Chapter Fourteen: A Hitch in the Plan
Shinryu sighed as he walked down the road, well hobbled. His arm was around Amber's shoulder as she helped him move across the ground.
Amber looked over at the trainer, and could see the bandage on his arm was slowly reddening. "Shinryu, that wound of yours isn't gonna stop bleeding I think. Should I call for an ambulance?"
Shinryu shook his head. "No, I'm fine." It'll heal, I know it will. But that Agent Onyx… His weapon was strange compared to a standard Dragonite Revolver. He looked around him to see that Rose was strolling up ahead of the three of them, because Night remained very close to her mate and 'master', keeping an eye on him protectively.
Amber sighed. "You have a bleeding problem. If that was a knife wound as you said it was, it should've stopped bleeding a half hour ago if that. Something is wrong with it and I know it."
Shinryu raised an eyebrow at this. "You seem worried about me Amber." He asked quietly.
Amber smiled a bit. "Of course I am bud. I am your travelling companion right now and I can't help but be worried about a friend. If you would just let me examine the wound I could probably stitch it up and stop the bleeding."
Night nudged Shinryu's leg insistently, making him sigh.
Shinryu nodded. "Yeah. I'll let you. Hey Rose!"
Rose looked over her shoulder. "Yeah?!" She called back.
"Mind continuing on? We'll catch up. Amber is just gonna look at my arm real quick."
The blonde blinked in confusion before opening her mouth to protest.
Amber saw Shinryu roll his eyes and was about to open his mouth, before she intervened. "Rose, Shinryu's bleeding badly. I don't know if you want to see me stitch it up."
Rose gulped at that before hurrying further on the road, making Shinryu chuckle a bit before she stopped a ways ahead and sat down to wait for them. He could barely see her, but Shinryu hovered his hand over his pokedex on his belt. "Withdraw Syn the Weavile." He said quietly, and a pokeball materialized in his hand. Cool. That easy huh? Shinryu tossed the black and blue ball and out came a Weavile that was scratchings his ears before he looked up at Shinryu and crossed his arms with a haughty huff.
'Whadya want boss?' Syn asked in pokespeak, knowing his body language projected his question despite not knowing Shinryu knew what he was hearing.
"See Rose up ahead bud?" He asked calmly. "I want you to keep an eye on her and make sure no trouble comes her way. Attack all real threats with prejudice. But do not kill."
The Weavile nodded firmly before turning. 'On it boss! Piece of cake!' He rushed ahead in a blur, using Quick Attack to travel the distance in seconds that Rose took minutes to do.
Amber chuckled idly as she helped Shinryu sit on a log. "I didn't know you had a Weavile."
Shinryu smiled as Night laid down next to him peaceably. "I have lots of pokemon to be honest." He admitted.
Amber just smiled back and started undoing the bandage around his arm. Slowly the blood-soaked linen fell away and Amber flinched at recognizing the real wound in his arm. "You weren't cut…" She whispered softly, looking it over. She saw the missing flesh around a smallish bullet embedded in white bone. "You got shot." She looked up at him before reaching into her bag while he looked away. She pulled out her larger first aid kit and opened it, pulling out foreceps and putting them to the piece of metal in his arm. "Clench your teeth, and count to three with your nods."
Shinryu nodded. Twice. Three times.
Amber jerked the metal out with a slight snap, elicting a grunt of pain from the man she was operating on. Pulling out a spray bottle, she sprayed the wound with alcohol to disinfect the whole patch of bone and muscle. She then grabbed a closed bottle and opened it, which housed a foul smelling blue paste. Dabbing three fingers into the bottle, Amber coated the wound gingerly until just the flesh was coated. "That should stop the bleeding for now." She dabbed some more paste on her index finger before rubbing it into Shinryu's bone. She then grabbed a fresh roll of bandages and wrapped them around his arm silently.
The whole time Amber was tending to the bullet wound, Shinryu was wincing and grunting slightly. He felt Night put a paw on his foot in reminder that she was there, and steeled himself from passing out. But slowly the pain was fading as the paste was applied, and soon the bandage was in place entirely with Amber securing it.
"So… Why'd you lie?" Amber asked as she packed away her supplies.
Shinryu didn't know why, but he flinched at her words. There is something about Amber… He started thinking as he faced her fully. "I lied because I didn't want to worry anyone, and I didn't think it'd be as bad as it was."
The Ace Trainer female sighed as she shook her head. "You got shot Shinryu. Lemme spell that out for you: S h o t." She looked down at the bullet and picked it up to examine it, her eyes narrowing slightly. "This is military grade... " She said under her breath, but Shinryu caught it easily but ignored it as he stood up slowly and tested his arm. Amber soon stood up as well, pulling out a tube from a pouch of her bag and dropping the slug into it before sealing it.
Shinryu looked down at Night and pet her. "Thanks for the help Amber… My arm feels better. But I am still light headed. I don't think we'll make it to Skymarsh before dark."
