X - new day or 24 hour or more time jump
— - 2 to 12 hour time jump
'Internal speaking'
'Flare mind talking'
"External speaking"
**** Start/End Pokespeek
Galvantula (Female)
Flare/Litwick (Female)
Shay/Dratini (Female)
Pierce/Starly (Male)
Void/Shuppet (Male)
Tamall/Skiddo (Male)
Meredith/Marill (Female)
Bhaltair/Jigglypuff (Male)
Valor/Budew (Male)
A sigh loud enough to earn a glance from her computer neighbor escaped. The sun felt nice though. Warm on her skin especially after the long biting cold of winter.
Snow retreated days ago and the grass turned green once more with the first green leaf buds putting specks of green on the trees not long after. Even so there wasn't much green in this library. The theme was gray. Slate covered the upper half of the walls and some form of tan granite formed the bottom. No, Aella wasn't suddenly an expert in stone like she was with trees, but she could read the plaques like the one on the floor that said the marble was from a query somewhere nearby.
Theme made sense though, Pewter was known as the city of stone. They had flipped a stone on whether to head to Cerulean or Pewter with Pewter taking the win.
She had hoped that staying out of the city till May, she would avoid the first days of April craziness that came with League sponsored gyms opening for the new season but no. As one of the best beginner gyms, Pewter would be packed with young eager trainers wanting to get their first, second or third badge.
Disappointment and cheer rang clear on those who had their trial battle. Flare noted a pattern of those of a lower height having a greater percentage of gloom, 'Makes sense. Plenty waited, spending a year or two in their hometown before making the journey. Apparently traveling was exhausting,' Aella rolled her shoulders. All she's done is travel so it didn't seem true to her.
Aella and Flare had found an unusual advantage. More specifically, that little Dex problem back in Matcha. Young fresh trainers habitly forget they had a Dex. Coupled with an evolution and mental manipulation of forgetfulness was breezy done. Besides all the Psychics had their minds full of a packed gym schedule.
Every single one of her family minus Shay. And when she says everyone, yes she means Flare and Void. Even if Void lost every single battle it wasn't what made Aella hide a cringe every time she released him.
The Shuppet just acted so much like a Team Rocket pokemon and some of her own like Tamall and Pierce simply put up with his existence. They'd never see him as kin. Aella struggled to see him as kin. It wasn't his fault. How many times has she questioned alongside Flare whether it would be merciful to just let him go. Ever since the rescue of Tamall she questioned when a marcy kill was the kindest thing to do.
To be perfectly honest Shay wasn't missing out on anything. The few fights Galvantula participated in she well… curb stomped her opponents and seeing that Aella's Dratini was on the same level as her first, the dragon would quickly bore of the entertainment.
She stayed through almost all of May. Till even Flare couldn't get people to not see her as a familiar face, "Well we got a lot of experience with this at least," she shrugged on her bag on leaving an open computer for anyone to use behind.
'Most of 11 age, productive. Now age up month. No plan where go,' an old style travel lamp that took oil or dried brush in its bottom vase for a tiny ever burning flame. It was really just Minimize with her ghostly core visible as a flame.
Aella hummed, 'Gota be a quiet path out,' letting Flare's knowledge bank flow over her. You think since Viridian Gym doesn't take trainers under five badges (and are trying to turn that to six badges but the League won't budge) that path of Viridian Forest would be pretty empty, nope. Viridian Forest is one of the best places in both Kanto and Johto to get Bug and young Flying pokemon.
Heck, the forums say the only time that path is not busy is January. They couldn't go to Johto yet, because they weren't strong enough to get through The Peak of White (and the lands known to be covered in dragons beyond) or as humans call it, Mount Silver, to avoid the guarded pass between the two regions. There was the same guarded problem going north to Sinnoh. So that left east. A very small section of east, because Mount Moon was busy plus busy.
Bhaltair may be stronger than he was in August but was nowhere near controlled enough for the boost evolution would give him. She would likely have to take the paths again next summer or the summer after for that.
The Mounts of Moon, the pokemon name for the mountain range surrounding Mount Moon. They were just as formidable, tall and grand, yet were outshined by the sheer spectacle and size of the one mountain the whole range was named for. In the past the mounts of moon trail path were the path to take before the tunnel leading under the grand mighty mountain was made. Now those trails were unkempt, rugged with disuse, leading Ponyta ride services unwilling to take people through them due to their treachery.
Aella, had a mountain goat, was there a need for much more of an explanation than that?
X
That morning she walked the streets of the edge of Pewter with hands, stretching to the sky in early light. A sharp wind snapped her hair out when she passed between houses. Her steps were assured, and she had an old lamp swinging cheerily on her hip. The tree serving as her home for the past month had been in a little overrun shrubbery area within a small outlying neighborhood of Pewter. Only once before has she slept within the city limits, Gringey Town Celadon.
Why, the very same reason she's been able to have bouts and battles, so many young trainers. It was honestly disconcerting that Trainer Centers (the official name in Pokemon Centers of the area trainers slept in) didn't have enough room for the sheer number of new trainers but apparently, after overhearing a few conversations, there was enough room. It's just everyone wanted to get their first experience camping out, also apparently highly recommended in training school to get first experience near a city.
In the grassy fields, that shuddered in the breeze, separated city from forest, she could hear Pidgey cry as they fought over any unlucky bug they found. Others doing the same had shot up into the air squawking at the campers and their pokemon that ran through the spot they searched. Some were stretching slowly rousing to the late morning light, others were already bright-eyed and already started training routines. The rest were pulling tents down to pack up for the Moon Pass.
The path Aella headed down, if one could call a line of well trampled grass a path, intersected with another more proper dirt path that walked the border of the forest, "The Moon Pass is farther down the path. I heard there are flashing signs for young trainers not to miss it." Aella twisted, looking over her shoulder, "I think it's farther down that way"—a random young guy points north down the intersecting rut ridden trail—"we're probably too far down to see the signs yet."
"Thank you for telling me I'm going down the right path." She didn't prevent the cheeky smirk in her smile before whipping round letting the wind caress her hair off her neck. There were disjointed attempts to say something before he settled on just pointing out the safe way to get to any other city housing a main gym was the Moon Pass.
"Oh so you're supposed to get stronger if you take a safer path then." Twisting her upper body and rotating one of her feet round to look back.
"Aahh well that's um—it's faster? Yea faster." Aella can make out the subtle puffing of his chest for coming up with a possible reasoning.
"Its spring everyone is taking the Moon Pass," she slowed her words, making sure each syllable was presented, "There are check gates, due to Team Rocket and their interest in the mythical maybe non-existent, maybe existent giant moonstone, they need to check everyone going through, and there are areas that require a guide, and every guide can only take a certain number of people through at a time. Every. Single. One of these things requires time and adds to the amount of time it takes to get through.
