Pokémon: Adventures in Sinnoh Chapter 9: Trials and Tribulations in the Trees, a pokémon fanfic

Sweat stuck his clothes to his skin as he cut through the humid air of the jungle, the others running closely behind him.

'Come on! It can't have gone much further!'

His black-clad accomplices caught up with him, their breathing heavy, and their eyes stinging with salty tears. Shadows moved behind the thick leaves and bushes at either side of them, but regardless of how rare the native beasts may have been, they had no time to stop; they sought only one Pokémon. This island was vast, and the forests incredibly dense, but he had seen it in these trees. He was sure he had seen it.

'This is useless!' cried one of the women.

'Shut up! Keep running!' he snapped back, spit and adrenaline flying from his mouth.

Eventually the path got too narrow to continue. The plants covered the land and sky further than the eye could see, but traversing such an area was impossible. But then they saw it.

'Is it…?' gasped the female, her face falling into a gape.

'Yes.'

Under the canopy high above them, on the branch of a towering green tree, it sat clutching a berry. The small feline creature's pink-white fur seemed to emanate a glow, as though embodying its own elusiveness. Its eyes met those of the people below, and it instantly faded from view, as though becoming one with its surroundings. The berry fell towards the ground, and the man dived into the growth, closing his hands around it. Landing in the sweltering undergrowth, the dignity-free manoeuvre was justified by the bite marks on the item in his hand; they had acquired a trace of its existence.

'It's ours.' he said as he stood up. He clambered out of the plant-life and began walking back with the other members of Team Obsidia.

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In another forest in another part of the world, Nick and Olive walked through the cool air towards Eterna City. The sky was a pale shade of blue, but it would soon darken and make the path difficult to follow. She walked very gracefully, as though used to such a journey, and seemed to enjoy the lush scenery. Her long, slightly shabby dress was the same colour as the surroundings; she could easily have blended in if a hostile wild Pokémon attacked. Nick tried to adopt a more sophisticated demeanour as his travelling companion, but could not escape the refrains of his rugged yet determined adventurer's march.

'So, Nick,' started Olive, her soft voice breaking the silence, 'You're new to being a trainer, yes?'

'That's right.' he replied, attempting a heartier voice.

'How are you finding it?'

'Well… great, to be honest. It feels like a whole new experience… a new chapter in my life. Things weren't great at home in Twinleaf…' he admitted.

'I won't pry any further.' she smiled, her understanding hazel eyes blinking slowly.

'Are you a trainer?' he asked politely.

'Well, I've been involved with Pokémon.' she replied quietly, but then changed the conversation quickly. 'Are you prepared for the Eterna Gym Leader?'

'Erm…' sounded Nick, thinking. 'No… I suppose I'm not. I don't even know who they are, or what kind of Pokémon they use.'

'She's a young lady called Gardenia.' stated Olive. 'She commands the grass-type Pokémon. This means that neither of your Pokémon have an advantage… actually, your Nosepass will be at a disadvantage, as grass attacks are super-effective against rock-types.'

'Maybe I should catch a new kind of Pokémon?' asked Nick. He felt strangely confident saying this; he was still sure his first capture had been a fluke.

'There are many bug-type creatures in this forest. Bug-types are good against grass monsters.' she offered.

'I'll keep my eyes open for one.' he laughed.

'Gardenia is much more tactical than Flannery.' said Olive sternly. 'While her Pokémon may not be any more powerful, they have powers that can do more than simply harm an opponent.'

'Like… Like what?' asked Nick nervously.

'Poisoning… paralysis… sleep… her Pokémon can inflict all of these on a challenger's creature. Flannery loses her temper and goes for all-out attacks, but Gardenia relaxes and watches the opponent suffer under these horrible afflictions.'

'She sounds… nasty.' muttered Nick. Olive laughed.

'She's a sweet girl, really. I've worked closely with her for years.'

'What do you do, anyway?' asked Nick. 'If you work with both Gardenia and Flannery?'

'Oh, I'm just involved in the Pokémon League. I help manage some gyms and relations between Leaders and League Officials.' she replied nonchalantly, as though such a position seemed like nothing to her.

