Chapter 20

The back of the wagon was far from the most comfortable place to sleep. Nevertheless, it served as my bed for nearly a full day. When I finally opened my eyes again I had a sore back, but I also felt more refreshed and awake than I had in days.

I jumped off the back of the wagon and joined everyone else on the road. Raylian's Deerling had evolved into a Sawsbuck while I had been gone. She rode next to Alex and his Tauros. Todd sat at the front with Margo, and the Charizard flew above us in lazy circles.

I was surprised to find that we were already in the canyon, I hadn't expected us to move so fast. I made my way to the front of the wagon and hopped up beside Margo.

"Why didn't we stop at the lodge?" I asked.

Margo let out a bark of laughter that echoed off the canyon walls. "Who needs a lodge when you've got a wagon and food enough to last for months."

"Yeah, okay, I guess that makes sense."

I sat with Margo and Todd until around midday when Alex, on his Tauros, pulled alongside the wagon.

"Hey Al, where'd you find such a strong Charizard?" he asked, pointing up at the Pokemon circling above us.

"Oh," I reached up to scratch the back of my head. "Funny story, I actually found him in this-" I stopped suddenly, cutting myself off. "Wait, you didn't try to fight him did you?"

Alex shook his head. "No. The wagon got stuck in a rut while you were asleep and he came over and lifted it right out." Alex made a lifting motion with his hands, accompanied by a loud tongue pop.

"That's good," I sighed, relaxing, "Because he technically doesn't belong to me."

"Wait, you never caught him?" Raylian asked as she joined us. I could hardly see her over the vibrant green leaves that sprouted from her Sawsbuck's antlers. "Why not?"

"Because, technically, he still has a trainer out there somewhere," I explained. "Even if he is considered wild now, I'd hate to take him away from someone who might still be looking for him."

Raylian nodded along in agreement but Alex didn't seem convinced. He looked up at the Charizard and then back at me.

"For someone who 'still has a trainer'," Alex made air quotes with his fingers, "He sure seems content to be following you around," he pointed out.

I shrugged. "Well, I can't exactly ask him why he decided to stick around. And I'd never force him away if he didn't want to go."

"Then why not take him in?" Alex shot me a look before maneuvering his Tauros around to the other side of the wagon.

The wagon continued to roll up the canyon and I sat in silence, pondering what Alex had said. Hours later, the sun was beginning to dip out of sight and I had just hopped off the wagon. I had intended to call the Charizard down when a flock of birds suddenly took off from the trees around us. A heavy sound filled the air. Thump, thump, thump. The ground shook slightly with each pound and loose rocks tumbled from the canyon walls. Thump, thump, thump. The disturbance persisted in a continuous rhythm that appeared to be getting closer. The noise grew louder and the ground shook a little more with every instance.

After what seemed like an unbearably long time, the source of the disturbance revealed itself. The Tyrantrum burst from the trees on the edge of the canyon and, without hesitation, threw itself down. It landed with a mighty crash that knocked me off my feet. Jet reared in terror, breaking the harness that tied him to the wagon. He galloped off back down the canyon, Margo yelled after him and tried to follow while Todd struggled to hold her back.

Alex was at my side before I could blink, helping me back up. It was then that I recognized the familiar face sitting astride the huge Pokemon. Claudia rolled gracelessly off her Tyrantrum's back. This was, undoubtedly, Claudia. Although she was a far cry from the Claudia we'd met before. Her blonde hair was heavily disheveled, her purple uniform was stained and even torn in places. I didn't have to be near her to see the dark circles under her eyes or the way that her legs trembled as she stood upright.

"You!" She raised a shaking finger at me. Her voice cracked as she spoke. "I've been tailing you for weeks!"

I took a step forward, my hands raised in a show of peace. I opened my mouth to speak but she cut me off before I could utter a sound.

"No! I don't want to hear it," she snarled. "Just stand there and let me take you to Lennox... please." Her last word was so soft I almost thought I imagined it. Before I could do anything else, she whistled and a Fearow swooped out of the sky, landing in front of her. "Prepare yourself!" she shouted.

I smirked, reaching for Shock's ball. If it was a fight Claudia wanted, I was more than happy to give it to her. Alex stepped up beside me, reaching for his Pokemon. I held him back.

"No," I said, without taking my eyes off Claudia, "This is my fight. You should focus on helping Margo find Jet."

