw!" the young boy exclaimed. The giant terrapin grunted and pulled back inside of his own shell, dodging the globe of venomous sludge just in time, and causing it to splash in front of the Grass / Ground type, a few inches away from his head! A few sprays hit Torterra's shell, but the damage was not as great as it might have been, because of Torterra's Ground type shielding him for the Poison-type attack! The biker leader grit his teeth in rage as his Pokemon's best attack was voided... but he still felt as if he was in the position to boast of his Pokemon's superiority.
"Heh, not half bad, kiddo... you look like you and your Pokemon know your stuff!" he answered. "But your Torterra won't be able to do much, anyway! Thanks to his Levitation ability, your Torterra's Ground-type attacks can't reach him..."
Ash was probably not even listening. "Torterra, use Stone Edge!" he exclaimed as he raised his hand. The tortoise popped out of his shell and struck the earth with one of his huge paws, raising up a shower of pointed stones that rained upon the now-defenceless Weezing, never allowing him a chance to recover! With a grunt, the Poison-type was overwhelmed by the flying stones and thrown backwards several inches... then, he dropped to the ground and fainted in front of his flabbergasted trainer! The rest of the Inferno Angels' Pokemon had already been defeated by Ash's friends, marking the gang's defeat!
"Stone Edge?" Dawn asked curiously, remembering that even Paul's Torterra knew such a move.
Ash winked and gave a thumbs-up. "Well, Paul caught me off guard quite a few times with this move, so I thought it would be a good idea to teach it t my own Torterra! AAnd it looks like I was right... look how easily it defeated that Weezing!"
"Geodude!" Brock's Pokemon grunted, standing on guard and glaring at the defeated gang of bikers... and a few moments later, his rocky body began glowing brightly and increasing in size, becoming more robust and more impressive!
"Hey, will you look at that!" Misty said. "Looks like Brock's Geodude is finally evolving..."
And in fact, a few moments later, the light coming from Geodude's body faded, and the Pokemon's evolution became visible to all: a Graveler, a powerful Rock / Ground Pokemon resembling a jagged, spherical rock with two short legs and four powerful arms, and a grim face encased in the middle of its body. He was now showing his rocky muscles to the gang members, in an attempt to scare them away! "Yeah, I saw that!" Brock said, with a pleased smile. "My Geodude finally evolved into a Graveler... excellent job, my friend!"
"Graveler!" the new Pokemon growled jovially as he turned to his trainer and smiled... before turning back to the terrified gang! The bikers, who had now lost all of their aggressive attitude, started retreating... first by recalling their Pokemon, and then jumping on their bikes and putting the pedal to the metal!
"I'm not staying here one moment more!"
"Game over, guys... we're outta here, boss!"
"Huh? Wha...? Hey, hold on a sec! You cowards, you can't just leave me here!" the gang leader exclaimed as his men began fleeing all around him!
"I'm afraid they just did..." Gary commented with an ironic shrug, his smile hinting at a bit of superiority. "So much for being the coolest gang around here, huh? You didn't exactly do much of a good job, if you want my opinion."
Understanding that there was nothing more he could do, the gang leader grit his teeth, recalled his defeated Weezing and got on his bike before starting his engine and racing after his men. However, before fleeing, he took his time to throw one last threat at the ones who defeated him, trying to at least get ome scant consolation out of that. "Darn... you stupid twits! Don't think for a moment this is over! The Inferno Angels will get their revenge, you haven't seen the last of us!"
The motorbike roared as it sped away, and the Inferno Angels leader ran for it under Ash and his friends' disapproving glances. Misty did not resist the temptation to throw a snarky remark about that guy's behaviour. "Hmm. I think that sentence would have been more impressive had he not pronounced it while he was running away with his tail between his legs." the redheaded Water Pokemon expert commented as she leaned to her Psyduck, who still seemed a little dazed. "Thanks, Psyduck... even if you come out of your Pokeball when I'm not calling you! Well, I kinda got used to it by now... Okay, you can return!"
Ash and his Pokemon were congratulating their Pokemon as well... especially Brock, who was regarding his new Graveler with pride and joy. The Rock / Ground Pokemon himself was really proud of having evolved, even though he still hadn't had a chance to show off his newfound power.
"Well, Graveler... I must say, you did a great job!" Brock said, patting the rocky Pokemo on one of his shoulders... or what could reasonably pass for it, anyway. "I'm glad to have you back on my team, my friend!"
"Graveler!" Graveler roared proudly.
An applause coming from one of the nearby houses caught their attention, and Ash and his friends all turned in that direction, right in time to see some grateful-looking people coming out of the houses, congratulating them for defeating the Inferno Angels!