"The old Mounts of Moon trails will get me there just as quick and they're still walked by the league from time to time to make sure nothing big is living on them"—Aella took a breath—"plus it gives experience isn't that why everyone is sleeping out in tents."
Aella whirled back around hoping he wouldn't have in-depth knowledge on her half-lie. Yes, plenty of infrequently used trails were walked by the league, but she hadn't looked to see if this particular trail was. She took a huffing breath to shake off the sudden conversation she was thrown in before stepping into the forest.
The Fagacea were numerous in this area with their simple leaves, and were yet to flower as it was far too early in the season. It was the family of trees she chose most often to sleep in as they held big leaves to hide a frame and not pointed needles like the Pinaceae. She had traveled deep enough amongst their numbers for their leaves to obscure her view of the tent coated field. The path was unsurprisingly rough with roots and the beginnings of long bunches of grass that manage somehow to survive and heavily overshadowed ground.
"HAY!" Her peaceful wonder followed by the crunch of dead branches once buried under snow was interrupted again by this guy.
'That's his fast steps coming this way isn't it.'
'Yep, scare?' Flare returned her remark with one of her own.
'Is that even possible,' and yet in her sense of Flare and Aella being one told her no. No, he was running up their path, heavy gear and all leaving her with one question, why?
"WAIT FOR ME!" His words bounced loud off her eardrums, and even though her steps stayed steady she wanted so badly to turn around and clench at the air exasperatedly complaining 'you gotta be f%$#)=& kidding me!'
Aella instead says "What is wrong with you."
"Not listening to you apparently," he states saddling up against her in step, "I completely forgot about the checks and the guides and the crowds. It'll take forever for me to get through there and to Celadon in time for my match."
He jolted as if realizing something, "Uhh I never actually asked if you're going Celadon to?"
She didn't have a destination so in the need to give a timely answer, she just mumbled, "same".
Without stopping he kept on talking to open a one-sided conversation about Pewter but his chatty mouth and mind gave Aella a minute to build an info page on him and Flare a moment to establish a silent connection to keep him from asking the 'My names _. What's yours?' Or anything similar. They could just lie and give a false name but Aella was the name she picked. Aella was a name she was proud of and to be called anything else even if it was for safety…no, Aella wouldn't sully her name.
He seemed a bit tall for his guessed age being a head and a half higher than the top of hers. His skin was pale though slightly tanned, due to traveling under the sun. Carrying his head high, he had this sense of ruggedness though didn't feel as seasoned of a traveler as her. Although the sense of 'spindly teen' couldn't be hidden completely from growing and having yet to have filled out. Aella herself although on the cusp of teenager still carried that very childlike look.
Frazzled cheri berry hair screamed 'I just woke up, bright eyed and ready to go' with its frazzled fluffy state but at least his gear looks properly stowed, and not ready to fall out of his bag the moment they had to run from anything.
"Sorry I'm told I can be kind of loud and talkative and take over conversations completely. I'm working on not doing that and letting other people talk." He looked down at her nearly tripping over a root in the process with eyes tinted a deep gray blue from the shade overhead.
"No, I need a few minutes to process. I didn't exactly plan to have a traveling companion." This also changed how she traveled. Of course she could just get rid of him but Flare said otherwise.
'Smart, too curious, need reason, don't have,' he felt too smart and would question things without some real good reason, one that she didn't have.
There were apologies spoken but Aella's mind was busy wirring over the occurring possibilities of the next few days.
—
It was the fifth time 'Fire hair' had made some sort of complaint about the length of time they had been walking and the sun hadn't even reached its peak yet. Aella felt the need to call him something since she had yet to precure a solution to allow her to learn his name but not him learning hers. So she was using Flare's determined name for him, Fire Hair.
Fitting for his forwardness and strong personality and yes, his hair. Calling it cheri berry might have not been quite correct. It was the sort of red that you got from a low dying fire, bright but not neon, hence the nickname.
She stretched, glancing up to see Pierce glide by on the powerful gusts brewed by a storm ongoing somewhere on a different side of the mountain range. Aella's eyes closed for a moment and she nodded her head to acknowledge his twittering, "looks like the path smooths out ahead it'll be a good place to end before we reach parts with a tougher incline," a glance over her shoulder let her view the strain the forested hike put on the guy. Clearly his trecks were never this extended.
There was a flick of yellow up high that could have been mistaken as some young leaves. Flashes of pink and blue down low would be seen as damaged tree bark and fingernail sized insects with their iridescent blue shells. Anyone untrained or with no insider information wouldn't know any better.
There was no purple but she was unsurprised. Of the three who rode on his back he would not allow their most vulnerable to be seen. The other two could jump down and play off the wild pokemon look but Valor just stood out too much. Plus Aella had a feeling he secretly liked to be coddled by the older Grass type.
A groan and a thud of a heavy pack rang from her right. She huffed, hooking her own in a brush thick tree before stepping deeper in the underbrush.
"Hay you probably shouldn't wander off—"
"Bathroom."
"Ahh nevermind," she felt him turn away.
It was needed but Shay first needed to be released to hunt something with Pierce and Galvantula tagging along. When both were out of the way and the photosynthesizers and vegetarians (that act like omnivores sometimes) can get their greens in the sunshine, Aella was left to handle her hollow stomach with a certain vassal swinging on her hip.
They'd be a lot further along with Tamall but that would involve Fire Hair seeing and riding behind her. She didn't even let Aubrey or Rain do that back in Terracotta. Eventually she gave in to her goats subtle asks and rode Tamall every day during the tournament. He heavily preferred being out than sitting in his ball though never complained.
What was the point in hiding him when he already had been seen in a few battles anyway. Here there was no battle. No need for any of hers to be seen. Aella would be forgettable. It was better this way.
Fire Hair was practically lounging against his stuff, chewing on what looked like a dried meat stick with glazed eyes that spoke of a wandering mind when she returned. Paras hung from one hand, its soul filled her ghost's appetite along with the Weedle brought by Pierce. Her other carried her pot sloshing with water courtesy of Meredith. Dry sticks were squeezed between the crook of her armpit.
He simply glanced over before going back to gnawing on his meat stick. At least the area was clear of brush. The moment all three were unaware Flare sent a Wisp igniting the sticks gathered round the pot.
Aella looked over. It wasn't hard to miss the five on his belt and though three were in stasis, curiously still in stasis, that wasn't what got her attention. There were two things she needed to mention here, the pokeballs themselves and the pokemon he'd released from them.
Two plane pokeballs were active. The rest were; one with a fancy design and two great balls. Great balls were not recommended for beginners. They were made for advanced trainers. People who were catching pokemon who were known to be a bit unruly. Ghosts, Darks, plenty of Fire and Poison types…ahh on second thought there were some Normal types recommended not to be caught in your first few years.
Pokeballs could be given a paint job, stickers, gloss coat for cheap, or a very exorbitantly expensive engravings, a fancy spray paint helps keep the ball shiny and free of niks, dents and scratches.
