Savoir-faire – To Know and To Do
XVIII: Offrir – To Offer
Day 27: Augustine called when I dropped into the Geosenge Pokémon Centre to ask about Durand. Apparently contracting a wild Pokémon to come along is rather outré, despite that Durand is a harmless creature who is also learning how to read at a phenomenal speed. Darkrai and he have been listening to the fairy tales I keep telling – and somehow, Donar's Pokémon also drop in now and again...
Day 31: As it appeared, the real disaster happened after we got out of Miroir Way, into Shalour.
It was a cold sweat but thankfully indistinct memories that greeted me when I awoke. The dripping of water off of stalactites towards stalagmites was a constant, and aside from the flashes off the rock-salt walls, precious little sunlight.
At least there were more supplies, I reflected. Otherwise this would be The Mistakes of Daisy Linden, Part 2. Hindsight was always a bitch.
Darkrai's sapphire eye greeted me as I rose; the Pitch-Black Pokémon had lingered once again. I'm quite sure that most Trainers would have given me that... stuff... they call food.
"Pokémon food is perfectly acceptable," I disagreed. "Just not for the picky. I learned that the hard way with my starter companion. He... Delphi was special to Altair. Even for a Delphox. They were mates, if that words could be applied across species. Delphi was the first to die against the legendary Pokémon."
The horned and winged ones, Darkrai guessed.
I nodded. "I sent Altair to get help, and my Banette... he wove a Destiny Bond between the two of them and I. I was going to die, and in the end... I was so bitter, so thankful that I was going to take them with me. I was so convinced that it was worth it. I woke up disappointed. Neither of us can die as long as the other survives, so..."
Legends of Kalos are not so revered here, I take it.
"I think a lot of people would disagree with you there," I answered. "I just... I grew up and realised that I couldn't hate my enemies as much as I could support my allies anymore. No, you just met one Trainer who's irreverent. Not everyone holds the same view. Take you; your kind have been villainised for most of the world's mythology for something you cannot control."
Is it merely that straightforward?
"Perhaps," I shrugged out of my sleeping bag and left it open to dry. Hobbling with a familiar pins-and-needles feeling, I headed over to the temporary fire-pit. Donar was sleeping opposite of the pit, his Pokémon surrounding him.
Above his face, a pair of gleaming gems shone.
I beckoned to Crystal, who yawned, floated down from the ceiling, and proceeded to set a pile of kindling on fire. "The Sableye there. The boy's not to be attacked."
The Darkness Pokémon hissed, to which Crystal spat in reply.
"I'm sure we can afford to feed you some extra," I set up the Trangia stove, lighting the spirit-lamp to set inside before I heated last night's candied aubergine ratatouille with extra poached eggs. "Come here."
The Sableye faded, appearing next to me with a practised air of Shadow Sneak.
"Hand me a fork, there's a good..." I considered. "Boy."
The Pokémon blinked. It reached into my bag. It got my fork and spoon.
It tried to eat my spoon. Darkrai got it with a Dark Pulse.
"Not a good idea, boys," I warned as I heard Altair shifting, somewhere around the camp. Liz floated by, and I gave her some of the leftover candied aubergine, still cold, that she accepted, her flower drooping in the meantime as my Floette tried to reach something approaching wakefulness. I felt my head shake as the rest of my Pokémon awoke.
The ratatouille was steaming when Donar stirred in his sleeping bag, along with six gently cooking eggs that I divided, leaving one for Darkrai, one for the Sableye, two for Donar, and two for myself. We had met a few ACE Trainers passing through, and my supplies had placed us in good enough standing for gossip about the Kalos League that « Le Voix de Kalos » would love to have; the announcement of Siebold's rather closed outing with Cassius. It had also netted me some possibilities about the Absol sighting about, but that was neither here nor there. I wonder if a wedding was forthcoming, or if Kalos was prepared to embrace gay marriage yet. That would be nice.
"Bonjour, Donar," I commented as the boy awoke, with a chirrup and a growl and a tiny roar from the Fletchinder, Bagon and Ivysaur respectively. "Le petit-déjeuner."
"Wha?" he sat up, dark hair sticking up all over his scalp. "Oh... bonjour. Breakfast."
"Dinner leftovers with poached eggs," I ladled some out and handed it to him. "You have a potential prankster here, you know."
