Sorry for taking so long to update. I had nasty writer's block with this for a while. It might be a bit rushed or not as good as the chapters before :(.
Because of a surprise plot idea that came while writing this I had to quick add a few hints.
And thank you to thechinskyguy for giving me an idea for this chapter.
Lance slowly added more wood to the small fire until it was strong enough no to die out from the light rain. He looked at Yellow, who was sitting against a tree and was still wrapped in his cape, sipping an opaque liquid from a small cup. Chuchu sat next to her, digging through a small bag of rocks and other things she had found in the river.
"Are you feeling better?"
"A little." She took another sip. "What's in this?"
"Several different berries for warmth and shock."
Yellow stared down at the liquid. "What's the aftertaste?"
Lance hesitated. "Well…"* His attention turned to Shinx as it approached him with a few berries still attached to a twig, offering them. He petted the Pokemon's head. "It's not your fault. We're still alive." Shinx turned to look at Yellow, its ear drooping back. "She's fine. All she has to recover from is mild shock. I'm the one that's injured."
Yellow looked up from her drink, changing the subject. "Chuchu says she found two halves of a Pokeball. Do you think….?"
Lance tapped a Pokeball on Shinx's head and the Pokemon disappeared inside for a moment before reappearing. "Your Pokeball must have either been broken or destroyed. If you want I could recapture you." Shinx growled. "Fine." He put the Pokeball away. Shinx stuck out its tongue at him and walked over to Yellow, smiling and rubbing its head against her leg.
Yellow scratched its head. "Can you help us get Lance's Pokemon back?" Shinx set a paw on her leg, smiling. Lance frowned. Just earlier he had asked it that same question and not only had it yowled "NO!" it had given him a nasty shock. "Do you know where the laboratory is?" Shinx nudged Yellow's hand. "He says it's about half a day's walk from here."
"We can start in the morning."
"I thought you wanted to get there as soon as we could."
"You nearly died today. If you don't rest now you'll only slow us down."
"I'm fine."
"Not enough. Besides, Gray will be expecting me to come at night, probably tonight. If we wait until tomorrow we can catch him off-guard." He held a stick with wild vegetables stuck to it over the fire, slowly turning it.
"Okay…."
Lance looked back at her. Shinx wasn't there… An apple fell from the tree and he looked up at the lowest branch, which happened to be several meters up. Shinx was crawling on it, slowly inching towards an apple. How did it get up there? It couldn't have climbed that fast…
Shinx stopped, its full attention on the apple. It shook with anticipation before it lunged forward, missing the apple and sailed over the very end of the branch. Chuchu leaped up, her height just high enough for Shinx to crash into her, knocking her back down.
Chuchu got up, sighing, and walked beneath the tree, and with a thin, well-aimed Thunder Shock knocked down the apple. She caught it and set it in front of Shinx before returning to Yellow's side. Shinx narrowed its eyes at Chuchu, growling softly. Chuchu spun around and screeched at it for a moment. Shinx stared at her, shocked. It took its apple and went to sit next to the fire, watching Chuchu carefully. It jumped whenever the Pikachu suddenly looked at it. It jumped and shrieked when Lance tapped it. It took its apple into a hollow of another tree, where it stayed for the rest of the night.
The next morning Yellow finished backing everything they needed. "Are your arm and foot okay?"
Lance nodded slightly. "I'm not that weak."
Chuchu hopped onto Yellow's shoulder and called for Shinx. Shinx peeked out of its hiding spot and crawled out. It walked up to Lance and jumped onto his shoulder, the safest place it could be from Chuchu. It looked at everyone, who were looking at it strangely.
"… He says he can jump higher than most Shinx." Lance said. "And slower." He stared at it questioningly. Shinx shrugged.
"Is he feeling okay?" Yellow asked.
"He's just tired." Lance stared to walk away.
Yellow and Chuchu exchanged looks, not convinced. Yellow caught up with Lance. "If you want you can use one of my Pokemon when you need to save yours."
Lance shook his head. "You use them. They're not Dragon-types."
"But you'll need more help than just Shinx."
"I won't." Shinx turned to smile impishly at Yellow and Chuchu. "You're not a Dragon-type either." Shinx glared at him, slapping him with its paw. "You're an Electric-type." Shinx stuck its tongue out and looked away from him, glowering at the scenery.
"He wants to help. Be nice to him." Yellow said. Shinx smiled at her and glared at Lance again.
"When we get to the laboratory you can leave. I only needed you to get me there."
"I'm going to help you get your Pokemon back."
"…Fine."
Yellow walked a little faster, holding out a Pokeball. "Just take one Pokemon, please? I'll feel better knowing you had one with you." The Pokeball looked fairly new, as if she had recently caught a new Pokemon.
"I just told you I don't need it."
"But-"
Lance stopped and glared at her, his voice rising. "I don't need your concern. You've already slowed us down enough and because of you I have less of a chance to get my Pokemon back."
Yellow backed away a little, looking away from him. Lance looked away from her, seeing that his path was blocked by Chuchu, who was giving him a death-glare.
"Later, after I get my Pokemon back."
Chuchu narrowed her eyes. 'Fine. You better apologize. I know where you live.' The Pikachu returned to Yellow, smiling cheerfully.
Yellow looked up, surprise coming over her face and pointed ahead. "Is that it?"
A distance away was a gray building….
Lance looked at Shinx. "You said…"
'So what if I walk slower than you?'
As they got closer the building appeared more and more abandoned. Lance blocked Yellow from walking further. Something was wrong….
Chuchu screeched and used Thunder Bolt, destroying a Shadow Ball. A Froslass appeared just as Gray came from where he had hid behind some trees. Shinx shrieked and ran off.
"You've brought her, just like I wanted."
"What?!"
"Only those with a kind heart are able to control Latios. You can't do that with Legendaries."
"You won't be saying that once I-" Something pierced his shoulder.
"Once you what? You won't be don't anything for a week."
The dizzy spell came much faster and harder this time, the last thing he saw before passing out was two more Froslass surrounding Yellow and Chuchu being defeated.
*I'm not sure where it was going while I was writing it. I had some form of an idea.
I did start chapter ten today, too, so hopefully it won't be a long wait. I should post it before the six-month anniversary of this fanfiction being posted.
If you have any ideas of how Lance should get his Pokemon back, what kind of Pokemon Gray should have, how Gray should be defeated, etc, you can suggest it. That might help give me more ideas to write the rest of the next chapter faster.