If Great balls were for advanced trainers then it's safe to say that Ultra balls were for professionals; and their price made sure of it. Only those who got far used them, unless they type specialized, then they went for type specialty pokeballs.
That was what was interesting about his pokeballs although it could be said his pokemon drew higher eyebrows.
A very selective League starter due in part to having a hot headed temperament and thick pride. With an iconic tail of ever burning flame, they were monsters when properly trained, motivated or enraged. Charmander. A buzz from Flare happened, unnoticed in her mind and gave its gender, Male. He had his snout all the way up to his eye sockets in the bowl. And no not a travel bowl, an actual…steel? Composite rubber? Whatever it was it was clearly a tough material with how the lizard was handling it.
Aella heard the crack of bone from the other one's plate. Trap and opportunity hunters, Fire Hair's Trapinch was halfway in the ground turning one of the market chew bones into slivers. Not the most prideful of all Dragons, Flygon did still care very much about their scales, wings and prowess. As a Trapinch that carried into their jaw strength and difficulty in handling.
The shink of her blade sliding out had him finally blinking back to awareness. Louder sounds of her clearing an area to boil the pot Meredith filled didn't even give him a pause.
'Was it the unusualness of the sound or was it the associated danger of it?' There was a humm at the thought that was not her own.
Leaving her vassal off to the side to ponder and watch as Aella made her first cuts into the carcass. Mushrooms were removed from their bases and left on a pink stained silken cloth Galvantula had made over the winter to avoid getting dirt on clean cut meat.
Her hands were moving fluidly with the years of experience under her belt. Normally this was when Aella would pop in her earbuds to chase the numb haze every child of the Rockets embraced. Tranquility was nice. Days packed with motion were nice. But there was a certain state of mind she avoided that made her feel mechanical, like a machine in that warehouse she ran through so long ago.
You would think removing the guts wouldn't be intriguing but apparently Fire Hair would say differ with how intently he watched.
"Is me butchering that enthralling to you?" Fire Hair blinked before jolting at the notion of her words.
Stumbling through a few sentence starters, he finally scratched his neck, "Well not many are willing to hunt and eat a pokemon. Some even see it as a taboo."
Aella cocked a brow, "You realize pokemon eat other pokemon all the time. Very little meat we consume comes from creatures not classified as pokemon so…" she didn't really know how to explain that the taboo thought sounded dumb. She didn't even know people considered eating pokemon a taboo.
"Ahhh yea. Yea! I always considered the taboo ideal a bit overkill and strange with how many low intellect ones we consume and I wanted to point it out but my dad and grandpa stated it's rude to just bluntly state it instead of using proper social etiquette. Like I wish we could all be a bit more frank instead of dancing around topics with fancy words–even though it does have its place at times, but it feels like we overdo it."
She felt her jaw hanging open. That was something she could very relate to. Being a socially inept human, "Oh my Arceus someone gets it. Everyone says pokemon are hard to understand. No there not, their simple beings compared to the complex jungle of humans. From conversations to possessions," Especially possessions though she didn't say that, it felt too far from normal.
There was a moment's pause before he threw back his head and laughed. Loud and unrestrained from deep in one's belly. It was like a weight had been shunted from his shoulders, finally finding one in agreement to this atypical way of thinking. Fire Hair went on how at some point their species had considered themselves needing to separate themselves from wild instincts, to be civilized, refined and cultured. The intricacies and details on social psychology of humans were lost to her but she didn't dare stop him. It was clearly a passion of his just like arboreal studies were to her.
Fire Hair eventually caught on and apologized profusely for carrying the conversation away again. She laughed, and said, "It's your background passion just like the study of trees is mine."
The (one sided) conversation had lulled in good time. She had finished butchering the Paras. Water already at a rolling boil she was quick to add them along with some Chasto, Oran and herbs adding a woodsy snap to it.
Fire Hair made mention that it smelled pretty good and she stated knowing herbs comes with the arboreal territory. In the distance there was the crack of electricity that had him sitting up at full attention. Trapinch also rose but Charmander kept chomping away though with a deep nearly missed growl.
"Have you never been this far away from human settlements?" He turned his head to her, "It really isn't uncommon to hear wild pokemon fighting over territory, mates or hunting prey. Although honestly, a lot of wild pokemon battles involve a lot of fanfare. Lots of screaming, stomping, hitting trees, smashing rocks nearby to show off their power; you know, like puffing up to look big."
"They avoid actual fights because of the damage," Fire Hair continued knowingly, " Any sort of fight, physical or distant attacks could bring injuries. Injuries that could get infected. They don't have the luxury of having potions."
Aella shifted mentally lamenting that they didn't either. Theirs were handmade, and not nearly as effective.
She went on, "You learn to recognize the difference between fanfare and the real deal and if it's something close enough to move away from. If you're brave and know your strength, yea can force them away if they show up, temporarily claiming the area you know."
"You can do that?" He sounded mystified.
Aella shrugged, "Yeah, speak a wild's language and they have to listen. Granted it's not like battling a trainer, everything goes. There's no below hit, six v one, one v six or more, doesn't matter and if someone has to die to make them run that's just how it is." There was a nudge from Flare on her mind from the difference between Terracotta and Gampa Canyon that they experienced. After a month of rule battles keeping everything fair and safe it was a touch jarring to go back to their old ways.
For a trainer who battled in competitions and gyms the sight can be downright visceral. Aella was used to blood, maiming, and needless violence that had vomit inducing reactions in trainers first to experience such things. Boris's reaction towards Flare's diet was a pretty good example.
Most trainers had a pungent reaction to such topics but Fire Hair nodded solemnly, "I know what you mean. My cl-grandfather, he uhh taught me some things like that and I've seen glimpses of…that. It's…we live near lots of simi-wild pokemon around so spats occur."
Okay that would explain his minimal reaction to her butchering. What did he mean by simi-wild and why…the word switch? Flare couldn't just pull answers out of his head without some level of notice. It wasn't like this hasn't happened before but Rain was honest in stating they're things she couldn't mention. This guy just everted his words and went on like there were no secrets to hide. Everyone had secrets.
—
Although she originally planned to get them walking right away again after polishing off the Paras stew, Fire Hair wanted to get a little training in. This was not an outcome she'd thought of a solution for. A hastily excuse of preferring to nap.
It wasn't exactly a lie, sleeping in the suburbs meant a lot of different noises outside the norm. She had restless nights resulting in short naps in various obscure places throughout the day for the entirety of May.
X
They got through the smooth pass and as she said, ended right before the route took a harder ascent. This morning he pointed out that June first was tomorrow. (he pointed it out twice apparently that was important to him? Maybe?) It didn't mean much other than a slow down of the constant rain and storms strong enough to temporarily shut off the power in the library.