Donar blinked, before he absorbed the Sableye chewing on the aubergine, runny yolk smeared on it. He simply sighed. "Why do all the Ghost-types go to you?"
"You're learning," I nodded to the two Pokémon actually eating breakfast. "Altair?"
My Lucario, perched on the edge of camp, simply nodded in answer. I hope le bête noir would pass soon, even though Altair was not a morning Lucario. I had checked the large bag of Pokémon food; he'd eaten earlier, and drunk some water. If he continued, we were decamping to the Pokémon Centre.
Perhaps it was simply nerves at the prospect at returning to Shalour City; from what Korrina had related, it was the inability to fall to Attract that clued her in that something was wrong with Altair, as well as the local Lucarios' reactions. Not that there was anything wrong; it just had to be a male Pokémon trying to use Attract. Valerie's Sylveon had proven that.
"We could have travelled with Noël," Donar commented.
"We couldn't," I interrupted. "He begged off once the full idea of what travelling with us would mean for his moral boundaries sank in."
Donar scowled at me. "You're real cheerful, you know that?"
"Does your mother know what language you speak?"
Donar blanched. "S- Sorry."
Boys and their mothers...
The conclusion of breakfast – and twin burps from Darkrai with the Sableye – left us with the task of packing up the bivouac and continuing our merry way through.
"The sheer faces of the Reflection Cave consist of rock salt," I began chatting to no one is particular. "It is also the current only known habitat of Carbink. I anticipate..."
"Anticipate?" Donar questioned before something popped out.
"Wob-BUFFET!"
"...that."
"...what the hell?" Donar blinked, immediately picking up his PokéDex. Wobbuffet, the Patient Pokémon. To keep its pitch-black tail hidden, it lives quietly in the darkness. It is never first to attack.
"Wobbuffet also usually have the Shadow Tag ability, which locks them into a Pokémon battle at first round," I grumbled at the cyan Pokémon with the lip mark; a female Wobbuffet?
"Wob, wob-buffet," it started, flapping its flat arms about, creating a blue patina upon the sheer walls of the Reflection Cave.
"I- I don't really know what you're getting at, Wobbuffet..." Donar murmured. "Dr du Bois?"
"Breakfast is cleared," I told her.
"Wobbuffet!" It sounded indignant at this proclamation of mine.
She wants us to follow, Altair translated for me.
"What for?" I muttered, the illumination from Crystal's flame and the salt of the Reflection Cave glimmering like a thousand jewels.
One of them stood out to me, a soft light amongst a sea of stars.
To a means of egress.
"Did you just learn that word?" I asked. "Sorry, never mind. Is it safe?"
Altair caught my meaning almost immediately, which was quite good of him. She means us no harm. I do not know if she would lead us to harm, but the intention is rather benign. There is also the fact that we are trapped in the Shadow Tag anyway.
Now that I looked away from the gold light, I noted that our shadows led directly towards the Wobbuffet and its stubby feet and tail. "Merde," I commented.
"What does that-"
"Censored," I replied. "Donar, look down."
"Huh?"
"Shadow Tag is an ability usually seen with the Wynaut and Gothita lines," I began as he looked down and then to me for answer. "It is an exclusive ability that prevents nearly all means of escape from a Pokémon battle by literally stepping on the opponent's shadow. However, it has no effect on Ghost-type Pokémon, or other Pokémon with the ability."
"So... we can't run from her?" Donar asked.
"Not only that, it looks like we are going to follow her," I rearranged my backpack, grabbing the stone and placing it in my pocket. "Altair, Durand, Darkrai, come along. Crystal, light the way, please."
My Chandelure swung overhead the entire trip, lighting our path with her flames. A passing Woobat tried to introduce himself, and Crystal set him on fire. A horde of Roggenrola wandered past, heading towards the same direction as our Wobbuffet guide. They were chivvied along as the Sableye from before – with smears of ratatouille and egg yolk on its face – led a horde of Mime Jr. and Solosis, with a horde of Carbink carrying Ferroseed.
"Merde," I muttered again, immediately running as a horde of Woobat – including the slightly roasted one – swooped out for the light at the end. "It's not a trap. Run."
"What?" Donar sounded curious, rather than frightened as he rushed along behind me.
"It's been raining," I explained, increasing my pace with Altair. "Landslide. Try not to get buried alive."
