Hello there, dear readers!
Yay! Already have 90 hits (exactly and precisely)!
So, a new chapter of LtL, MtM! On this chapter, there isn't much plot development, but there is some small bit of humor and a new character (twom actually) is introduced. And they will be very important further on!
So, without further delay, here is Chapter Five!
Less than Legends, More than Myths
Chapter Five: A Ray of Sunlight!
"Let's hit the road!" shouted Brendan, pumping at the air with his right arm.
The group had rested for the night. Now, a little after dawn, the air still fresh and clean, they continued on their path to Petalburg City, where they would meet May's father (for the better or for the worse…).
"Someone's in an awfully good mood today." noted May, raising an eyebrow. The boy nodded frantically.
"Sure am!" he said. "Today, I'm gonna catch my second Pokémon!"
"So? There's people that have about two hundred."
"Maybe so, but none of them are named Brendan!"
"Only about fifty."
"No one has white hair, then."
"Twenty-five. Brendan is an old guy name."
"Must you strive to ruin my fun?"
"It entertains me."
"Kids…" said Jake, shaking his head. "So young and innocent."
"You're the one to speak! You're… what? Thirteen? Fourteen?" asked May
"Twelve, actually. But that's not the point. Age is a state of mind." Jake replied.
"So you're saying your mind's more developed than ours."
"Indeed."
"Well, it's not!"
"Do you need any proof or...?"
"Shoot me with your best shot, big guy! What do you have say?"
"I do not need to usher a word." Jake then pointed at Brendan, who was at the moment trying to make his hair take the form of a horn. All the while with a stupid expression on his face, with even his tongue outside, like if he was concentrating on an arduous task. "He is all the proof I need."
"So? We all know Brendan's an immature, idiotic jerk! But that doesn't mean I am. Or Sara is, by the way."
"Hey! I heard that!" shouted Brendan, still trying to fix his horn. "Dammit! I'm never buying this stupid gel again!"
Jake rolled his eyes. Then, while May was looking at the other boy, he leaned in closer and whispered at her ear "Ssss-pider.". The girl jumped a foot into the air and ran around screaming "GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!!". When she noticed that the boys were laughing and Sara, who was behind them, barely containing her own laughter, she turned to Jake and pointed an accusing finger towards the boy.
"YOU!" she shouted.
"Me indeed. And I think I've proven my point." the boy replied calmly.
"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" May screamed as she lunged towards Jake. The boy rolled his eyes and, after deciding that he wasn't in the mood to throw her on the ground, simply sidestepped the attack. May was carried on by her force and nearly hit a tree.
"Humn... g-guys?" asked Sara shyly. "I wanted to... to know... ghumbla..." She stopped when everybody looked at her. Forgetting her line of thought, she muttered a few sounds and looked at the ground, swallowing against the lump on her throat.
"You know, it wouldn't kill you to actually finish a sentence once in a while. Really." said Brendan. "I mean, every time somebody even looks at you, you go all 'blrgh...' and then shut up."
"Brendan, let it go! Sara's only a bit nervous about being new to the group." interrupted May.
"If I remember correctly, you just joined us three days ago. And when we met, you didn't seem to mind speaking. Or yelling. Or punching. Or insulting my father, for that matter."
"Do she and Sara actually strike you as anything alike?" asked Jake. "Except from the fact that they're both female humans, they're as different as a Poochyena and a Wailord."
"True..." muttered Brendan thoughtfully. "Now that you mention, they really are nothing alike. Well, at least Sara won't have May's explosive temper then, right?"
"MY WHAT!?" shouted May. The boys ignored her.
"Probably. We can't know for sure until we really piss her off." said Jake. Both of them looked at Sara with evil grins on their faces. The girl stumbled back a bit, worried.
"DID YOU SAY I HAVE AN EXPLOSIVE TEMPER!?" shouted May. "I'LL SHOW YOU EXPLOSIVE TEMPER!"
"No need. You are already showing us." said Jake. "Now chill your nerves, woman."
"I AM SOOOO GONNA KILL YOU! I SWEAR I WILL! I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN AND TEAR YOU LIMB FROM LIMB UNTIL..."
