How did Koa fare after his disastrous encounter with the Rapidash? And is Tyrunt ok?
Hazard (Male Joltik)
Echo (Male Golbat)
The sound of distant murmurings and faint but steady beeping brushed the edge of Koa's consciousness. Part of him felt weary and groggy, and he longed to simply roll over and slip into the comfortable darkness again. But with noise, came awareness, and with awareness, pain. As he shifted, hoping to fall asleep once more, a powerful, throbbing pain thundered through his skull. He took in a sharp breath, and a tight pain clenched around his chest. Slowly, gently, he breathed out again, then in. With each breath, the initial pain dulled, though it didn't fade completely.
The sounds around him grew more distinct, separating into mechanical and human noises, as well as pokemon. The dull murmur of voices blended with faint beeping. With great care, he forced his eyes open. Dull, soft yellow light filled his vision, along with a mess of blurred shapes. He blinked a few times until his vision cleared somewhat and he was able to distinguish his surroundings. Plain white ceiling and walls, spotless pale blue floors, and an odd machine with a display screen by his bedside. Crisp, stiff white sheets were draped over his body. His mind fumbled for the word. A few seconds later, it came to him. Hospital. He was at a hospital.
Koa turned his head and grimaced as a dull ache filled his head. To his left lay an open curtain around his bed and past that, a closed doorway. Through a small window in the door, nurses occasionally walked by, sometimes with a pokemon. He glanced to his right, moving his head as little as possible. A window in the wall provided a view to the outside, although blinds blocked out all but a few slim tendrils of bright light. Was it daytime? How long had he been here? And why was he in a hospital?
Biting his lip, Koa thought back as far as he could. He'd beaten Roark, then followed him to the Oreburgh Museum for something... Right. His fossil. He'd gone to have the Jaw Fossil he found revived. With that revelation came the memory of entering the revival room, and handing his fossil over to be revived.
Beyond that, however, he remembered nothing. He let out a slow sigh and shifted slightly in the bed. For the first time, he became aware of bandages covering his back. There was distant, itchy pain, but it didn't bother him nearly so much as his headache or sore torso. Maybe he'd been in an accident of some kind? And where were his pokemon? There was no sign of them or their pokeballs.
"Hey!" His voice came out in a dry croak, and he licked his lips and swallowed. "Hey? Anyone there?" Irritation festered in him. He was thirsty, hungry, and generally confused. He wanted proper clothes, and he missed his pokemon.
Just as he was about to get up and try to find someone, the door opened with a faint squeak. A figure walked in. As he drew nearer to the bed, Koa got a closer look.
The figure was a young woman with wavy red hair tied into twin buns on top of her head. She looked to be around 30. A pair of sport sunglasses were perched on her head, and she wore a traditional white doctor's coat with a red cross stitched on the chest. Her frame seemed oddly muscular for a doctor, but the thought was quickly pushed aside in favor of questions.
"Why am I in a hospital?" was his first question.
"Please, relax. My name is Maria, and I'm a neurological expert at the hospital," she said. Her voice was gentle and a bit high pitched. She spoke with a slight accent, but he couldn't remember where he'd heard it. Definitely not native to Sinnoh though. "I'll answer your question, but first I have to ask you a few questions. Are you a boy or a girl?"
"What?" he exploded. "What kinda question is that?"
She laughed, almost doubling over. "Just kidding," she said, smiling brightly. In a more serious tone, she continued. "What is your name?"
"Koamaru Averon," he replied, squelching his frustration.
"Who is the current leader of Sinnoh, and Champion?"
"Hah. That's easy. Cynthia."
"What are the three basic elemental types?"
"Fire, water, grass. Are we done yet?"
"Soon. How old are you?"
"14."
She nodded and wrote something on a clipboard in her hand. "And what is today's date?"
After a few seconds of consideration, he shrugged painfully. "June? I think?"
"Close enough. Don't worry, I don't expect you to know the exact date. I just wanted to assess your condition."
"Now will you tell me why I'm here? And where are my pokemon?"
"Your pokemon are all fine."
Koa breathed a sigh of relief. One less thing to worry about. "Where are they then? And what happened to me?"
"Your pokemon are downstairs in the Pokemon Wing of this hospital. We would have taken them to the pokemon center, but once we repaired their pokeballs, they wouldn't go far."
"Repaired their pokeballs?"
"You were attacked by wild Rapidash and their pokeballs were cracked during the fight."
At her words, memories surfaced. The sound of a pokemon crying out. A Rapidash charging at him. Burning pain and something crashing into him. Running, trying to catch something. The memories were more like snapshots than a full memory, but now he could get a general idea of what happened. An image formed in his mind of seeing Rapidash surrounding an injured pokemon, preparing to charge. His pokemon. The Tyrunt he'd revived.