"What?!"
We burst out to the patter of rain, the ground dangerously wet and slippery, rocks and mud cascading down. Donar gasped as the rain began to drench us, surprised and blinking.
"Back," I recalled Crystal before the rain could put her out, and also extracted an Escape Rope. "Donar, take one end and tie it around your waist. Use a tight knot."
"R- Right!" he did as asked.
"Make sure your Pokéballs are secure," I warned. "You're going to have to climb. Do you have experience rock-climbing?"
"Hell no!"
"Try," I told him, wiping the rain from my face as I considered the beaten path and the muddiness along with the overhanging cliffs. "I'm going to lower you down with the rope, but you'll be supporting your own weight. Give me two tugs when you've reached the ground and untied yourself. Okay?"
With a feverish nod, the boy began to climb down, with my assistance as slowly giving slack to the rope of Wurmple silk mixed with Caterpie string. A few more people exited the cave quickly, along with a Hiker who stopped to help me with giving slack. Only when I felt two tugs then we turned to securing the rope on a boulder.
"You'll be alright?" the Hiker asked me as I recalled Altair, directed Durand to use Phantom Force for himself and Darkrai, and stood at the edge of the cliff.
"Yes, thank you for your assistance," I replied before I leapt down. Using a controlled leap was hard on the hands, and would probably give me rope burns, but my feet on the cliff face gave me a guide by which I safely landed. I had learnt the skill before from a professional; don't try this at home.
"Holy fuck," Donar gaped as I landed on my feet. My boots were possibly ruined by mud, but they were replaceable. At the same time, Durand erupted from the shadows, with Darkrai following. "Why didn't you get Durand to use Phantom Force on yourself?"
"Darkrai can't climb, and flying is suicidal in this weather, so we can't risk Durand," I answered. "Durand being an unevolved Golett also means limited capacity. Thanks, Durand. Now come along, we've a Pokémon Centre to visit."
Donar took stride behind the horde of Pokémon and I. "Pokémon Centre?"
There was a horrible crash when we entered the gates of Shalour City. The Yantreizh skyline was brilliant, dimmed against a darkened sky that kept pouring out libations to Manaphy and Phione. Another slide and cracking of rock, and the ground trembling beneath my feet. We got into the Pokémon Centre right as the trembling stopped.
"Oh my!" Nurse Joy was present, assisted by several nursing Wigglytuff and other hospital workers, both Pokémon and humans alike, in the injuries of several Trainers and Pokémon. "Did you just-"
"Reflection Cave," Donar interrupted. "It just..."
"Caved in?" I prompted, glancing at my feet. The Shadow Tag was gone... the Wobbuffet... she's not here. The Wobbuffet..."
"She's not here..." Donar gaped. "I didn't see her after the Reflection Cave..."
Our eyes met.
"Merde," we said together.
It rained when we entered Miroir Way, and rained when we got through the Reflection Cave – Frogadier had a thorough education in Spikes from the local Carbink and their Stealth Rock – and continued raining when we got out at high speed and got down to Shalour City.
Highlights included a discussion of the nature of language, Durand finally mastering Phantom Force, and learning about greetings in Kalosian. I swear, Dr du Bois must be multilingual to carry out an argument in Standard, Kantonese, Johtonese and Kalosian.
That wasn't the point. The point was that we just barely escaped being buried in a cave, at a dead run that had my heart thrumming even as Dr du Bois shoved an orange blanket at me.
"Wrap up," she tersely informed me, dressed as she was in a plastic raincoat bearing the Pokéball symbol. "Call your Pokémon out, reassess. Durand, stay here. You cannot weather this storm. I am going out."
"Where?" I asked. "The storm-"
"There are Pokémon out there that require help," Dr du Bois flatly commented, saying nothing else.
"What? But, the storm- and the landslide!"
"Stay," she walked out with a small pack at her back and her Pokéballs at her side. I then realised that her backpack was left beside me.
My own Pokéballs cracked open, and Bagon started to head-butt my leg as Fletchinder chirruped, Ivysaur yawned and Frogadier regarded me with solemn eyes.
"I'm worried for her too," I told Frogadier, getting up. "We're going out to find her, okay? After I change and get a raincoat."
Despite her insults, I was smart enough to leave most of my stuff with Nurse Joy at the Centre counter, before I ran out with my wallet, Holo Caster and Pokémon, plus a bag of snacks.
