Light raindrops rolled down the tent's fabric, forming strange trails in the misty Hoenn morning.
Frank yawned as he stretched in his spot, his back aching from the lack of mattress. After getting dressed, he crawled out of his tent and started taking it down.
Last night still rattled him to the core; how could Don just lie to everyone in the Hoenn region for years on end. Hell, what else could he be lying about besides family: business ambitions, caring about the Hoenn region, even his own Pokémon?!
He shook his head clear: now wasn't the time to dwell on family affairs. If anything, he had to get to Fortree City: the last thing he needed was to challenge the aesthetic teams by himself. No, he needed his Pokémon to be in tip top shape, he needed Apollo and his Pokémon, even– hey wait a minute…. The boys! Battling alongside them gave them the rush he needed for Mt. Pyre. Something told him that they were already in Fortree City, just waiting on him.
With his hiking backpack secure, Frank walked along a rural trail. A cool wind blew in his face, pushing him back several steps. He lowered his head and charged through the forest, slowing down once he saw a cluster of bungalows. The air smelled faintly of incense, lively to cover up another strange smell.
He took a deep breath in and walked under the treetop city, narrowly dodging handsy Kecleon along the way. At least this time they weren't stealing anything. After a brisk walk under the bridges, he headed into the Pokémon Center.
Nurse Shizue waved as she stood on her tiptoes. "Welcome to the Pokémon Center!" she chirped.
Frank stayed quiet as he headed to the counter, handing his Poké Balls over to Shizue. He walked to the lobby, stopping to pull a book from the closest bookshelf. As Nurse Shizue got to healing her client's Pokémon, Frank sat on the couch and flipped through the novel: a disturbing tale about a former nurse who kidnapped and tortured the writer of her favorite book.
After finishing the novel, he set it back on the shelf and went back to get his Pokemon. He thought about releasing them inside, but was stopped when three familiar faces entered the Pokemon Center. While it was the same kids he knew just days ago, something about all of them looked unrecognizable. Huh, that was new. How'd the three of them get Key Stones in the first place? "I didn't know you three were still in Fortree City," he noted.
"Well I'm from here," Tank pointed out. "Also it took us about, let's see here, five days to get here!"
"And those days were greaaaat," Kidd snarked. "We slept in a few caves, almost got hit by lightning, attacked by wild Carvanha, tried to sail on a river but our raft got destroyed. I totally want to do that again"
Frank shuddered; he'd be sick to his stomach if anything happened to the three of them.
Holly fluffed out her bangs and asked, "Are y'all okay?"
Frank blinked twice. "Huh? Yeah, I'm fine," he looked closer at the hair clip, then the pigtails, then the heavy eyeliner. "Where'd you get that flower?"
Holly pushed both pigtails in front of her shoulders. "Dewford Town!"
"Yeah, we were there a while back and Holly got that flower from the Dewazon Market," Tank brought up as he pointed at the flower's petals.
"Holly, huh?" Frank noted. Now this caught him off guard; this was still the young bird he knew all too well, yet she definitely looked happier than usual.
Holly gulped as she continued holding onto her pigtails. Her feathers went cold as the group went silent: damnit, why did Tank have to ask her about the gym battle!
"It's a nice name," Frank said before he fistbumped her.
Holly beamed in delight; she knew this was the best name for her, and clearly it was paying off. "Thanks!" she said before readjusting her backpack straps. "Oh, yea, we were just 'bout to head out to get to Lilycove City!"
Kidd joined in, "Yeah, my next contest's in that city."
Ah right, the contest scene. What coordinator didn't dream of going to Lilycove City? Of course, there was more than meets the eye to that place.
"What about you?" Tank asked as he stood on his tiptoes. "Where are you headed off to?"
"Mt. Pyre," Frank said bluntly, scratching at the back of his neck. "I know I said I was going there a while back, but that was to visit someone's grave."
The trio looked at each other in concern. While he had mentioned Belladonna before, who's to say that wasn't the only grave he visited?
"Hey, I just realized!" Tank brought up. "Since we're both taking the same route to go somewhere, do you wanna come with us?"
Frank thought to himself; he spent too much time alone with his thoughts, and it left him completely miserable. Others care about him, and it'd be selfish to cast them off for the sake of being alone. Plus these were good kids, just trying to explore the Hoenn region.
"Yeah," Frank said as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "That'd be great. However, I need to do something important first. Come with me."
