Ch. 24: Against All Odds

Hmmm...

A blue flash momentarily filled the sky before vanishing into oblivion, leaving nothing but the tanned bag behind.

This is interesting...

Red and white spheres fell from two figures and scattered into various clusters into the grass below.

Very interesting...

A pained cry pierced the air, scaring a group of Starly's from their perches.

I should warn him...

A small terrified creature tore off into the tall grass as it tried to shake its pursuer.

But then again, one often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it...

A small group quarreled audibly before splitting up and going opposite directions.

However, if this is truly his, possibly our, destiny...

A blunt object struck someone, leaving a small mark on their figure and downing it.

Then I should tell him...

Bryce shook his head, his arms crossed firmly in front of his chest as Taylor jumped up and down protesting.

"C'mon! You heard Mama! She said I could come with you!"

Bryce frowned decisively while the younger girl continued to bounce in front of him with her desperate pleas and arguments. Since he had caught Mini-Medi, Stormie and he decided to go to Hearthome for her next contest. Unbeknownst to them, while they were making plans, Stacy had made concocted a plan of her own and called her mother for permission to go with them. Bryce had come in just in time to hear the last of it, much to his distress.

Neither Taylor nor her mother had any idea what his goal was and, Bryce thought, it probably wouldn't it matter in the long run. Taylor always had a way of getting her way. She wasn't demanding or spoiled, she just had this own special ability about her. Bryce used to call it Cute Charm when he was younger to tease her, but now more than ever, he felt the ability was all too real. He found it harder and harder to look at her and deny her wishes so he looked over her head, hence the bouncing.

"C'mon! Do you really think Blaze will listen to you without me?"

Once again, she had a point. Meagan had made it clear that if they wanted to get from town-to-town quickly, they would have to take a couple of Ponytas, at least until they reached Taylor's uncle in Solaceon Town. She didn't want Grace, the slightly inconvenienced, Ponyta to stay on her own and they couldn't keep Blaze away from the source of his infatuation. So it was a given that they were the two Ponytas that they would take.

Grace had taken to Stormie right away, obviously forgetting who ordered the attack on her legs, nuzzling her head against her while the coordinator stroked her head. However, Blaze glared distrustfully at Bryce. All the while he kept an eye on Grace, but it seemed he knew who was going to ride him, and he definitely didn't like it.

Bryce turned from the Ponyta and sighed, he found his defenses were breaking down one by one.

"But Taylor," he said warily, taking his hat off for a moment as he brought his hand through his hair like an old man, "you don't even have a pokemon to defend yourself with. What are you going to do when we run into a wild pokemon?"

Taylor grinned and clung to his wrist, "I have my big brother Bryski to protect me."

This was the feather that broke the Camerupt's back, "Fine... But only as far as Solaceon Town."

Taylor did a silent cheer, lifting her knee and pumping her fist while mouthing, "Yes!" Before she took off towards the house, flying through the kitchen door. Stormie shook her head, still patting her mount on the head.

"What?" Bryce asked defensively, raising his hands.

Stormie shot him an inquisitive look that seemed to say, You really don't know?

Bryce only frowned, blushing albeit a little angrily and ignored it, turning away to pull out his pokedex and Mini-Medi's pokeball to occupy his time. He scanned the pokeball and mentally skipped everything he already knew.

'Size... Gender... Physiology... Ah! Moves! Let's see, Bide, Meditate, Confusion, Detect, Protect, Hidden Power, Vacuum Wave, Mind Reader, Feint, and Calm Mind... Wow he's strong... How could you get that strong just by meditating?"

It's very simple.

Bryce blinked and looked around, earning a wave from Haunter and an aggresive snort from Blaze.

"What, was that?" He asked, removing his beret for a moment to scratch his head.

It is I, Salah satu yang mendapat penerangan-penerangan.

"How are you-?"

Think child.

"I am, but I still can't-"

No, I mean really think. The others are looking at you as though you're hearing voices.