There was quite a bit of unrest when it happened and yes the power outage happened more than two times. How vulnerable was their electrical grid? Team Rocket clearly wasn't the only one with that soft spot; it seemed to be a substantial target with disturbingly easy access.
Thoughts bounced around on Flare's side of the mind bond, excluding a lack of a reasonable excuse outside a form of almost honesty for not revealing her pokemon due to battling advantages. Fire Hair already asked about feeding her pokemon after her nap statement, not missing the fact she had six and none in stasis.
"My own have a preference for hunting or eating greens and sunlight besides"—she scanned the surroundings—" if they're out walking in the surrounding terrain, it'll deter wild pokemon from getting close," her response was enough plus and an additional tug from Flare to sedate his curiosity, for the time being.
Now a steep climb kept any conversation that would have bounced between them quiet. Thick Pinaceae trees and brush born for this rugged landscape walked the sides of the scattered stones that guided them.
This time Fire Hair didn't complain about the distance, although there hadn't really been a place to stop other than the one area 3 sun movements back. A hard warning of some Graveler ready to throw down (fist and boulders) from the cliffs above made her yank her traveling partner by the backpack strap and mumbling, "if there mad enough to throw rocks at Pidgey then they'll be pissed enough to throw boulders at us."
Expecting him to suggest challenging them for the location, instead he went right along with her. He was apparently aware of Graveler's clumping tendencies.
The next landing they came across Aella didn't hesitate to find a spot to lightly place her bag on the gravel. Though the edge was steep and long, the Fagacea were over 20 meters (70ft) tall and if one leaned out over the gap of the edge far enough, they could touch the trees.
The thump of his own bag behind her made her freeze, still not used to another human soul with her out in the middle of nowhere.
She sighed as Flare increased her soul sense. Without that deep connection like what they had with their family they couldn't always know exactly where Fire Hair and his team and anyone else was without effort. She blinked and glanced towards the landing's edge.
Oh, that's interesting. Aella lightly tapped Fire Hair on the elbow and held up a hand in a 'stop motion slowly drifting it down. Her own body mimicked its motions. He opened his mouth and she flicked, transitioning to one finger held up.
The finger swung behind her as her body creeped forward. A pair of eyes appeared below the cliff face, seemingly floating with no head attached. Chills went up her spine. The intimidation made her want to look away but the eyes had a hypnotic draw. It was extremely disconcerting considering this wasn't the first time she'd seen this pokemon.
'I guess that's the difference between wild and tamed.'
'Raised human hand, her raised by forest, Fire Hair back, may pass out, if, he watch, Horns, not height normal, The Drake, scare higher,' Aella silently breathed. Right there hooves were a single solid piece, great for valleys and plains but cloven were best on the terrain encompassing them.
Shay changed that. Didn't matter that she was a first evolution Dragon; plenty of prey still ran to places they weren't meant to navigate for escape.
Hot frazzled air blew from its bulbous nose and a tail equally round shook. She stood precariously on the angled jut below. Fur speckled white said a fully grown adult with a few seasons seen. The times she came across large pokemon or creatures Aella herself could hunt alone were slim, on one hand slim.
Another raise of her hand at Fire Hair at the click she heard behind her as the other dipped to the sheath. Pressure on her fingers as the clasp disengaging the whetstone so the blades removed was silent.
A toe of a boot hung over the edge; the drop was only 3 or 4 meters down (10-15 ft) to the land piece that bulged out below them but the wind direction kept the Stantler unaware. She glanced back. Fire Hair had hardened his expressions, two pokeballs in hand. One of the ones was the fancy pokeball designed one. His finger circled the button that would drag the inhabitant from stasis.
The instant she stepped off this ledge she knew he'd shout and move. Four times mouthing the word 'down' and two times adding a finger pointing down finally had him sitting, on his knees but still sitting. Aella made the motion of opening her mouth curling her lips in and slamming it closed, watching him suck in his lips.
Swinging her head back round, eyes narrowed on the Stantler, with one twirl of her blade in a nervous final adjustment, Aella dropped.
Three seconds. A second to fall. A second to place the blade under the female's neck. A second to slide the blade, pressing deep into the flesh.
Blood. On Aella's boots. Dotting her pants and splattering onto her sleeve. A weezing cry quieter than the wind left its muzzle. Air hissed out of her windpipe over and over drawing rivers of red from the mouth and nose.
She attempted to run and turn and fight. Both commands overlapped in panic. Aella dug her hands into the soft fur of her neck, the other held the base of an antler.
The energy for Take Down built around her ankles but petered out. Sand kicked up into the air but Aella's grip was firm and dampening her sight would not loosen it. She couldn't Headbutt, couldn't Stomp. The weight of her own body became too heavy for her to stand.
With the chestnut tree keeping the doe from dropping down the angled land. Aella swiftly gilded her blade between the bones of her ribs to still the doe's heart. Remove the agony she was taught to enjoy.
There was a slight shift on her hip as Flare could now feed quietly, 'Full stomachs,' There was a slight ire from the Ghost of not being present for a second Stantler's fall by either Shay or Galvantula. They were quite filling souls.
'Gluttonous Ghost,' Aella thought, getting no disagreement. She sighed and stood up, and the scuff of boots made her look back up at Fire Hair who hung crouched by the edge of the landing.
They just looked at each other before Aella let out a frustrated, "hurm, I didn't actually think on how to get her up the cliff edge."
She did. But that would involve Tamall hiding above the landing and Tamall had Valor (and Meredith and Bhaltair) while Shay, Galvantula and Pierce were down in the valley. Far enough away in fact the Flare no longer had an exact position of them.
She heard an "okay um," and a few pauses before he mentioned his Trapinch has Dig and he has a shovel in a Pokecube. They can make some sort of ramp, maybe? His questionable voice made her wonder if cutting the doe into parts would work.
The sound of a ball opening and the chit tap tap tap calls of the ant had Aella bracing herself up off the ground between two trees as rocks from the edge descended. Their loud thuds and divots made in the hard soil caused her to tense her muscles further to avoid a nasty bruising.
Crack of metal on stone from Fire Hair had her wincing and there was an apology from above as he skidded down from the dip made. A tap of the shovels handle against the pokecube button had it disappearing in a fizzle of red.
Pokecubes were storage cubes for specifically storing items. Common to see though plenty of new trainers don't need them as a simple weight reduction backpack that had a basic storage booster were very affordable for almost every new trainer. Pokecubes were in a similar zone as Great Balls, there was just a cheaper way.
Fire Hair whipped out his dex, going on about using rope to hull their lunch and likely dinner (it was a full grown Stantler) up to the indent and to the landing before tapping the cube button again to produce such rope.
Charmander was released and with Trapinch they helped with pulling the Stantler up the edge. Aella was impressed. For both being under 60 cemeteries (2ft) their strength was incredible.
