I felt a surge of panic course through me. I didn't expect to be persuaded. Most people would learn to steer clear of a group that beat him well and good. Well, normal people, anyway. This guy wasn't exactly normal. But panicking wasn't going to help my case now, was it?
"Nemo, what shall we do?" Cheryl looked at me with questioning eyes. She, for some reason, didn't seem fazed.
"Split up, maybe?" I suggested as I unhooked the PokeGear from my wrist. I thought I had disabled any modules that could be used to track us, but I couldn't take risks anymore.
"That'd be unwise. And I'm coming with you, Nemo. That man is dangerous. We should've just killed him when we had the chance." Effie calmly spoke.
I looked at her as though she had gone mad, as did Cheryl.
"We can't just kill anyone who's remotely a threat, Effie." I sighed. It was my fault that this was occuring in the first place. Had I not gotten too full of myself and chosen to mug that guy, this could've been avoided entirely.
"We can argue about that later! Let's hide!" Effie hissed with a tone of urgency.
"Where, Lady Effie?" Cheryl stuck her head up.
"You tell us, Nemo. You seem to know this city." Effie looked at me.
I guess it was my responsibility now. Well, the Tower was still a viable option. If that man had nothing to track us with, it'd be harder to find us within the confines of a building than out here in the open.
"Nothing's changed, we're still heading towards the Sprout Tower. Objections?" I looked at Effie.
"You always manage to pull through somehow; Nemo. No objections." Effie replied, although from her tone, I could tell she wasn't very fond of the idea. But I guess she didn't have any better ideas.
"Me neither." Cheryl contributed her voice.
So I left the PokeGear behind the statue at the town square and then the three of us began heading north. We could retrieve it later or try to find an alternative.
"Say, where did you leave the belt, Cheryl?" I asked her while walking in quick paces. Running would attract too much attention. I remembered tasking her with leaving that man's PokeBall collection somewhere around here.
"Um, near the shop, I think?" Cheryl sounded unsure. Given that she wasn't in her right mindset the past evening, I couldn't blame her.
"So those traps are in this town, too. Can they give away our location, Nemo?" Effie questioned me.
"I don't really know, sorry." I admitted. My school didn't teach us anything about PokeBalls beyond the very basics, like the different types and how to use them. They didn't even teach us how they actually worked. I didn't have a Trainer in the immediate family to learn from, either. It'd make sense for them to have a tracking function, but I wasn't sure.
"Well, that's a first, coming from you." Effie remarked before quieting down. It sounded like mockery, but I had more on my mind than to worry about stuff like that right now. Besides, she kind of already knew how shallow I actually was on the inside. Lying, running around and relying on others wasn't exactly virtuous in my opinion.
We had to cross a small bridge on the way to the Tower. The water looked fresh and alluring; had we not had a stalker on our tails, I would've stopped to drink and clean myself. I didn't get to see my reflection all day. I was sure I looked like a mess by now. But now was not the time.
Two Bellsprout stood at bottom of the Tower, presumably on guard.
"Halt! Who are you?" One of them spoke in a melodic tone.
"Halt! What is your business here?" The other one followed in the same manner.
"Sanctuary! We're being hunted by a weird man!" Cheryl spoke before Effie or I could make a proper introduction. That wasn't how I planned to make a first impression.
"Man is strange by nature." One of the guards remarked.
"As are all." The other one followed. If they continued to speak like this, it was going to get annoying real soon. And we needed to get inside fast.
"So very great of you to observe that. Now, would you kindly let us in, please?" Effie spoke, irritated. Clearly she was finding them annoying as well.
"What business do you have here? The Elder isn't seeing anyone at this hour." One of them replied.
"Uh, we'd be happy to wait. We came all the way here from the western city of Ecruteak in pursuit of knowledge. I'm Nemo, a Lopunny; and they would be my friends Effie and Cheryl. We still have a human pursuer, so we'd be grateful if you could provide us with shelter for the time being." I finished my long plea with a short bow. A little politeness usually went a long way.
I could hear Cheryl almost say something in protest, but Effie smacked her into silence before she could.
The two Bellsprout looked at the sky for a few moments, gliding their vines across the air. Was that how they focused?
"You may come in." One of them finally replied.
"You have to leave if you cause any trouble." The other one added.
"Thank you, it is much obliged." This time, it was Effie. She sounded surprisingly soft-spoken this time.
We finally made it inside the Sprout Tower.
"This place is... strange." Effie remarked.
I could see what she meant. At the center of the room stood a piller that slowly swayed on its own, giving the building a sense of being alive. I didn't like the way it moved. My grandma had told me once that it was some kind of engineering technique to prevent the building from collapsing, but that didn't take away the eeriness. Not to mention, this place was also populated by monks in midnight-blue robes and a couple of younger people; enough to make a bunch who were already being pursued more uncomfortable. Maybe except for Cheryl; she was going around inspecting various objects and talking to other Pokemon, most of whom consisted of Bellsprout.