As May continued her dark threats, Jake rolled his eyes and just kept on walking. Brendan, after a few seconds of thought, began to adjust his hair again, using a bottle of a suspicious-looking hair gel. Sara just stood behind them, a bit afraid of May's temper. But then again, who wasn't, other than Jake?
The friends just moved on. A perfect band of kids. A calm, freakishly strong boy, a slimmer, white-haired boy, a girl shouting at the top of her lungs, and a girl that was too shy to finish a sentence. Just normal.
--XXXXX--
When noon had come and gone, the group decided to stop for lunch at the protective shadow of some large trees a little to the side of the road. The sun was shining like the huge fireball it was, and it's heat was nearly unbearable. Even though Hoenn was a rather tropical region, this kind of heat was unusual around Route 102. When they were are comfortably adjusted, Brendan spoke.
"Hey, guys." he said. "I've been thinking-"
"Yeah right!" interrupted May. Nobody laughed.
"- and I reached a conclusion: we gotta catch more Pokémon."
"Isn't that, like, a rule for a Pokémon trainer?" asked May.
"No! I mean, sure it is, unless you got the hell of a Pokémon, but that's not the point! Things is, chances are that will we meet a criminal Team again. And when that happens, we gotta be ready."
"What do you mean, chances are?" asked Jake. "It's either a sure 'yes' or a definite 'no'."
"Then a 'yes' it is. After all, we meddled with their plans and literally knocked out one of Team Thunder's members out. D'you think that they'll just let it pass?" answered Brendan.
"No..." muttered Sara, looking at the ground. "They won't."
Everybody shot her a quick glance, but as they didn't embarrass her, quickly moved their eyes along. May frowned, worried, while Jake just looked over at the distance, his gaze unfocused.
"You're right." said May. "If we ever do meet them again, I'd rather be prepared. And for that, we need to train."
"Aye." agreed Jake. "And we need more Pokémon... I'd rather face a fair three-on-three fight than a three-on-one."
"So, that's settled." said Brendan, determination burning on his eyes. "From now on, we'll train to hold our ground against those crooks. And maybe one day, we'll overthrow them. Who knows?"
"Indeed." said Jake, getting up. "I think I'll start right away."
"So will I." said May, also getting up.
"Actually, May, I'd rather you stayed." said Brendan, a mischievous smile spreading across his face. "I have something to talk to you and Sara about..."
Jake raised an eyebrow at his words, but still walked away. When they were alone, the two girls looked at the boy.
"So, what is it?" asked May impatiently.
"I think Sara needs a Pokémon." the boy answered right away. "In case we aren't nearby, Sara, you gotta be able to fare for yourself."
"I... don't know..." said the younger girl, looking at the ground. "I've never had a Pokémon before..."
"That's what we humans call 'start'. And you'll be fine!" assured Brendan. Sara blushed slightly, and she was glad she was looking at her feet.
"Yeah. We'll help you catch one." added May, starting to understand where Brendan was going. "From there, you'll be just like us."
"D-do you... really mean it?" asked Sara.
"Does a starving Mightyena that finds a unaware rabbit attacks his prey? Does the Mightyena rake the rabbit in pieces, shredding it's frail body with his powerful jaw and pointed teeth? Does he slowly eats the bloody intestines and guts, enjoying the-" said the boy.
"BRENDAN!" shouted May. "Enough!"
"Ooops... got carried away. Sorry." said the boy, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Yes, we mean it. After all, it's just one Pokémon..."
"Thanks..." the young girl muttered.
"Not a problem. So, let's do this. C'mon, girls! We've got a Pokémon to catch."
As they quickly packed their supplies, May noticed two things: first, someone was eating a good deal of her food, because she was already almost out of rations; and second, when Sara took
at peak at Brendan, May realized the younger girl's blush, and a rush of emotions came to her; the will to laugh at them, joy for Sara liking someone, and maybe a bit of... jealousy?
"No, that can't be right." the girl thought, shaking her head. "I can't like Brendan! It's ridiculous! Look at that thing! Bah!"
Feeling a bit better, May followed the others as they began their mission.