Amber nodded. "We will go as far as we can then before setting up camp. I doubt a bus will be coming by anytime soon. Because I just checked my phone before seeing to your arm, and there is no service so far."
Shinryu shrugged. "Then let's go, and not waste daylight." He turned and started walking calmly.
Amber sighed and walked with him and Night also. "You are lucky. I've seen wounds like those before in the Army, and they aren't very pleasing to take care of."
The Dragonsong chuckled. "Oh? Were you a combat Medic?"
Amber blinked in surprise.
Shinryu smiled wryly. "Couldn't tell until you pulled out your kit Amber. But hey, I respect the job you did."
Amber smiled softly at that.
Night looked at Amber carefully, watching her. She's obviously liking Shinryu a bit too much… But why do I not care?
"Well, you are right there Shinryu. I was a Medic. Still technically am as I have registration to work in a Pokemon Center should I so choose or do any emergency services on the field before an ambulance arrives on scene."
Shinryu nodded. "Let's see… You also grew up on a farm as a kid obviously." He said, making the black and blue haired woman blink in shock. "Your voice says it all. You haven't gotten fully rid of the country tone you used to have carried. I am guessing a Mareep farm by your clothes that aren't ACU. They aren't store bought, and have the exact patterns of wool stitching. The way you are makes me guess you are an only child, and used to be wild."
Amber gasped in surprise.
Shinryu chuckled a bit. "Can't help it. I am too observant for my own good. I can also tell you like me with how concerned you just got over my arm. Mind if I know why?" He dropped his voice as Amber and Syn joined their group, and Syn snapped his claws but Shinryu was already on it, recalling the Weavile back into his pokeball and snapping it into place at his belt while he glanced at the somewhat blushing woman at his right.
Amber looked away, making Night blink.
Shinryu guessed… Night said in her mind. Did he?
"Well… The reason I like you Shinryu is… I guess your attitude. You're calm, and love your Pokemon dearly. Just like I love mine. I find it easy to get along with you, and for some reason feel at ease."
Shinryu nodded a bit in acknowledgement, still listening.
"You're dedicated to whatever you put your mind to I noticed. You were deadset on continuing even if you would've fallen unconscious before I stopped you and paid real attention to your gunshot wound." She said the wound quietly to not alert Rose, making Shinryu smirk at that. "I've also realized you're strong from what I could feel of what wasn't damaged of your arm."
This made Shinryu laugh quietly. "I see. Well… What do you want to do about it Amber? If you must know, I am taken to another woman. She didn't want to come to Trema, and she'd be mad if I dallied with someone else."
Amber blushed a bit, but sighed. "Well… I would want to ask her myself…" She murmured.
Shinryu and Night both blinked at the same time. "Ask her what?" Asked the former Hoenn Champion curiously.
Amber blushed slightly. "Ask her if she… Wouldn't mind sharing." She said quietly, stunning Night and Shinryu enough to make the latter walk face first into a low hanging tree branch.
"Oww!" Yelped Shinryu before swatting at the branch. Amber blinked as she saw cracks spiderweb along where he hit, but Shinryu gripped it and pushed the branch so it didn't break fully and walked under it.
Strange… That was not expected. Thought Amber when she saw this.
Night looked thoughtful. She wanted to ask if she could share my mate? Why?
What to do what to do… Thought Shinryu at the predicament he was currently in. He knew he would be popular with the woman, and he didn't even think for one moment that Amber would be smitten with him considering she helped him when she had a chance to fight with Lilly back in Tectra City. But, considering the lack of any hostility from Night yet, he was unsure of how to proceed. Night was a good cue to Rose's desire for him and that she didn't like it. But now that she knew, he was shocked that she hadn't reacted at all… Yet at least.
Amber went quiet, looking away from Shinryu before starting to walk ahead of him and passing Rose entirely to take point.
The blonde looked over at Shinryu, who hardened his aloof mask for her to see and just that. "What?" He asked.
Rose shrugged. "Nothing." She looked forward again and kept going.
Just at that moment, Shinryu turned as he heard a bike behind him. After a good five minutes, Arthur stopped panting. "There you are Arthur!"
Arthur chuckled, panting heavily. "There… You… Guys… Are." He waved at Shinryu before getting off of the bike and folding it up. "I heard the sound of a pokemon on the path and got interested, so I went to go check it out. Turns out it was a whole herd of Scyroth."
Shinryu blinked at hearing that. "Scyroth?"
"Yeah. An evolved form of Scyther apparently that specialize in speed and special attacks. It was cool watching them, but I managed to catch one!" Arthur said, holding up an Ultra Ball.
Shinryu grinned. "Awesome!" He walked up and looked into the top of the Ultra ball, while Arthur twisted the bottom a bit making the device's top go clear for a bit to reveal a green bug with blue armor around its abdomen and thorax, and two rigid blades instead of the standard single blade of the Scyther it apparently came from. "Interesting…"
Arthur nodded.