'You must know some pretty powerful trainers!' he exclaimed, slightly excited.

'I've met a few in my time.' she smiled. 'Steven, the Champion from Hoenn, is incredibly strong. His Pokémon are extremely rare too. He's been undisputed for many years now… he is… amazing.'

Her tone had an air of longing about it, as though her admiration ran deeper. Nick felt a strange sense of jealousy somewhere inside.

'Oh, look!' she suddenly chirped, pointing to a tree at the side of the road. Hanging from it by a silky thread was a strange being. It was long and slender, with no visible limbs and a yellow skin that looked impregnable. From inside this shell glared two pitch-black, glaring eyes that shone through the darkening forest.

'What is it?' asked Nick, slightly unsettled by the beast.

'It's a Kakuna… a bug- and poison-type.' she explained. 'If you can catch it, you have a Pokémon whose types are both effective against grass-types!'

Nick nodded, and in a hurry, released Elekid.

'El!' it sparked.

'Elekid, use Thundershock!'

His partner leaped into the air and shot a bolt of electrical energy at Kakuna. Its sinister eyes closed in pain, but it did not move.

'Why doesn't it defend?' he called to Olive, over the crackle of Elekid's attack.

'It's a cocoon Pokémon. It is largely immobile until it evolves.'

The electricity faded and Kakuna opened its eyes again. Slowly, a buzzing sound filled the area, increasing in volume, as though there were many sources.

'Beedrill…' whimpered Olive in response to his question.

'Huh?'

'Nick, I am now going to impart some wisdom that will hopefully take you far on your Pokémon adventure.' she said quietly.

'What?' asked Nick, still looking around for the source of the noise.

'Run!' she yelled.

As if this was a code word, several large bee creatures with large pointed stingers on their arms emerged from the thick of the tree that Kakuna hung from. Nick (with Elekid hanging onto his back) and Olive began to run as fast as they could as the Beedrill gave chase, their intimidating buzz louder than ever.

'Why did you tell me to attack it?' yelled Nick as they ran.

'I didn't know there were Beedrill!' she shouted back. 'Can't your Pokémon take care of them?'

'There's no way Elekid's electricity can take out so many of them, and Nosepass definitely couldn't!'

They continued to run for hundreds of yards until their energy had almost run out. Suddenly, Olive screamed as she fell to the ground, having tripped on the uneven, overgrown floor of the forest.

'Olive!' he cried, running back. He leant down beside her. 'Are you okay?'

'I'm… fine!' she gasped, 'But look out, here they come! Run, Nick!'

'No, I can't just leave you here!' he shouted as he rose to his feet. 'Elekid, go shock 'em!'

Elekid stepped forward and its antennae began to crackle, but before it could attack, another figure suddenly dashed from the trees and stood in front of it. Its small body was enmeshed in a long mane of white fur, from beneath which sneered sharp fangs and yellow eyes. Its leaf-covered hands began to glow and moments later it fired a pulsating beam of solar energy, blasting the Beedrill into the sky before they fell into the treetops and out of sight. The creature then turned to the two travellers; it had saved them, but its face was intimidating and terrifyingly unsightly. Cautiously, Nick lifted his Pokédex to it.

'Shiftry,' it stated, 'The Wicked Pokémon. It lives in isolation deep in forests and warns off those who come near its nest with gusts of wind from the leaf fans on its claws.'

Nick looked at the picture on the Pokédex silently, studying the facts about their scary saviour. By the time he looked back up, however, it had vanished.

'That was weird…' muttered Olive, still lying on the ground.

'Yeah, it was strange-looking.' nodded Nick.

'No, not that!' she exclaimed. 'I mean to say that Shiftry are known to be somewhat antisocial. It's not the type of creature to be friendly to or protective of others.'

'Well… I think we should just get out of here.' he said, helping Olive to her feet.

'T-Thank you… for rescuing me.' she smiled.

'I… I d-didn't really. It… It was Shiftry…' he stuttered, blushing.

'But you came back for me!' she beamed.

His reward was a peck on the cheek.

After catching their breath, they found themselves following the path below a slightly darker sky. Nick's first experience with bug-types had not been too pleasant; strangely, he would have preferred ghosts to the creatures he had just encountered. Olive's voice, despite being sweet and harmless, broke the silence again.