--XXXXX--
Silent as a shadow, the boy moved through the forest. His eyes darted nonstop from one side to another, his ears were listening for any little sound. On one hand, he gripped a Pokéball tightly. With the other, he scratched his chin.
"Brendan has a point..." he thought. "Whether to our liking or not, Team Thunder will come after us. And something tells me that they won't be the only ones..."
The boy was snapped out of his thoughts by a small squeaking sound. Quickly changing his direction and heading towards the sound, the boy soon arrived upon a clearing. On the middle of the empty space stood a mighty tree, taller than the others (although not to the point of being visible at a distance). On the said tree were various tiny, acorn-like creatures that the boy recognized as Seedot. Interest, he watched as two of the small creatures (they didn't even get to his knee) fight, tackling each other on the ground. The other Seedot watched as well, some excited, some annoyed, but most scared. Only a small band of about half a dozen (from the fifty that were gathered on the tree) seemed to be enjoying the show.
"What's going on here?" the boy asked himself. "Curious..."
The bigger of the two fighters (which wasn't much of a compliment) managed to dodge an attack from his opponent and counter with a quick Tackle Attack. The smaller Seedot stumbled back a few feet before falling unconscious. From the tree, many Seedot let out sounds that seemed like grunts of despair. Only the six enjoyers cheered for the victor.
"See, dot seedot dot see Seedot!" one of the tree-Seedot shouted.
"Dot dot! See dot Seedot!" the victor replied harshly. The many Seedot at the tree shrunk back a little, and the Seedot that had shouted shut up. The small band didn't seem fazed.
"See... dot..." said the loser Seedot, who was struggling to get up. All the other Seedot looked at it, hope in their eyes. But then it fell down again. The victor Seedot didn't look convinced, though, and approached it for another tackle. Without a second of thought, the boy jumped on the way. Gritting his teeth against the pain of the tackle, he managed to grasp the Seedot with his free hand and throw it against the tree with all his might. The creature flew through the air and hit the huge plant with tremendous strength, collapsing from the impact.
In a flash, the six Seedot that were cheering for the victor got up and headed towards him. All together, their eyes began to glow green, and the boy could feel his energy abandon him. He fell to his knees, panting heavily.
"Dammit!" he thought. "That was an Absorb! I gotta get outta here..."
Before he could put his plan into action, however, the Seedot prepared another Absorb. Out of instinct, the boy released a Charmander from the Pokéball in his hand just as everything went black and silent.
--XXXXX--
"Soooo..." said Sara, trying to start a conversation. When her two companions looked at her, she shut up and looked at the ground.
Sara, May and Brendan had been walking for almost one hour now. They had seen a few Pokémon about, mostly Poochyena and Zigzagoon, but Brendan dismissed them as 'not tough enough'. Apparently, the boy wanted to find a Pokémon that was strong enough to rival a started Pokémon. May had argued that, based on what she had learned from the nearby area, that was impossible, since few Pokémon were as strong as the starters, and even more impossible because the strongest Pokémon around Route 102 was probably a Taillow, but the boy had paid no heed to her words. So, they continued to walk, May mad at Brendan, Brendan mad at May, and Sara... well, being Sara.
"I told you to stop doing that!" snapped Brendan. Whether he liked it or not, he was becoming quite irritated with all the walking around. "Finish a damn sentence!"
"S-sorry..." muttered Sara, looking at the ground. She could feel tears at the corner of her eyes.
"Brendan!" reprimanded May, painfully slapping the boy on the head. "Apologize right now!"
"Okay, okay! Sorry!" Brendan said, not very convincingly. May shot him a warning glance, and he stuck out his tongue at her.
"DID YOU JUST STICK YOUR TONGUE AT ME!?" the girl shouted, blazing anger flooding her.
Brendan's eyes went wide. He still (painfully) remembered the first two times when May had beaten him (literally), and he really didn't want that to happen again.
"No! I just... tried to... lick my nose?" he replied tentatively. "Oh yeah, that'll save me."
"Oh yeah, that'll save you!" said May, her voice filled with a mix of sarcasm and anger. "Come here, you bastard!"
