Chapter 54, everybody! In which the title quotes Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc—and yet the shortcut doesn't take as long. ^^;
Also, that part y'all have been waiting for….
And now for something completely different in the review responses: Dragonkeeper10, SPYRO 101, Urdeadnotbigsurprise (I don't know either, tbf), Vulaan Kulaas, talesfanjmf, Cyan Quartz, Guest, and CoolGuyBros, thanks for the reviews! Hope you have a happy Thanksgiving! :D
Pokémon © Game Freak; Nintendo
And now, for something completely different:
In other news, the excavation at Grandpa Canyon is set to begin next week. This venue will be attended by Pokémon fans, researchers, trainers, and most notably, members of a minor local cult. The cultists reportedly are showing up in hopes of finding helix fossils. Officers and rangers will be present on the scene to prevent fossil theft, ensure safe excavation, and preserve fossils discovered. An officer interviewed stated they did not want a repeat of last year's excavation, where a sizeable number of Kabuto fossils were destroyed by quote "dangerous helix fanatics" end quote.
Walking it off didn't help, Ash thought.
"My legs hurt," he moaned after they left Lara's ranch the next day. "And my back, and my butt."
"Riding is like biking or climbing stairs—it uses different muscles," Brock said. "But the good news: we should be reaching Route Twelve soon—after that it's a straight shot up to Lavender Town and then Saffron City."
"Yes," Ash cheered, pumping a fist. "We'll catch a ghost, then we'll take on Sabrina."
"Not sure how I feel about that," Misty said. "Travelling with one creepy 'mon is bad enough."
"Aw, you make me blush," Darkrai said, floating by.
"I can't tell," Ash said. "Are they getting along?"
"For my sanity's sake, I'm going with yes," Brock decided, as they passed the sign proclaiming that Route Twelve was up ahead. Go into the building that acted as a tunnel to transition into the many bridges and walkways of the route—
Were stopped dead by the sheer amount of police and workers clogging the place.
"What the—" Ash gasped.
"What's going on here?" Misty asked.
"Sorry kids, route's closed," one of the cops said. "Gonna have to turn you around."
"What? Why?"
"Vandals," one of the head officers said. "Someone blew up a bunch of the bridges a few days ago—we're still trying to ascertain the damage."
"Someone blew up the bridges?" Misty echoed.
"How? Why?" Ash asked.
"Still don't know, now shoo," the officer said, steering them all back outside.
They had to take a few minutes to process that once they were back in the sun.
"So this stinks," Misty declared.
"Wait," Brock said. "When Blaze threw Lara—that weird explosion on the horizon—I bet that was these bridges going!"
Misty blinked. "I know Lara gave us a lift but…we were at least two day's walk from there."
"I know—whatever happened, that was bad."
"I—now wait a minute!" Ash exclaimed. "How are we supposed to get up to Saffron now? Or Celadon, even—I need to get my next badge!"
"I guess we'll have to backtrack to Fuchsia and go from there."
"Bogus."
"Hey," a worker marked up as a nurse said, looking them over. "You need to head north?"
"Yeah—I need to get my next badge."
"Well if you three are trainers, you could try a trail near Neon City—might as well call it the longest shortcut since it's not a proper route, but it'll spit you out near Grandpa Canyon and about equidistant from Celadon or Saffron. But it's populated by strong Pokémon, so…."
"We can take it," Ash declared, clenching his fists. "How do we get there?"
The worker seemed to be debating…settled on it finally. "Do one of you have a map?"
They watched as the man marked it out. "Now I don't really recommend this for anyone with under six badges—it's really difficult."
"I've got four, I'm close enough," Ash insisted.
"And we're both gym leaders," Brock said. "We should be able to handle it."
"Okay…just don't try it in the middle of winter or anytime during late fall—it doesn't end well."
"Got it," they chimed.
They doubled back until Neon City was a glittering mess on the horizon, swung around through the conglomerate of suburbs and border city, consulted the map as they ate at a buffet, weighing the pros and cons of going up the isolated route.