'You're not mad at me about the Kakuna, are you, Nick?'

'No, I'm not.' he replied with a glance to her face. 'But I need to catch a bug-type that won't sting me to pieces in the process!' he added, half joking.

'I understand…' she said, looking hurt and amused in equal measures.

'Hey, what's that thing?' he gasped, pointing through the wilderness at a different yellow Pokémon on a tree. From what he could see, the insect seemed to possess three faces entwined with a large honeycomb.

'Ooh, it's a Combee!' grinned Olive, clasping her hands together. 'It's a bug- and flying-type… it also has an advantage against grass-users!'

'Should I catch it? Or will more of them attack me?' smiled Nick as the jogged towards the tree on which it sat, sucking nectar from the bark.

'Ha!' she laughed, 'No, it should be fine this time.'

'Elekid! Thundershock!'

'Unless…' she continued, 'Its evolved form Vespiquen is around.'

'What!' yelped Nick.

It was too late to reconsider; Elekid's attack shocked the little bee. Shaking off the pain, it frowned at them and began to emit a buzz while squealing. His stomach tensed as he expected more beasts to start chasing him. Fortunately, the little Pokémon remained alone. Unfortunately, it released a powerful Gust attack, blowing the group back several yards.

'I'm getting tired of lying on the ground…' moaned Olive.

'Let's try again!' commanded Nick, pushing himself up.

Elekid released another Thundershock. Combee hovered to one side to evade, then blew them back even further. Nick landed in some bushes, Elekid on top of him, while Olive – who had not stood up from the first wind yet – rolled further back along the ground. Combee's three faces all began to giggle annoyingly.

'Enough!' cried Nick. 'Elekid, now use-'

Before he could reveal his new plan, they found themselves flying through the air once more, landing in deeper growth, their moans of pain drowned out by the sound of Combee's laughing.

'I don't think this one is for me…' sighed Nick.

'No. Perhaps we should just-'

Before she could finish, something emerged from the bushes in which they lay; a tall, yellow plant-like monster, sharp fangs protruding from a gaping mouth. It emitted a bloodcurdling screech as it raised a large vine. Olive screamed.

'It's a Victreebel! Run!'

'What? Whoa!' cried Nick as she grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the heap. He quickly recalled Elekid and began to run again, as the thick vine slapped off the ground behind them as they went. Behind the rushing echoes in his ears, he could still hear the bees' amusement at his failed attempts to become a better Pokémon Trainer.

'Bug-types are often said to be weak.' offered Olive after they had outrun Victreebel and found the path once again.

'Thanks.' gritted Nick.

'Oh, Nick, don't be angry!' she smiled. 'I'm sure you'll find a good bug companion before we leave here.'

'I've been stung, blown away and chased so far!' he groaned, 'I just want to get to Eterna City!'

'Look, calm down. There's no point getting worked-up about it. If you find a suitable Pokémon, it will make the battle with Gardenia much easier.' she snapped back.

'Elekid and Nosepass will take her down easily!' bluffed Nick, getting annoyed with Olive. She didn't make him bashful anymore.

'Well, if you think so.' she sighed, as though giving up.

Eventually, the trees began to thin. The rest of the journey had been uneventful; no Beedrill, no Victreebel, no Combee and no Shiftry. Nick had decided he did not like bug-types. The sky was darker still, but without the darkness of the surrounding trees, Elekid's light was not required yet.

'How far is it now?' he asked, speaking for the first time since their argument.

'Through this clearing and over the river. Once we pass that, we'll be at the gates of Eterna.'

'Cool.' he mumbled, looking at his feet. 'I'm… sorry for talking to you like that.'

'That's alright, I get frustrated too sometimes.' she smiled. She seemed to always be smiling or acting in a relaxed manner. Nick doubted she could ever get frustrated.

'So, do you know anything else about Gardenia?' asked Nick, making conversation. 'How many Pokémon will I be battling?'

'She normally uses two Pokémon,' replied Olive, swatting tiny flies away from her face, 'But they're both strong; I've seen her battles last a very long time, especially due to the effects she can induce.'

