Snivy and Litwick

The sun had set, but her travels weren't over. Sandra the Snivy scurried under the tall grasses, allowing them to disguise her green form. As the sun had shone all day, she could move across the land at her fastest. But as this was such a long trip which such a heavy pack on her back, she paced herself and did not press her energy. She could be there in a few hours, much better than her rival who certainly couldn't arrive until the next day. Especially not when he had taken the long road around.

There was just one problem with her route. As the grass thinned out at the top of a hill, she could see the last obstacle. It was a treacherous wasteland, a flat area where the rougher plants grew. While there were rock that could provide cover, the colors of this place were different, making her bright green show up more readily and there were patches of bare ground with no cover, from which nighttime predators might spot here. Worst of all, there were the shimmering patches all over. They appeared to reflect light like pools of water. But Sandra knew that this wasn't safe. Those were tar pits, deeply filled with a sticky thick substance that could swallow hapless Pokemon alive.

Yes, it was dangerous, and why most Pokemon who knew stuck to the main roads. But provided one kept alert and didn't allow oneself to be fooled, this place could be used as a shortcut to Silverleaf City. Picking out a route to start with, the Snivy moved down the hill and into the tar pit wastes.

Partway in, Sandra thought to herself that perhaps she had made a miscalculation. The moon was three-quarters full, so she had expected to have enough light to see the tar pits by. But it was still tough. When she found her front paw pressing against softer ground, she knew that she couldn't see all of them. She managed to avoid that one, but would have to move slower to get across safely. They did have a scent but as it permeated the whole area, it wasn't a reliable cue either.

"Feh, might be too dangerous tonight," she said softly. The problem was, she was already quite a ways into the wasteland. It wouldn't be much easier to go back how she'd come in. If she were really quick and if she ditched her backpack, she might be able to race across the pits without sinking. But, she had done a lot of work to get the goods she had, so wasn't ready to give them up just yet.

She then spotted a flickering light not too far off. It was like some kind of small purple flame. But what was that doing out in the wasteland? Even more puzzling, it began hopping in place, almost beckoning.

On observing things, she noticed a tar pit between her and the hopping light. It gave her an idea of what it might be. Sandra walked carefully around the tar pit, partly using the light as a hint. Since she seemed to be going in the right direction, she considered not going to the actual light. But once she started walking away, it began hopping towards her. Small rhythmic pats came into her hearing.

Then she met the creature itself, a gray-white candle Pokemon with a ghostly flame. It did not seem to have a mouth, but she heard something from it all the same. 'Hello, trader,' it said, having a bit of a masculine tone. 'It's a beautiful night for you to come out to this place.'

"There is an impressive amount of stars out," she said, still moving. "But I don't appreciate you trying to kill me, Litwick."

The candle Pokemon hopped after her. 'Pardon? That is a rude thing to accuse someone of when you've just met him.'

"You tried to lure me across a tar pit," she said, speaking in a matter-of-fact way. She didn't like to be seen losing her cool and collected manner, even if the Pokemon with her was a predator. Then again, "My name is Sandra. I would hope that you follow the common courtesy of not hunting someone that you know the name of."

'I don't eat flesh, Miss Sandra,' the Litwick said. 'Therefore, I'm not a hunter.'

"But you draw in the very essences of life, don't you? You hope to get others trapped in the goo so that you can sap their energy as they die." Some more gullible Pokemon might have believed him.

'I suppose you've got me there. I'm Chaucer, by the way. It is interesting to meet you.'

She paused to look back at him, nearly causing him to trip when he stopped his hops. "That is an oddly literary name for someone who lives in a wasteland."

He chuckled. 'My mother hung in a library. I'm just here to build my strength.'

"Ah. So how long have you been here?"

Seeming pleased at her new interest, Chaucer said, 'About two years now. Why?'

He might be light enough to stay safe from the tar pits, or his Ghost nature could protect him. Yet, perhaps in living here, he might know the ways around the pits. Sandra decided to give it a shot. "I need to get to Silverleaf City and I came down here because I'm in a hurry. I am a trader, so I could give you something if you agree to lead me through a safe path around all these tar pits."

His black eyes brightened as he heard the offer. 'Ah, is that all? Well I suppose for something nice, I could do so easily. What do you have?'

The Snivy studied him for a moment, then reviewed what she had for something that might interest him. "I have some incense cones," which he seemed a little interested in, but not enough to guarantee her safety. "Some fashion jewelry," definitely not, but one never could tell. "Chocolates."

Although she hadn't been sure if he could eat things like that, it did get his attention. 'Chocolates? I haven't had anything like that since I came out to the wild.'

"I could give you three pieces," she said. In the last town, she had gotten many of these treats, which needed to go quickly. The offer of three would leave her plenty to sell.

The Litwick made a little bow, nearly dripping some wax onto the ground. 'That sounds good. All right Miss Sandra. From this point, it will be faster to get you to a point on the main road that will put you a little over a mile from Silverleaf. Going directly to the city from here would force us around some of the largest tar pits. This way.' He hopped ahead of her

Feeling pleased with the deal, Sandra followed along after Chaucer's hopping gait. He did lead her safely through the tar pits to the main road, where she could see the lights of the city. Not one to back down on her word, she then pulled off her pack to get him three wrapped chocolates. The best deals were the ones that both sides were pleased with; it was a business philosophy that Sandra followed in everything, even in this night-time encounter.

Although by the time she got to an inn, she felt utterly exhausted.

…

Snivy Black entry: It is very intelligent and calm. Being exposed to lots of sunlight makes its movements swifter.

Litwick White entry: While shining a light and pretending to be a guide, it leeches off the life force of any who follow it.

And now fifth gen Pokemon are available for request. Thanks to anyone who voted in the poll!