He doesn't have a blade to help dice up the horned doe. So Aella throws him on dry brush collection duty and sends Tamall even further ahead and out of Flare's exact positioning range, while her other group takes their kill into thicker green brush, useless for kindling.
She has him keep some thicker branches still holding moisture for later to lay stripes of meat across. Currently he's rifling through his bag before making a noise of success and hucks his bag back away from the pile of yet to be lit dry sticks.
Watching curious, it was the same size as her music player yet didn't at all seem technical in nature. Aella couldn't pull her vision away as Fire Hair slid it open and removed a… tiny stick? His fingers snapped along the side of the box once closed.
Fire sparked bright on the tip of the stick that set alight a bundle of kindle, 'Huh handy but why,' her eyes flicked to his dozing Charmander then back. A look must have been present on her face because she heard a 'what?' when he had caught her staring after the bundle had been nestled among the dry branches to set ablaze.
"Why are you…" blinking she hadn't the words to clarify.
"What I'm starting the campfire," he raised his arms, "we need it lit for—or was it something else you were thinking of doing."
"No that's not—it—ahhh, just why are you using that," she motioned to the box he used to start the fire, "to start the fire."
Now he was confused, "it's matchsticks I need them to start a fire. I can't do the rubbing sticks thing—I mean I tried to learn it at one point but I was young and bored but I wasn't getting anywhere so I complained to my dad and gave up. Wait, can you do that? Cause you're really experienced with most camping stuff, at least what I've seen you are."
He was referring to last night at their final destination before bed. Aella ended up having to, as Fire Hair put it afterwards 'nipped him in the butt' when he had the grand idea to pull out a high odor meal. This was a problem considering it was a windy day due to a distant storm. Aella learned very quickly on windy days, do. not. hunt. The smell of their blood would draw predators and the desperate. Pierce had to do some delicate wind flow control from the canopy.
Aella shook her head from the recollection and widely gestured to his Charmader, "You have a Fire type one that has fire already on his tail. Why in Kanto do you need to carry something to make fire!?"
His mouth moved over and over again but no words came forth for a long time, "I have no valid comment to that."
Aella huffed and mumbled, "simple pokemon confusing humans," under her breath.
For the rest of the day Fire Hair said very little. Instead he only spoke when necessary and spent a lot of his time glancing through his dex.
Aella didn't really consider the quiet an improvement to his constant stream of babble. Was it growing on her?…Maybe.
X
Day one was windy, day two was sunny and today was overcast and muggy.
She was honestly proud of Flare's skills at the fact that he hadn't managed to realize she didn't have a sleeping bag till just this morning, although he did go to bed before her the first two nights. When he finally pointed it out she told him it was as useless as matchsticks since one of her own was very good with String Shot and hammocks were a thing.
This was just the start of her 3rd day traveling with him and the amount of times he was gobsmacked at her everyday creativity that minimized all that she needed to carry was impressive. Even her suggestion to release the doe carcass he had stored in a pokecube (having learned from her high odor comment) the next morning to leave it behind as there had been predators in the area stocking them, was apparently impressive.
His reaction to her 'inanimate lamp' that only needed a bit of tree sap and thatch to say constantly lit felt overdone. It seems she needed to polish up her explanation for Flare to seem less otherworldly. He seemed so smug and self-centered when he just suddenly decided to join her in travels; turns out he's actually very down to the land, a soft hearted boy.
Neither his Charmander nor his Trapinch wanted to be out for all that long. It led to no morning training and lots of time for talking while traveling.
"May not March?"
"Yea The Silver League Tournament starts on the first of May instead of March, making today, June 1, as the first day in Johto for the main 8 gyms to be open instead of April 1 for the Indigo gyms," Aella hummed absentmindedly, nodding. Explains why he pointed out the date yesterday.
"Yeah annnd I know it's really not recommended to participate in a league competition till you got like four years under your belt and not in your first year buut…" he sheepishly shrugged, drawing out a few words.
Aella stopped mid step, "You participated in the Silver League at 13? You bloody mad!" She pulled Tristan's favorite word out of her pocket. Aella knew licensed trainers had a 'foot up' in comparison to her but that was just ridiculous.
He sighed, stopped and looked down, "I was really overly cocky and honestly needed my butt handed to me to learn some humanity."
Aella looked him over and bluntly stated, "A'll admit you seem to have an air of strength unlike most I'd seen back in the Terracotta Tournament I participated in last year. Like saying bark than bite but—she punched the word—you don't feel like someone who took the main eight."
"I didn't, minor gyms. I barely squeezed in and I really shouldn't have. I have one pokemon who is outlandishly strong," Fire Hair ran a finger across the decorated pokeball across his belt, "He's been with me since I was three and their genetics are probably some of the best you could ask for."
He kicked a rock into the trees, resuming walking. It took Flare's boons to hear his next mumbled sentence, "Jin never lost before the tournament."
They lulled into a short stint of silence and Aella occupied herself with counting all the different family classes of trees she could see. Whispering their scientific names under her breath and eventually catching Fire Hair watching with a smile before covering it with his fingers glancing up and ahead.
Huh.
"I wanna participate in the Colosseum battles! I mean I'd like to someday you know ahh compete ahhh yeah," he cleared his throat after blurting out his thoughts with no prompt from Flare.
That was kinda in line with what they were talking about but felt kinda random at the same time. Aella wasn't able to respond as he continued blabbering, "Yea I want to win, first place on the podium and get really really far with my team…"
He trailed off with a face that was redder then it started with, "oh so like Elite Four far?" As interesting as his current frazzled state was…it was throwing her off…weirdly?
"Oh that's a good goal—great goal," he looked to her with a hand scratching his esophagus, "Some of my relatives were Elite Four—well it was a long time ago and no one from my direct family line."
He clarified when Aella dead stopped, eyes becoming massive. Flare swayed on her hip, klanking, 'dangerous dangerous dangerous,' there was a silent agreement and a pocketing of information he without thought slipped into his words.
Aella knew at least two of his pokemon were strong; they spent most of yesterday hanging around that landing. They were strong, and what scared her now was that neither of them were named Jin.
Flare took control when Aella relinquished it to move her feet as he continued down the path, "An Elite Four, now that would make my family proud hahaha he was so mad when they saw me on the big screen in the Silver League. I'm talking full on shouting through the video call," Fire Hair continued to elaborate with some technical jargon that, probably, most people her age knew. The ones who grew up normally and not scared physically and psychologically.
But she got the generals, family got mad (he firmly denied getting beat up for it earning an odd look at her question), family is still mad, well miffed and is going to be mad again considering Fire Hair is going to participate in the Indigo League no ifs about it.
"This time I plan to make it at least to top 32. I mucked around and didn't hone in on my pokemons training as much compared to when I was under my family's watch. I guess I didn't realize how hard it would be to get to training without their support and encouragement you know."
"No I don't."