'I can't wait to challenge her!' exclaimed Nick. Olive giggled.

He had surprised himself with these words; it was strange how involved and passionate he had grown to be about Pokémon within a few days. Was this his true calling in life? These thoughts zoned him out until he was snapped back to reality by the splashing of his feet on the marshy ground. That's when he realised that the ground had become very wet. Looking up, he saw a ravine leading down to a gushing river, the dark water tumbling under a worn, wooden bridge and further into the heart of the forest.

'Eterna River runs down from the mountains, past the city and through the forest.'

'I see…' replied Nick, feigning interest. His mind was focused on getting to the next gym. That was until a jet of freezing cold water suddenly sprayed into his face.

'Oh, and the local Pokémon are pranksters.' she added, laughing at Nick's panic as he rubbed himself dry with his hands. 'I think it's because they feel intimidated by all the humans coming near their river to cross… or maybe it's just for fun.'

Nick looked down to where the water had come from. Protruding from the middle of the river was a horned blue shell sitting atop two large, round eyes with beady, piercing pupils. He rummaged in his pocket for the Pokédex, then observed the creature.

'Shellder, a water-type Pokémon. It swims by opening and closing its shells and attacks by clamping them on the opponent or spraying water.'

The forest inhabitants had been making this part of his trip a misery, and he was tired of it. Rage building inside, he approached the side of the ravine and shouted down at the shell thing.

'So, you have a problem with us being here, Shellder? You think it's funny just to attack travellers? Well, I've had enough of this! Come up here and battle!'

'Nick! What are you doing?' shrieked Olive.

'I'm going to capture this Pokémon! I'm not going to let them push me around!'

At these words, the Shellder leaped from the river and landed on the other side of the bridge, facing off against Elekid, who Nick released to fight. Its long tongue hung out of its mouth, giving it a slightly foolish appearance.

'Elekid, Thundershock!' he commanded.

Elekid aimed the bolt at Shellder, but the creature leapt aside and released a jet of bubbles which flew towards Elekid.

'Dodge it!'

Elekid swayed through the bubbles and was not hit. Shellder, however, was planning its next move. The two prongs on top of its shell began to glisten, before several icicles formed from the white glow. They shot at Elekid at a rapid speed, and it was jabbed and burned by the icy attack.

'Nick!' cried Olive.

'No, don't put me off! I'm catching this creature!' he spat back.

'I agree – I think you should!'

'Huh?'

He turned round to see her stroking her chin, smirking.

'That Shellder knows Icicle Spear.' she stated.

'So?'

He was trying to keep an eye on the battle at the same time.

'Ice-type moves are effective against grass-types!' she urged him. He grinned and turned back round.

'Elekid, Low Kick!'

Elekid sprang forward and aimed a kick at Shellder. The latter, however, clamped its hard shells onto Elekid's foot. There was a moment of silence before it dawned on Elekid what had happened, and the yellow creature began to hop around yelping in pain.

'Elekid, swing it off!' shouted Nick. Had he not been feeling so angry, and had he not cared for his Pokémon so much, he would have laughed at the scene.

Elekid swung another kick and Shellder went flying high into the air, crying its name in a high-pitched whine.

'Now, Thundershock again!'

The bolt of thunder flew out from Elekid's antennae and struck Shellder's tongue. The little water-type came crashing back to earth, landing on the middle of the bridge, its eyes askew and its tongue rolled out, motionless.

'Now's your chance!' cheered Olive. Nick nodded.

'Pokéball! Go!'

The ball zoomed through the evening air and slammed into Shellder. In a flash, it was dragged inside, and after a minimal amount of struggling, it stopped moving.

'El, Elek, El!' sang Elekid in celebration. Nick started to laugh and ran forward, picking up his new team-mate.

'Welcome to our group, Shellder!' he said into it.

'That was a fantastic capture!' commented Olive, placing a hand on his shoulder. 'I'm sure Shellder will help you in the next big battle!'

Nick gazed fondly at the ball as they crossed the bridge and walked towards the distant golden entrance gates of Eterna City, as the sky finally became too dark to illuminate the surroundings.