At the base of the cliffs where Shalour City was backed against, a temporary tent-like structure had been constructed. Flying-type Pokémon and Hawlucha hovered by the skies, and I spotted a Lucario – not Altair; it wore no scarf – directing a few Toxicroak to smash rocks. Nearly all present were Fighting-types; I suspected that the Shalour Gym was at damage control.
I found Dr du Bois at the medical tent with Altair and a blonde woman in sports attire. Overhead, Crystal hovered as a giant chandelier to light the tent, even despite the storm. Liz was performing Aromatherapy on a few Solosis and Carbink, as well as a Sableye.
"...oxygen tank," Dr du Bois was saying. "Thank you, Leader Korrina."
"No prob," Korrina, presumably the Shalour Gym Leader, confessed. "Altair has a license, you say?"
"He's a bit overqualified," Dr du Bois said nothing else as another stretcher carried by two Machoke came in, bearing an exhausted female Wobbuffet and Wynaut. "Are there any more?"
The Machoke made another sign.
"Merci. Continue digging, please," Dr du Bois commented. "The first six hours are the ones where we could reasonably revive suffocating Pokémon and humans."
"Doctor-" Korrina began as the Machoke headed out once more.
"Later, Leader Korrina," Dr du Bois knelt and began to perform CPR on the Wobbuffet. A flapper-like arm diverted her to the exhausted Wynaut. After a while, Korrina headed outside in her own raincoat, presumably to help dig out more trapped.
"Hmm... oxygen deprivation, hypothermia..." Dr du Bois took the baby Pokémon with a secure embrace, bringing it to a heavy tank and strapping a mask to its mouth. "Breathe slowly, please. You'll be fine when I get a blanket on you."
Another orange blanket swaddled the baby Pokémon, before she turned to the female Wobbuffet and began giving a cursory body check. "Did you need something, Donar?"
I started, realising that she was conversing while saving a life. "Erm... I brought snacks. Nurse Joy..."
Her green eyes flicked to the basket. "There should be a hot chocolate flask and some hot drinks. You can distribute that. Don't give Korrina's Lucario any, just because they can survive despite theobromine doesn't mean that they should. Wynaut, Chingling and Mime Jr. are baby Pokémon as well, they will need assistance."
"R- Right!" I nodded, staring at the Pokémon before making a decision. "Fletchinder, I choose you!"
"Fletch!" the Ember Pokémon screeched in greeting, descending to the ground.
"We need a way to keep these baby Pokémon warm, Fletchinder," I said to her. "Help out, would you?"
"It would work, if your Fletchinder had the Flame Body ability rather than Gale Wings," Dr du Bois reminded me.
I deflated. Fletchinder scowled, before simply rounding up the tiny, weary baby Pokémon with crooning sounds.
"Smart," Dr du Bois nodded in approval, still pumping at the Wobbuffet's chest. "They're going to be alright."
"Why are there so many baby Pokémon inside the Cave, anyway?" I asked, because it sounded sensible at the time.
"The Reflection Cave is a hotspot for reflection and psychic meditation," Dr du Bois replied absently, snapping on a fresh pair of gloves. "A lot of Fighting- and Psychic-specialists and Pokémon go in for meditation retreats. Plentiful food, a flux of incenses for Pokémon breeding, and shelter from associated predators like Dark-, Ghost- and Bug-types, except for the geovorous Sableye, allow for such Pokémon to reproduce quickly. Lax Incense for relaxation affects Wobbuffet, Odd Incense increasing psychic power affects Mr Mime, and Pure Incense for clarity of thought affects Chimecho, giving rise to the hordes of Wynaut, Mime Jr and Chingling respectively. Meanwhile, for the presence of so many Psychic-type Pokémon, Solosis and Carbink gather to hone their skills to evolve."
"Carbink can evolve?"
"Who knows," she murmured as Liz floated to me, flower drooping before I petted her. "Take ten, Liz. Altair, take a break as well. Next is the hard part."
"Huh?" I checked my watch as Liz floated towards the pile of Fletchinder and baby Pokémon; only about two hours or so had passed. The rain was receding, even as Dr du Bois poked her head out and stared at the skies.
"This rain... Come out and look."
