Chapter Two:
A gust of wind blew through the party on the hill. Dawn almost lost her hat, while Hermes vigorously sniffed the incoming breeze. Brendan smelled the familiar scent of the Slaking. The field on which they stood was bare, most of the tall grass had only recently sprouted since the arrival of spring. Dawn coughed and Brendan too noticed he was freezing. He got up, fists balled. Dad, he thought.
The night had turned pitch black, illuminated only by a pale moon and the snow on the ground. To the east the river had a quiet rhythm, a small waterfall created by the dam. Dawn pulled on Brendan's jacket and spoke quietly.
"This is the work of poachers, Brendan. It must have fled when it got ambushed," She was already making her way down the hill, still holding him by the arm. "It's completely intact. We have to douse the fire and leave before they find us."
A shriek pierced the night, its source somewhere in the direction of the forest. Dawn pulled Brendan down on the ground and slid under the tall grass. The soil was cold and damp, Brendan's pants were immediately drenched. Dawn spoke in a whisper.
"I hope whatever that is, can't see well at night. Don't. Move."
A group of four men each holding a torch emerged from the shadowy forest line. A humungous scavenger bird soared a hundred meters in front of them, heading straight for the hill having finally spotted its prey. Hermes, who had followed the trainers' lead, lay flat on his belly like the Slaking, and snarled, presumably at the vulture. The three had made it down the hill, about thirty meters from the corpse, and tried to remain motionless.
The bird started circling the Slaking, screeching proudly. Once the poachers made it to the foot of the hill, the Fearow made its descent. The huge wings created a small twister, but the poachers knowingly shielded their torches. Dawn and Brendan looked on from the grass, unable or unwilling to move.
"Easy, Becca." The man spoke in a slow slur as if he was drunk. The torch provided enough light to only show the man's face. He was wearing a hood and a mask, with a white symbol embellished on both. He stuck the torch in the ground and told the others to do the same, then turned to the Fearow. The dark figure of the avian looked big enough to carry two humans. The leader pulled some sort of rodent from his belt and fed it to the bird.
"Great work, girl."
When one of the poachers headed in their direction, Brendan could make out the rifle in his hands. Brendan felt uneasy, not able to see his eyes he couldn't tell whether the man was looking straight at him. Hermes snarling grew louder, and Brendan was forced to put a hand on the Pokémon's head to calm him. Only now did Brendan notice Dawn had taken her javelin, which she was holding tightly. Brendan shook his head.
Atop the hill, the leader of the gang took out a tool from his backpack and kneeled at the Slaking. A haunting sound followed, the friction of metal on bone. The noise was uncomfortably loud, Brendan felt uneasy in his own bones hearing it. Dawn, unable to bear the noise any longer began crawling backwards, rustling the grass too much for Brendan's liking.
Seconds later a gunshot interrupted the process. Another poacher who had made his way toward the river had been swarmed by two dog-sized figures. Chaos erupted.
Two Bibarel had been alerted by a potential threat to their den by the Fearow. Wary of any threats, a maternal Bibarel had to be a danger to any passerby's and the poacher came too close. The wounded poacher screamed out in agony, bearing a bite in both her leg and abdomen. The three remaining poachers and Fearow jumped to the sign of an attacker.
"This is our chance!"
Brendan gave Hermes a quick pat on his lower back and jumped up. The poacher nearest to them immediately noticed. "Over here!" he shouted.
Brendan ran for his life. Not knowing or caring where he stood in the darkness. He had no sense of where Dawn, Hermes or his pursuers were. Multiple gunshots rang out as well as a deafening cry from the Fearow. Brendan stepped into what he thought was solid ground, but reactively had to extend his arms to break his fall – an excruciating feeling of pain struck him in his right wrist. A flash of white appeared next to him, it was Hermes. Brendan could hear the flapping of wings over his head. He had to get up. As he started running he felt relieved to use his companion's light fur as guidance. More gunshots fell but nothing hit its mark.
Hermes came to a halt and Brendan noticed they arrived at their camp. The campfire was out, leaving only a thin line of smoke. Brendan discovered Dawn's sleeping bag already lay spread out under the cover of the shelter, looking prepared as ever. She wasn't back yet. Brendan couldn't see anything in the direction of the hill, not even shadows of the men or Pokémon chasing him, all her could hear was the river and his own heart pumped on adrenaline. Why have they stopped? Where is she?
Another triumphant cry filled the night sky, Brendan knew what had happened.
The ceremony of the start of another season of the Ace-Trainer program in Sinnoh was as quiet as Brendan expected it to be. Sandgem wasn't a large town but he knew almost all of its inhabitants had come to see the applicants. Twice a year the regions of Kanto, Sinnoh, Unova and Kalos held a ceremony on the same day, which had become more of a festive tradition than a formality. The town was covered in market stands, balloons and a general sense of cheer. Brendan stood on a small wooden podium with Dawn and Rowan, listening to the professor speak.
"… now I've been giving the speech to inaugurate the start of another season for about 40 years now… I can't believe you people aren't sick of me yet!" The crowd laughed and cheered, proud of the Sandgem residential. One person cloaked in a dark jacket stood out, his face shrouded by his hood. "But on a more serious note: after last year's tragic end we must remember that the Ace Trainer program is more than a way to earn fame, prizes and a damn good adventure – it's a statement of the human courage and comradery we are able to build with each other and our Pokémon friends. These two young people know the peril they might face and still take it head on, I believe that deserves a round of applause."
Dawn bowed and Brendan instinctively followed her lead, even though he had never done it before.
"I've personally been waiting for the day for Dawn to take the Test, and I could not be more proud. As for Brendan, I've regularly met with the young man to discuss preparations for his journey, and I have complete confidence in his ability to see it through. He-" Rowan interrupted himself as the tower bell of the small church began to ring.
"Oh, it seems I've gone slightly over schedule. Guards, if you'd please open the gates. Dawn. Brendan. Good luck!" The crowd erupted in cheers and Brendan followed Dawn off the podium.
I'd like to thank any readers who checking out the second chapter. Gimme any criticism you got.