Chapter 30: Cycle of Life
That day, I discovered something about the deaths that have followed me since I began this journey. They each hurt in their own way and I mourned for all of them. The thing was, each death has happened at a time where I could pause, take time to mourn and reflect on the life lost. Even after Sora died, and the Great Marsh exploded shortly afterword, I was able to spend time remembering the brave bird. Then there was Armstrongs death. I would have liked nothing more than to take an hour, hell, even a moment, to grieve for the fighting-type. But I was in the middle of a dark cave filled with hundreds of wild, hostile pokemon. There was no time for me to waste. I would have to do it later.
Moving through the cave, I released Rose to help drive away the wild pokemon. With Cobalt taking care of any Steelix that wandered in our path, we were able to push deeper into the cave. Riley asked numerous times if I wanted to stop, take a break, or even leave the cave. I shook my head no. "I promised myself a full day of training in these caves, I can't stop now." I said. I don't know if Riley liked my answer, but at the time I couldn't care less what he thought.
As we moved deeper into the caves, we ran into more and more trainers. The fights got slightly more difficult, since for one the trainers had a more diverse pool of pokemon to choose from, and for another Cobalt seemed to be Rileys only pokemon. When facing a strong fighting or fire-type, he needed all the help he could get to stop himself from fainting.
Eventually we ran into another pair of trainers. They looked like they could be a young couple, a man and a woman in their early 20s. You know those couples that dress alike and even look similar? That would be these two. They each had dyed green hair, the man's was short and brushed back while the woman's was straight and reached her hips. They wore red jumpsuits and each had a belt with three pokeballs on it. Oh man, we're in for it this time I thought, nodding at Rose indicating she should get ready to fight.
The trainer couple didn't even say anything before releasing their pokemon, a Quagsire and Lopunny respectively. I didn't mind, I didn't feel like going through the niceties before a battle anyway. "Rose, take out the Quagsire!" I called, knowing that Cobalt could handle the Lopunny. Rose easily defeated the dual water/ground-type with a quick Magical Leaf, just as I expected. What I didn't expect was Cobalt to completely miss his Force Palm attack on the Lopunny. When he hit the rock behind her, he didn't even do that much damage, only moving it back a little bit. "What the hell Riley, why is Cobalt holding back?" I asked.
Riley grimaced silently, reading Lucarios thought using aura. "He can't focus. She reminds him to much of your Lopunny, he doesn't want to hurt her." he groaned.
"Are you joking?" I asked, already knowing the answer was no. Wow, what a weird weakness to have I thought.
Unfortunately looks weren't the only thing the enemy Lopunny had with Lola. She also knew fighting-type moves, which she quickly demonstrated on Cobalt. A powerful Jump Kick attack knocked him down for the count. He had actually been one-shotted. "Oh shit." I muttered as the man released a Staraptor to counter Rose. "It's two on one now, isn't it? Well, come on then! I've already lost one pokemon today, I don't plan on loosing another!"
What happened next was one of the most intense battles I've ever had in my life. Riley was no help now that his only pokemon was down, and the two trainers we faced were clearly in the higher tier of trainer. They knew exactly how to work together, covering each others weaknesses. It was mostly a blur, but I remember switching pokemon as often as I could, whenever someone was getting in over their head, or a new pokemon appeared that would counter them. I remember bits and pieces of the match. Mufasa zapping the Staraptor with a Spark attack. Lola beating the other Lopunny with her own Jump Kick. Rose replenishing some energy using Mega Drain on a Hippopotas. Moka barely managing to avoid a Medichams psychic-type attack before taking it down with Air Cutter. After what felt like hours, Cerberus landed the finishing blow, using Crunch to beat a small Kirlia.
My legs actually gave out when the battle was over. I fell back, landing hard on my rump and breathing a sigh of relief and surprise. "Wow." I gasped. "I can't believe I managed that!" The trainer couple congratulated me on my win, saying it was a wonderful match. I couldn't agree more, shaking their hands from my position on the cave floor. As they walked away, Riley administered some medicine to everyone, popping a Revive into Cobalts open maw.
The Lucario snapped up, getting to his feet and glancing around wildly. "What happened?" he asked. "I remember fighting a Lopunny, or was it with a Lopunny? And..." he trailed off as his memory came back to him. "I got knocked out, didn't I?" he asked sheepishly.
"Yes, but don't let it get to you." Riley encouraged. "You just need to adjust to fighting Lopunny. We'll figure something out."
We continued through the cave, battling more wild pokemon. After maybe the twentieth Graveler in as many minutes, I started to feel like something was wrong. Riley agreed when I voiced my concerns. "They shouldn't be this aggressive." he said. "Their aura is all wrong, red and angry. Something is disturbing them."
He turned to Cobalt, who obeyed some silent command. Cobalt stood still, eyes closed and arms folded across his chest. For a second, nothing happened. Then, a blue light appeared around his body, and his ears lifted slightly, as if raised by wind. He stayed like this for some time before the light vanished and he opened his eyes. "This way. There are two humans farther in the cave. They must be the disturbance." he said, leading the way.