"We could head west and follow the coastal towns up," Brock said, tracing the route with his finger. "But we'd encounter a lot of tourist trainers there, and if they challenged any of us, we'd be going in blind."
"Don't we anyway?" Ash asked, eating his fries with no ketchup, seeing as how Pikachu had commandeered the bottle yet again.
"Yes, but I'm talking more about them having foreign Pokémon that we wouldn't recognize and wouldn't be able to quickly look up on a Pokédex."
"Oh."
"Or we could wait a couple of weeks for the repairs on Route Twelve to be finished," Misty pointed out.
"By which time I'll have gone stir-crazy and Gary will be the Regional Champion."
"You exaggerate."
"Or we could go along the long and winding route, which barely qualifies as a route on this map," Brock said, tapping on the paper. "Several positives: Grandpa Canyon is on this route, which means we'd probably reach it at about the time the dig there opens to the public; plenty of opportunities to train on this route, since it hasn't really been built up and therefore has a larger base of indigenous Pokémon."
"English, please," Misty said.
"There's Pokémon there," Brock clarified. "Which is about where the positives end. The route isn't very populated, which means we'd be going a long time without hitting civilization."
"Like from Cerulean to Viridian?"
"Worse than that. Pokémon here would be higher-leveled, and we wouldn't have a Pokémon Center to fall back on. We'd be reliant solely on whatever we're carrying at the time—and the longer it takes us to find civilization, the thinner our supplies will be."
Ash considered this, head on his arms. "But making it through, my Pokémon would be leveled enough to take on Erika with no problem."
"This is true," Brock said. "Or you could train them here, until the main route opens again."
"I'd still feel better for moving."
"The unfortunate truth of Pokémon trainers," Brock sighed, folding the map up—or trying to, at least. "Progress isn't progress unless it's forward on a route. Let's head to Neon City, then—it's between us and there, and it's more likely to be better stocked than here. We'll stock up there, and then head up the route. In theory, it'll spit us out somewhere on Route Eleven, and we can go from there."
"In theory?" Misty echoed.
"This isn't a well-travelled route. Legislation at the League has been in turnaround for ages as far as making a proper road through here is concerned, but it always falls through—and the times they have managed to start work on a road, local Pokémon like Diglett always tear it up. Unofficially, the Kantoan Pokémon League has given this route up as a lost cause."
"And then idiots like us come along."
"Pretty much."
"Come on, guys, think positive," Ash said, shielding his fries from Pikachu's now-interested attention. "Think of this as an adventure! Us getting closer to the world of Pokémon and all that."
"Wow," Misty said. "That sounds just like the spiel they give on the TV when they call for new trainers."
"I may have that spiel memorized."
"So are we decided?" Brock asked.
"Yeah," Ash said.
"Well I guess it's better than going back past the Exeggutor squad and the unfit parents and the stupidly named town," Misty sighed. "Yes that's a yes."
"All right then," Brock said, folding the map back up. "We all vote shortcut."
Once they got away from Neon City and made the turning, the wilderness reasserted itself with such intensity that it gave Ash whiplash.
It also didn't take long for the trail to peter out.
"Well, we knew this would happen," Ash observed.
"Yeah," Brock agreed. "I just kind of wished it had taken longer."
"So long as we don't run into any bugs, I'm fine," Misty said, before shrieking in alarm and jumping forward.
"Hi, Darkrai," Ash noised.
"You!" Misty yelled at the black blot laughing behind her. "Will you stop that!"
"Maybe when you stop making yourself such an appealing target," Darkrai said airily, waving a clawed hand about.
"Okay, guys?" Brock said, turning to them. "This is going to be a very long route without you two getting on each other's nerves. Just pretend, for at least a day, that you like each other, okay?"
Misty and Darkrai didn't look very willing.
Brock sighed. "I'll make it worth your while, how's that?"
"How?" Darkrai asked—cut off abruptly when Brock held out an Oran cake. "Deal. But my price is a cake a day."
"Fair enough," Brock sighed.
"So what's my bribe?" Misty asked.