But... I am.

I mean the types of voices that threaten your sanity.

And you don't apply?

Ah, touché. But I don't believe now is the time to try, what you call, jokes.

Fine fine, how are you talking to me anyway?

That is for another time, I must warn you... I have had a vision.

And I'm the crazy one?

Silence child... I can't tell you too much, that can drastically alter the course of the future. But I can tell you just enough to shift the events.

Ok fine, what is it?

Beware the sand that thwarts the stone...

Bryce almost immediately put this warning out of his head, taking it as the ravings of a deluded Meditite. Over the thirty minutes that followed the prophecy, or whatever you'd call the pokemon's imagination, he had problems of his own, namely Blaze. When Taylor went inside to get everything she needed for the journey, Bryce tried all he could to control the Ponyta on his own so he wouldn't have to worry about taking the little girl on his dangerous quest. Every single one of those attempts ended with a kick in the stomach and a bruised shoulder.

When he did finally manage to mount the horse, he burned the seat of his pants, much to the amusement of Haunter and Stormie who had mounted Grace already, and was just rubbing his singed butt when Taylor came out sporting a pink backpack giggling.

"Bryski! You already know you can't mount a Ponyta unless it's willing."

She skipped over to the Ponyta and stroked his long snout. Almost as if her hand had a soothing touch, the horse gently nodded its head forward and enjoyed the girl's gentle treatment. After a while, he appeared to doze off and Bryce took the oppurtunity to approach the Ponyta. Just when he thought he'd get away with it, the Ponyta's left eye snapped open and stared at him. It wasn't a threatening glance, just a look that was meant to tell him, I know you're there, don't you dare think you can sneak up on me again.

Bryce stood still as a statue as the equine stared at him before it snorted gently and closed its eye. Bryce let out a breath, relieved. This didn't rid him of his caution however as he slowly moved towards the Ponyta. He gradually reached towards the mild inferno on Blaze's back. Right when his finger was an inch away from the flames, Taylor shouted,

"Will you just get on already!"

This sudden outburst startled him so much, he stumbled forward, his hand falling into the blaze. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for the pain. However, it never came, he opened his eyes in minor surprise and found his hand was in the midst of the flames, yet he was miraculously unharmed. He turned his hand through the flames experimentally with mild wonder. Although there was heat, it wasn't enough to harm him. It was a pleasant warm feeling one received when sitting next to a fireplace, or while wearing a jacket, or even- Taylor giggled, breaking Bryce from his stupor.

He grimaced at Taylor, playfully due to his relief, and placed pressure on the Ponyta's back. Pressing down a little harder for support, he slung himself over the stallion's back. Taylor grinned at him, as if amazed he made a mountain from a Diglett's burrow. He stuck his tongue out at her and Taylor mounted the front of the equine.

"Hey! Why do you get to lead?"

As if to answer for her, Blaze sent a small burst of heat under Bryce's butt.

Gible was beyond pissed.

Here he was, napping in a hole he was constructing in the shade of the Fated Path. His bulky chin was resting on his stout arms while a bubble poked out of his nostril. He was having a nice dream about finding a cave full of treasure that none of the other Gibles didn't know about. He was right in the middle of loading his immense mouth with the fortune when he felt an itch across his nose. He wiped it away annoyed before he returned to cramming his mouth. The itch came back with a vengeance and suddenly, the treasure was gone. Nothing was there but his hole, the shadow of the Condemned Road, and a pokemon with a stick.

He was almost red from the fury of his anger, and what was the pokemon who had dared to wake him up doing? Laughing and jabbing at him with the branch. Before the Gible could so much as lift his chin, the pokemon was gone, floating away at full speed. Gible snarled, he was tired and wished to go back to his dreams of gold and riches, but he knew that just made him a target for the pokemon. The only thing he could do was defeat the pokemon and show it who was boss. With a sharp exhale, he stood up grudgingly and trudged after it.