The trio looked at each other, shrugging their shoulders without a word. Three became four as they left the Pokémon Center and headed into the Poké Mart, welcomed by fluorescent lights and sterile floors. The teenagers went off to separate corners, piling up on plenty of snacks for the road.
Frank walked to the counter, whipping out a slim back wallet as he said, "I'll take a pack of Seven Stars, and make it unfiltered." He reached for another item; a transparent blue disposable lighter.
The cashier, an orange squirrel with heavy purple eyeshadow, kneeled down to the tobacco section. She pulled out a white box and set it on the counter. "Six-hundred Poke Dollars please" she said.
Frank stayed silent as he paid for his purchase. While his friends went to pay for their snacks, he snuck outside and lit up the first cigarette from his new box.
A group of animals outside whispered to each other, snickering and fake coughing to themselves. Frank paid them no heed; just a bunch of brats in school uniforms, probably scurrying around for another after-school club.
The trio stepped outside, their bags on the edge of exploding at the seams.
Frank quickly finished his cigarette, heavily coughing as he put the box and lighter away. "Okay, let's go," he said as he led the gang out of Fortree City.
Route 120: A route of rich wetlands. Traversing trainers frequently report a sense of uncertainty. While some chalk this up to the not-so-great marshes, others say it's the wild Pokemon warning them to stay out of their territory.
The quartet walked along a small rural trail, avoiding large puddles along the way. A colony of giant blue salamander Pokémon waddled through the puddles, some of them waving hello to the trainers.
Tank filmed a quick video before saving it to his phone, then caught up to the group. Tom Nook might have to wait a few days for this video, but it would be worth it.
After several hours under the thick canopies, the group found a small clearing to hang out at. While the trio snacked on some pocky, Frank stood on a large boulder and looked up to the skies. All he could hear for miles were rustling grass, splashing puddles and bird Pokemon singing in the air.
Minutes passed before a loud screech pounded through the air. This had to be him! A large dust cloud blew in his face, joined by the warbling cries of a familiar bird Pokémon.
Crow spread out his wings as he skidded against the dirt, opening his eyes once he came to a halt.
Apollo climbed off his Skarmory before wiping some dust off his jacket. "Thank you, Crow," he said to his Pokémon before returning him to his Ultra Ball.
"Apollo?!" Holly gasped in surprise. "What are y'all doin' out here?! I thought ya had to go to Lilycove City!"
"I did, yes," Apollo explained. "But I told Frank I'd meet him here so we can go to Mt. Pyre together"
Frank cracked his knuckles. "It's about time we showed those pricks what's coming to them."
"Plus I need a few days away from the press," Apollo whispered.
The trio looked at each other: what did the press do now? None of them bothered checking the news lately, but it felt like something directly relating to Hawkwind matters.
Kidd held up one of his hooves. "Then let's keep going!"
The group walked through the forest, leaving behind only footsteps. Loose leaves and stray white blossoms fell from the trees, some floating on nearby puddles. Tank stepped on several red leaves, enjoying the crisp sound beneath his feet. Idle conversation shattered their silence.
"I watched your last gym battle, Holly," Apollo brought up, looking at the flower's petals and stone nestled in the center. "I'm glad to see you utilizing the Key Stone I gave you."
"Thanks, Apollo!" Holly chirped. "My Pokémon an' I had fun battlin' against Celia. Well, most of 'em did."
She stopped in her tracks to release Coffret. The cotton bird Pokémon flew to his trainer, perching atop her shoulder. "Bluuu" he sighed.
Holly reached up to pet her Pokémon, affectionately scratching his chin. "Aww, it's okay. We'll make sure y'all do better in the next gym battle! Not just me, but all of us!"
"Swablu?" Coffret chirped, rejuvenated by the motivation of his teammates looking out for him. "Swablu-blu!"
An hour passed before the party stopped at another obstacle: a ravaging river with whitewater bubbling through.
Holly looked down at the river as she held her wing out, "Coffret, can y'all see if there's a way 'cross this stream?"
"Swa-bluuuu!" Coffret trilled. He flew off his trainer's arm, bobbing up and down in the air as he looked for anything worthwhile. No abandoned rafts, no vines hanging from the branches, nothing. He landed on his trainer's shoulder and shook his head no.
"Damnit!" Holly snapped her fingers before gasping. "Wait a minute! Alright Coffret, thanks for helpin' out" she returned Coffret to his Poké Ball before releasing Asuka into the water. Light blue sparkles gleamed around her body.