Brock considered. "I buy you something nice once we get to Celadon?"
"Deal—what's my upper price limit?"
Ash started poking around in the nearby tall grass as they haggled over the number. There was some squeaking from Nidoran running away, but nothing that seemed to want to stay and fight. Well, there was still a lot of trail to go, he supposed.
"So how long do you think this will take?" Ash asked.
"A few years," Darkrai said, polishing off his Oran cake. "Or weren't you talking about 'The Price is Right' over there?"
"I was actually talking about the trail."
"Probably a week at least," Brock said, finally shaking hands with Misty. "It's a good chunk of Kanto we're travelling up, and with no clear trail to follow."
"All right," Ash said, straightening his hat. "Sounds like a challenge!"
"So sayeth Custer," Darkrai sighed.
Ash ended up really liking taking the long and winding route.
There were plenty of Pokémon out and about that weren't deterred by Darkrai's presence, which meant a lot of practical training could take place. He had taken to keeping Lenny, Charmander, or Patches out as well, mostly so they'd be ready for any Poké-ambushes, mostly because he figured those three would be the best bet for battling Erika, after deciding to tackle her first.
It was a topic discussed long and hard at night around the campfire. Erika was the Grass type gym leader. Grass was weak to fire, flying and poison.
"And Ice," Darkrai put in. "Grass types are weak against Ice."
Which led to discussing who, if any, of Ash's team could learn Ice type moves—which led to trying to teach Lenny Ice Fang.
It was slow going—even with showing Lenny a video Ash had found on the Pokédex, the basic instructions for teaching was direct the Pokémon to feel sub-zero temperatures in its fangs. Ash's estimation of the device was dropping faster than a Geodude from an airplane.
It didn't stop him from picking at it every night, mostly to give his hands something to do while they chatted. In retrospect, he should have packed his Gameboy.
"Celadon has a department store," Misty said, after another night of trying to figure out how to teach a Gyarados that had never experienced cold about ice. "So you could buy a technical machine there and teach Lenny that way."
"And then we'd have to practice with it so it doesn't fail halfway through," Ash pointed out.
"Well, yeah—that's the point of Pokémon trainers."
"I've tried that—he doesn't listen," Darkrai said, grooming himself slightly out of the circle of light.
"Going the TM route might be the better idea anyway," Brock pointed out.
"But we were able to teach him Aerial Ace, and that's a TM move!" Ash pointed out.
"That Darkrai showed him, because Darkrai knows it."
This was true—and reflected their main activity during their travel on this route: learning new moves and using them on the local Pokémon. It was eventually getting through that they were a force best left unaccosted—the Scyther specifically left them alone after Misty freaked out upon seeing one and slammed it with one of her mallets, upon which she followed up with ordering all of her Pokémon to get rid of it.
"Lenny was able to learn Aerial Ace easy enough because Lenny is part flying type," Brock continued. "And a Pokémon will always have an easier time learning moves of their type. Which is good, considering the STAB factor."
"The what?" Ash asked blankly.
"STAB—Same Type Attack Bonus. A Pokémon knows its element, can work with it really well. That's why Pikachu's electric attacks work so well, or Charmander's fire attacks. A Pokémon can always work well with moves that take advantage of its typing or physiology."
"You're using big words again," Misty pointed out.
"Right. Lenny would do well with biting attacks because Lenny has those huge jaws. Patches was the one who mastered Dig, because Patches' species spends most of its time digging burrows. Things like that."
"I see. Kind of," Ash noised, before looking at Lenny, coiled up with Ash leaning on him. "So…maybe tomorrow we start working on your biting attacks, like Bite and Crunch, and then move on to Ice Fang."
"Gyara," Lenny noised, closing his mouth—which was good, considering he had been trying to focus cold to his fangs and had unfortunately thus far only been able to drool on everything.
Yessir, the only downside Ash could see was that they really had no way to fully estimate how long this would take. After the first week passed and Darkrai reported no civilization in any direction, they resolved that they were hunkered down for the long haul.