"My Tyrunt!" he cried, sitting bolt upright, ignoring the dull wave of pain that accompanied the movement. A brief wave of dizziness swept over him.
Maria stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down, or you'll make yourself worse. The Tyrunt is fine, luckily. It'll be a day or two before she's properly healed, but otherwise, she will make a full recovery. I didn't realize she belonged to you."
"Yeah uh, I was at Oreburgh Museum to revive her fossil..." his voice trailed off as he pondered what Maria had said. "She? My Tyrunt is female?"
Maria nodded. "Also, once you feel up to it, the local police would like to talk to you."
"Police? What for? I didn't do anything," he protested.
"Of course, you wouldn't remember. The museum was robbed. They apparently created a distraction with the explosion. Several fossils were stolen, among other items. The police and Roark have been speaking to witnesses."
"How long have I been here?" Koa asked.
"Not long," Maria said. "Roark brought you in earlier today. You're basically just bruised up from your little fight with the Rapidash. Maybe next time, you should think about having your pokemon do the battling, hmm?" She grinned at him cheerfully.
Koa slowly lay back down in bed, a sudden weariness overtaking him. His anger dissipated, replaced by exhaustion. His pokemon were safe, as was Tyrunt, and he was alive.
Maria started for the door.
Koa glanced over at her drowsily. "When can I leave?"
"Tomorrow evening. You really only have to stay overnight, so the medicine we gave you can finish healing you. Good thing humans are so tough huh?"
That was enough for now. His eyes closed, and he drifted off to sleep. The rest of the day passed by in a bit of a daze. The nurses brought him a bit of a late lunch, which he nibbled at. After lunch, sleep utterly evaded him, so he watched TV. For a few minutes, he watched The National Sinnoh News. There were an assortment of reports, ranging from swarms of pokemon to weather and traffic reports. There was a special on the christening of a new cruise ship, the S.S. Blackbird. He changed channels, stopping on Oreburgh Local News. A reporter stood in front of the museum, talking.
"...ago, the Oreburgh Museum, known for its impressive coal exhibit and fossil revival capabilities, was robbed. According to local Gym Leader Roark, who was on the premises at the time, the police are working diligently to recover the stolen items, which range from fossils to rare gems and other priceless artifacts. Police are still investigating possible suspects, and have declined to comment so far. In other news..." he changed channels until he settled on an old cop show he used to watch.
At some point, he dozed off and awoke when a nurse came in to take his dinner order. None of the orders sounded appetizing, and he was forced to settle for a burger and some sort of berry dessert. When his meal came, he picked at it, barely eating half. His stomach felt queasy, and his back burned. He wondered where Blake was, or if anyone told him what happened. When Maria came back, he'd ask her.
As the night dragged on, and good tv became scarcer, he found it hard to sleep. The bed wasn't particularly comfortable, and he always felt slightly too hot or slightly too cold. Finally, sometime after midnight, sheer exhaustion won out, and he drifted into a fitful sleep.
After breakfast, Maria came back to check on him. She told him that Blake had been informed, but had yet to actually show up at the hospital and that he could leave later today. When he begged to see his pokemon, she refused, insisting he wasn't allowed until after he'd recovered. Then he was forced to take some more tests, which he grudgingly did.
Afterward, he took a walk down the hospital hallways before returning to his room. As he wandered past other rooms and saw people visiting or nurses with pokemon, he only felt more lonely, so he returned to his room. There was still an hour or two to go before he would be released, so he decided to nap. He had just begun to doze off when the sound of the door squeaking and footsteps awoke him.
Koa opened his eyes and glanced toward the door. Blake stood there, staring at him. Almost unconsciously, Koa found himself scowling. He tensed himself for what he knew was coming, and tried to calm the mess of emotions rising in him. Resentment, anger, relief...
For a moment, his cousin didn't say anything. He stood, staring, his posture stiff. Then he clenched his fists, striding towards the bed. "What were you thinking? No, forget that, clearly you weren't thinking! How many times do I have to tell you? Stop rushing into things. Be smart, watch what you're doing! This isn't a game, Koa. You could have been killed."
Anger bubbled up inside Koa, and he glared at his cousin. "What did you expect me to do, let my pokemon get hurt? I had to do something, or my Tyrunt could have been killed! Besides, I'm not dead. Who cares what could have happened? Whatever happened, happened. Stop making chasms out of Drilbur holes!"
"How can you be so..." he shook his hand in the air in frustration. "-stupid! Next time you might not be so lucky."
Koa's scowl deepened. "Geez, if you just came here to complain and shout at me, why even come? Just go back to your research." He clenched his jaw and turned away from Blake, at least as much as he could without causing himself too much pain. Tears began to form in his eyes, and he forced himself not to blink or let Blake see how upset he was.