"Gyara?" Asuka barked as she arched down to face her trainer in the eyes. "Gyaooooo!" she howled. These trainers would be total lightweights to carry, and she was right.
Thanks to a combination of rippling fin muscles and steady determination, Asuka carried the party without breaking a sweat. Once they were close to shore, she lowered her head, staying still as the group climbed off.
Holly stood on her tiptoes as she high-fived Asuka's barbels. The water-type Pokémon purred in delight, bobbing her head before returning herself to her Poké Ball.
The next twenty minutes went quite well: more wild Pokémon ran through the route. Tank looked around in surprise: so many Pokémon that weren't native to Hoenn! A gathering of Poliwag danced on a large damp rock, while a mischievous Aipom climbed onto a Linoone and rode it into the grass. A flock of Starly flew over everyones' heads, swarming to attack a group of Wurmple. Tank's face lit up in delight as he took several photos in a hurry, but the fun would be over as soon as it started.
Heavy rain pelted the entire route, drenching the quintet from head to toe. Apollo zipped up his jacket, shivering from the cold rain. "Good grief," he muttered under his breath.
Frank slicked his feathers back before continuing to lead the way. Several hours passed through the tropical jungle, before Frank stopped the group from crossing a bridge. The bridge swayed in its spot, hanging above a large reservoir with a cave in the middle. Heavy clouds of steam floated above the surface, obscuring any wild Pokémon that might inhabit said reservoir.
"What's the matter?" Apollo looked closer at the bridge: thick wooden planks and sturdy rope, not unlike the ones from Fortree City. Perhaps the same carpenter worked on said bridges? However, this bridge didn't have any railing on the sides.
"This bridge might break," Frank pointed out, before grabbing a Poké Ball.
"He has a point," Tank brought up. "We saw a bridge break on Route 114."
Apollo scoffed. "That's because Route 114 is a rural area. We're near Fortree City, so we should be fine!"
The quartet looked at each other in uncertainty. This really wasn't the time to get into an argument, or was it?
Apollo threw his wings up in frustration. "Fine, I'll walk on it myself to prove it's safe!" He groaned before stomping across the bridge, the heels of his boots firmly pressing against each plank.
Frank led the trio across the bridge, more wooden planks sinking lower with each step.
As the quintet made it to the middle, something felt wrong. Several planks loosened up and fell into the ground, cracking into splintered pieces as they fell into the hot water. Before Apollo could take another step, the bridge snapped in half.
The quintet screamed as they plummeted to their doom. A watery grave was soon to welcome them all, that is, if any rocks in the water wouldn't crack their skulls open. Unless…
Frank whipped out his Poké Balls and tossed them in the air, releasing his entire party. "Rico! Use Feather Dance on the water!"
"Luchaaa!" Rico howled before he fanned out his wings and launched a blanket of thick white feathers into the air. The feathers swayed in the air before falling to the water, blanketing the surface with thick down.
"Everyone else!" he commanded as he looked up to the skies. "Grab someone before they fall! Hurry!"
All five Pokémon cried out before diving under the trainers, effortlessly catching them just minutes before falling into the water.
"Pijyoooo!" Pidgeot trilled as she led her teammates back to land. The six Pokémon skidded against the ground, mud and grass clippings splattering against themselves. Heavy rain continued its downpour, washing away all dirt and grime as the trainers climbed off the Pokémon.
Frank gently smiled at his Pokemon. "That was a great save," he praised his Pokémon, as he held a wing out to scratch Pidgeot's torso feathers. Talonflame, Skarmory and Swanna flew up to their trainer, chirping as he petted them as well. Rico and Gliscor high-fived each other before joining their teammates for more affection.
Apollo tightened his coat around himself. It was refreshing seeing Frank bond with his current Pokémon. "I see Rico's still around," he noted.
"Yeah," Frank said as he returned his Pokémon to his Poké Balls. "He refused to leave my side, even with all the potential trainers out there. How's Joel been?"
Apollo pulled out one of his Ultra Balls, closely looking at the grey stickers lining the top half. "He's in great shape. Jonah really gets along with him."
Several hours passed as the group continued their hike, quiet as they were one with the woods. At one point, the group made it to a small clearing, stopping as the lighting changed before them.
Marmalade orange light swept over the entire route. Kidd and Tank looked to the skies: wisteria lavender clouds streaked across fiery rose horizons.