He opened his mouth to protest but someone, most likely Todd, pulled him away. Once I was sure everyone was safely out of the way, I released Shock. An electric type against a flying type, I scoffed, this was only ever going to go one way.

And go that way it did. A few minutes later, the Fearow lay unconscious at Claudia's feet and I called Shock back to stand next to me. I expected her to reach for one of her other Pokemon but instead, the Tyrantrum stepped forward. I scowled, this was some sort of trap. Either that or she truly did not have any other Pokemon left. I knew I only had one Pokemon that would stand much of a chance here but, thinking it would be a bad idea to lead with that, I released Luna instead.

Luna appeared facing me and she immediately sprinted at me and aggressively headbutted my leg. The attack was so unexpected I almost lost my footing. I managed to keep my balance, though, and glowered at Luna who began to complain loudly at my feet. I dropped to her level and tried to quiet her, to no avail. I snuck a glance at Claudia who was, to be fair, waiting very patiently. She looked incredibly unimpressed.

"Look, I know what I did was rude," I whispered quickly to Luna. "And I'm really sorry. I promise I'll make it up to you after this but can we please focus on the battle right now?"

Luna turned, noticing the Tyrantrum for the first time, and jumped a little. She immediately forgot all about me and took up her position on the field. I let out a relieved sigh as I stood up again.

With that issue smoothed over, for now, I was feeling much more confident about this battle. That confidence fled, however, when the Tyrantrum hardly flinched against Luna's first attack. By the time Luna had been defeated, the Tyrantrum's legs were heavily marred by scratches and bite marks but somehow, that didn't seem to bother him.

Crystal was up next. Being a dragon type as well, I knew her attacks would have a certain edge to them. On the flip side, she would also be vulnerable to incoming attacks. But I had confidence in Crystal. She was small, about as tall as the Tyrantrum's knee, he would have a hard time hitting her.

The canyon faded around me, all my attention was focused on the battle. I was vaguely aware of Shock standing beside me, entranced by the scene in front of him. Across the field, Claudia's expression held a similar single-minded focus. We locked eyes for a split second before the Tyrantrum lunged at Crystal and broke the connection.

I had been right about the Tyrantrum struggling to land a hit. Crystal, while not the fastest Pokemon I knew, still managed to avoid many of the Tyrantrum's slow attacks. Her own attacks, dragon pulse, in particular, did substantial damage when she could get them in. Overall, the battle was going pretty well. That is until Crystal took a dragon tail to the face and was thrown halfway across the field.

I kept Crystal going for as long as I could, blowing through my potion supply in an attempt to hold on to our luck. But of course, It didn't last. All it took was a lucky dragon claw and a well-placed crunch attack and Crystal fainted.

I was unwilling to use Red in a battle, so I turned to my last Pokemon. The moment Aura emerged from her Pokeball, the already cool evening air became several degrees colder. I saw fear flit briefly across Claudia's face as she recognized my Pokemon. Aura's sails, usually pale yellow or white, darkened to a deep orange color as she faced down the Tyrantrum. Many of the Tyrantrum's scales had been dislodged, they littered the ground like macabre confetti. His cuts oozed blood when he moved but despite these injuries, he still stood tall.

Claudia and her Tyrantrum started strong. They utilized the environment and caused a rock slide. It would have buried Aura had we not used it to our advantage. Aura, being the ice-type that she was, combined her ice and the rock slide to create an avalanche that overwhelmed our opponents. From there, Aura and I bombarded them with a series of aurora beams, hail, and icy winds. They countered with less-effective dragon claws, dragon tails, and rock slides. I was slowly regaining my confidence and the Tyrantrum was beginning to look worse for wear.

But the tide turned on us again when Claudia yelled, "Ancient power!"

Knowing this was bad news, I countered, "Aura, block with your own ancient power!"

The now snow-covered ground trembled beneath us. I saw Claudia slip on a patch of ice and only barely manage to keep her feet. A loud crack resonated from the canyon wall and a slab of rock bigger than the Tyrantrum carved itself out of its resting place. A similar crack split the ground next to me and a snowy boulder that rivaled the size of the dormant wagon rose into the air, leaving a deep crater in the earth. For a horrible moment, everything was still. Even the snow that drifted around the battle hung suspended in the air. No one dared to breathe. Our gazes were fixed on the rocks in the air, watching with dread anticipation.

