Alright. Again, sorry about the previous chapter. That was a mess that I thank Flameuser64 for helping me to straighten out and improve. His feedback was invaluable.

Hopefully, this chapter is enjoyable. :)

Vines & Briars

Chapter 10: Croc

The trip through Prickle Ravine proved to be a relatively easy experience compared to Rick's past, first experience. Even though he was alone again for this trip, his new ability to take energy from other pokemon helped keep him going (even if he had to fight down revulsion in so-doing) and having open sunlight shining down on him certainly helped as well with keeping him on his feet. Finding fruit or berries was considerably easier than in the swamp as well.

As he proceeded through the Ravine, he kept an eye out for Rio or Quil. It seemed unlikely to him that Denzel would've dropped them here, if anywhere, but perhaps he would find them on his way. His course seemed to only be populated with rock-types intent on barring his path though, and when he didn't drain the nutrients out of them to keep himself going, Rick lashed the rocky Geodude drove them out of the way with a vine.

Before long, he reached the other end of the Ravine, feeling better than when he had come in. The forests on either side of the ravine seemed to drop fruit and other small food-items into the valley, which Rick had found on a regular basis on his way. On top of that, the way back to Silver Village seemed quite clear.

No Rio or Quil though.

His hopes hadn't been high to begin with, but he had had them…

I guess I'll just have to go to Silver Village and hope they're there. If not… I might have to go look for them.

This in-mind, Rick proceeded towards the Village, hoping to find them there.

-0-

When he arrived, roughly an hour later… he was "greeted" by Croc.

It seemed like the water-type had been waiting for him, and the tone he started with did not cheer up Rick any more than the first words out of his great, fanged mouth.

"Oh, back without them, I see. Too good for them, were you, Scrub?"

He's going from belligerent to just an out-right jerk now…

"We got separated, Croc." Rick said pointedly, "I was hoping they were back here."

"Likely story." Croc scoffed, "But no, they aren't here. And this time, I'll make sure you're never here again either. Turn back around, and go find somewhere else set up camp, Scrub."

Rick could feel a headache coming on as he felt a considerable amount of contempt building up in his very heart. He hated people who thought they could push him around just because they were bigger and stronger.

I don't care anymore if everyone's getting more argumentative for some unknown reason. I'm not taking any more of Croc's attitude.

"Croc. Get out of my way. If Rio or Quil aren't here, then I'm here to get help to go find them." There was an edge to his tone now.

"Or what?" Croc growled, cold air flowing from between his teeth, "I'll show you: grass doesn't always win over water."

Croc jumped at Rick with a snarl and attempted to bite him. The events of the other day- the events that got Rick separated from his team in the first place- came back to Rick.

The same attack Denzel used.

However, Croc was considerably slower than Denzel and after being bitten so fast like that once, Rick reacted faster. Croc had only just gotten in-range when Rick moved around, evading the clap of jaws that let out a burst of cold air. Rick then swiftly counter-attacked with his vine.

However, though the vine did do damage to Croc, he impressively shrugged the attack off and swung his tail around at Rick, who was caught off-guard this time. The Snivy let out a yelp as he was knocked away.

"That all you got, Scrub? Or are you gonna rely on that draining ability all you grass-types are always using?"

Rick wasn't normally one to take a bully's challenge, but in this case, he was fed up with Croc and if beating the reptile at his own, physical game would get him to shut up, cooperate, and stop picking a fight with him, he would play along. Besides that, draining pokemon he didn't know was distasteful enough, he wasn't about to use it on someone from the guild or the village, even if they were picking a fight.

Rick brandished the vine and attempted to whip Croc with it at-range. Croc was ready though and he swept around the attack, coming at Rick and attempting to bite him yet again. Croc was slower than Denzel, yes… but that didn't make him a sluggish opponent either.

Again, Rick was forced to retreat from the snapping jaws and continued to try and lash Croc with the vine. However, it seemed that the Croconaw was either highly resistant to getting lashed by a whip, or his determination to beat-up Rick was simply lending him raw tenacity.

Either way, Rick found himself quickly getting beat down by Croc, even if no heavy hits were landing.

He's playing a game of endurance and winning by landslide here. I just can't take a hit like he can.

It was after Croc's jaws came within centimeters of Rick that the former human realized he needed a better weapon himself. He was getting tired and fatigue was slowing him down. He needed to end this fight; win it, and fast.

