Do you know what this chapter is? Chapter 35, the one that makes Sara's Quest break 100k words! -gasp- And without the reviews, I'd still be struggling to write chapter five. Thank you all, this chapter is dedicated to everyone-Mooneh, Skitty, Matt, Kitsune, etc.-who has ever given a review.
Chapter 35
"…Major disturbances in the Pokemon population. It's been said that Pokemon know when something's going to happen; wild Miltank are seen migrating to higher ground days before a flood, Absol gather when a disaster is about to strike. Not much is known as of yet why, but a great deal of flying-types are migrating to the Hoenn Region…" The news would have been interesting, and captured attention, if the newscaster weren't speaking in such a dull monotone. Devon yawned and flipped the channel.
"Hey, I was watching that!" Jacob objected, and leaned over the back of the sofa to grab the clicker. Devon held on though, and they were pressing all sorts of buttons. The poor television began to flip channels at random, going from another news station to a kids show to a documentary on Lapras migration and then back again.
This lasted for a good couple of minutes, until a Chansey walked by with a threatening glare upon her face. The two boys came to a truce and flipped the channel to a different station that was in its commercials. Being the only humans in the Pokemon Center really had its advantages, after the tournament's spectators and trainers left, Slateport turned strangely quiet.
Drake was off by the beach probably, and the girls had all left to do a dreaded thing. Shopping. Elvina had proposed the idea, Pocky accepted, Rika had laughed and nodded, and Rena had absolutely refused to follow. It took the three girls together to drag the Pokemorph off to the shops, an amusing sight for the rest.
The commercials ended, and the show began again. Devon and Jacob snickered quietly as they changed the channel again from the black and white movie entitled Love's Revenge.
"Hey look, isn't that cute?" Elvina ran off in one direction and, groaning, she was tailed by three other girls.
"When she said we should go shopping, I didn't know she meant that we'd also be running around like frantic Torchic." Pocky sighed.
A growl emanated from Rena's throat when the blue-haired girl called over her shoulder, "C'mon you bunch of Slowpoke!"
She turned on her heel and began walking in the opposite direction, muttering, "I'm going shopping this way." When she was asked. Rika kept silent as a shadow, only watching Rena through the corner of her eye.
"Well, what do you have to say?" Pocky asked as they rushed to catch up with Elvina, who was holding up a rather large plushie of an Eevee with a wide smile.
"We'll see her again, soon enough."
"I thought that psychic types could make themselves heard." Althea said, giving the Natu down below a queer glance as he hopped around Sara's legs, peeping jovially.
"We can." He replied with his mind, not even bothering to glance up. "But it's quite a bother."
"It's not a bother when my trainer can understand you!"
Sara sighed and paused, "Are you two going to continue on like this for a while?"
"Yup." They replied in unison.
"Alright, go take it somewhere else then. I'll be here." Bird and fox trotted off with faint crackles in the grass. Chikpea looked up and gave Sara a glance that must have meant, 'Thank goodness, I needed a rest.' Which wouldn't be correct for him, since he hadn't done any walking.
The girl sighed and turned around, looking at Pájaro mansion in the distance. It's stone walls caught the morning sunlight and gave it a golden appearance among the grass gently blowing in the breeze. "It doesn't look so big from here, does it?" She asked, and Chikpea twittered gently in reply.
"Lady Sara." The Natu called, perching on top of her feet. "My master just sent me a message… he wants me to bring you to him."
"Uhh… who happens to be your master?"
"Master Artimus."
"Huh?"
"You'll see." He grumbled, "I'm going to teleport us now…"
"Wait! You can't go without me!" Althea stumbled back and allowed her trainer to scoop her up. Letting off an exaggerated sigh, the Natu's form began to glow with power, and a psychic grip took hold of them while the world began to melt and blur around them. A gust of air and the rush of flying came to them, and after a few seconds they were suspended in mid-air over hard, pebbly ground.
Landing with an 'oof!' Sara muttered under her breath while Chikpea, Natu, and Althea fell on top of her. Chikpea chattered accusingly at the Natu, whose feathers were drooping. "It takes… too much… energy…" The tiny bird gasped, "We're not… there yet…"
He shuddered once before fainting right there. "Looks like we're stuck here." Althea said, swinging her copper-tinted head around.
"Wherever 'here' is." Sara replied, "All I want is to go home."
She flinched when a cold drop hit her head. Looking up, she saw a large stalactite right above her head, and a darkened roof of rock as well. Another realization came when she found that the upturned, stump-like object she had just sat down on was pure, hard rock. "A cave, we're in a cave that actually has light." She shifted off of the stalagmite when another droplet of water hit her head.
"Hey look, it's the pretty birdie!" Squee squealed, running forward and tackling the great bird on her chest. Sundav had only just closed her wings as she set down on the hard, packed earth that the group of Pokemon was resting on. The sun was low in the sky when the Ho-oh had found them.