Apollo's feathers bristled as he smoothed down his coat. "Now that's beautiful," he said as he took in the scenic view. After a few good minutes, he took off his duffel bag and set it on a rock. The quartet watched as he unzipped the bag.
"Okay, I'm gonna need all the help I can get," Apollo instructed as he emptied out his bag, handing several items to the group. "Frank, set up the tent. Holly, get some wood for a fire. Kidd, fill this pot with water. Tank, find some berries for the pot. Everyone got it? Great"
With that settled, the group rushed to get things ready before night skies took over. The teenagers wandered into the woods, while the men set up a makeshift campsite.
"Hey, don't you think it's weird that Apollo sent us into the woods?" Tank pointed out as he gathered several armfuls of ripe berries.
Holly looked up as she picked up several logs of wood. "I don't mind at all," she said.
Kidd snickered as he filled the pot with fresh pond water. "Of course you wouldn't, you'd do anything he says."
"Not my fault he's hot," she shrugged her shoulders, chuckling as she saw them look away for a second. "Oh come on, you guys think so too!"
Tank blushed as he led the way back. "...Yeah, he is pretty handsome."
"And has a great personality," Kidd pointed out. "But you two are perfect, so."
Ten minutes later, the trio saw an orange tent. Frank and Apollo finished setting up the campground, placing heavy stones in a large circle.
"Welcome back!" Apollo waved to the group. "Frank, you ready to help with this round?"
"Give me a damn minute," Frank said as he lit up another cigarette. The stick dangled from his beak, leaving a faint smoke trail. "Okay, now I'm ready"
The group got to work. While Kidd hoisted the pot over open flames, Tank and Apollo sliced the berries into small chunks. Frank dumped the entire box of instant curry powder into the pot, his sense of smell assaulted by the rich umami scent. This wasn't enough, so he snuck some ghost peppers into the pot. Holly slowly fanned the flames, keeping her eyes peeled for any wild Pokémon. The only noticeable thing she saw was flickering red eyes, watching the group before taking off into the night.
Half an hour later, dinner was finally ready. Just smelling the curry alone was enough to make everyone ravenous.
Apollo held up his ladle and yelled, "Bon appetit!"
The group dug into their curry, satisfied with the delicious flavor of tart berries, savory sauce, chewy rice and a special surprise.
Apollo took another bite, unknowingly chomping down on a piece of dried fruit. At least, the texture felt like dried fruit, so he swallowed it like normal. Sweat beaded down his forehead and neck, while his cheeks glowed pink. The last time he felt this flustered was when Fame and the Shame asked him to pose for the centerfold.
He set the bowl on a nearby rock, his face burning as he coughed up his lungs. Clouds of smoke blasted from his beak, forming an off-white vapor that smelled of….chili?
"Apollo!" Kidd yelled as he stirred his chopsticks in his bowl. "Are you okay?!"
All he got in response was heavy coughing and harsh wheezing.
"Do we have any rice that isn't covered in curry?" Tank asked as he inched the pot open. Figures, all the rice is coated in delicious goodness. "...Never mind. Hey, wait a minute!" He picked up a Rawst Berry and ran to Apollo. "Here, try this."
Apollo looked puzzled, before taking the fruit in his wings and scarfing it down. The tart flavor subdued the harsh spice, instantly putting him at ease.
"Seriously, I don't see what the big deal is."
Apollo and Tank turned around; Frank had a smug look on his face, scooping up a handful of red peppers. Holly snickered from the pure chaos about to unfold.
Kidd facepalmed as he sighed in exasperation. "Mon DIEU, you are not making me eat those!"
"Who said you were eating them," Frank scoffed. "These are my favorites!" With everyone else watching in curiosity, he turned his chin up and gulped down the peppers.
Apollo's eyes twitched as he stomped back to the campfire. "You put ghost peppers in the curry?!" he screamed.
A pack of wild Murkrow cawed before flying from the nearby trees, having better things to do than attack trainers in the wilderness.
"No," Frank clarified as he wiped his beak. "I put one ghost pepper in, for myself….you ate it, didn't you?"
Apollo gasped in exasperation, then started laughing. "Now that's the Frank I know!"
"Y'all ain't gonna kill 'im?" Holly tilted her head. "Cause if these two put ghost peppers in my curry I'd be throwin' hands."
"Oh, Holly," Apollo chuckled. "We Hawkwinds would prank each other with a surprise chili pepper or two."
