It was blurry, but somehow I could decipher it. It was cold, so cold that I could see my own breath. I was trudging onward in a cold, icy cavern. I looked behind me to find Oliver gasping for breath. He insisted he was fine, but his pained expression told me otherwise. I had to focus on what lied ahead. I couldn't see all that lay in front of me, yet still, I pushed on. The path kept getting harder to see until finally, my vision faded entirely.
Small rays of sunlight awoke me from my strange slumber. I opened my eyes and found that I was in a cave. It slowly came back to me: my crime for existing, as well as my current place in the world. I couldn't believe it, just a few days ago I was still learning about this strange new land. But now, it seems everything I learned was for naught.
I tried sitting up, but was surprised to find that pain suddenly surged through my body. I fell back down, filling my tiny body with even more pain.
"Ooooowww," I moaned. That battle must have taken a larger toll than I had thought. I reached down to where my wound was. I was met with some bandages, bloody bandages. What happened last night? I mean, we had that fight with the Brothers of the Fang and those two got me really good. But I shouldn't be this badly wounded after eating those Oran Berries.
"Oliver?" I called. No response.
"Oliver!?" I called again, the cave echoed my calls back to me, but still no response.
I painfully tried to get up again. I managed to get into a sitting position, but I refused to try to get up entirely. I gazed around the cave Oliver found us. It wasn't all that big, but it was hidden enough to shake off at least amateur pursuers. The silence was broken by a drip from a nearby stalactite into a small basin of water. Glancing around the room once again, I found Oliver to be missing. I don't think he would ditch me. Knowing him, he's probably looking for something to help me. I don't really get it. Despite everything that's happened, he still considers me a "Friend"
I shook my head. I know he finds friends through who they are and not what they are. I've proved time and time again that I'm an individual worth trusting. Sure, I'm a loose cannon in battle and in dungeons. But I still care deeply about others, a quality Oliver respects above all else.
I took another yet another look around the seemingly barren cavern. Within moments I had found our traveler's bag. Oliver had purchased it for our first real adventure at the Kecleon Market. He found it to be fairly cheap for the craftsman work on it. It was sturdy, meant for years of hard travel. I grabbed it to examine its contents. Inside, I had found that all of our current traveling items remained intact. We still had three Oran Berries in there, along with a fairly large amount of rocks. Gravelrocks, as they are called, don't do all that much damage. But I've found that despite that, they can easily be thrown when negative status effects prevent me from moving. I had once dealt the final blow to an enemy that made me cringe from a biting attack that way.
I smiled at that memory. Continuing to index our bag, I found a Blast Seed, along with two Reviver Seeds.
"This should last us until we get to a Deposit Box," I mused as I continued my methodical rummaging. Nearing the bottom of the bag I managed to pull out two Max Elixirs as well as...
"Aha! I knew we weren't bringing our A Game!" I elated as I pulled out two pieces of what looks like, to the untrained eye, pieces of cloth. I immediately tied the longer one around my neck, letting the loose bits dangle off the sides.
"I still wonder why I never take this off," I wondered aloud. My Coalition Scarf has always been my good luck charm. Always giving us the edge in combat with a well-timed team attack.
"Hey! You shouldn't be up yet!" Came a sudden shout from the cave mouth. I jumped to my feet from the shock, only to yelp in pain and sit again.
"Oh, sorry!" It was Oliver, "How is it?"
"Bleeding!" I said, gritting my fangs.
"You were tossing and turning all night, scraping your wounds against the cave floor," Oliver explained as he began to remove the bloody rags clinging to my injury, "I never realized how heavy a sleeper you are, I'd honestly wake up from the pain alone,"
"Ugh! Whatever those Poochyena did, it's really gonna set us back a while!" I hissed as Oliver tended to my wounds.
"Well you get a pass for not knowing, but that's how it is outside of Mystery Dungeons," Oliver stated, "Pokemon battles were very dangerous, resulting in severe injuries and even death,"
"So what you're saying is that Pokemon were a lot more cutthroat before these Mystery Dungeons appeared?" I asked.
"Usually Pokemon have battles in Mystery Dungeons nowadays," Oliver continued, "But injuries can't be healed so easily outside of a dungeon,"
"But the Oran Berry fixed me right up last night," I moaned.
"Oran Berries can only heal so much. You also reopened your wounds in your sleep. Now brace yourself, this is going to sting," Oliver warned as he placed a strange salve directly onto my wound.
"Owwww!" I screamed, "Where'd you get the first aid kit anyway? I searched the entire bag and didn't see it,"
"I took it with me," Oliver explained as he began to rebandage me, "We were out of herbs, so I had to pick some more. We'll have to buy more bandages after this too. If and when we get to a town,"
"Or if they even welcome us in," I added.
Oliver gave me a light pat on the back, "There! I finished. We'll have to find a better place to rest to get that fully healed,"
"Well, for now, we have to make do," I said, carefully attempting to stand, "If we stay here much longer, we'd most assuredly get caught,"
"Are you sure you're up for it?" Oliver asked concernedly.