Brendan considered the possibility of making a run for it, but was stopped before he could reach a conclusion. In seconds, the familiar feeling of lying in the ground, clutching his stomach and trying to protect himself against 'The Skarmory' flooded him. And it was not pleasant.
Sara just watched the two, her eyes wide, unsure if she should stop them or not. For one side, she didn't want her Breny to get hurt, but on the other, she really didn't want to anger May. So she stood there, undecided, until May kicked Brendan once more. It wasn't any different from the other kicks, and it would have been ignored if not by the fact that Brendan didn't manage to defend himself against it. The foot carried on, hitting the boy's face with all its might. Brendan let out a howl of pain, and May immediately stopped the attack.
"Brendan!" the girl shouted, kneeling near the boy. "Oh, I'm sooooo sorry!"
"My. Face!" the boy shouted, clutching his face tightly. His voice sounded funny.
"Let me take a look at it." ordered May. Sara could see she was feeling guilty. The smaller girl kneeled by the red-clad girl's side, trying to give some support. And, of course, worried about the screaming and agonizing Brendan in front of them.
The boy slowly withdrew his hands from his face. "How bad is it?" he asked, flinching from the pain. Although he tried to hide it, his voice was shaky, and tears ran down his cheeks.
Upon the sight of the wound, both girls gasped. Brendan's nose was awkwardly facing the left, covered in blood. It was obvious that it was broken.
"It's..." said May, uncertain. She bit her lip and went on. "It's fine. Just a scratch."
"Really?" asked the boy, sounding relieved and sceptical at the same time. "Then why does it hurt so much?"
"Because..." started May, but Sara cut her off.
"It's broken!" the smaller girl shouted. May shot her a dark glance, but didn't move.
"What!? Just freaking great! Thank you sooo much, May!" Brendan replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Thank you sooo very much!"
"Oh, don't be such a baby!" May said, but was still biting her lip. Sara realized, surprised, that she was holding back tears.
"Damn!" the boy cursed as he struggled to get up, holding his nose. Blood slowly ran down his hands to his arms. He faltered for a second, but managed to recompose himself. Once step at a time, he walked back the way they had come, zigzagging as if he was drunk.
"Brendan! You shouldn't move!" May said, chasing after him. The girl grasped the boy's shoulders in order to make him stop, but this threw the latter off balance and he fell to the ground, shouting various curses. He struggled to get up.
"Stay away from me!" he shouted once he was standing.
"Brendan..." May started to say, tears finally breaking through. "I'm sorry..."
"Go. Away!"
"BRENDAN!" Sara shouted.
Everybody looked at her, surprised. The small girl never talked, except to May, and shouting like that was extremely... weird.
"Don't shout at May like that!" Sara continued, ignoring the glances for the first time. "She didn't mean to hurt you!"
"Oh, excuuuuuse me, but I think she punched me, threw me on the ground, and then kicked me! In what twisted world does that qualify as 'didn't mean to hurt you'?" Brendan replied, after recovering from shock.
Sara realized she didn't have a comeback for that. She thought about saying 'she was just kidding', but for some reason she felt that Brendan had a reply for that too. Then, realization of her outburst dawned over her, and she looked at the ground, embarrassed for talking so much.
"Hmph!" Brendan buffed, then continued on his way. May and Sara stood behind.
"May..." whispered the latter softly, tentatively laying her hands on the bigger girl's shoulders. "May, are you okay?"
"I'm... fine." the girl said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands. Then, she nervously bit her lip. "Where did Brendan go?"
"That way." Sara replied, pointing over to where the boy had disappeared. "You don't look so good."
"I'm fine... C'mon, we gotta find him." May replied, walking over to where Sara had pointed.
"Sure..."
--XXXXX--
"Ray, c'mon!"
The sixteen-year-old boy looked up to see the girl. She was tall and thin, with cascading blond hair and stunningly clear blue eyes. She appeared to be no older than fifteen or sixteen. The boy groaned.
"Argh! Why the rush? Can't we just enjoy the sight?" he complained.
"Because we're late! The malls close at six, so we gotta be at Lilycove City before that."