A tense silence hung over the room, broken only by the beep of the machines, and Blake's heavy breathing. "I'm sorry Koa. I was just-"
"I don't want to hear it." Koa snapped. "I'm tired. Let me rest."
Blake gave a long sigh, then walked out of the room. Wiping his eyes with his arm, Koa blinked several times. Why did his cousin have to get like that? It felt like nothing he did was right. He hadn't even asked how the accident happened! Hot tears gathered in his eyes. He swallowed and brushed them away. Pull yourself together. He pushed aside his bitterness and focused on thinking about his pokemon, and where he would go next.
Hearthome seemed like it was the next logical choice, although it was far away, and would require a hike across Mt. Coronet. Of course, there was the option of taking one of the buses to Hearthome, but that left no room for training, exploring, or much sightseeing. Maybe he could join one of the hiking groups that regularly crossed the mountains? Nah. Better to take his own path. Besides, he was dying to explore at least some of Mt. Coronet. Soon, he fell asleep, dreaming of wandering the mountains and seeing legendary pokemon.
The next time someone came into his room, it was Maria. "Good news Koamaru. All your tests came back fine, so you can leave today. If you would like, you can change into your regular clothes and we'll get you checked out."
A half-hour later, he'd changed, signed all the necessary papers, and was on his way to the Pokemon Wing.
The Pokemon Wing consisted of a large glass dome, connected to the hospital by a hallway. Inside was a sort of greenhouse, with a miniature lush forest. Two smaller sections had also been created for different types, such as a cooler indoor spot for ice types, a tank for water types, and a warm sandy area for pokemon who preferred heat. The entire area was sectioned off, and attendants and nurses moved about, playing with the pokemon or tending to injuries. He stepped inside the fence.
A loud screech echoed through the enclosure and something crashed into Koa. He staggered back and grunted. Opening his eyes, he saw it was Echo, who had wrapped his small talons tightly on Koa's shoulder, clinging on. He rubbed his head and chuckled. "I missed you too Echo."
A moment later, Hazard leaped from a tree and scurried over to him, nuzzling his foot. Grinning, he knelt down and ruffled Hazard's fur. One of the attendants, a middle-aged woman, quirked her eyebrow at him. "You must be his trainer. That Joltik hasn't let anyone touch him in the past two days."
Koa smiled. "Sounds like Hazard alright. He's not very affectionate to most people."
The attendant chuckled. "Obviously you're Koamaru Averon then? Maria said you'd be stopping by. These are their pokeballs. They've been repaired, but be careful. You might want to consider investing in Great Balls." The attendant handed him two pokeballs.
Koa nodded as he took them from her. "Okay, sure. Where's my Tyrunt?" he asked excitedly.
"Right. Follow me," The attendant said. She led him to a smaller building, consisting mostly of a hallway with rooms lining it. Large windows allowed a view into each room. She stopped in front of the first one. Through the window, he spotted Tyrunt curled up on a small bed. Her eyes were closed and her sides rose and fell steadily. All the wounds from the Rapidash seemed to have healed fine, which didn't surprise him, since pokemon were fast healers. However, a faint scar ran along her torso, barely noticeable as a faded line running across her scales.
"The scar was a serious wound, so it did leave a slight scar. Other than that, she has been healing well. We gave her something to keep her calm, and all her wounds have healed. You're free to take her home."
Koa smiled widely. His first fossil pokemon. "Awesome, thanks. Does she have a pokeball?" The attendant nodded and stepped inside the room. She took an odd-looking pokeball from a case near the bed and pressed a button, returning Tyrunt. She stepped out of the room and handed him the ball. Koa examined it closer. It was dark brown, almost black in color, ringed by a black line around the center. The front sported a golden helix shape. He recognized it as a helix fossil.
"What's this?"
"A new pokeball Roark and his team engineered. A Fossil Ball. Designed to help fossil pokemon feel safe and comfortable."
"Cool!" he clipped the ball to his belt.
After bidding the attendant farewell, he hurried out of the hospital, quite eager to leave. He didn't bother returning his pokemon to their balls either. They seemed to miss him, and the feeling was mutual.
As he strolled through the city, heading to a small part just outside the southern edge, Hazard nestled himself comfortably into his hair. Echo flew in happy loops above his head, stopping occasionally to perch on his shoulders or cling to his back. Tyrunt however, he kept in her pokeball. Better to get somewhere away from the crowds and noise, just in case. He headed to a secluded spot outside the city, a clearing surrounded by sparse woods.
Koa turned to face his pokemon. "Alright everyone. Make sure you give Tyrunt her space. I don't want her to feel threatened or nervous."
His pokemon all moved back several paces, and Echo perched a few feet away. By this point, Koa's excitement was boiling over, and he couldn't contain himself any longer. Unclipping the Fossil Ball from his belt, he tossed it dramatically into the air, releasing Tyrunt.