Flames flickered as the heat engulfed both kindling and paper. Crackling logs caved in on themselves, swallowed by even more fire. The pot sunk down slightly, with fire brushing up against stainless steel.
"You know. This brings me back," Apollo smiled as he looked his brother in the eyes.
"To what?" Frank asked. He opened his cigarette box and held it out, unsurprised when Apollo shook his head no.
Apollo's eyes gleamed in the late night sky. "Everything," he said. "All the weeks of me running around Hoenn, just to make it to Ever Grande City and finally challenging the Elite Four, then Totakeke."
Holly asked as she adjusted the flower in her hair, "About that. Apollo, what made y'all wanna go an' become the Champion?"
Apollo gently touched his Key Stone. "Well, let's see, I was about fourteen then… At first I just wanted to show everyone how great the Hawkwinds were when it came to Pokémon battling, but later I realized I wanted to tap more into Hoenn's mysteries. All the caves, the islands, even strange hoops appearing around the region. I want to know more about Hoenn each day to really represent it.
What about you, Holly? Why do you want to become Champion?"
Holly gulped as she tightened the drawstrings on her hoodie. "Well…." she looked closely at the fire, watching it flicker. "At first I just wanted to be the Champion so I can prove I was a better trainer than my dad, but then I realized," she threw her hood over her head. "I already am! For all I know he probably doesn't even have any badges, and besides"
She pointed at herself, a fiery gleam twinkling in her eyes. "I got better trainers in Hoenn by my side, like Professor Nook, an' all the trainers I battled, an' especially all of y'all!"
"Believe me, I've been there before," Apollo assured her. "Even though Don was the one who gave me Servo, he keep pressuring me to be Mr. Perfect Heir, telling me what I can and can't do for Hoenn, and show up at all these balls–"
Kidd and Tank looked at each other and snickered from the innuendo.
"I guess that is pretty funny," Apollo snorted. "Anyways. Don never saw me as anything more than someone to make into the perfect heir with a beautiful house and a beautiful wife"
"Yeah. I only talk to him if I have to," Frank deadpanned before he continued to smoke. "Not that he wants me around, that's for sure."
Apollo shrugged his shoulders. "I don't think he wants anyone around for more than an hour. Anyways," he looked at the teenagers. "I've been wondering for a bit: how'd you three meet in the first place? I mean, it can't be a coincidence that three teenagers from the same town would just go on a journey around Hoenn at the same time."
Tank frowned as he held his hooves together. He whispered to his partners, explaining once they both nodded in approval.
"Well, it was way before either of them moved to Hoenn," he explained. "We met in an online support group for, um."
Kidd inched his chair closer to Tank, sitting back down and placing his hooves on his wrist. Holly sighed as she continued to watch the fire, already knowing what he was going to bring up.
Tank zipped up his jacket; no time to beat around the bush. "It was for abuse," he crossed his legs as he gripped the chair's edges. On one hand, he was uncomfortably numb, but on the other end, it was only the five of them. "I got taken advantage of."
Kidd leaned in as he lightly squeezed Tank's wrist, nodding as well. "Same here..."
Apollo shivered from uneasiness. "Do you want to talk about it more?"
The trio's silence spoke volumes.
"It's still screwed up that happened in the first place," Apollo assured them both.
"I hope this doesn't make anything weird," Tank looked away for a minute. "Right?"
Holly leaned into Tank's ear, whispering something about it being the best way to tell their friends. Kidd, however, stayed quiet, his legs tightly crossed and scarf covering his mouth.
"Not at all," Apollo assured them both. "You've seen how those fanatics treat me like a piece of meat."
Frank whipped out another cigarette and lit it up, taking a long drag before offering, "If you kiddos want, I can find whoever did it and I can beat them black and blue."
"Please don't," Kidd sighed before yawning. He checked the time before jumping up in his seat: one in the morning?! "Mon dieu, I need sleep. In fact, we all do"
"Pffft," Frank snorted. "It can't be that late, right?"
Apollo looked at his Rotom Phone. "It's one in the morning, Frank."
Frank watched the campfire wood break into ash and wooden shards. "...Oh. Maybe we should go to bed."
After putting out the fire, the quintet got ready for bed. On one side of the tent, the trio were bundled together. On the other, Apollo curled up in his sleeping bag while Frank passed out with his head on the air mattress.
While everyone was fast asleep, the bushes rustled in their spot. Was it a wild Pokémon, a lost trainer, or someone more menacing?