A few minutes later, we rounded a corner and discovered that Cobalt was right. We were in an abandoned mineshaft that seemed to stretch forever. Only, it didn't sound abandoned. There was plenty of noise coming from above, on top of a large cliff that was carved into the rock. A lift was built into it, allowing us to move closer to the source of the noise. The lift was old and noisy, but the sound was easily drowned out by the racket ahead. Reaching the top, we discovered that one of the many drills had been reactivated. It was digging into the rock, spewing small chunks of rock all over. Standing behind it, admiring its work, were two Team Galactic grunts.
"You!" Riley and I both yelled at once. They couldn't possibly have heard us, but their pokemon did. A Glameow and a Zubat quickly glanced back in our direction before hissing and shrieking at us. That got the grunts attention and they shut off the drill, thankfully stopping the racket.
"What are you doing here? This is a mining zone, get the hell out of here!" one grunt barked. His companion, a female grunt, nodded in agreement.
"Mining zone my ass, this place has been closed for years!" I argued, gesturing at all the dusty equipment.
"In fact, it's abandoned because they discovered it was messing with the local habitat." Riley added. "And we've tangled with the likes of you before, we know Team Galactic isn't what it appears to be."
The grunts instantly dropped what little there was of their charade. "Alright then." the guy muttered. "If you know who we are then we can't exactly let you leave, can we? Zubat, Air Cutter!"
"Nick, take care of the Glameow, we can deal with the Zubat!" Riley called, Cobalt already attacking it with a Force Palm. Its Air Cutter attack hit his steel chest harmlessly as he slapped it out of the air, bouncing the bat off the ground.
"Lola, use Jump Kick!" I ordered, releasing her from her pokeball. She wasted no time, bounding across the rock before landing a solid blow into the gray cat. There was no doubt that it was a one-hit-KO, and the female grunt scoffed as she returned her fallen pokemon.
"Weaklings, they always give me weak pokemon!" she said. "Come on Croagunk, let's show them who's boss!" The purple frog pokemon chattered in excitement as it surveyed the battlefield.
The Zubat Cobalt was fighting had gotten back up, but was quickly knocked back down with a Quick Attack from the blue jackal pokemon. Seeing that they had the situation well in hand, I told Lola to focus on the Croagunk. "We need to knock him out now before he does any damage! Return!" I called.
Lolas fist glowed white as she sped across the cave floor. The attack hit the frog before it even knew what happened. A loud BOOM rushed through the air as a shockwave erupted from the force of the blow. I shielded myself from the dust, marveling at the damage done. I know Return is boosted by happiness, but I never thought it would get this strong!
The woman sent out a Stunky to replace her pokemon. The Zubat flew into view, knocked down again by Cobalt. It tried to get up a third time before falling limp. The man shrugged before releasing a Houndour. "Let's switch opponents." I suggested. Riley nodded before telling Cobalt to use Force Palm. He and Lola each took out their opponents swiftly and brutally, Lola using Jump Kick. It was just like when they battled the wild pokemon, each watching the others back. When the male grunt sent out his final pokemon, a Golbat, I already knew the battle was over. Together, Lola and Cobalt punched the bat pokemons lights out, using Dizzy Punch and Metal Claw respectively. Lola cheered and hugged Cobalt in victory.
The grunts were not nearly as happy. "You may have stopped us here, but you haven't heard the last of Team Galactic!" they cried. They ran off into a side tunnel before we could stop them. I decided to examine the drill, try to figure out what exactly they were doing down here. "Looks like they only turned this one on." I said, glancing at the other nearby drills. "What was this place before it was shut down?" I asked.
"A jewel mine." Riley replied, walking over. "Sinnoh is rich in small gems and other precious stones such as rubies and sapphires. This mine was made before the Underground was built, in an effort to harvest the stones."
"So, what, Team Galactic was after some quick cash selling gems?" I asked as I checked the front of the drill. "Seems kind of mundane for them after the bombings and acts of terrorism."
"Agreed. But it doesn't matter. We've driven them off and the wild pokemon should be at peace now." Riley said.
"Sweet, mission accomplished." I muttered. I spotted a bit of shine in the rubble by the drill. Kneeling down, I brushed the dirt off, revealing a Shiny Stone. I quickly snatched it up. "Alright, let's get out of this cave. I'm ready to get back to civilization." I said with a yawn.
We made it out of the caves easily enough. The problem was, by the time we had, the sun was already setting. I groaned at the panorama of reds and purples covering the horizon. "Man, come one! I don't even think the fisherman I came here with even waited this long. How the hell am I supposed to make it back to Canalave now?" Suddenly I remembered I wasn't alone. "Hey Riley! How'd you get here?" I asked.
Riley chuckled lightly. "I actually live here. I find the seclusion peaceful. Come on, you can spend the night at my house. Signal the fisherman in the morning." he answered, walking over a light path. Since the island was so small, we managed to get to Rileys house before the light had completely faded. It was a small house, one floor and only a few actual rooms. There was a living/dining room that the front door led into. In the back of the house around the corner was a kitchen, decked out with all the needed appliances. A hallway broke off to the left of the entryway, which I imagine lead to the bathroom and bedroom. Riley gestured at the black leather couch. "You can crash here if you want. Cobalt usually sleeps outside of his pokeball, but I don't know about your team."