"Why, hello little one." She said gently, running the dull edge of her beak against the Naki's back. "It's good to see you all-and who are you?" Sundav's gaze came to rest on Raggedshadow.
"A friend, I suppose." The Persian rasped.
"Mmhmm." She replied, looking around at all the Pokemon assembled there, "I want you all to come with me, I-" The Ho-oh faltered as she felt the presence of her brother chance, he felt incredibly angry. Sundav turned away from the bewildered group and attempted to touch minds with Artimus, and heard only a little bit of what he was saying before the Lugia realized what she was doing and cut her off irritably.
"…You think that just because you have my sister's favor that you can do anything, little human…"
"Sundav?" Karen asked respectfully when the minutes trickled by, and the Ho-oh remained shock-still.
A gentle, barely audible cry emanated from Sundav's open beak. "N-no…" She turned back to where the others were watching her with mild concern, and said, "Everyone come closer and touch me, we're going to have to teleport."
Sara and her companions landed in another disheveled pile the second time the Natu-who finally told them his name, Nessa-teleported them. They were in a large oval-shaped cavern with ceilings that were high, and the walls were almost black. It was darker in here than in the first cave, but an inner bluish glow radiated from the pool that occupied the majority of the space, excepting in one area where there was enough rock for a fairly large creature could stand. It was lucky Nessa hadn't teleported them over the pool…
"Master Artimus, I have brought them." The Natu said as loudly as he could in his drained state, and bowed so that his little beak touched the group. The pool's calm water developed a ripple in the middle, which quickly spread throughout the water, increasing in force until miniature waves rocked the surface.
First, a pointed head emerged from the surface, cool white against the dark walls behind. Two sharp black eyes fixed upon Sara as the creature rose out of the water, showing a back where two rows of fins folded up from being exposed to the surface again. He kept his two wings folded as his long with tail swished around threateningly behind him. The massive Lugia sat on the surface, probably treading water to keep his weight up.
"So this is little Lady Sara?" Artimus said, his normally loud voice turned into a boom from the cave. The Lugia lowered his head to where it was a few feet from her face and his dark eyes narrowed.
"Y-yes, I'm S-Sara, errm… Lady Sara…" The girl stammered, taking a few steps back for personal space.
"I don't know what my sister sees in such a weak human." He growled unpleasantly, returning to a more upright position, "Sundav has been looking for you, and you've been in my territory this whole time. Well, what do you have to say for yourself? You upset her!"
His two wings unfurled with a snap and the water they hit on the way out formed two blasts of water that hit the cave wall with force and an echoing crash. It would have been a touching and rare show of brotherly affection-especially for one such as Artimus-but it left Sara cowering as far away from the legendary as she could get, pressed against the moist wall.
Artimus continued on savagely, "You think that just because you have my sister's favor that you can do anything, little human-" At that point, the Lugia snorted and turned his head, as if something annoying had attempted to land on it. "-but you can't."
"It wasn't my fault!" Sara whimpered.
"Wasn't-you're-fault!" He roared, the cave walls shaking on their own from it, "I suppose you're going to tell me that Grumpig can fly next!"
The girl stared, unable to speak. She felt hopelessly outmatched by the Lugia, who appeared to be in such a rage that he wouldn't listen to a word she would say. Now she wished Sundav was here, more than ever.
As if the Ho-oh could hear her thoughts, or just by good timing, a gentle light formed in the other side of the cave. The tense moment passed as Artimus whipped his head around, and was confronted with Sundav, who stood upon the area that must have been meant for her with its size. More shapes appeared around her and also around the cave.
Meep and Squee giggled, unaware of the intense feelings going on between the two legendary birds. Althea gasped in shock when Karen padded up to her and sat down, purring softly for her friend. Saladreth sat passively right next to Sundav's left wing, where he'd appeared.
Star and Mellow quickly separated, the female making a beeline directly for her trainer, taking the long way around the pool and its inhabitant. A scarred, ratty-looking Persian came to sit beside Saladreth and watch Artimus with undisguised interest. And the rest, they settled where they were and gazed around.
"Next time you take a trip," Star said when she reached Sara, "Remember to take me with you, not Althea."
The Swellow was surprised when she was caught in a hug that rivaled the one that she'd gotten when she first met her trainer. "And Sara." She continued breathlessly.
"Yes Star?"
"I can't… breathe…"
"Oh, sorry." Sara loosened her grip, but still held the bird in the hug.
Finally, Artimus and Sundav began to speak. "I'll just be taking her now." The Ho-oh said icily, "Thanks." Her tone turned sarcastic with that, and the Lugia replied with the same venom.
"Oh sister, it was no problem at all. Your friend is such a dear." He spat.
"Sara, come." Sundav ordered with a bob of her head. Her flaming red eyes burned with anger as the girl came closer, and as did the rest of the Pokemon there, except for Artimus. Nessa had shot his master a dirty look as he hopped by Sara's side.
The infuriated Lugia had already turned away by the time Sundav gathered her strength and teleported them away.