Morning sun crept through the tent's netting, lightly shining in everyone's faces. Tank yawned as he woke up first. He got dressed and crawled out of the tent, looking around at Route 120's beauty. Wild Taillow and Pidgey flew in the air, racing each other in carefree tandem.
Tank tossed two Poké Balls in the air, releasing Grevillea and Victoria. The pair of grass-types chirped hello, immediatly refreshed by the cool air and damp grass under their feet.
"Come on, let's grab some food," Tank grinned as he led the way. Trainer and Pokémon wandered about the wilderness, minutes passing before they stopped at a small clearing. Several berry bushes formed a strange circular pattern in the ground.
Victoria jumped in a puddle and splashed around, while Grevillea joined her trainer for berry picking. Instead of the standard Oran and Pecha Berries, Route 120 was home to more exotic fare like Nanab and Razz Berries.
Grevillea put two fingers in her mouth and whistled to her teammate.
"Lomb?" Victoria chirped as she jumped out of the puddle and waddled to the berry bushes. She stopped to tilt her head down, staying still as Grevillea loaded up her lily pad with plenty of berries.
Tank led the pair of Pokémon back to the campsite, smiling to himself as they chatted with each other.
By the time they made it back to camp, the rest of the group was already awake. Apollo finished packing up the tent, throwing the duffel bag on his back. Kidd finished tying his scarf into a knot, while Frank and Holly buried the campfire remains.
Tank handed everyone several berries, finishing his share before returning Grevillea and Victoria to their Poké Balls.
Twenty minutes later, the quintet left their campsite, no time for worrying because they were on the roam again. With each passing footsteps, the ground sunk in its spot, heavy mud splattering against the soles of their shoes.
Apollo tripped on a gnarly root, bracing his wings as he fell face-first into a pile of leaves. "Son of a- huh, that's new"
The leaves brushed away to reveal...netting? He stepped away from the netting, picking it up with one wing. The cables were quite worn out, and a long brown rope dangled from the closest branch. What kind of moron sets up a trap and forgets about it?! Probably the type that would join Cottage or Pastel! He stuffed the net in his duffel bag and yanked down the rope: oh, Wolfgang would get a kick out of this!
Several hours passed before the group stopped at a steep cliff. A landslide of mud rushed down the hills, joined by a herd of frolicking Rhyhorn. The spiky Pokémon roared as they surfed through the mud.
Holly took a step backwards, but was immediatly stopped when Kidd pulled her by her hoodie. "Aww come on!" she groaned. "Ridin' Rhyhorn would be so fun!"
Kidd snickered, "It would be fun, if we were in Kalos, non?"
Holly slumped down and sighed. "Yeah, y'all got a point. And 'sides, I ain't in the mood to break any limbs!"
Tank looked down at his forearm; thank Arceus he had time to get his cast when Holly was off training for her gym battle.v"That's easy for you to say," he laughed as well.
"Over here!" Apollo yelled as he waved to the group. Tucked away from the mudslide, was a flight of stairs made out of pure stone. Strange draconic carvings lined the sides. Perhaps it was related to the cemetery back in Route 119?
The party walked down the stairs, narrowly avoiding the sharp boulders at the bottom of the cliff. Hours passed before the sunset came back. Instead of a small clearing, this time, they were right next to a bubbling brook. Calm running waters and soft gentle sand were a pleasant welcome from broken bridges and merciless mud slides. Once the tent was set up, the group mixed up their meal: Goldeen and Lum Berry hotpot without any ghost peppers this time.
After the younger trainers went to bed, Frank put out the campfire while Apollo went to explore his surroundings.
He refused to believe it: a pool of water, tucked away under the forest canopies. White steam floated above the surface, joined by the sound of running waterfalls. Sharp stones lined the spring's surface, damp from a heavy rainfall.
Getting in would feel nice compared to the onslaught of heavy rain. After removing his clothing and carefully folding it in a neat little pile, Apollo cautiously stepped into the hot spring. Warm water brushed against his collarbones, melting away the day's fatigue.
The bushes rustled in their spot.
Apollo glanced around the spring; did those four come looking for him? Or was one of their Pokémon screwing around and looking for something? No, it can't be them, they'd at least warn him. The kids were asleep too, so obviously it had to be Frank, right?
Right?
Yet, more bushes rustled, joined by heavy stomping.
Apollo sunk deeper in his spot, the water brushing against the tip of his beak.