I thought about it for a moment. "I'll let them out to eat and stretch, but I think I'll keep them in their pokeballs tonight." I answered. It would feel weird, letting them have the run of the place in someone elses' house. I released everyone, the five of them looking around the rooms a bit. "Got any pokemon food?" I asked.
"Sure, plenty for everyone." Riley said, moving into the kitchen. The rest of the night was spent eating and socializing. I talked with Riley about the League and about different pokemon. He actually had a bunch more at his actual home on a large island north of Sinnoh. My quizzical look must have let him know my thoughts. "This is a training home." he explained. "Whenever I want to train one of my team, or I just want a break, I come here. That's actually why I'm here with Cobalt. We're training for an upcoming tournament back home."
I nodded, glancing back at the pokemon. After everyone had eaten, I had pulled the Shiny Stone out of my pocket and presented it to Rose. She agreed that it was probably for the best if she evolved now, and touched the stone, turning into the regal Roserade. Now Moka and her were chatting about her new form. Cerberus was trying to enter the conversation, but since it was mostly to poke fun at Rose, they mostly ignored him. Mufasa was lying by the couch, either already asleep or simply listening to the activity around him as usual. Lola, meanwhile, was chatting with Cobalt.
"Alright, I think it's time to get some sleep." I yawned, getting to my feet. "Thanks again for letting us stay here Riley." I said, grabbing my pokeballs and motioning for everyone to say goodnight. I returned them and put the balls back on my belt before draping it over the back of the couch. I caught Cobalt staring, but when he noticed me he looked away. I brushed it off, figuring he was just spacing out or something before I grabbed the blanket Riley had dug out for me and settled in.
That night, I woke up restless. I groaned inwardly. Whenever I slept in a new place I always woke up to the smallest things. I adjusted my position on the couch and tried to fall back to sleep. I briefly saw a flash of red, but since I was half-asleep anyway I didn't think about it much. The next morning, however, I almost wished I had investigated.
"I can't believe this!" I roared. "I should have known this would happen because of the way you two were acting back in the caves!" Lola and Cobalt looked away sheepishly as Riley and I confronted them. An egg sat in Lolas lap, a dark blue with black stripes painting the shell. "How is this even possible? Is is because you're a Lopunny, or do all pokemon breed this fast?" I asked.
"They all do." Riley answered calmly. He wasn't nearly as flustered about the situation as I was. "It's important that the actual laying is over quickly, since its so dangerous in the wild."
"Okay, fine, I can get that." I said. "But why is it a Riolu egg? Shouldn't the child's species come from the mother?"
Riley gave me a strange look. "Didn't you say last night that you were raised on a ranch? Must have been a strange place to give you such misguided information." I shrugged the question off, mostly because I didn't want him to poke more holes in my story. "No," he explained. "the species is a 50-50 chance with a mixed breeding pair like them. I'm actually glad that it's a Riolu. That makes things easier." he said, stepping towards the pokemon. Lola seemed defensive, instinctively moving to protect the egg before Cobalt put a hand on her shoulder. "It's alright." Riley said, bending down to pick the egg up. He walked over to me, presenting it. "Nick, I want you to have this egg." he announced.
I stared in shock, reaching out an taking the egg automatically. It was heavy, much heavier than I thought it would be and I struggled to keep a good hold on it. Finally, I came back to my senses. "Why?" I asked. "I thought you didn't approve of the Nuzlocke. Why risk it?" Memories of Cynthia and her Togepi egg came flooding back.
"If this had happened yesterday I would have fought you tooth and nail to keep that egg." Riley said. "But, after witnessing how you battle, after fighting alongside you for so long, I feel like it's a safe bet."
"But, but Armstrong died yesterday! You saw that, how can you think it'll be safe?" I asked. "It's not that I don't want the Riolu, far from it, but I just don't understand your reasoning."
Riley smiled lightly. "It was the handicapped battle you had." he revealed. "You were at a major disadvantage, fighting two opponents that were very skilled at battling together. And with yet you won, using excellent strategy and using type to your advantage. And I'm not the only one who thinks this." he added, turning to look at the happy parents. "I wouldn't have offered if Cobalt didn't agree one hundred percent."
A few hours later, I was sailing on the fisherman's ship, on my way back to Canalave. I felt like the day I had spent at Iron Island was certainly an eye-opener. I've come a long way I thought. And I still have a long way to go. I may have lost a teammate, but I managed to get a new one. I looked down at the male Riolu at my feet, who was gasping in excitement as he stared out at the ocean. My eyes caught the Nuzlocke mark on his chest as he turned to smile up at me. "Uncle Nick, what's that over there?" he asked excitedly, pointing.
I smiled, looking ahead. "That's Canalave City Kamina." I said. "And don't call me uncle, that weirds me out."