When they returned to Slateport finally, Sara found herself being caught up in numerous hugs from her friends, but Sandsinger had managed to give the first hug. "I missed you Sara!" She had exclaimed as she caught the trainer up in a crushingly powerful embrace.
"I missed you too… but Sandsinger…"
"Yes Sara?"
"I can't breathe…"
"Sorry…" The Flygon had stopped then, looking a little bit embarrassed.
Rena had returned a little bit later than the rest of the girls, looking paler then usual. It appeared that she had pulled one of her pant legs down as low as possible. But her greeting to Sara was normal enough…
Drake wasn't there at all though, and when Pocky pointed the direction of the beach, Saladreth had nodded and said, "C'mon Mellow."
The Swellow attempted to ignore him as he tried to land on one of Sara's shoulders, but Star kept snapping at him and he failed. The dragon waited for Mellow to get a little ways away from her before he reached out and captured the bird in his powerful jaws, making sure not to hurt him though.
Looking exceedingly smug, Saladreth turned and sauntered off in the direction of the beach.
The dragon's claws were muffled in the sand, and he managed to sneak up on the lone figure there without difficulty. Seadra's eyes widened, and was about to say something when Saladreth shook his head and placed the ruffled Mellow down on the sand, where the Swellow grumbled and followed.
Drake jumped and whirled around when he put his head on his trainer's shoulder. "You're… back." The boy said, the most intelligible thing he thought to say.
"Yup, we all are." Saladreth indicated with a tilt of his head back where Slateport was. "And you're coming, even if I have to pick you up and carry you Drake."
Seadra snickered quietly. "If you tried that with me, it wouldn't be pretty."
"I don't really think I'd favor to carry a spiny Seadra, especially not in my mouth." Saladreth answered with a toothy grin.
"Of course I'm coming!" Drake finally exclaimed, "But a ride would be nice… please, Stormy?"
Saladreth's scales turned a darker shade when Drake came close to using his full nickname, "Alright, alright, get on."
"So, where are we going to go next?" Sara asked that night when they all piled into the Pokemon Center. Everyone was out, and the wild Pokemon, like Tarragon and Raggedshadow, had decided to spend the night. The Persian really didn't have much of a reason to, unlike the male Flygon.
Tarragon was also called over by the nurse, who wished to see his side. He groaned slightly as he did so, and she bandaged it up right there on the spot. "Whose Flygon is this?" She asked the trainers, and got no reply except shaken heads.
"He's wild." Elvina answered.
"Well… then…" She bit her lip and sighed finally, giving Tarragon a gentle push back over there, "Never mind. Make sure you watch his actions though, if he's following you around."
In reply to Sara's question, Devon said, "We don't really know actually. Perhaps Mauville City again, where there's a Hoenn gym."
When Tarragon sat back down next to her, Sandsinger muttered, "Your side was hurt all this time?"
"Yes little Flygon." He replied with an exaggerated sigh. "But it didn't bother me that much, really…"
"What attacked you?"
"Hmm?"
"You were attacked, what did it?" Sandsinger repeated, a demanding tone intersecting her voice.
"Do you remember when I asked Raggedshadow if she was attacked by Oxren?" She nodded and beckoned for him to continue, "Well…"
The female Flygon gave a nervous laugh, "But, but, you fought Oxren?"
"No, I fled from Oxren."
Sandsinger looked around to see if anyone had heard that, but the humans were engaged in quiet conversation about where they'd head next, and the majority of the Pokemon were paying attention to that and not to the two Flygon murmuring in the corner.
She was finally convinced nothing was listening in and continued, "Tarragon, why did you tell me-no, all of us when we first met up?"
"Because it's embarrassing. And I don't trust the rest of them…"
"But you-" The female Flygon cut herself off and stared at the grinning Tarragon. Finally, she smirked just as she thought of something, "Does that mean you're not the Desert Master anymore?"
"Exactly right. So now I can be your official stalker!"
"Oh cool, does that mean I can hit you upside the head like… like…" She cast a glance over at Rena and finally thought of the word, "…Cookie does with her stalker sometimes?"
"Please no, you won't have a stalker for very long if you do that." Tarragon laughed.
Sandsinger let off a disappointed little buzz of her wings, just as Rena suggested that they try the Slateport Battle Tent, which had just finished all of the battles that had been booked by the trainer crowd that had been there. "Yeah, we should do that!" Drake agreed, and soon the deal was struck. They'd head out for the Battle Tent tomorrow, and the day after that they'd head for Mauville City. After that, they'd decide later.
It was time to go to sleep, the humans spread out across the Center and soon their respective Pokemon settled in with them. Meep and Squee continued to play for a while, like normal, as the two kittens made up the sleep in the daytime. Mellow actually left his "Berry" alone that night as he decided to be with Drake instead.
Sandsinger and Tarragon continued to talk after all the lights went out, but in gentle whispers and often having to repeat themselves because of that. When they finally fell asleep together, the rest of the group was already sawing logs…