All at once, the canyon slab tore through the air. The boulder rushed to meet it and the two masses collided in the center of the field. I raised my arms to protect my face as debris from the blast exploded in all directions. I winced as I felt stones embed themselves in my arms and glance off my face.

Once the dust had settled, I lowered my bleeding arms, coughing, to survey the battlefield. I spotted Aura, who had been physically pushed back by the force of the attack and for a heart-stopping moment, I thought she had fainted. Then, she raised her head and sneezed. Chunks of rock slid off of her as she got back to her feet. A wave of relief washed over me.

Claudia and the Tyrantrum, however, weren't so lucky. The Tyrantrum was still on his feet, but his head was bowed and I could hear how strained his breathing had become. Like me, Claudia was bleeding from several minor cuts and was covered in a fine layer of rock dust. She dug around halfheartedly for a potion, or a revive, or anything, but found nothing. It was then that I noticed the shard of rock that had impaled the Tyrantrum. It had found one of the soft places where a scale had been removed and lodged itself there. He held on to consciousness for longer than I would have expected. Finally, he let out one last strangled moan and fainted. Claudia returned him before he could hit the ground.

I lifted my head triumphantly to Claudia to find her shaking. She took several steps backward as if she was going to run, but she stumbled over loose rocks and fell. I left footprints in the snow as I walked towards her and she raised her head to me with a look of resignation.

"Whatever you're going to do," she whispered, lowering her head in submission, "Do it quick."

But I did nothing. I simply observed her. The more I stared at her, the more I pitied her, and I remembered what Benny had told me that day in Pavo Town.

"Why are you doing this Claudia?" I asked. She looked up again, confused. "What did they do to you? Did they blackmail you?" Claudia said nothing but the shock on her face gave me all the answers I needed. We were both silent for a moment as I assessed my options. "We're on our way to Filemot," I finally said. "We're going to put a stop to this."

I could hear Raylian's footsteps crunching in the snow. She stopped beside me and offered a hand to Claudia. "Come with us," she said. "We could use your help."

"Wait, Raylian." I turned to her, astonished she could make such an offer. "Do you not remember what she did?" I put a hand on her bandaged arm. "She's stolen Pokemon, she could've killed us and you want to invite her along?!"

"Of course I remember," she snapped. The sharp edge in her voice surprised me and I withdrew my hand. "But I think she deserves to have this chance," she said, softer this time.

She met my eyes, and her determined expression told me that I wasn't going to change her mind, so I dropped the issue and watched as Claudia took Raylain's hand and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. I watched them walk off towards the wagon with a new feeling in my gut. For once, it wasn't guilt, but I didn't like it all the same.

I returned to my Pokemon only to find that Shock was once again glowing. My heart lifted, and I ran to him and sat before him, watching his transformation in awe. Afterward, I lingered in the snow for longer than I should have. I didn't want to face Raylian, Claudia, or even Luna. So, I sat in the snow with Aura and Shock, wiping the dust from my clothes and treating Aura's wounds.

The sun had fully set by the time I finally trudged back to the wagon. Raylian and Claudia were still in the back, talking quietly. I snuck in to get more healing items for my Pokemon and I caught a bit of their conversation.

Raylian was in the process of cleaning a cut on Claudia's arm. "You know we were on our way to Filemot already, right?" she laughed softly, "All you had to do was sit back and wait for us to get there."

"Way to make me feel incompetent," Claudia muttered.

I fled back to the snowfield where I let out all my Pokemon, healed them all up, and properly apologized to them. Luckily, none of them seemed to hold a grudge. The Charizard joined us eventually, looking very bewildered at the snow that hadn't been there before. I laughed and filled him in on the battle that he had entirely missed.

Sitting in the serene snowfield, surrounded by my Pokemon, provided me with a rare sense of peace. We marveled at Shock's new, fully evolved, form. I finally took the time to officially add the Charizard to the team and he allowed me to nickname him 'Flare'.

Half an hour later it was fully dark, but Margo and the boys had yet to return. Raylian had lit the lantern on the front of the wagon and I was at the river, washing the dirt and dried blood out of my cuts. I was so absorbed with my task that I didn't hear Raylian approach.

She knelt beside me, a bar of soap in hand. "Here," she said gently, "let me help." Without a word, I turned and allowed her to take and clean my arms thoroughly. I watched her as she did, feeling as though I should say something but not knowing exactly what to say. In the end, Raylian saved me from having to start the conversation. "Between you and Claudia I'd say you got the worse end of that attack," she commented.