"Pika chu?" Pikachu asked as he looked around. The doors were opening one after the other, letting out several inhabitants of Kin Island. All those coming out wanted to thank Ash and his friends for their victory, and not just for that!
"I think our victory impressed them..." Brock commented, his voice somewhat muffled by the applause reverberating around. The people's festive cheering was further proof of what the dark-skinned boy had said.
"You did it!"
"Congratulations, everyone!"
"About time someone took them down!"
"You're great!"
Dawn smiled as she and Ambipom received their share of praises. "Well, I guess we don't have to wonder about that anymore! Those bikers were terrorizing this city, and now the people are glad that we managed to chase them away!"
"That's exactly it." a forty-something man with black hair and mustache, dressed in white shirt, beige pants and brown shoes, answered. "Those scoundrels, the Inferno Angels, came here a couple months ago... and taking advantage of the fact that there weren't strong enough trainers to face them, they started to boss us around. At least until you got there, nobody could stop us... by defeating them, you managed to get us rid of a very bothersome problem, so... please, let us thank us our own way! Today, we celebrate your and your Pokemon's victory!"
The people began clapping loudly again, leaving Ash, Brock, Pikachu, Graveler and all the others quite flabbergasted... but still, they were happy to have started on the right track with the inhabitants and to have helped them out with their own problems! So, deciding that there was nothing wrong with enjoying their popularity a little, Ash and Pikachu stepped forward, raising their arms and accepting the congratulations! "Er... well... hehehehee... Thanks! Thank you, everyone! It was a pleasure for us!" the young champion exclaimed. "If those jerks show their mugs here again, we'll deal with them the same way!"
"Pika, pika... pikachu!" Pikachu confirmed.
"Oy. Who'd ever believe that?" Misty chuckled. "We got to Kin Island only one hour ago, and Ash Ketchum has already become some sort of local hero. Still... I don't think there's anything wrong if we join the celebrations ourselves! What do you say, guys?"
"You're right, I guess." Gary stated. "I kinda missed having the spotlight on me, if I have to be frank!"
"Umbreon!" his star Pokemon answered, the golden rings on his body glowing majestically as he did so.
oooooooooo
The country fair was nothing really fancy, and in fact, it had been put up somewhat hastily, but Ash and his friends still thought it was a little much, for what they had done! After all, they had done nothing but defend themselves from a bunch of over-aggressive bullies...
"Well, let it never be said that the people of Kin Island do things by halves!" the young boy commented in slight embarassment. "I mean, I know we've done you a favor by taking down those bikers... but aren't you overdoing it a little?"
"Hahahahaaa! No worries, my boy! Think nothing of that, and celebrate with us!" the moustachoed man, who had revealed himself to be the major of the coastline city, answered. "And it's only fair that visitors get greeted as well as they deserve! So... don't be shy, and party to your heart's content! By the way... not all of you are from Kanto, right?"
"In fact, I come from Sinnoh..." Dawn answered, after handing a pastry to her Piplup, which the cute little penguin immediatly began stuffing his cheeks with. "Hey, Piplup, take care not to choke on that! Er, I was saying... I'm from Sinnoh, and I'm here in Kanto for... a study vacation, I guess you could say."
"Oh, sure! Now I do recall you! I saw you on TV at the finals of the Sinnoh Grand Festival and the Sinnoh Pokemon Championship! Pretty impressive stuff, I have to say, and your opponents were really skilled too!" the major answered. "I wish we had such great trainers, around here... sadly, only recently did our youngsters become interested in creating a Pokemon League in the Sevii Island, and the project is still only taking a few tentative steps. And only recently did we of Kin Island start training in order to be able to provide the League with a decent Gym Leader. It doesn't help that... er... well, never mind about that! I don't think you're here to listen to depressing stuff..."
But Ash and his friends had already understood that something was out of place there, and they couldn't just pretend they had heard nothing. "Er... not to be nosy or anything, mister... but, do you have any other problem, perhaps?" Ash asked, temporarily leaving aside the surprising news that the Pokemon League was going to expand itself to Sevii Islands as well.
The major saw that there was no way to drop the discussion and, scratching his temple with a single finger, he began looking or he right words to say what had recently happened. "Well... it's kind of a long story, but... okay, I'll try to be short and to the point. Some days ago, some of our children have disappeared after entering the mysterious Berry Forest, on the other island. They were going to train their Pokemon there, and they were also after the Berries that spontaneously grow in that place... but none of them came back, and we're afraid t go looking for them on our own... rumour has it, that cruel and vindicative Pokemon dwell in the woods, keeping our children prisoner. We... we would need some skilled trainers with strong Pokemon, if we want to have a chance of bringing our children back! And you... well, since you've beaten the Inferno Angels, you can surely be trusted! Should you refuse, we won't blame you, of course... but... well, if you could get to the Berry Forest and find a way to rescue our children... we'd be eternally grateful to you!"