"Huh? What?" I walked out, careful to study the skies wherever she was looking. A flash of yellow lightning arced across the skies, and with it, blue flashed in answer-
"What?" I blinked, looking again. Lightning wasn't suppose to arc like that, not without...
Those arcs were wings, wings of spikes and attached to great golden light that crackled with electricity. Dozens of lightning bolts descended from the stormy heavens and struck the creature, summoned by its smaller movement. The bird squawked, and thunder boomed in tandem before clouds drifted over the face of the skies once more.
"Rain Dance," Dr du Bois identified, uncaring that a freaking Legendary Pokémon was flying above. "Increases the accuracy of Thunder such that it never misses. Also unleashes rain upon the surroundings."
"So Zapdos caused this?" I turned to her. "Why?"
Below us, more and more workers were looking up, pointing at Zapdos, some even pulling cameras to photograph the spot against the Shalour skies, a spot that was growing even closer-
"Why is it getting bigger?" I mumbled, before my brain caught up with Dr du Bois and we were running back inside. We were only slightly too late; the legendary majestic bird crashed into the tent, driving Liz into a tizzy as she fled for my cap.
"What the-?" I yelled as the Zapdos thrashed and flipped in the medical tent.
Tentatively, Dr du Bois sidled up to the Legendary Pokémon. "Erm... please hold still."
The Zapdos's thrashing lessened before Dr du Bois knelt down by its right wing, clicking her tongue in a repeating and soothing measure as she examined it by sight. "Erm... broken wing, possibly around the humerus bone. Torn secondary feathers. Dirt is the result of a Rock-type attack, since Flying-type Pokémon are immune to Ground-type moves. Judging from the damage, possibly... Stealth Rock. The main wound, though... from below. It struck from below... hypothetically, a Head Smash is possible, but unlikely. Probably Stone Edge, boosted by same-type attack bonus and absolutely no regard for safety, like in a Pokémon battle. So, I guess you fought with a Rock-type Pokémon and ran away?"
The Zapdos hissed.
He said Stone Edge, Altair relayed. And that the surrounding city is not safe as long as the Armour Pokémon was still here.
"Thank you, Altair," Dr du Bois nodded, leaning back to consider. "Donar. Run to Shalour, get an emergency team for... twenty one, plus one Zapdos. I need to splint this wing, and if a Legendary Pokémon is going to be ferried into the Shalour City Pokémon Centre today, we're going to have to make sure this Zapdos can bloody well fly. Darkrai, prep for Hypnosis."
The Hypnosis struck, the Zapdos falling asleep before I realised that she had bandages and splints ready, calm despite that she was facing a Legendary Pokémon and was about to perform medical treatment on it. That was all kinds of awesome.
"Hurry!" Dr du Bois rushed as, with the opening of the tent flaps, even more Pokémon and stretchers were trailing in. "Altair, the others need help. Durand... where is a Ground-type Pokémon when you need one? Fletchinder, stay there with the baby Pokémon. Donar... I need you to run to the Pokémon Centre, get Nurse Joy to arrange for an emergency convoy, stat."
"R- Right!" I ran out, trying not to trip and fall into the muddy puddles that dotted the path down to Shalour City. The landslide had largely been localised to the mountainous areas, so that was a bonus, but the single Wobbuffet body that was carried in, and Dr du Bois's sad but resolved expression gave me chills at the thought of the Zapdos, the remarkable, primordial force of the storm, brought low by mortality.
As I ran, I might have nearly twisted my ankle were it not for one fact – a flash of black and white prevented me from tripping. Next, I saw the black and white Pokémon, the blade arcing from one side of its head clear for identification even without the PokéDex.
Absol, the Disaster Pokémon. It appears when it senses an impending natural disaster. As a result, it was mistaken as a doom bringer.
Yet, this spectre of disaster was coated in red, as if it had bathed in the blood of the victims themselves.
I blinked, and the red spectre disappeared, back into the weakening cascade. After a while, something told me to continue running, and I did, all the way back to the Shalour Pokémon Centre to demand a convoy.
...a monster that can deal with a Legendary Pokémon is few and far between, not without training. Still, Stealth Rock and Stone Edge do not comfort me, especially this close to the landslide and the mountain. I am more than aware, of exactly what nests in mountains. I am not sure, though.
– Marguerite Linden du Bois.
Critique, s'il vous plaît!