With a groan, the boy got up from his sleeping bag. His fever was coming back, making every move slow and tiring. When he had finished packing his things, he had to sit on a log to avoid being overcome by fatigue. The girl noticed that, and sat next to him.
"Are you okay?" she asked, concerned.
"Yeah. I'm fine." the boy answered. "It's just this damn fever..."
"I thought it was better by now."
"I did so too. But it's coming back."
"Oh, Ray... You should rest. It's okay if we don't make it too Lilycove..."
"No." said the boy, shaking his head. "I don't wanna make you lose the chance to buy your little sister the gift she wants before her birthday."
"I don't think it's worth it if you get sick again. You stayed in bed for almost a week last time, remember? Who knows what can happen if the fever comes back?"
"I'm fine." lied the boy getting up. "Plus, I'd rather go into a coma than see you sad."
"Oh, Ray!" said the girl, hugging him and kissing him on the lips. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll give you something good once we get there..."
"What are we waiting for? To Lilycove City!"
The girl laughed as she released her Tropius. The two teenagers climbed onto the Brontosaur-like creature and flew away.
--XXXXX—
"Where did that boy go!?" shouted May in frustration. She and Sara had been looking for Brendan for almost thirty minutes now, with no success. They were deep in the woods now, by Sara's measurements.
"May, calm down. It won't do anybody any good if you get mad." said Sara. She was about to say something else when something crashed into her side, coming from some bushes. The girl fell onto the ground, gasping for breath.
"Sara!" May shouted in concern, hurrying over to where friend was laid on the dirt, a strange white Pokémon with a green horn over her. The creature was no taller than May's knees.
"I'm okay..." Sara replied, dizzy. The creature in top of her looked at her face and muttered an apologetic "Ralts...".
"What is that thing?" May asked, curious.
"This?" answered Sara. She got up and lifted the creature in her arms, extending them so she could take a better look. "Hey! This is a Ralts! They're pretty rare around here."
"Really? You should catch it, then!"
"Are you sure? It looks so... small."
May was about to say something when the two heard the bushes rattle. Quickly turning their attention to the plants, they saw a Zigzagoon appearing. Once the raccoon-like Pokémon saw the Ralts cradled in Sara's arms, he let out something that sounded like a bark and prepared to attack.
"Torchic, come on out!" May said, instinctively releasing her Torchic for protection. The little chicken-like creature looked around curiously for a second, then focused her eyes on the Zigzagoon.
"Torchic, attack that raccoon with an Ember attack!"
Torchic opened her mouth and shot a bunch of small fireballs towards the Zigzagoon. The latter quickly dodged and countered-attacked with a Quick Attack, sending Torchic flying. The small Pokémon was up in a second, however. Hearing her trainer's words, she focused on the Zigzagoon and looking for any weak spots. The raccoon Pokémon took the opportunity to use a powerful Headbut, and Torchic once again flew through the air. She managed to rise to her feet again, although a good deal more slowly than the last time.
May bit her lip. This Zigzagoon was tougher than she expected. "Torchic, use Ember again!"
The chicken-like Pokémon shot more fireballs at the Zigzagoon, who dodged with a well-timed Quick-Attack and countered with another Headbut. Torchic was barely standing. As a last-stand effort, the Fire type used another Ember, this time hitting the enemy while he was closing in for the finish with another Quick Attack. The fireballs hit him square in the head, causing the Zigzagoon to faint. However, his force carried him on towards the surprised Torchic, and after a rough impact, both were knocked out.
May overlooked the battle, surprised. "A draw?" she asked.
"Sure seems like it." Sara answered. "You should catch that Zigzagoon! He sure is tough."
"Good point. Pokéball, go!" May said as she recalled her Torchic and threw a Pokéball at the fainted Zigzagoon. The ball rocked back and forth for a few seconds, then stood still with a small sound. "Yes! I caught a Zigzagoon! I'll name you Zigzy!"
"That's great, May!" Sara congratulated.
"Ralts, ralts!" the Ralts said, still cradled in Sara's arms.
"Hey, I completely forgot about you!" the small girl said. "You're a nice little Ralts, aren't ya?"