"Do you mean the pillar?" I asked Effie to confirm that we were on the same page.
"No, there's something else." Effie sniffed the air, "Plenty of those wandering plants, Ghost-types, some Rattata -"
"You can tell all that just from the scent?" I couldn't help but express my surprise. Sure, I've seen her accurately track down things and people who weren't even remotely close, but it still amazed me. My own sense of smell has drastically improved following my transformation, but it was nowhere as good as hers.
"Not the scent, Nemo, you have to feel it." She explained. "Tap into the nothingness that is around."
"Pretty sure that's something unique to you and your psychic powers, I can't feel anything out of the ordinary." I looked around. Cheryl had disappeared. Where did she go? Upstairs? I could spot a ladder, but I felt like it'd be best to familiarize ourselves with our immediate environment instead of being hasty. I made my way towards a darker corner, not wanting to draw too much attention too fast. I already have enough to deal with. How did that man know where to find us, anyway? Coincidence? Maybe he lived in this city as well.
"So, why did you come here, Nemo? I'm sure you have a good reason other than just hiding." Effie asked after joining my side.
"I wanted to consult the Elder, but those at the gate said he isn't seeing anyone. I guess I'll just wait here. What about you?" I slowly began grooming my ears. For some reason, I had this strange urge to keep them neat and tidy. Was it instinct?
"I guess I'll wait with you, too. Watch your back and all." She reminded me. I was pretty sure that was what she had told me the night before we left - I'd probably end up dead without her watching my back. But so far, I've been pretty much pulling my own weight. Maybe she just wanted an excuse to leave the Burned Tower or something.
"Well, you sure like watching me." I chuckled after placing my paw over my mouth to muffle the sound. Wasn't she watching me from the bushes when we first met? That seemed like ages ago. How many days has it been? Two? Three? I should start keeping count.
Effie lightly tackled me, causing me to almost lose balance and hit the floor. I wasn't really expecting it. She didn't seem like the playful type before.
"Ahem!" The sound of someone clearing his throat caught my attention. It was one of the monks, dressed in robes and prayer beads hanging around his neck. He was pretty close, watching us patiently. A Bellsprout accompanied him.
I quickly got back up on my feet, showing him some courtesy through another bow. I remembered how my attempt at a conversation with another monk went the first day; I didn't even bother this time.
"Ah, what majestic creatures you are!" He exclaimed, swinging his gaze between Effie and me. "What brings you here, my children?"
Effie and I exchanged glances, not knowing how to respond. Was I expected to speak here? I tried to think of any sign or symbol that might get my point across. Nothing that came to mind seemed fitting for the situation. I looked at the Bellsprout, who jiggled its vine. I took that as a sign of assurance.
"Um, Kind Bellsprout, please tell him that we seek knowledge regarding the Silver Ninetales, and the Unown at the Ruins of Alph. I'm Nemo, and this here is my friend Effie." I thought it'd be better to introduce ourselves again.
"Knowledge, my friend, is not to be pursued lightly. I'll tell him, anyway." The Bellsprout remarked before turning his attention to the monk. What did he think he was, some kind of saint? While I found his attitude annoying, he was our best bet at communicating with the people here.
Effie and I watched in confusion as the Bellsprout and the monk started speaking seemingly non-sense to each other. I could detect patterns, but not decipher them. I could isolate a few human words here and there, but they didn't form any coherent sentences.
"Nemo, can you understand them?" Effie whispered.
"No, can you?" I whispered back.
"No." She went silent afterwards.
After the two were finished with their bizarre communication, the Bellsprout turned his attention back to us.
"Master Tenpei says only the worthy may possess what you seek. You are not worthy."
"Are you?" Effie snarled. "What makes you better than us?"
"Effie, calm down -" I tried to subdue her by tugging her body. Surprisingly, it worked, as she went silent and laid down next to me, closing her eyes. Her sudden change was awkward to behold.
"I am not, O' Effie. I am but a messenger. But you two may stay here and learn our ways." The Bellsprout nonchalantly spoke. I had to admire his cool temper. The monk, too, smiled at us. I guess we could learn a thing or two from them, after all.
"Thank you, O' Bellsprout. Please thank Master Tenpei on our behalf." I tried to mimic his pattern of speech. He spoke in a melodic tone like his brethrens at the gate.
"Granted, O' Nemo." He wiggled his vines once more before departing behind the monk who was apparently called Tenpei.
"I guess we're staying here now." Effie finally opened her eyes.
"I guess." I sighed. I was missing the luxuries of human life now. Information that was so easily accessible suddenly had to be gained through trials and tribulations. At least the shade was comforting. I began grooming my ears again.