Aella kept walking, having taken back control from Flare. The sound of only her steps got her to stop and look back. Fire Hair stared at her. There was no expression where she could obtain a deeper understanding of his thoughts.
This was just like at the restaurant; Aella spoke too far. But this time Flare couldn't subvert Fire Hair's current train of thought. Unlike sharing names it ran deeper. Deep enough that alterations would be noticed and he'd know a Psychic made an attempt to divert his mind.
Only one string of thought sat high enough in the subconscious for Flare to burn, snipping it, 'how old was she?'
"How long…um, I mean I figured with how experienced you are with traveling that you were taught by your parents—parent or you know you're family—"
"No," Aella cut in, wanting to limit his time pondering. She did not want him to question how much he knew about her, "Everything I know about traveling didn't come from them."
She spat out the final word with such contempt, "We learned a lot in those first years, protected and given sanctuary through winter by one and mentored and taught by another."
Fire Hair opened his mouth but harsh sentences cut him off, "Drop it, it's not something I want to talk about. My family is not one you wish to meet."
Aella turned away and marched forward down the path, effectively ending any retort or continuation of this conversation. There was silence for a while, only broken by one of them, taking a sip from their water bottle before Aella started to rise a new conversation, his future battle in Celadon.
"So you plan on taking on Ray and Lotus?" She questioned. As simple as a question as it was, it carried undertones, as if there was more to it.
"Uh yeah…" he spoke a bit hesitantly, wiping the sweat accumulating on his forehead from the muggy air, considering how the last conversation ended and those tones…
"And from what I've seen you have a Charmander and a Trapinch, both are two different types of pokemon that are weak to water, so unless two of your other three pokemon are not weak to water…what's your plan, remaking the same mistake by using Jin in all your gym matches like in the Silver League here in Kanto?
Fire Hair sputtered before, sighing and stating, "yeah no I'm not making that same mistake," he slipped one stasis greatball from his belt, "Sewell is a Seadra and is more than ready for this battle aahhh not ready to evolve again yet. He's still a little too young for that."
Flare had to take control of her facial muscles for a second, so she wouldn't give an adverse reaction to the fact that this guy could get a hold of a dragon scale. "Ahh okay," Aella and Flare fumbled for words after that heavy information drop.
She looked up at the leaves above them to classify them, mostly just to give her brain a second to not focus on that ginormous piece of information. Dragon scales themselves we're not rare. Dragon scales with the ability to evolve other pokemon were. It was like he said he could snap his fingers and make it rain.
"Okay that's one. You're going to need more than one to take on four or five gym leader pokemon—
"I know," Fire Hair also took to looking up at the trees and cloudy sky, "I was going to use Boaz but he went through a major evolution just last week, and I had to send him back so he could train under one of my aunts watch. Not because he got aggressive but his newfound power was just too much for either of us to handle."
Their steps stopped as they simply watched the world above them. The leaves danced and the clouds hung quiet with no strong breeze to blow them as he stated that those two plus Jin were his best option.
"What about your last one?"
"She doesn't have a water weakness, but she's not good at swimming," he practically sang the words like they were a childhood rhyme.
"Well," Aella wiped her sweaty palms on her pants not minding the additional stains it added. They were still splattered with blood from yesterday, rivers weren't exactly common up here in the mount moon path, "looks like one or both of the two who aren't out right now because they don't like the muggy conditions right now are going to have to battle. you got a plan for that?"
"I mean I could just—no no I'm not gonna get anywhere if I just use Jin." Fire Hair rubbed his face as he stepped forward to take the lead, grumbling the entire time.
Aella mimicked his exasperated speech with one of her own, "I mean you could start by finding a way to get them to practice, battling out in this muggy weather or at a minimum walking."
He glanced over his shoulder, huffing out a chuckle, "they are a bit spoiled."
A pumf followed a hissing fizzle brought Charmander onto the path in a flash of red. The fire lizard swang his head around before becoming noticeably grumpy.
She swept around the two arguing, lamp clinking on her hip. A cry was heard at the firm no when his claws reached for his own ball. Another whine was released as he thumped onto his butt even as Fire Hair reminded him it wasn't even raining just muggy out.
Aella sighed, taking pity and called back, "keep walking he'll follow."
"I think you underestimate how stubborn Titus is," Aella kept walking and eventually with a loud sigh (and another word from Aella "you can't reward him for tantruming") he jogged a few steps to catch up beside her, on edge.
Fire Hair squirmed as they walked a good 40 meters (132 ft) before she'd seen enough. Speaking over the crack of the branch they'd stepped on, "I got a warning from mine earlier that they're going to test something today, something loud."
"How is that going to convin"—he didn't get to finish. A warning of a flash of light maybe a 16th of a second beforehand was all they got. The bang of thunder had both arm hair standing tall. With a wail Titus scrambled to his feet and came pounding down the path nearly tripping over the sticks and small patches of long grass sticking up.
He stuck to his trainer's side and as the smell of ozone tickled their nose she nugged Fire Hair to have his Trapinch join them, "we're not walking all that fast."
Trapinch arrived and though hesitant to walk or dig alongside them, seeing his teammate so close and some encouragement from Fire Hair, "Come on Valente you can handle this weather."
Their smooth trek was intermittently broken up by sudden steep inclines and descents leading to ear popping and the occasional flash with an bang assaulted their ear drums.
"So is there a reason…what are they testing? Cause that feels excessively loud sometimes."
She made a thinking noise, putting exaggerated swaying of her body into her steps, "I think it's mostly testing limits but it's also testing sound as in directing it."
Galvantula had talked with Aella and her vassal on the potential utilization of Screech by funneling it by…fizzling? the surrounding air with electricity. Neither of them really knew the in-depth technical know how but there was some air to electricity interactions happening. Sound was entirely dependent on air particle movement hitting your eardrums.
Honestly, it would be amazing if this was a possibility, and if it wasn't at least meant Pierce, the only one traveling with Galvantula at this time would get extra experience in dodging. Not that he needed it, but it would also help with her spider's fine control.
Shay was currently traveling/hunting in one of the few 'streams' (it was more of a muddy riverbed) Meredith squelched through the mud beside the dragon with Bhaltair running the length of the water trickle. That left Tamall to use his thick cloven hooves to transport himself and their little Budew, Valor on their own to travel through treacherous terrain far more rugged than the path Aella, Fire Hair and his own walked.
Crossing to rickety bridge over a dead river felt pointless but neither of them knew how much down there was dry land or deep mud that would take their footwear. Valente looked down with scorn wishing it was sand instead of mud. Titus on the other hand wanted nothing to do with the wet substance especially around his tail, which he held onto tightly.
"Huh isn't it like August or so that rivers are supposed to get a bit thinner, but this is like, dried out so," Fire Hair bravely leaned on the old railing, well, the part that was actually still standing most of the other 6 meters (20ft) of bridge had lost its railing. He kept his skin off the splintering wood.