She lay curled in the same position he'd last seen her, her tail wrapped around her body, almost touching her snout and her legs tucked underneath her. Gleaming black eyes flicked open, and she sprang to her feet, scanning her surroundings. A low growl rumbled in her throat, and she bared her teeth.
Koa reached towards her. "Hey, calm down. My name is-"
She roared and lunged at him. He yanked his hand back, narrowly missing getting bitten. Hazard tensed up, and Echo moved forwards, but Koa motioned for him to stay back before turning to Tyrunt.
"Whoa relax! I'm not trying to hurt you. I want to be friends." He held out his hand again, but she snapped her jaws threateningly, glaring at him. Koa frowned and sat back, then retrieved a pouch of jerky. He tossed a piece to Tyrunt. She glared at him, then the jerky. She took one sniff, then stepped on it, crushing it beneath her powerful hind legs. Koa gasped, then sighed. He remembered reading that Tyrunt were powerful, independent pokemon, but he'd figured after saving her life they would get along fine. Clearly this would take longer than he thought.
The next couple hours dragged by. Koa tried everything he could think of. He tried to talk calmly and approach slowly, but he couldn't even take more than a couple steps. He tried food, but Tyrunt never ate any. When she wasn't trying to bite his hand off or growl at him, she would sleep, or at least pretend to, unless he got too close. Finally, he settled for scanning her with his Pokedex. At least he could find out her moveset.
Tyrunt, The Royal Heir pokemon. Its large jaws have incredible destructive power. Some theories suggest that its restored form is different from its form of long ago. When unhappy, Tyrunt will go on an angry rampage. This Tyrunt is female and knows the moves Tackle, Stomp, Roar and Tail Whip. Its ability is Strong Jaw.
Koa grimaced. None of her moves were particularly good. Still, he didn't expect much. She had just woken up after all. And there would be plenty of time later to teach her better ones. And Strong Jaw was an awesome ability. He made one last attempt to reach out to her but was quickly rebuked with a glare and a furious snarl. Once more, he sighed. It wasn't that he'd expected her undying loyalty or anything for saving her. But couldn't she see that he just wanted to be her friend?
Eventually, he gave up. He returned Tyrunt to her pokeball. Returning the rest of his pokemon, he trudged back into Oreburgh, puzzling over what to do next. He needed to befriend Tyrunt. Prove to her he could be trusted. But how?
"Koa!"
A voice distracted Koa from his thoughts and he looked up to see Roark jogging towards him. "I've been looking for you all day, ever since Maria said they released you from the hospital. Are you alright?"
Koa nodded.
"Glad to hear it. I need to speak to you about the museum robbery."
Mentally slapping himself for forgetting, Koa asked, "What about it?"
"Did you see anything?" Roark asked, his tone brisk. "Those thieves are the reason that my revival machine is ruined! Didn't you see anything? Someone suspicious or someone trying to leave the scene?"
Koa bit back a sarcastic response and shook his head. Roark appeared tired and stressed. Clearly, the robbery was getting to him. "No. It was pretty much panic upstairs. And I was just trying to catch Tyrunt."
"Of course." Roark hung his head. "Forgive me, Koa, I shouldn't have been so blunt. It's just that I've been gym leader for several years now and I just want to do right by everyone. I'm sure they're expecting answers by now."
"That's absurd," Koa said. "It's only been a couple days. People can't expect you to solve this already, that's ridiculous."
"True I suppose," Roark said. "At any rate, how is Tyrunt?"
"Fine. We're still working on training and stuff," he lied. He didn't want to admit how terribly it was going to Roark. Besides, it wasn't as if Roark could do anything. Even if he could, he had plenty enough to worry about.
"Glad to hear it. Maybe when all this is settled, you can bring her by. I would love to see a real live Tyrunt. And I'll let the police know that you didn't see anything."
"What have they found so far?" Koa asked.
"Well..." Roark sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Not much yet. The security tapes were damaged, so the tech teams have been working on restoring them. They're supposed to be reviewing the files today and looking for anything. Speaking of, I'd better go. Chief Lunesse is expecting me."
"I want to come," Koa declared. These thieves were the reason Tyrunt had been scared and gotten hurt, and he wanted revenge for that.
Roark shook his head. "Sorry, but I can't let you. I'm really not supposed to be sharing anything. I'm just telling you what I'm going to tell the public, and I can't say more."
Koa growled in frustration. "So what if you tell me? Maybe I can help!"
"The answer is still no. And I have to go. Good luck with your quest." He turned and hurriedly strode away.
It took a great deal of self-control not to stamp his foot in anger. No need to look like a foolish child. Koa watched him leave, then frowned in thought. He needed to find out more information. And he needed to prepare for his trip to Hearthome. The first item he wasn't sure how to complete, but the second he did. Legend Avenue was lined with shops that sold everything from traveling gear to pokemon food and human food. He could buy everything he needed to trek across the mountains to Hearthome.