"No," I said curtly, "But we'd be in this cave for a while if we stayed until I was,"
"Alright then..." Oliver said dismissively, "Let's go!"
"That's the spirit!" I elated as I took the lead.
It was painful to walk, but I couldn't wait any longer. The Brothers of the Fang would be after us if we don't hurry, along with any other bounty hunter willing to take a stab at shortening my life. The terrain ahead really didn't help out either, it was even rockier and hard to traverse than before. Maybe it was just the pain, but the slopes certainly were steeper than before. It was hours before the scenery even changed in the tiniest way. After a particularly steep and tall hill, the terrain flattened out, plateauing in a lush, green meadow.
Turning back, I gazed upon the rocky wasteland and smiled. I felt a bit accomplished, traveling such a long way just to find a way to get away from it all.
"Maxwell! Take a look at this!" Oliver called.
I turned to look and was shocked to find a village in the distance
"That's not on the map..." I noted as I walked to his side.
"Maybe they don't know!" Oliver speculated.
"Yeah, probably best if we avoid it," I warned.
"Don't be such a worrywart, come on!" Oliver said, "We can stay in the shadows if you're that worried,"
"Fine!" I caved in, "I would like to find out why they aren't on the map anyway,"
We began our short jaunt light-heartedly. It was clear that this place was out of the way. If Oliver was right, we could have real beds to rest upon as well as a place to restock.
Nobody seemed to notice our approach, so we decided to be as inconspicuous as possible. I scanned the signs of the businesses as we passed, hoping to find an inn. After a while, I noticed that nothing was clearly labeled except for the General Store. Or, moreover, The General store stuck out just as it did in Post Town.
"Man, Kecleons sure do like to advertise their presence," I noted aloud.
Oliver smiled, "At least we know where they are!"
"Yeah, we can avoid them quite easily then," I said, gazing at the stand with minor discontent.
"What's wrong with the Kecleon Mart?" Oliver wondered.
"Well, one day the Kecleon told me that their business chain also collects information across the board." I explained, "You were busy that day, so I did the shopping so that you wouldn't have to worry,"
"So you're saying that if he sees us, we're probably dead meat?" Oliver questioned.
"Well, yeah," I answered, "Maybe we can ask one of the other locals,"
I hailed a passing Kangaskhan and she approached quite generously.
"What can I do for you two travelers?" she asked.
"Well," I began, but I was immediately flush with embarrassment. I didn't normally hail random strangers, but I did this without even thinking.
"Oh, you poor thing!" She shouted suddenly, "You seem to be badly injured! Let me take you to my inn so that you can rest up!"
"You run an inn?" I asked sheepishly. "Of course!" she stated matter-of-factly, "The Kangaskhan Inn and Tavern, home of the best Oran Juice in all of Unave!"
"The best!" Came a voice from her pouch as a baby Kangaskhan popped her little head out of it.
"Unave?" I asked.
"Where do you hail from traveler?" Kangaskhan questioned as she began to lead us to her inn.
"He comes from out of the region," Oliver said quickly, "He's a very well versed traveler and tends to wander to many distant lands. We started traveling together only this past month!"
"Oh really?" Kangaskhan mused, "That sounds exciting! We don't get many travelers here. The last time someone from outside the village came here, it was several months ago," I breathed a mental sigh of relief from that statement. I didn't have to probe deep to learn how isolated this village truly was.
"I didn't know there were still villages like this," Oliver stated, "I mean, this place isn't even on our map!"
"Well, I hope our little corner village can be as hospitable as any other town!" Kangaskhan told us.
It wasn't long before she brought us before a humble, wooden building. It was a little dusty but inviting.
"Come in, come in," Kangaskhan offered, "We don't have much, but I'm sure we can get you all rested up!"
She walked into an open doorway and gestured to follow. Inside, there were several empty tables scattered across the room. Each was decorated with a small, wax candle. There weren't lit right now, but the day was nearly just beginning. Near the back of the room, a bar stood proudly as the centerpiece of this room and even further behind that, a fireplace rested for the winter.
Sitting at the bar, two Pokemon already sat. One of them was presumed to be an Emolga, the other, a Dunsparce.
"Emolga! Dunsparce!" Kangaskhan called, "To what do I owe the pleasure, boys?"
"Oran Juice," came a curt reply from the Emolga.
"A 'hello' would've been nice," Kangaskhan huffed.
"Sorry, Mrs. Kangaskhan," The Dunsparce apologized, "Emolga's just having a rough day," "Well, you two need to be careful!" Kangaskhan scolded, "If I hear you started another fight, I'll have to kick you out!"
"They started it," Emolga blamed, "Talking all big sayin' 'Oh you couldn't make it through a dungeon full of Rattata' and laughed. You don't mess with me!"
"Honestly, you know they only try to get under your fur," Kangaskhan said in an attempt to calm Emolga down.