This was only really a problem where food was concerned.
"We're still good for another two weeks," Brock said. "Maybe more if we can forage for food, but after that we'll be in some trouble."
"So let's not do that," Misty said.
"Let's not," Brock agreed.
Ash translated that as a problem for Future-Ash, was very excited to keep training his Pokémon, started cycling through them so he wouldn't have to worry about anyone falling behind.
Something else he started focusing a bit more on as well was the egg that had been riding in Brock's backpack.
"It's been ages," Ash said, having tugged it out and sitting with it while Brock cooked dinner. "Shouldn't it have done something by now?"
"It looks like it's twitching," Misty said, pointing. "It must be getting close."
"I'm going to say the next couple of days, if not sooner," Brock said.
A tiny piece of shell popped off the top.
"Right now is pretty soon," Ash agreed.
"Definitely," Misty said, sitting back a little—why became very clear when the egg suddenly flashed and shell shards fell everywhere, leaving Ash holding a….
"Aw, it's so cute!" Misty declared. "…What is it?"
"Rio!" the freshly-hatched Pokémon cheered, batting blue paws at Ash's face.
"Not sure—hold on," Ash said, digging for his Pokédex. Pointed it at the Pokémon…nothing. "I hate this thing."
"Rrr," the baby Pokémon growled, glaring at the Pokédex.
Brock looked at it. "It's not a 'mon I recognize," he said. "So it's gotta be from a different region. Where did you get this egg from again?"
"I come bearing gifts," Darkrai announced, drifting in with several Cheri berry clusters pinched delicately between his claws. "Also news of a greatly-reduced Rattata warren."
"Darkrai!" Ash called, holding the baby Pokémon up. "The egg hatched! We don't know what it is."
"Rio!" the baby Pokémon cheered.
"Well it's about time," Darkrai said at the little 'mon. "Do you have any idea how long it's been? I'll tell you how long it's been it's been years."
"Think you're exaggerating a little," Ash said.
"I actually do know, now I'm wondering how you do," Misty said, looking at the little 'mon as well. "Please tell me this isn't a baby Darkrai."
"Excuse you," Darkrai sniffed—pointed a claw at the 'mon. "That is a Riolu—they're a Fighting type native to Sinnoh, they evolve into Lucario. Big on sensing auras."
"From Sinnoh?" Brock asked. "Why do I get the feeling Ash got this egg from you?"
"Oh sure I had a spare egg in my pocket."
"I did," Ash confirmed.
"And then there's that. You have no chill have I taught you nothing?"
"Rio," the Riolu noised.
"So he needs a name," Ash decided. "Wait is it a boy or a girl how do I tell?"
Darkrai leaned in, looked at it—narrowed his eyes when the Riolu patted one of his spiked ridges. "Boy."
"How can you even tell?"
"Girls are more sensible," Misty offered.
"What she said," Darkrai agreed.
Brock seemed momentarily dumbstruck. "It's gonna rain."
"How can you tell?" Ash asked.
"These two agreed on something."
"You're closer," Misty said to Darkrai. "Slap him upside the head for me, will you?"
"Do it and I never make you another Oran cake for as long as you draw breath."
"Ooh, this is a toughie," Darkrai muttered, debating.
Ash made a face at them, focused on the little Riolu. "Um…how about…Lewis? Does that work?"
"Lu!" the Riolu cheered.
"Sounds like a yes," Ash said, fishing a Pokéball out—stopped when something occurred to him. "Wait—if I put him in a Pokéball he'll just go straight to Professor Oak! We're ages away from a PC!"
"There's special exemptions for baby Pokémon, since they imprint on the first thing they see," Brock said. "He gets registered as a travelling companion for about six months, and when that expires, then he's sent to your sponsor. Pretty sure we'll be back in civilization by then."
"You hope," Darkrai said.
"I do."
"Okay then," Ash said, bonking the Pokéball on top of Lewis's head. Watch as it rocked, pinged—waited—
"Did you not believe me?" Brock asked testily after about a minute.
"No," Ash and Misty both said.