Hushed murmurs and barking commands, none of them sounding familiar. He could faintly make out words, something about looking to reach an orb by dawn. More steps were taken towards the hot spring, "Shhhh, I saw someone over here."
Heavy footsteps vibrated against the stone walls, joined by the faint flicker of flashlights.
Without anything to lose, Apollo swiftly stood up in his spot, warm water pooling around his knees. There was no time to cover his shame. The lights shone on his bare body, scaring off several intruders. He cracked his knuckles as he glared at the intruders.
"You've got to be kidding me," he whispered to himself before shouting, "What do you delinquents want?!"
The intruders threw off their black ponchos and revealed themselves: a pack of Pastel grunts!
"Where's Mt. Pyre?" one of the grunts, a pink dog with large sparkly eyes, barked.
Apollo rolled his eyes. Wait a minute, let's lie to them where it's at! "It's on the other side of the Hoenn region!"
"I'm not falling for that one again!" the dog barked out before looking at her teammates. "What? Last time I went to that part of Hoenn, this guy with a Pelipper threw me off their boat!"
Another grunt, a turquoise bunny with fluffy blond hair, crossed his arms as he furiously blushed. "Cookie, boo, let me handle this. Tell us where Mt. Pyre is or I'll kick your ass!"
Unknown to the group, a pair of red eyes intently watched from the trees.
Apollo cracked his knuckles: these punks would be a cakewalk compared to an onslaught of lustful fangirls. "Bring it," he taunted the grunts.
"Already got you covered!"
Frank leaped out of the bushes, glaring as he punched a grunt in the face. The grunt in question, a white squirrel, winced as he fell on his behind and wiped blood from his nose. The other Pastel grunts threw their ponchos back on before scurrying deep into the woods. The pink dog stayed behind to help her friend, leading him back to their own party.
"Yeah, you better run, assholes!" Frank shouted as he shook a fist at the last two animals.
Apollo sat back down in the water, turning around to look away from the stones. "Frank! Where are the kids?!"
"They're asleep in the tent," Frank explained as he pointed at the forest. "Don't worry, they'll be fine. I bet you those guys will party so loud they'd scare everyone away"
"That's not what I'm worried about, and you know it!" Apollo pressed his back against the rocky walls, looking away as he heard the sound of…shuffling fabric?
Frank kneeled on the rocks, holding out the pile of clothing. "You ready to head back to camp?"
"Give me a minute, alright" Apollo waved him off. He grabbed the clothes and stepped out of the spring, hiding behind a large tree. The sound of a flickering lighter caught his attention. "Frank, what do you think you're doing?"
"I'm lighting a torch," Frank deadpanned. "Trust me, what would I have to gain from smoking this late at night?"
Once he was fully dressed, Apollo walked away from the spring, already missing its comfortable warmth. Well he'll be damned; Frank really was lighting up a torch! He watched as the flames swayed from the branch's tip.
The men strolled back to camp, pleased to see that nobody tried to invade it. Once they were close enough that things were safe, Frank blew out the torch and tossed the stick into the campfire pit.
Crawling inside the tent was a pleasant departure from frigid temperatures outside. On one end of the tent, the trio were piled up together, bundled up together like a pack of wild Silcoon.
While Frank shed his clothing before passing out on the mattress, Apollo pulled something out of his duffel bag: a faded blue quilt with black stars trailing down the sides. He tiptoed to the other side, carefully draping the quilt over the trio.
With that out of the way, Apollo crawled back to his side of the tent. His back pressed against the inflatable mattress. While it was uncomfortable compared to his plush king bed back home, it was still better than sleeping right on the ground.
He looked to his left; Frank was flat on his stomach, saliva trailing down his beak and onto the pillow.
Apollo yawned before getting comfortable enough to fall asleep. A pair of red eyes watched the tent, joined by claw marks lining the ground.
Another morning, another step closer to Mt. Pyre!
Meanwhile, in the towering grass...
A navy blue and white canine Pokémon sprinted through the grass, its horn suddenly glowing. A vision flashed in its mind: a mountain of spirits, the summit quaking in its spot. Countless animals commanded armies of Pokémon for battle, almost to the death. A wolf and two deer throw five trainers off the summit, silent as they plummeted to their doom. The dark-type Pokémon skidded in its spot, turning around as its horn glowed brighter.
The midday sun beat down on Route 120, a pleasant departure from days of heavy rain. A vibrant rainbow glimmered in the skies, as if Arceus itself smiled upon eastern Hoenn.