"Strange, I didn't read about any river damming projects in the area. In fact, the only thing I've heard was them undoing a few dams to keep the Cerulean river from bulging so much in the spring."
Aella hissed when her right foot plunged down as the board cracked and sunk down. Flare's inhuman reaction time puppeteered the muscles in her right leg to yank upward preventing it from falling through along with the slivers of rotten board. A hand grabbed her left arm near her shoulder and steadied her.
He didn't let go, and instead shouted, "okay we're getting off the bridge, NOW!"
All four of them had their footsteps rattling the bridge as they booked it across. It wasn't until the old thing was out of sight that they slowed their pace and she felt his hand slip down to hers.
The contact was foreign. Her unit, any unit wasn't picked up and coddled. With her memory of being so young was marred but she knew she wasn't carried long, if she even was carried at all.
She was more familiar with Galvantula's fuzz, Shay's smooth scales, Tamall's soft leaves, those were familiar. Human contact, not so much. Aubrey once threw his arm over her shoulder, which was swiftly removed and the crowds were thick enough back in Terracotta and Saffron to result in short physical contact.
Rain, Boris and Jazz never touched her unless it was an after match handshake. Flare never even prompted them not to, they just never did. Maybe it was that initial wariness Aella held was more visible then they released. A wariness that lessened enough for her to start initiating conversation.
Hand holding was something she'd seen and knew it had a lot of purposes. Sticking together, leading children, showing comradery, romantic partners, it was one of those big silent social things Aella was learning.
Right now sticking together sounded fine. She may have faced some pretty horrific stuff but it didn't make her invaluable to small scares.
Having gone her entire life without it she assumed she wouldn't like these kinds of interactions. It was nice, pleasant. No one led or followed. They just walked side by side, hand in hand. Allies together.
—
They only let go of each other's hand when they arrived at a clearing. A good pick by Galvantula. Fire Hair needed to separate from her to instruct his own before, slipping off into the trees to use the bathroom.
She gnaws on an oran berry pondering a thought as Titus easily sent a Flamethrower with its corkscrewing form, high. Valente, on the other hand, slowly moved stones around in preparation for another go at Rock Slide. They both had a heck of a list, but Val's was clearly longer, with more moves needing to be worked on before any use in battle. Like the very move she just mentioned. Other than that the only other interesting thing was that both of them had clearly been given the TM Protect and Titus had at least two dragon moves, while the one who actually evolved into a dragon type had none.
With flashes of bright red winking in and out of view between the greenery, Aella snorted at how easily his hair stood out. Her laughter doesn't go unnoticed and earns a curious look, "Well at least when you go against your parents wishes and participate in the Indigo League, you're going to stand out with naturally red hair, that bright."
"Oh no it's not—it's growth hair dye aahh," he runs a hand through the red locks. Aella's eyes wide in a fraction, she read about that in Matcha. The semi-permanent wet version type of dye that doesn't wash off with water.
He fumbled and slouched when finally admitting his hair was a brown amber tone but he always wished for it to be red.
"Oh," she had a grin spread and stood up, "You're hard to miss with hair that bright and either way it looks nice," the stem of the oran berry was tossed into the thicket. That thought wandering down her head had ended with her, deciding it was worth a bit of the risk.
"Your training regimen isn't bad but do you have a strategy for either of them when taking on a Water type?"
The shift in topic had Fire Hair pausing, "Auh well Titus has made great progress with Metal Claw and he finished Slash as a backup—oh Dragon Breath should have enough reach to hit the opponent anywhere they decided to breach."
His confidence rose and his posture straightened with it when he went on mentioning Valente's heavy variety outside of just Ground. Aella felt bad for the imminent crushing of it, "All right, I'm giving you a hand with training."
Again her was thrown out of his babble, stumbling over Valente rumbleing stones with his wandering. Fire Hair waved away the mistake and look over to Aella have gained her full attention.
"You're fighting the cerulean gym next and since one of these two is going to battle"—she waved to his two practicing—"There's nothing wrong with getting a little more experience in battling a water type."
There was a clink on her hip. Flare doesn't always bother explaining what she was doing and Aella didn't mind. Flare was a part of her and would act on internal desires and beliefs. Like summoning Meredith.
'The Loud makes, greeting,' Aella had to pursue her lips to keep from laughing at their startled reaction to Meredith's very loud greeting. She tromped into the clearing standing at half the height of Fire Hair's pokemon yet her presence was bigger than the both of them combined.
'So much for the, don't show him a single one of her pokemon, plan she began their travels with,' Aella navigated around the lone tree in the clearing. The flowers on its branches that would become Rawst berries, many of them haven't bloomed. Though it was still early in the season. Some had, and a few sky blue berries were hunkered among the green.
"Since I haven't seen either of yours in combat, why don't we start with that and go from there?" Fire Hair had to confirm, "Yeah but of course at training power level," his blank look left her having to explain that the power of attacks would be held back, greatly. It was more practice of the motions, skill, stamina exerted that was needed to perform the move.
Aella crossed her arms when he said, "We've—ah wow ah we've never done that, at least not restricted that far."
Meredith had shown the difference between a full power Water Gun and a training battle one and the difference was one rock soaked and shoved back and a completely demolished one.
Valente had dug underground, disappearing from sight after the pieces of what was left landed where the rock was. So they started with Meredith versus Titus.
Titus spent a minute floundering with short puffs of Dragon Breath and struggling with successfully pulling off Dragon Rush, Flare stowed that knowledge that even a first evolution could learn that move, away. Meredith on the other hand was laughing as she leaped through the flames accompanied by fancy twirls here and there.
And why was Fire Hair not stopping him, because he had left the monitoring of the match up to Aella. Fire Hair on the other hand had his back turned away as he was talking to the ground trying to get Valente to surface, "HEY! Leave Valente alone and lead Titus!"
"He should be fine on his own for now just let me"—
You forgot to teach your Charmander what Dragon moves do to a Fairy type pokemon," she sweetly sang out.
They couldn't make out what he said but he stood up and turned around to take in the scene. She couldn't help but mention Titus's tenacity, earning an eye roll and a call for break so he could explain typing matchups and the two of them would have a game plan.
Meredith needed a challenge so in the act of fairness she would be limited to three water moves each bout (one attacking, one status and one of either) no more. They ready up before Meredith turns and gives one more demand.
Aella is left snorting. Having seen this coming she pocketed the device beforehand. The sound of music filling the clearing earned an eyebrow raise. (You Can't Stop the Beat - Nikki Blonsky) Aella raised her arms in a shrug.
He gave a shake of his whole upper body and raised his voice, "Just music Titus like in the Silver League. Alright! Let's bring it down."
A Growl rolled through the clearing. It was a bit quiet and the fear factor felt a bit unrefined. Titus skirts left in preparation for any water to be blasted at him, his tail completely hidden behind his body.