Turning on his heel, he raced around the corner and crashed into someone. Instinctively, he muttered an apology. A young girl stood in front of him, about his age. She wore black leggings and dark boots, with a long trenchcoat that nearly reached her knees. Her green hair was tucked under a navy blue cap. Brushing her clothes off, she looked up, her eyes widening in surprise and recognition.
He muttered an apology and kept walking, but she moved in front of him. "Wait. You're Koamaru, right?" She spoke with a commanding tone, but she didn't sound harsh, just direct. Coupled with her warm smile, it made her seem friendly.
Koa stopped and stared at her, narrowing his eyes. "How do you know my name?"
"We met before, remember? Outside Professor Rowan's lab."
Koa frowned, trying to think. "Oh, you're..." he trailed off, trying to remember her name. He hadn't exactly been paying much attention to her.
"Avis Petra," she said confidently. "I've been looking into this museum robbery. I was nearby when it happened, and I saw you running out of the museum." She frowned and tilted her head as if studying him. "Do you know anything?"
Koa sighed and shook his head. "No, not really." He stepped around her to leave. He wasn't really interested in a conversation right now. He had more important things, like Tyrunt, on his mind now. Besides, he barely knew her. As much as he wanted to know more, he wasn't keen on discussing it with a stranger.
She jogged beside him then cut in front of him and walked backwards, facing him. "Are you sure? Perhaps-"
"I didn't even know that the museum was being robbed when it happened, okay? I was just trying to find my pokemon." He brushed by her, but he could still hear her following him.
"Very well then. What was Roark talking to you about?"
Whirling around, Koa glared at her. "You were eavesdropping?"
Avis shook her head. "No, obviously. I just saw you two talking. I wasn't even close enough to hear what you said. That's why I'm asking. What was he saying?"
Heat rose to Koa's cheeks and he tried to hide his embarrassment. He was being meaner than necessary, he realized. "Nothing I'm going to tell you."
Her eyebrows arched and she eyed him. "If you tell me, I'll let you in on what I know."
Koa started to refuse, then hesitated. Roark probably wouldn't tell him anything more, and he doubted anyone in the police force would either. This could be his best chance. Or a trick. Either way it wasn't really like Roark had told him anything secret. Maybe she knew something he could use.
"Okay." He crossed his arms. "Roark wanted to know if I saw anything. Which I didn't." He emphasized the word didn't. "And he said that security footage was damaged, but they were working on restoring it. He just left to go review it with Chief Lunesse."
"What happened during the robbery?" she asked curiously.
Koa hesitated, unpleasant memories flashing through his mind. The explosion, the panic, chasing Tyrunt all the way to the Rapidash heard... nudging the thoughts outside, he refocused. "The power went out, I think. Then there was some kind of explosion. I think the machine blew up or something. After that, I don't know."
Avis nodded and hummed thoughtfully. "Interesting... From what I've found, it seems like a similar MO to other crimes all over western Sinnoh."
"You mean it's not local?"
She shook her head. "Recently, over the past few months, there've been several small break-ins at local shops around the mainland. There's also been muggings during the night, on several routes. Witnesses all give the same description. Men in all black clothing, wearing black masks and capes. They move quietly and strike hard and fast. Many use electric pokemon as well, and the pokemon are often painted dark colors to blend in."
Just like the Zebstrika rider...
"Usually, they knock out the power right before they strike. They steal anything valuable-money, art, jewels and such. A few different police precincts have recently begun speculating that it's not copycats, but a single organization. Jubilife Police dubbed them Team Blackout." She paused before adding, "most likely that guy on the Zebstrika you mentioned is tied to them."
"Team Blackout..." he said thoughtfully. He almost hoped one of them would try to mug him some time. He'd give them a run for their money. His conversation with her in Sandgem some days ago came back to him. "Do you think they are connected to Team Galactic?"
"Well, sort of. I think they might be just leftovers from them. The grunts, probably looking to make money. Although recently, I think they've added poaching to their list of crimes. Which is why they hit Rowan's lab."
At the mention of the lab robbery, Koa tensed. "You mean they were the ones who stole from Rowan?"
Avis nodded. "Most likely."
Rage boiled inside Koa. If he ever got his hands on those good for nothing—
"I'd better go," Avis said, looking up from her Poketch. "I have other tasks to accomplish. Oh! I nearly forgot. We should battle sometime."
He gave her a dubious look. "You don't even have any pokeballs."
A mischievous glint twinkled in her eyes "First rule of investigating, never underestimate people." She gave him a friendly smile before turning and striding away. He watched her for a moment, then turned his thoughts to preparations for his journey.