What can I do though? I have the vines… my hands- what good are those?- My head- like that's gonna get through his scales- my tail… Could try the same thing he's been doing to me with his tail… no… not enough.

His mind was racing for options, as much as his heart was trying to keep up.

Croc's body is covered in those hard scales. I'm just soft skin. How the heck do I get through that natural armor of his without just draining him!?

Rick yelped as he was forced to dive to the side and avoid Croc's jaws again. There was a sting of pain in his tail though and Rick's movement was staggered slightly.

Agh… that didn't hurt too much, but… what did he catch?

Rick scrambled away, avoiding Croc's foot as the water-type attempted to stomp on Rick while he was down. He then noticed his tail.

It seemed that Croc had managed to get a bite on one of the leaves on Rick's tail, since the fan was now composed of two, instead of three… and Croc also spat out of the leaf he had plucked off.

"Alright. Game, set, match, Scrub." Croc growled, advancing on Rick now who wasn't really in a position to evade any more. He then opened his mouth wide, preparing to bite Rick, hard. For the second time in so many days, Rick's heart was pounding out of his chest from panic.

No. I'm not losing here. I can't afford to! I'm out of options so… I'll just have to do what I can!

Desperate, Rick lashed out with a vine, turning his entire body in an attempt to add more power to the swing. On top of that, he was also trying to smack Croc up the chest with his tail, not that he was hopeful for much effect there, but he giving his all to this.

There was a noise as Rick swung- Rick wasn't sure how to describe it- but he heard it behind him as he made his last desperate attack. The next moment, warm blood splattered over Rick from behind. For one instant, he was expecting pain; he expected the blood was his. However, the one who howled in pain… was Croc.

Rick turned and looked at Croc and immediately saw the large gash going up his belly, like someone had slashed him with a sword or a knife. Croc was clearly staggered and the wound was bleeding considerably.

What the-?! Did I-?!

Rick was, needless to say, speechless and confused. He knew he didn't have a weapon of any sort that could cut, so he couldn't have inflicted that wound. Trying to find the third party responsible, Rick looked around… but there was only himself and Croc that he could see.

"Geh… you'll… pay!" Croc huffed and stepped forward to attack again.

"Croc! ENOUGH!" Rick bellowed and lashed him across the face with a vine, trying now to slap some sense in the reptilian guildmember. He was annoyed with Croc's attempts to attack him, but he was also concerned, given the wound his guild-mate had.

Croc was weakened as it was, so the whip knocked him to the side this time and he was down. Rick didn't waste any time after that: he searched the immediate area and, spotting some leaves on some other plants, he quickly proceeded to pick the leaves off and tried to staunch the wound on Croc's abdomen with them.

Who the heck did this!? I know I couldn't have done it.

"C'mon, hang in there in Croc…" the Snivy said between clenched teeth.

Croc was stirring. Unsurprising, as Rick was sure he didn't have the strength to knock him out, even if he had knocked him down.

"Wha- AGH! What's goin' on?" Croc groaned, wincing hard and reaching a hand down to the wound.

"Don't act like you don't know, you big idiot." Rick growled, feeling quite frustrated.

Croc looked at Rick and simply blinked. As Rick glanced at his expression, he was quite surprised… there was no mistaking the look.

The guildmember looked confused, like he wasn't sure who Rick was.

Alright, that can't be possible. I couldn't have hit him hard enough for him to forget everything.

"It's me. Rick. The 'scrub' you keep tryin' to pick a fight with." The former human said, puzzled by this behavior.

Croc looked up, clearly trying to remember… and his expression softened a bit with recognition.

"Oh… yeah. Rick. But… picking fights with you? Why would I do that?" Croc muttered, sounding puzzled himself.

What the heck? He can't remember? Or did someone brainwash him or something?

"You wouldn't stop going on about grass-types and you proving you're better or whatnot." Rick said, still trying to contain the blood in the wound. Croc meanwhile blinked and groaned, gripping his head a bit with one hand.

"Things are kinda fuzzy… but… why? Why'd I do that?" Croc muttered, now actually sounding guilty, "Always trusted the guildmaster…"

Rick was amazed that the crocodile could be drifting off on his own thoughts despite the wound on his stomach-region.

"Hey! Croc! Think you could give me a hand here or do you wanna bleed to death?!" Rick finally blurted out.

Croc blinked as he looked at Rick again and he smirked a bit, amused.