Emolga glanced over at us as if just noticing us, "What happened to you?" This Emolga was certainly battle-hardened, his face showed signs of scarring from severe wounds. The most noticeable thing about him had to be his eye patch.
"Oi! I asked you a question!" Emolga barked. "Hiking accident," I promptly lied, it left a nasty feeling in the pit of my stomach, but I wasn't about to blow my cover.
"Must not be that much of a traveler then," the squirrel sneered.
"Yeah and you must be one lousy fighter," I challenged, letting pride get the best of me.
"Why you little-"
"Not in my inn you're not!" Kangaskhan interrupted.
"Seems like everyone's had a rough day," I said, "Sorry, sometimes my words get the best of me. It won't happen again, ma'am,"
"You don't seem the type," Kangaskhan noted, "Now sit, I insist!"
We sat at least two seats away from the Emolga and Dunsparce. I've just got the weirdest vibe from them.
"Don't I know you from somewhere?" the Emolga piped up.
"I don't believe I've met any Emolga's..." I mumbled.
He gave me a weird stare before saying, "Yeah, you're probably right. I would never associate with a Snivy,"
I let the subject drop, I didn't want to escalate things any further than they already were.
"Here," Kangaskhan said, handing me a glass filled with a thick, blue liquid, "It'll work wonders for you, trust me!"
"How much is it?" I asked, eying the beverage.
"On the house, I insist!" she said, pushing the glass closer.
"You sure?" I asked. She nodded with a smile. I shrugged and took a big gulp as she handed everyone else a glass.
"How come this stranger gets freebies?" Emolga yelled, obviously peeved at the situation.
"Can't you see he's hurt?" Kangaskhan stated crossly.
"I'm hurt too!" he bellowed.
"You're bruised on a daily basis," Kangaskhan countered.
"Oh yeah, well-"
"Emolga, please!" Dunsparce urged from the sidelines.
Emolga turned to him, then to Kangaskhan before looking defeated, "I guess that's true..."
"Seems like they're all good friends!" Oliver chimed.
"Huh?" I said, waking from a half daze, "How do you figure?"
"Well, really close friends can be comfortable to banter like that," Oliver replied.
"That's banter?" I asked, confused.
"Well, it's one way of putting it," Oliver stated.
"Pokemon are weird..." I mumbled to myself.
"So, how is it?" came Kangaskhan's voice.
"I thought you were taking care of 'Rowdy' over there," I said, pointing with the closest thing I could get to my thumb.
She looked confused for a moment before chuckling a little, "Oh, Emolga? That's normal for him, you don't have to worry,"
"Okay, then it's pretty good!" I complimented, "They don't make this stuff where I come from, so I haven't had enough to determine the quality. But it's still quite flavorful."
"Well, I'm glad you liked it!" She smiled, "Now, I'll be showing you to you're room for the night, It's going to be five poke for one of you to stay and that includes breakfast,"
"Of course," I muttered, "You still have to run a business after all,"
I turned to Oliver who just smiled and said, "Don't worry about me, I'll scope out the town and join you later tonight,"
"Right!" I said, returning the smile, "See you tomorrow!"
After Oliver left, Kangaskhan led me to a small, well-kept room. It was sparsely decorated, save for a straw bed, a table, and a window to the back. Though, despite its simple appearance, it still felt like a place one might call home.
"Now, if you need anything, come give a holler!" Kangaskhan explained, "I'll be sure to have you feel right at home, you hear?"
I nodded as she took her leave. Finally, I have a long-awaited break. I carefully laid down upon the straw bed and stared at the austere ceiling. Sighing, I took a moment to collect myself. It's only been a month and yet I almost take this world for granted. In some ways, it's almost exact to our own, but in some distant past. I feel like I walked into a medieval fantasy that involves these fantastic creatures known as "Pokemon". It's strange though, I was a big fan back in the human world. It was practically my life. Now I really am living it. It's been such a ride, one adventure after the other.
I never really had the chance to think about my situation, especially since I became an "Outlaw" to them. I'm not even sure why. It's not like I did anything wrong, quite the contrary actually. Ever since I came here I helped one Pokemon after another, especially Oliver. But everything changed when I encountered... her.
Just thinking about it gives me the shivers. Her cold, icy glare stared as if no life existed beyond those pools that revealed the soul. It looked almost as if a part of her died long, long ago. Virizion was known to be a champion of the Pokemon, protecting them whenever possible. The legendary specimen held great power. The moment those eyes locked with mine, she looked right past my physical form. She knew right away and called me out on it. Everyone that I had once known to be a friend immediately turned on me. I had no choice but to run right out of Post Town and as far as I could. Now here I lay, in a foreign village on the edge of nowhere. Funny how fate works that way.
I yawned, it was strange to think that I was even tired. I was only up for a few hours and it wasn't even noon. I guess my injury needs me to have a good rest. "I'll think more the next time I get the chance," I thought to myself before my vision faded to the land of dreams.