In a few minutes, he had reached Legend Avenue. Many of the shops on this street were named for legendary pokemon, particularly those of Sinnoh mythology. Cresselia Bakery, New Moon Clothing, Shaymart and many other stores made up the entirety of the street.
The next few hours were spent browsing through the stores and stocking up on items. He still had some money, around 10,000 poke, and he spent it on medical supplies, repellent, rope, and food. Finally, satisfied that he had enough for the journey, he used his last couple hundred to rent a cheap room at a place called 'Mythic Hotel'.
The establishment was a bit run down, but he didn't have money for anything nicer. The bed was rather lumpy, but more than good enough for the night. He released his pokemon, save for Tyrunt, and brought out some of the food he bought, giving it to them. As they ate, he turned on the tv but kept the volume down. Then he sent out Tyrunt.
"Look Tyrunt—" he began.
She growled at him, showing her teeth. He edged closer anyway, holding out his hand with food in it. The growl grew into a low snarl.
"Stop being so stupid!" Koa snapped, his voice growing loud. "I saved your life for Arceus' sake, I'm not trying to hurt you!"
Tyrunt roared so loud Koa felt the vibration in his body. Quickly, he returned her to her pokeball. Less than a minute later, there was a knock on his door. Reluctantly, he answered it. He recognized the man standing in the doorway as the hotel manager, who helped check him into his room.
The man gave a sympathetic frown. "We have a very strict noise policy Mr. Averon. If it happens again, I will have to ask you to leave."
Grinding his teeth together in frustration, he nodded and mumbled, "Sorry sir." The manager nodded and walked away. Koa closed the door, just short of slamming it shut. He flopped down on his bed and groaned. After a moment, he released Tyrunt again. She growled at him then walked several feet away, curling up on a chair in the room.
Well, he wouldn't give up on her, not yet. Making sure she was settled, he turned his attention to his other pokemon. Hazard clung to one of the lightbulbs in the bathroom, his fur spiking from the electricity. Koa watched him curiously for a few moments. He seemed to be concentrating, and every few seconds his fur would fluff out before relaxing slightly. It took him a moment, but Koa remembered reading about the technique somewhere. It was called overcharging, and served as another way to help increase their electric storage capacity.
Echo, meanwhile, seemed to be searching for a suitable perch. He hopped from spot to spot, seemingly testing each place. Once, he landed on the back of the chair Tyrunt rested on. She gave him a dirty look but made no move towards him. Echo continued his little exercise, hopping from one surface to the next.
Finally, he settled on a perch. Upside down, hanging from the ceiling fan. A moment later, he directed a burst of focused sound at a switch on the wall. The fan turned on, its blades beginning to spin. Echo gave a happy shree of delight as he whirled around the room. Koa couldn't help but laugh out loud at the sight.
Leaving Golbat to amuse himself, he showered and changed into pajamas. When he got out, both Echo and Hazard were fast asleep. Hazard had picked the bathroom sink as his bed, while Echo lay splayed on one of the two beds in the room. Shaking his head, Koa draped a sheet over his Golbat, before settling into the other bed. He took one last look at Tyrunt. Her sides rose and fell peacefully, and she seemed so innocent now that she was asleep. He watched her as he drifted off to sleep, wondering how he could befriend her.
xXx
Koa grinned as he stared at the looming cave mouth in front of him. Wayward Cave. One of the few areas in Sinnoh where Gible lived. They were preposterously rare, but if he got lucky, he could complete at least one step of his Plan. A Garchomp would give him a serious edge in battle.
After some thought, he'd put his hike through Mt. Coronet on hold, in favor of some extra training. With his new Tyrunt being problematic, he hoped to bond with her better first as well. The solution he'd come to was traveling to Wayward Cave. It involved some backtracking since it was located under the northernmost section of Cycling Road, but hopefully, it would be worth it.
For the next few hours, he wandered the cave. He didn't see any Gible, though he did encounter several large gray boulders blocking his path. Fortunately, he didn't need anything special to push them out of the way. He simply climbed over them and continued on.
As he wandered the gloomy cave, he swept his flashlight beam ahead of him, scanning for anything interesting. The tunnel he'd been traveling ended abruptly in a dead end. Just as he was about to turn around and try another path, something sparkled. Koa swung his beam over the area again. There it was. Tucked in a nook in the wall, something green. He hurried towards the glimmer and knelt down, carefully prying away the loose stone. A tiny handful of green objects spilled out.
As soon as he saw them, his eyes lit up. Green Shards. They were somewhat rare items that could be found in cave systems and sometimes in the wild. Collectors often traded rare items for them. Carefully, he counted them and tucked them into a small pouch on his backpack. There were five of them, which was a good start.
Brimming with elation, he set off to explore more. He hadn't been walking long when he felt a distant rumble. It grew louder and suddenly an Onix emerged from a tunnel a short way ahead.