"Hah. That? That's just a scratch." Croc laughed, "I'll give ya that it hurts, but me bleed to death from it? It'll take more than that to kill me."

…Wow… I'm not sure if he's just overconfident, or if that's actually a fact…

Rick stared at Croc's grinning face in honest disbelief.

"Don't believe me? Watch!" Croc said cheerily and used one hand to scoot Rick back a few steps, before he rolled onto his belly and proceeded to stand and stretch a bit.

"Oogh… ow… alright, so it's a bad cut, but what of it?" Croc grunted afterwards, massaging the wound a bit, "I can still stand, as you can see. It's not that bad."

Rick was sincerely impressed… Croc really wasn't showing much sign of pain. He was treating the wound, which had looked life-threatening to Rick, like it was simply a cut on his finger.

"Now… you said I was trying to attack you? Pick a fight?" Croc said, sounding concerned now. Rick nodded, and he couldn't keep the accusatory look off his face.

"Right… Rick… sorry about all that." Croc said bowing his head deeply in sincere apology, "I don't know what's going on, but I guess something got into me or my head. Could you forgive me?"

Rick's expression softened as he realized he was seeing what Croc was normally like.

I guess it's true… something or someone is making everyone more aggressive. Croc's like a completely different guy now. And whatever it is… I guess they don't really remember the details or why they're picking a fight. Then again… Kangaskan did say she couldn't think of why she would've been arguing with Munchlax over something. So that's consistent at least.

"Yeah… you roughed me up pretty bad, Croc… but… yeah, I think I could forgive you. It's not really your fault anyhow." Rick said, managing a small, friendly smile.

Croc scratched the back of his head.

"Ehhh… well, it might be somewhat my fault…" he admitted, "I mean, I've always thought this place would be a lot more fun if it was just water-types like myself… but then… well, no one else could have fun and where's the fun in that, eh?" Croc finished with a laugh, trying to keep up a cheery air, "Anyways, thanks. And if I ever start picking on you again, you have permission to clobber me again, alright?"

What with the silly grin on Croc's face, Rick wasn't sure if he was being serious or not.

"Er… right… though I don't believe I did it alone." Rick said, "I'm pretty sure I didn't cause that last wound…"

Croc looked at the wound and up at Rick.

"You sure?" He then looked around the ground, "There's no sign of anyone else having been around here y'know. No footprints. No nothing, except yours and mine."

Rick looked around as well, checking the area.

Croc's right… there's no other footprints around here except just from the two of us. And nothing that could fly would've been able to hit Croc like that. Not without him noticing anyways. But then… how did Croc get that injury?

No answer came to Rick though and his mind wandered onto other subjects.

"Croc, as I told you when I first arrived here again, I got separated from Rio and Quil. They haven't returned to the village, have they?"

Croc thought that over for a few minutes. His tone was fairly serious when he spoke,

"My memory of what I did or said is fuzzy… but I do remember what I've been seeing… which is why I remember fighting you. I also remember what I saw while I've been here…and I haven't seen either of them. You have any idea where they might be?"

Rick shook his head glumly.

"No, we ran into Denzel. He beat me and Quil at least and I don't know what's become of Rio. When I woke up, I was in a swamp and I had to navigate my way out of there alone."

Croc looked reasonably surprised when the Snivy said this,

"A swamp? You must be talking about The Murk to the north-west. Not a lot of teams go in there, so that certainly says something about you if you managed to get yourself out of there all by yourself." Croc said pointedly.

I don't really feel all that special about it though… I was lost almost that entire time. I got out of that place by sheer luck…

Then Croc's eyes widened a bit.

"Wait, you said you ran into Denzel?" the former human quickly nodded in-response to this question, "Then you might try the hills to the south here. I'm pretty sure I saw something moving towards the Ferric Hills off that direction." Croc said, jerking a thumb in the direction of the hills "Can't say for sure it was a Floatzel like that criminal, but they were movin' pretty fast and he did come from the north-west like yourself. He didn't come very close to here so I never bothered with whoever it may have been."

Ferric Hills? Was it Denzel? Or someone else? And if it was Denzel… why did he go there?

"Alright… thanks Croc. I'll go investigate." Rick said with a nod and a smile.

"Whoa, hold up there." Croc interjected. Rick was stopped short and he looked at Croc, a little bemused.

"You don't have a team badge so you're no exploration team-member yet. You'll only get yourself in trouble going alone like that." Croc said with a grin, "That's why I'm gonna come with ya."