Misty was the first to speak up, and she didn't need to think about that too long. "Well, it's not like this is the first time we end up in a somewhat complex situation, so I have no problem with helping out! What do you say to that, guys?"
"I'm totally cool with it, Misty!" Ash readily answered. "So, mister... rest assured we will do our best to solve this mystery!"
"Pikachu!" the yellow mouse confirmed.
Gary smiled to himself, having had a hunch that things would end up like that. "Well, looks like we cannot go anywhere without smething strange happening..." he commented. "Not that I mind, actually... I would like those kids to return to their homes myself, and I'm also curious to know who could have done this and for what reason. So... count me in!"
"I guess you might as well say, count on all of us!" Dawn stated. Brock was nodding in assent, and her Piplup was raising his short wings in the air, giving what was probably meant to be a warlike yell. A hopeful smile managed to make its way on the major's face, as well as that of the people who were with him.
"We'd forever be grateful to you, if you could help us with that..." the major stated. "Especially seeing that my daughter Lostelle is among the disappeared children. So, you see, this is kind of personal for me as well." He cast a glance at the ground, expressing all of his fear and anxiety for his daughter's fate. Which further convinced Ash and his friends that they had to go to the Berry Forest and get her and the other children back.
"Of course... no problem!" Ash stated. "Don't worry, mister, before evening comes, we'll have found Lostelle and the other kids, and we'll bring them home! C'mon, guys, we cannot afford to waste time! Onward to Berry Forest!"
"Pika pi... Pika pika chu, pika pika?" Pikachu called after him, reminding his trainer of a very important problem... and Ash stopped dead, widening his eyes in disbelief!
"Er..." he murmured, before admitting the truth with an embarassed smile. "Well... Pikachu has a point, I was so hasty that I didn't even ask the way for Berry Forest!"
"That's Ash Ketchum for you..." commented Misty, shaking her head with an amused smile. How she missed those moments of clumsiness from Ash, even if they drove her up the wall at times...
oooooooooo
A few explanations and preparatives after, Ash's team has left the coastal town and was walking along the road the major had pointed out to them. After crossing an open prairie covered with wild flowers and jagged rocks, they had gotten close to Bond Bridge, taking advantage of the chance to look around and admire the view. It was late in the afternoon, and the descending sun gave an even more majestic feel to the whole place, with the seemingly endless ocean, and the millenial forest extending in front of them. A fresh breeze coming from the sea helped making the climate a little more tolerable than it had been earlier that day, even managing to make it pleasant. Pikachu and Piplup were particularly vivacious now, and were racing each other around the bushes and the rocks, with Brock's newly-evolved Graveler having had to recall them a couple times... like, for example, when Pikachu had found himself face-to-face with a Parasect who didn't look too happy about being awakened from a good slumber!
"Pika!" the electric mouse sneezed as he and Piplup were forced to turn tail in order not to be put to sleep by a well-placed Spore attack from the annoyed mushroom-bug.
"Hehehee... maybe you should keep it down a little, you two!" Brock chuckled as he walked alongside his Graveler. "It just wouldn't do if you got knocked out before our quest even began... we need to be on our best form, if we are to find the missing children."
"Brock's right, Piplup... don't get into trouble, ok?" Dawn told her penguin Pokemon as she bent to pick him up. Now, the team had managed to reach Bond Bridge, overlooking a large lake in which several people in swimsuits were splashing around, enjoying what remained of the day... and a little after that, Ash and his friends got back on a paved road that proceeded for several yards before entering the deep forest, from which a pungent smell of flowers and wild berries could already be felt from there. Several Butterfree, Beautifly and other Bug-type Pokemon were fluttering around, attracted by the scent, and the melodious calls of Pokemon like Taillow, Kricketot and the like could be heard clearly all around them. Right in front of the forest's entrance, a sign had been put up, with the words:
"BERRY FOREST - BEWARE!"
scribbled in front of it, just in case anyone still neeeded a hint.
Pikachu stopped for a moment and glared at the entrance, as if to psych himself up. "Pika..." he squeaked before turning to the rest of the team.
"Alright, guys, here we are..." Gary stated. "We'd better let some of our Pokemon out now, you never know what we're gonna meet in there..."
oooooooooo
TO BE CONTINUED...
Author's Note: And just as Brock's Geodude finally gets to evolve into a Graveler (seriously how many years has he been with our favourite womanizing Rock-type expert?) Ash and co. get their first taste of the 3rd of the Sevii Islands, Kin Island! A new adventure, and possibly another battle, waits for them inside the mysterious forest... will they manage to get out of this victorious, once again? Next chapter will have the answer, for now... please review!
See you soon!