"Pika," Pikachu agreed.
Brock sighed. "It's in the trainer handbook, there's a whole section regarding eggs, how did you miss that?"
"Because we let you read it and tell us?" Misty asked. "Are you going to let him back out?"
"Yeah," Ash said, letting Lewis back out—the Riolu shook himself vigorously, tackled Ash in a hug. "Aw, miss me?"
"And that's why they're registered as travel companions for six months," Brock sighed.
Lewis both livened and complicated the journey.
For one, he was very excited about everything, was able to sense when new Pokémon were nearby.
For another, he seemed very convinced that all new Pokémon were automatically friends—they had to rescue him from his own enthusiasm more than once.
"Maybe you should leave him in his Pokéball," Misty sighed after the tenth such rescue.
"But he gets lonely in there," Ash protested.
"You don't know that."
"He might, actually," Darkrai said. "The Riolu line work with aura, I told you—they use it to communicate with just about anything, village idiots included."
"Hey."
"Hay is for Ponyta."
"Kids, play nice," Brock sighed.
"Look," Ash told Lewis, putting him down. "We get your enthusiasm, but don't go running up to every strange Pokémon you sense, okay? It's uh…not polite."
"Ro," Lewis noised, looking down at that news.
"No wait it's okay we can do something else."
"Like training," Misty suggested. "Start with heel."
"Nah, we'll come up with something cooler."
"Heel is important," Brock agreed. "You don't want him running off."
"And then there's that," Misty sighed, as Ash and Lewis hopped around happily, going yip-yip-yip; Pikachu joined a few moments later.
And then Lewis' yip turned into a yipe when he went through the ground, burying himself up to his armpits.
Ash yelped in alarm, ran over and hauled Lewis out of the ground. "Are you okay?"
"Ri-oh," Lewis moaned, sniffling—currently too shocked to cry, but getting there.
And then a little brown thing popped out of the hole.
"Oh, it's a Diglett," Ash said.
"You must have been bouncing on its burrow," Brock observed.
"Sorry—but uh, you mind not digging here next time? People kind of walk here."
The Diglett looked a little aggravated at that, glanced at Lewis sniffling before ducking back down. Ash figured that was the end of it, was surprised when it popped back up with a rock balanced on its head.
"Diglett," it said. "Diglett dig."
"Is that for us?" Ash asked. In response, the Diglett bounced the rock on its head a few times, to Lewis's delight, before knocking it over to them.
"Diglett," it said, before vanishing back into its burrow.
"Hey thanks!" Ash called, before stooping down and picking up the rock. "It's definitely an interesting rock," he observed, turning it over.
Darkrai floated over and examined it critically. "That's a Sun Stone—they make certain Pokémon evolve."
"That's cool," Ash said, holding it up to the light—it filtered the sunlight orange, and Ash entertained both himself and Lewis with shining the orange light around for the Riolu to try and grab.
"Mostly grass Pokémon," Darkrai said, glancing at Misty. "It turns Gloom into Bellossom instead of a larger stinking plant."
"No insulting Oddish," Misty said crossly, although Oddish perked up at the idea of not turning into a Vileplume.
"Yeah," Ash agreed. "Hey Misty, you want this?"
"Ri-oh," Lewis noised, still dazzled by the rock.
"I mean that is tempting," Misty said. "But you hang onto it for now."
"But there's good news," Brock said, smiling. "Evolution stones mean we're getting close to Grandpa Canyon—it's not the big source that Stone Mountain is, but it's decent. And that also means we're getting to the end of this so-called shortcut."
"Finally," Misty groaned. "Civilization, how I've missed thee."
"And that means we're getting close to the next gym challenge!" Ash cheered, Lewis bouncing around him again.
"Yep," Brock agreed—pointed when they rounded a curve. "Right there—Grandpa Canyon. We should be there by next week, we'll swing by that little town there for supplies first. And should be just in time for the excavation to open up to the public."
"Excavation?"
"For fossils."
"Nice. I call dibs on any cool ones I find."
"Fair enough."