Tank grinned as he took a picture of the skies, bouncing on his tiptoes as he zoomed in on the rainbow. With the perfect picture taken, he caught up to the rest of the group.
Faint howling echoed through the thick grass. Before Apollo could lead the way, a wild Pokémon jumped out.
"Soruuuu!" The canid Pokémon turned its chin up and howled.
"I've got this, everyone," Tank assured his friends. With steady footing, he slowly approached the wild Pokémon. "Hey there, can you tell me what's going on?"
"What the hell is he doing?" Frank whispered. "Doesn't he know Absol is a dangerous species of Pokémon?!"
Apollo facepalmed. "That's an old myth from Sinnohan folklore!" he hushed back. "Absol don't bring disaster, they WARN trainers. I should know, Eugene's had one since he was just a joey!"
As if she was ready for this moment, Grevillea popped out of her Poké Ball and mimicked her trainer's movements. While Tank took notes, Grevillea and Absol talked to each other about the surprise ambush. According to Grevillea, Absol sensed a natural disaster along with an oncoming slaughter at Mt. Pyre.
The earth crumbled under everyones' feet, joined by distorted growling. Seconds passed before a loud explosion quaked through the entirety of Route 120. Trees fell to the ground, joined by the squawking of wild bird Pokemon.
The quintet turned around and gasped in surprise. A blinding orange mushroom cloud exploded in the sky, followed by heavy black smoke.
"We need to leave," Frank's eyes darkened as his fingers dug into his backpack straps, dread flooding through his veins. All he wanted to do was keep on running and not looking back, but a horrid memory flashed through his mind: the sharp slap stinging across his face, Belladonna stumbling on her feet as blood poured from the hole in her torso, falling boulders shattering on the ground as he cradled his dear Pokémon for life.
Apollo waved a wing in Frank's face, trying to snap him out of his trance.
Frank clutched his robe collar, his face turning pale before barking "I said we need to get out of here NOW!" He stepped backwards, about to charge through the last of the grass, before Apollo grabbed him by the collar.
"Get a hold of yourself!" Apollo yelled as he shook Frank in his spot. "The volcano's not going to get any of us!"
Frank slowly moved Apollo's firm hands off his shoulders. "I know that, but you know how I am about volcanoes," he whispered before taking several deep breaths.
"It's miles away from here, alright," Apollo assured him. "We're following Absol, we're getting out of here, and we will make it to Mt. Pyre. Alright?"
Frank sighed as he crossed his arms. "...Alright. Let's go then"
Absol sniffed the air before leading the way. At one point, Aries released herself from her Poke Ball and hopped onto Absol's back like a jockey. Unbeknownst to the quintet, a group of Pastel grunts watched from behind the trees, intently taking notes.
The teal green rabbit whispered into a walkie-talkie, "Apollo and his friends are coming to Mt. Pyre. Keep an eye out for them, over."
Meanwhile, near the peak of Mt. Pyre…
Judy flipped her braid over her shoulders. "Thank you, Grunt Two-Hundred Sixty Six. Lead your friends to the summit as soon as possible. Over" She tucked the walkie-talkie in her utility belt, before looking at her dear friends. "You two. Did we get any more grunts coming here?"
Julian saluted her, his eyes gleaming in pride. "I already sent the orders when I arrived from Southern Island, Miss Judy!"
"And I recruited more animals from Lilycove City," Filbert informed her. "I don't get it though: shouldn't we be working on summoning Kyogre instead of trying to fight Cottage all the time?"
"No, Filbert," Judy shook her head. "We can't summon Kyogre until those pests at Cottage are done for. And besides, I have unfinished business with Dobie"
Julian and Filbert looked at each other; what kind of unfinished business? She had mentioned working with him in the past, but assumed it was just Hawkwinds Corp projects like studying underwater volcanoes to invent new diving suits. Project Sinatra came up several times, but details were as fuzzy as a shaved Mareep.
"Unfinished?" Julian gasped. "You were business partners?!"
"More than that," Judy clarified as she pulled out an old photo: it depicted Dobie and Judy sitting at a roundtable, shaking paws in front of a signed document. A purple lipstick mark lined Dobie's cheek, while Judy's makeup was smudged ever so slightly. Behind the roundtable, sat an all-too-familiar eagle: Don Hawkwind, with a chipper smile on his face and his fingers carefully folded together.
"Dobie was–" She sighed in shame, immediately regretting her choice of words.
"Dobie is my ex-boyfriend."