"Ralts!" the creature said, nodding. Both girls laughed.
"Well, I think we should find Bren-" said May, but was interrupted.
From the forest around them appeared many creatures, all of the Zigzagoon or Linoon (the bigger and longer evolution of Zigzagoon). And none of them looked happy.
"That's bad." Sara said, instinctively getting closer to May.
"Oh, really? I hadn't noticed." the bigger girl replied sarcastically.
Sara was about to say something else when the Pokémon charged at them. Both girls (and the Ralts) screamed.
--XXXXX--
"D'you hear that?" asked the blonde girl.
"Sounded like a girl screaming." answered the brown-haired boy.
"Tropius, bring us down!" the girl ordered.
The huge, brown, winged Brontosaur-like Pokémon with bananas on his chin (no, not an expression; actual bananas) known as Tropius descended to the ground, landing with a strong 'Thump' that shook the ground.
Looking around, the boy soon saw two girls who stood atop a tree. On the ground, many Zigzagoon and Linoon growled and barked. Some even tried to hit the tree, in hope that the girls would fall. The boy was about to run that way when he heard another scream, more manly this time. He looked at the girl quizzically.
"Go help those girls." she answered, climbing onto her Tropius again. "I'll go check on that other scream."
"Yes ma'am!" the boy replied, turning around.
"Ray, be careful!" the girl shouted.
The boy stopped, turned around, smiled and answered:
"Aren't I always?" he replied. One look from the girl was all the answer he needed. "Okay, maybe not always, but a good deal of the time. Don't worry!" And he ran off.
With a smile, the girl on the Tropius took off once more and searched for the source of the seconds scream.
--XXXXX--
"Crap! They just don't give up!" May cursed.
"What if... what if they reach us?" Sara asked, hugging the Ralts tightly.
"Do you really want me to answer?"
"..."
"That's what I thought."
"Hey, someone's coming!"
May turned her head towards where Sara was pointing. Sure enough, a boy was coming. He was dressed in a short-sleeved brown shirt that, while not too tight, still showed off some of his muscles. He had long brown shorts that came to midway between his legs and his feet. He had spiked brown hair, not unlike Jake's. From the distance, the girls couldn't see his eyes, but his general built and face made him a very handsome boy. Both girls stared at him dreamily.
"Shelgon, Metang, divide and conquer!" the boy shouted, his deep and powerful voice echoing through the forest as he released two Pokémon. The first was a white football-like creature standing of four short legs, while the second was a tank-like construct with two powerful arms.
As if rehearsed, the two Pokémon attacked the tormenting Zigzagoon and Linoon from different flanks. The Shelgon breathed some strange green and yellow blast of fire towards the ones to the girl's right, burning and incapacitating a good bunch. From the left, the Metang's claws glowed bright, and he slashed his way through his enemies. In a few moments, most of the Pokémon were fainted, and the rest ran away.
"Great job, guys!" felicitated the boy as he recalled his Pokémon. "Now take a rest."
When his Pokémon were safely inside their Pokéballs, the man raced with great speed towards the tree were the girls were. He stopped at the trunk, leaning into it for support, and shook his head, as if to dispel some foul memory. Then, he raised his head and shouted:
"It's okay! Come on down!"
The girls exchanged glances, then May dropped to the ground. Sara soon followed, and the girls faced their saviour.
"Humn, thanks..." Sara said, blushing and looking at the ground.
"Yeah... you really helped as out..." May added, also blushing. She was holding her wrists behind her back and had one leg a bit in front of the other.
"Not a problem..." said the boy. He suddenly started panting.
"Are you okay?" May asked, taking a step closer.
"Just... fine." the boy replied. Then, to the girls surprise, he collapsed. And, to add insult to injury, a new shout tore the air, definitely feminine.
So, a new chapter come and gone.
Damn! Almost kept my word! But unfortunately, it is 00:48 here in Rome, so it is actually Sunday. Sorry for the delay!
Wow. This story is coming fast. If two chapters in a week is good, how 'bout five? Haha! Take that, society!
Well, that sums up all I had to say. Remember to R&R
Gotta Go With The Flow!
BlackShadowKnight