It looked straight at him. Koa froze and stared back. For a moment, they engaged in some sort of staring competition. Then the Onix roared a challenge.
Koa sized it up. Judging by its length, it seemed fairly young. Probably it was trying to challenge trainers to grow stronger. Either Hazard or Echo could defeat it easily since they had experience. But he had a better idea.
"Go Tyrunt!" He tossed out Tyrunt's pokeball, and she emerged in a flash of light. At first, she glared at Koa, looking disgruntled. The Onix roared again and Tyrunt whirled to face it. At the sight of Onix, her eyes lit up. Clearly, she liked the idea of a challenge.
"Let's start with Tail Whip," he called. Tyrunt charged forwards and leaped into the air, one of her feet aimed at Onix. Stomp. Definitely not the move he'd asked for. Onix retaliated with a Tackle, hurling itself up at Tyrunt. They clashed for a moment before Tyrunt forced Onix down. It smashed into the ground and Tyrunt leaped away, snarling in triumph.
"Tyrunt, please," Koa called. "Listen-"
She let out a roar and charged Onix, who had just gotten up. Once again, she leaped into the air with a Stomp attack. An orange orb formed in Onix's mouth and it blasted it at Tyrunt, knocking her out of the air. Koa recognized the attack as Smack Down. He winced as Tyrunt hit the ground and slid several feet. She'd be fine, but he suspected her pride had taken a critical hit.
Wearily, Tyrunt got to her feet.
Koa took a tentative step towards the furious Tyrunt. "Tyrunt, you can beat that Onix." She made no reply, her gaze locked on the Onix. Before Koa could give a command, the Onix sneered at her, then reared back, opened its jaws, and spewed a stream of purple flames straight for her.
"Dodge!" Koa shouted frantically. One Dragon Breath attack would do serious damage. Unfortunately, Tyrunt had other ideas. She charged straight into it. The flames slowed her, but she stubbornly tried to press through it. To his surprise, she made it all the way to Onix. With a weak roar, she hurled herself at it with Tackle. Unfortunately, the attack did little damage. Tyrunt staggered back, then collapsed, utterly exhausted. Onix shut its jaws, eyeing the downed form of Tyrunt. With a triumphant roar, it slithered away.
Once it had gone, Koa sighed and pulled out a potion, and set to healing Tyrunt. In a couple of minutes, she woke up. Upon seeing him so close, she growled and stalked several feet away. Koa pulled out her pokeball and returned her. She'd be more comfortable there anyway.
For a moment, he stared at the ball. What was he supposed to do? He wanted her on his team, but she didn't seem interested in that. He couldn't just release her - as a revived Fossil, she was his responsibility. Which meant sending her to live with Rowan perhaps, or finding her another trainer. The thought made his heart heavy. Ornery or not, he liked her tenacity.
For some time, he continued on, following a random path through the cave. He found a couple of other shards and later, to his delight, a single Rare Candy. They were powerful candies that could help boost a pokemon's strength slightly. They were also notoriously hard to come by. He guessed it had been dropped by a trainer some time ago.
By the time he worked his way back to the exit, he felt fairly accomplished, at least in the exploration department. In the pokemon department, less so. Tyrunt ignored or did the opposite of every command he gave. She wouldn't let him near her either, making it impossible to train her in new techniques or battle properly with her. Which was a shame, because she seemed to be strong. She'd weathered Onix's Dragon Breath longer than he expected.
A fog of frustration hung over him the whole trip back to Oreburgh. He'd hoped to catch Gible maybe or start building out the rest of his team. But with Tyrunt still being so troublesome, he was beginning to have doubts. He didn't want to catch another pokemon when he couldn't handle the one he just got. By the time he arrived in Oreburgh, late in the afternoon, he was still cross.
"Hey, Koa!"
A shout drew him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Roark approaching.
"Hey Roark," he mumbled. He was hardly in the mood for a conversation.
"What's got your knickers in a twist, Koa?"
Koa sighed. Might as well be honest. "It's my Tyrunt. No matter what I try, she won't listen."
Roark tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Come have a battle with me. Let me see."
After a moment, Koa nodded in agreement. It wasn't as if he had another option.
xXx
Once again, Koa stood across a battlefield, facing Roark. This time, however, the stakes were significantly lower. Only the barest lighting lit the field since the gym was technically closed. There was no referee, either. Just the two of them.
Roark released his Cranidos, who growled amiably, looking much less fierce than he had at the gym battle. Koa reluctantly released his own fossil pokemon. Tyrunt emerged in a flash of light. At her appearance, the two dinosaurs sized each other up for several seconds. In sync, they both gave matching roars. Roark chuckled. "It seems Cranidos is excited about this fight. Mind if I go first?"