After a short pause, I responded, "You two seem close." As hard I tried to prevent it, my voice still sounded cold.

Raylian heaved a sigh as she moved from one arm to the other. "I talked to her in the wagon," she said, never looking up from her work. "She had her reasons for doing what she did, and I forgave her."

"You did?" I tried to recoil, but Raylian's grip on my wrist tightened, holding me in place.

"Yes, and I think you should go talk to her." She finally looked up at me. Her expression was blank, but her eyes held emotion. "She deserves forgiveness, Alice. Now, close your eyes." I scowled and looked away, but did as I was told. No more words were exchanged as Raylian dealt with the scratches on my face.

I stayed by the riverbank even after Raylian had left. I had no intention of visiting Claudia, my pride prevented me from doing so. But my conversation with Benny kept replaying in my head and, as much as I hated to admit it, I regretted the way I treated him. So, I swallowed my pride and forced myself to climb in the back of the wagon.

A lantern had been lit inside the wagon, giving the place a warm glow. I took a seat among the crates next to Claudia. Her hair had been brushed out and her wounds treated. She looked better, more stable, although, the circles under her eyes remained. Realizing I had no idea what to say, I pulled my legs up to my chest and just sat there.

Eventually, Claudia broke our awkward silence. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Don't get used to it," I muttered. I took a deep breath and let it out as a sigh. "I'm trying to be more…" I wrinkled my nose. "Forgiving... or something." I relaxed my shoulders as if saying it had relieved me of some great burden. Claudia didn't respond, she just looked at me curiously. As much as I hated speaking to her, I hated the awkward silence even more, so I kept going, stumbling over my words as I went. "I… uh, I met this old man in Pavo Town who was part of Team Elite, like you. And I didn't… Well, I didn't treat him very well, and I kind of…" I trailed off, not wanting to finish my sentence. "I feel bad about it," I finally mumbled, turning my head away.

To my surprise, Claudia chuckled, "He just let you in, did he? Probably made you tea." She shook her head with a smile. "That sounds like him."

"You know him?" I gasped, sitting up straighter.

"Benny right?" I nodded. "Yeah, I know him. Lived with him for half my life. He's my grandfather." Another bout of silence followed her words. Until she spoke again, "You were right earlier, by the way."

I said nothing, hoping she would elaborate. I was too embarrassed to admit I had already forgotten what I had said to her.

"They blackmailed me into joining."

"Oh," I said, suddenly remembering. "Can I ask what they blackmailed you with?"

Claudia hugged her knees to her chest, mirroring my pose. She stared at her feet, looking younger than I'd ever seen her. "My father," she whispered. "He was sick. Team Elite got ahold of his medicine and told if I didn't join they would…" Claudia choked on her next words and opts to simply end the sentence there.

"I..." With no idea how to react to that, I sat in silence, my mouth agape. "I'm sorry," I offered. I could sense there was more to that story but like hell was I going to push her on it now.

Claudia just shook her head. "There's no reason for you to be." She drew in a deep breath and seemed to come back to herself. "If there's no Team Elite, then I won't have anything to worry about," she declared. "So, I want to help you." A small smile made its way onto her face, her eyebrows were set in determination.

I nodded, but before I could properly respond, we were interrupted by the approaching sound of hooves. I peered out the back of the wagon to see Margo, astride Jet, returning triumphant. Alex and Todd flanked them, looking worn out. Margo, however, looked as chipper as ever.

"Hey there," she called, raising a hand to greet us. "It's been a while."

There was a small dispute over Claudia tagging along but she was ultimately allowed to stay. Jet was once again, hooked up to the wagon and we went on our way. We traveled through the night, as usual, sleeping in shifts. We started the hike up to the city at first light. The wagon wouldn't fit on the path forward. Margo and Todd volunteered to stay behind with the wagon.

"Ah, we're useless in a fight anyway," Margo chuckled. She slung an arm around Todd's shoulders, pulling him down to ruffle his brown hair. "Isn't that right, Todd?"

Todd said nothing but sent a silent, suffering look to Alex. Alex just laughed and pulled them both into a hug.

Alex was uncharacteristically somber on the way up to the city. It was hard for us to say goodbye to our friends, but Alex had rarely been separated from his brother. We did our best to cheer him up, though, and by the time we reached the city, he was more or less back to his normal self. I could tell he still missed them, but then again, we all did. I just hoped we would get the chance to see them again.