With a twirl and sway, she isn't throwing water, yet, but is dancing out a hip hop pop Charm display. She may have learned to pirouette but had a preference for the wild style. She could see Fire Hair make a face but didn't say anything. She never stops moving. If she's not going anywhere, her feet are tapping, her arms are swinging or her tail is sashaying.
A/N: Meredith's style of dance is an ever-changing mix between almost belly dancing, Michael Jackson style moves and a sprinkle of slightly vogeler dirty dancing style moves.
Instead, he was left hollering out Smokescreen leaving Meredith pinwheeling her arms with a call of Icy Wind. Frozen air strikes the smog causing it to ebb back enough that the light on his tail flickers into view.
Aella watches hers bravely charge in fists aglow with a slight pink. Brick Break wasn't quite at the battling speed but Play Rough was given the go ahead recently. Fire Hair doesn't witness this as the smoke obscures his vision too instead, his swaying back-and-forth on his tiptoes to try to spot her Marill round the edge of the screen.
A cry that was not her Marill's preceded another strange call. Meredith yelped at the call, but it wasn't a yelp of pain more startlement. A loud resounding smack had Titus clamoring out of the smoke.
She crossed her arms when Meradith appeared on her side guided due to her vision, being obscured mentally by Flare, "I'm gonna be honest, I can't tell you how to improve or fix anything with a Smokescreen up." The smokescreen itself was clearly well thought and done, Aella admitted that but it left Fire Hair slumping with a resounding sigh.
"Yeah I don't have a clue where either of them we're half that go," he waved his hand through the smoke, as if they would help clear it. The rules were amended with nothing to hinder the humans ability to see the match.
They snacked on oran and fresh Rawst berries in the shade of that lone tree. Unnoticed by half of the group there was a silent call through the mind to a certain spider. An ask to catch dinner for The Miss as this would only be the first bout of many.
Aella was busy, identifying a certain species of bush when she heard the crinkle and snap of plastic. Fire Hair had broken the seal on some bottle and spritzed a bit on both of their pokemon.
He looked over to her confused stare, "Ahh sorry I figured since I had it out, I can get yours too."
"What is it?"
"It's fairly new stuff on the market. Removes any status changes with"— he started explaining how it worked in science terms way way way beyond her understanding. Aella may have a pretty good knowledge of arboreal and anatomy and she could do basic math, but schooling wise she was way behind.
He realized after a moment he lost her and they got up to have another bout, Aella asking if he liked the song because he was probably going to hear it a few times. That made him laugh.
—
Titus had been left scrambling to keep up on their makeshift arena with an over enthusiastic Marill. Not having many good options against Meredith, Titus found himself getting pretty much thrashed.
Aella learned a lot about Titus' style of fighting. Preferring a mix of switching between close combat and distance shots. It was a great strategy, and will keep most opponents on their toes, most opponents who were not Meredith. Her wild dancing, high energy and the ability to exude a presence of not some small simple prey but an actual threat (learned through Flare during their long travel up to Pewter) that, although could not lower speed like Scary Face, could preemptively change his style of attack.
He only really had an advantage and control over the field when Smokescreen was in play. Taking that away, along with Meredith's Water Sport because that would just make it completely unfair, he really struggled.
Contrary to her seemingly low thoughts, he was a really really good fighter and Fire Hair was an amazing trainer. She would've loved to see him matchup against Mot in the Terracotta Tournament. It's just Meredith's training that allowed her to contradict and have some sort of back up for whatever he tried.
Iron Tail paired against his Metal Claw or a very well refined Slash. If not, it was Play Rough going against Slash. Burns were wiped away with Refresh and Bounce was utilized both as an escape and a way to slam into Titus. Round, although very unpolished, kept the flames of Flamethrower from licking her fur down to her thin fat. Charm and Swagger faced off against Growl and Scary Face.
Most of the bouts we're short with one lasting a few extra minutes thanks to a very well timed Protect. That earned a nod of respect from Aella. By sunset, the two of them were exhausted and Valente still didn't wish the battle so they decided to try for tomorrow.
The sun had disappeared behind the mountain, and the sky had just started to dim with stars, not far from starting to show. The quiet was nice after having spent the last bit picking through their battles. Pointing out mistakes, chips in their strategies and moves.
"You have my respect as a battler," he hummed, taking a sip from his flask.
Aella shifted against the tree to her back. A glance to her left past the foliage encircling the clearing showed its wet, burnt, ruined state. At least the berry tree was tough, "you practically had a double disadvantage…"
"And yet you limited your Marill to three water moves, and no Water Sport. Your skill in how Meredith used her moves, and the knowledge she had to go, most of the time, without command was taught by you"—he sighed, leaning against his own tree with the sound of his sleeping bag shifting under him—"if the rest of your team has been taught the same…you're going to go really far."
She nodded without much thought but it was interrupted by a yawn. Fire Hair chuckled and it sounded loud in their small hideaway grove. He reached out across the gap between them, with a genuine grin, and they shook hands. He mumbled, "see you tomorrow," before she stood and stepped further into the tree line to a hammock awaiting her bed.
?—?X?
She was woken, harshly in the dark. Same day? Next day? Aella didn't know.
But she did know this. She needed to get up NOW!
Souls. Lots of souls. Both human and deranged pokemon, moving their way with purpose. The dammed river. That wasn't normal. Of course anything unnatural would be them. Explicit swears tore through her mind as she scrambled down the tree.
Shay had been recalled before she even was out of the hammock, Meredith, Bhaltair, Valor followed before her feet even touched the ground. Tamall continued to lay against the mossy ground, her bag secured to his side. Normally she'd just mount up and go. But Aella wasn't alone.
She ran the meters at full sprint, Flare just barely keeping her from crashing through any bushes, Galvantula already having moved the few things he left out into his pack. Her yellow fur quickly disappeared into the dark of the half moon. Traps would be laid to delay them.
There had been no campfire made tonight. Aella dropped her knees, not feeling the ground below. Only her heart hammering in her chest. One hand placed firmly over his mouth and the other rubbed his sternum roughly.
"Murf"—she shushed him, leaning over with her mouth next to his ear.
"Get up! Get up! Get up!" The word hissed out through clamped teeth.
She moved back, watching his silhouette scramble into a sitting position as Flare's light was only just enough. Fire Hair disorientated from sleep scrambled out of his sleeping bag when she started yanking it, wrapping it tight like he usually does.
He kept trying to ask 'what' getting shushed to a quieter volume as his sleeping bag was secured to the bottom of his pack, but he clapped his mouth shut when she hissed out, "Team Rocket move!" backpack thrust into his arms to toss around his shoulders.
Fire Hair stumbled to his feet, like a newborn foal. With her hand grasped tightly in his and a lamp held in front lighting a dim path. Aella yanked and they bolted.
Chapter 18 will be released September 1
Thank you for reading.