"Oi! Hurry up Shinryu!" Called Amber from up ahead.
Shinryu nodded slightly before he started walking again.
Hayato jumped from the final zipline as he arrived at the final checkpoint. The distance between the City and the temple was great enough to require a few checkpoints that were spaced to allow people to rehydrate or relieve themselves as needed before continuing on their way to the location of the temple. But now he was there.
Hayato stared up in awe as he came upon a large pyramid that was in the Skymarsh that surrounded the city that it was named after. The old mossy stones were somewhat worn with the passage of time, but they still displayed their grand significance to the world. Something important had happened here centuries ago that prompted the Temple to be built, but the statue that had used to be at the top of the pyramid had long since been eroded away.
Hayato whistled as he walked closer to the entrance that led deeper into the temple, letting Etheria out of its pokeball. "Come on Etheria. Let's go find the Gym Leader!" He exclaimed boisterously, pumping his fist into the air. Etheria mimicked his motion happily and they rushed into the temple.
The hallway the duo entered was musty, but Hayato could tell immediately that someone had been down here recently. He couldn't tell how, but he knew deep down in his gut he was right. "We should be careful Etheria. Something isn't right about this place… It feels off." He said as he thought of the times he was approached by the figure in white or Darkrai.
Etheria hissed in confirmation, but looked confident they could handle anything.
This made Hyato chuckle. "You're right, we can handle anything together!" He exclaimed before they continued deeper into the temple.
Shinryu walked next to Amber, watching as Rose and Arthur walked ahead of them hand in hand. "Hmm… Amber?"
Amber looked at Shinryu curiously. "Yes Shinryu?"
"I need to talk to you tonight before we get our rooms in Skymarsh City."
The Ace Trainer blinked in response to this. "This is about what I said earlier right?" She asked hesitantly, making Shinryu nod. "Okay."
Shinryu nodded calmly as he kept going quietly. The ground started sloping downward into a steep hill, and Shinryu looked down at the marsh that surrounded a large city in the distance. He looked up at the sky and sighed. "Looks like we will be there sometime AFTER dark. Oh well, Hotels remain open for a while." He quickened his pace though.
Night stopped walking in front of Amber and turned to look at her.
Amber looked down at Night curiously at this. "Something wrong Night?" She asked with genuine concern.
Night kept looking at her before turning around with a satisfied nod. I have my decision. She thought to herself.
(Two hours later)
The group sighed as they walked into the Skywind Hotel, and Shinryu walked up to the counter to talk to the clerk.
"Hello." Shinryu said calmly. "I'd like to get three rooms please."
The clerk nodded. "Of course sir." She said, not bothering to tell Shinryu about his pokemon which cheered up the trainer. "That will be 40000 for the night."
Shinryu nodded and swiped his trainer card at the terminal.
The clerk frowned after a while. "I'm sorry sir. But your credentials were denied."
Shinryu blinked. "What?" He asked in shock.
"Yeah. Apparently you have nothing in your account."
Strange… Shinryu thought as he pulled out his wallet and procured the necessary bills and paid for the rooms. "Sorry. At least I have cash." He said before sensing someone behind him, making him turn around as two police officers stood there. "Can I help you officers?"
The large male officer looked down at Shinryu in what he took as supposed to intimidate. While an Officer Jenny sighed.
"Shinryu, you are under arrest." She said quietly. "Sarah is not going to be happy when I call her."
Shinryu blinked in surprise. Sarah Jenny… Seth's old girlfriend and still my sister. He sighed and looked at the others. "I have no choice." He quietly spoke before holding his hands out together for the Officers to cuff him.
The Officer Jenny put the cuffs on, and made sure they were comfortable, before leading Shinryu out as the burly officer walked behind them both as a security measure.
Night walked in front of them and whimpered a bit, causing Jenny to look at her.
"Shinryu, which is her pokeball?" Jenny asked softly.
Shinryu carefully moved and took her ball from his belt. He thought a bit before looking towards Amber. "Give it to Amber." He told Jenny.
Jenny took the ball and looked to the Ace Trainer, who looked shocked. "Amber I presume?"
Amber walked forward slowly. "Yes Officer?"
Jenny: "Shinryu is entrusting his pokemon in your care during his internment. Do you accept?"
Amber nodded slowly, still shocked. "Yeah…"
The burly officer worked and took all the Pokeballs from Shinryu and his Pokedex and gave them to the smaller woman.
Shinryu looked at Night plaintively. "Take care." He said to Amber and her at the same time before he was led from the building.
Sorry for the short Chapter, but I felt like an update was necessary sooner than I thought. More is sure to come, but I cannot anticipate everything as I am borrowing someone's computer at this moment. Also, Du Mar has backed out of the story and given me full ownership of the OCs and everything else he had a claim. Also, Pokemon is still the sole ownership of Gamefreak and Nintendo. I just own the Pokemon I created myself.
~Veloran