"Be my guest," Koa said.
"Start with Leer!" Roark said, gesturing dramatically. Cranidos leaned forward, its eyes glowing yellow. Tyrunt stared back defiantly, but flinched a second later, a shudder traveling over her body.
"Tail Whip!" Koa called, hopefully. For once, Tyrunt listened, though he wasn't sure if it was due to coincidence. With a snarl, Tyrunt pivoted and swiped her tail at Cranidos. A subtle wave of energy rolled across the stadium, striking Cranidos, who shivered.
"Okay then, Zen Headbutt!" Roark called.
"Dodge and use Tackle," Koa said. Tyrunt charged at the approaching Cranidos, a faint swirl of energy surrounding her. The two met head-on, pressing against each other for a moment. With a sudden explosion, Tyrunt was thrown back. She slid across the ground but remained standing. Koa groaned inwardly. Still, at least she obeyed the 'Tackle' part of his command, even if she ignored the dodge.
"Leer again. Soften her up!" Cranidos nodded in acknowledgment, then faced Tyrunt, eyes glowing.
"Quick, use Stomp!" Tyrunt leaped in the air, breaking eye contact, then came hurtling down at Cranidos. Stomp collided with its skull head-on, but Cranidos remained unfazed. With a toss of its head, it flung her aside, then snarled arrogantly. Tyrunt snarled back then charged, her jaws open wide and glowing. Koa's eyes widened. Tyrunt had learned Bite!
"All right Tyrunt, full force Bite!" Koa shouted.
"Meet it head on with Headbutt!" Roark said.
The two dinosaurs charged across the field towards each other. The attacks collided, and smoke filled the stadium. When it cleared, Roark's and Koa's jaws both dropped, and their brows furrowed in confusion.
Tyrunt had her jaws wrapped around Cranidos' head. Both seemed confused, with Tyrunt gnawing on Cranidos skull, who pressed on valiantly. The strange struggle continued for another minute. Finally, both pokemon sat down, looking equal parts frustrated and confused.
A loud peal of laughter echoed across the stadium. Tears streamed from Roark's eyes as he continued laughing. "I don't believe it," he gasped.
Koa cocked his head. "What?" he asked, feeling as if he had missed something.
"Cranidos' greatest strength is his impenetrable skull. A Tyrunt's greatest strength is its powerful jaws." He chuckled again, wiping a tear from his eye. "Unstoppable force-"
"Meet immovable object," Koa finished, breaking into laughter. On the field, the two dinosaur pokemon were still locked in the same position. Tyrunt tried to back off, then gave a low whine as she dragged Cranidos with her. Cranidos yanked backwards, merely succeeding in pulling Tyrunt back with him.
"We'd better separate them," Roark said, still chuckling as he crossed the field to his Cranidos. Koa followed him and knelt next to Tyrunt. He reached out to her, but she shot him an angry glare. "Let me help," he pleaded. After a moment, Tyrunt growled and then blinked once. Koa decided to take that as a sign of agreement. With Roark's help, he pried Tyrunt's jaws away from Cranidos. A moment later, both pokemon were freed.
Tyrunt huffed and stalked off, her head held high. Cranidos watched her go, a strange sparkle in his eyes.
Roark patted his Cranidos on the head. "I think my Cranidos is a little starstruck. No one has ever countered his Headbutt like that."
Koa watched Tyrunt, who sat with her back to him, trying for all the world to act tough. "I pity him," he said flatly.
"So what do you think?" Koa asked once they had both returned their pokemon. "Why is Tyrunt acting like that? I mean, I saved her life from those Rapidash."
Roark eyed him skeptically. "Do you think that guarantees anything?"
Koa paused. "Well... no, not really. I mean I guess I just expected her to understand that I want to be her friend, you know? I would love for her to join my team but..." he exhaled. "Maybe she should stay with you. Or another trainer, if she hates me so much."
Roark shook his head. "Tyrunt is Rock and Dragon-type. So she is bound to be stubborn, but I wouldn't say she hates you. I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary when we were battling. For now, patience. These things take time."
Koa nodded sadly. He hadn't expected a magical solution, but he had hoped that another battle would help things along. Apparently, that wasn't the case. Still, it was a small comfort, knowing it would likely simply take time. Perhaps it was time to continue his journey.
"Thanks for the advice," Koa said. He started for the exit.
Roark called after him. "Once she evolves, bring her back. I think Cranidos would love another battle after he evolves."
"Will do!" Koa replied. With that, he returned to his room. He wanted to get plenty of rest. Tomorrow, he would begin the journey to Mt. Coronet.
Hazard (Male Joltik)
Echo (Male Golbat)
Tyrunt (Female Tyrunt)
So there we have it. Koa survived, Tyrunt is ok, but she won't listen to him! How will he get through to her?