Notes- With College picking back up, writing even a short chapter can take an eternity haha. In regards to this chapter, I did enjoy writing it! I purposely intended for it to be more fast paced to match Chris' mindset. They only have three days to get to Goldenrod City after all! We also get to see Chris and Luke's first escapades together, giving each trainer a chance to analyze their progression. Things are going to be heating up, that's for sure! I hope you enjoy! Please Review and Subscrbe!

Chapter 10

Cyndaquil leapt off its trainer's shoulder to walk beside Charmander as the group started down Route 32.

"It's nice to see trees again," Luke mused as he looked over the woodland around them.

"Definitely," Chris agreed, though the trainer's thoughts resided on the fork in the road his PokéGear showed up ahead. It wouldn't be long before the trainer's navigational skills would be put to the test.

The group sliced through the wooded path for close to an hour before emerging into an open area. The trainers looked around and noticed that two roads lay before them.

"The path west leads to the Ruins of Alph," Chris informed the party as he examined the PokéGear's detailed map. "Any other time I would really want to check it out," the trainer's mind resided on the tournament, "but we are on a tight schedule. We're pushing it already with a stop in Azalea Town."

Luke approached the trainer and took a good look at the map. "We probably couldn't checkout the ruins, but don't stress yourself over time management. As trainers, we are out here to enjoy the journey as well as train."

"I must get that from my parents!" Chris laughed, putting away the PokéGear. "They always pushed me to take advantage of every moment. I guess before today my agenda really didn't have important dates."

"Dude," The trainer from Tohjo Falls placed a hand on the trainer's shoulder, "if you don't want to feel rushed, I understand if you want to split up."

"Nah man," Chris shrugged, "I'm fine with any pacing. It'll be good to have some company anyway!"

"Cool."

The posse took the southern path and continued their journey towards Azalea Town. Chris noticed that the route was beginning to narrow again, drawing the group slightly eastward as rocky hills dominated their view west. The trainers soon found themselves surrounded by grassland, providing them a chance to train their teams. Chris and Luke decided to divide the route into halves and train independently.

The trainer from Cherrygrove took the right side of the path and almost immediately stumbled upon a trio of Bellsprout. Chris decided to start off the session with Cyndaquil and immediately got to work.

"Surround them with Ember!" Chris commanded, noticing that the wild Pokémon remained in a tightly knit group.

The fire starter roared in excitement as its back lit up with flames. Cyndaquil reared back onto its back legs before releasing a torrent of fire around the group of Flower Pokémon.

"Excellent work!" Chris encouraged, noticing their opponents flinch at the flames around them. "Now leap over top of the ring!"

The Fire Mouse Pokémon sprinted forward before its opponents could even plan a counter attack.

"Leap over the flames and bash them with Quick Attack!" Chris hoped his Pokémon would be fast enough to beat any counter attack.

Cyndaquil pounced into the air, narrowly avoiding a surprise Razor Leaf from one of the Bellsprout. The flaming echidna slashed through the smoke ring which drifted over the flames and momentarily vanished. Chris soon spotted his Pokémon inside the ring of fire, sprinting through each Bellsprout as if they weighed nothing.

"Those exercises and Protein Vitamins make for a nice combination," Chris breathed. He would have to write that routine down for future physical training.

"Quil!" Chris' Pokémon smashed into the last Bellsprout, sending it through the flaming ring as it had the other two.

It didn't take Chris long to realize that the wild Pokémon were unable to continue the battle.

"Great job Cyndaquil!" The trainer complimented as he shifted his focus over to Luke's training.

Chris wasn't surprised to see his fellow trainer engaged in a battle with an Ekans. What he did not expect was Luke's choice of Pokémon.

"When did you catch a Wooper?" Chris asked, seeing the Water Fish Pokémon slam its tail into the snake.

"Caught it in a small pond outside of Violet City," Luke quickly answered before turning back to the battle, "Water Gun!"

Luke's Pokémon rocked back and forth before releasing a surge of water from its mouth. The wild Ekans was sent spinning backwards by the stream. Once free of the attack, the Snake Pokémon slithered away in defeat.

"There should be a small inlet of ocean up ahead," Chris thought back to the route's layout. "Once we get there, I'll show you the monster that is my water type."

"I would be excited by the thought," Luke shook his head and let out a chuckle, "if I didn't already know the beast's identity!"

The group moved forward at a steady pace, covering much more ground than Chris had thought possible. They encountered several wild Pokémon along their path, but made short work of them. Chris found the battles to be excellent practice for Nidoran and Golbat. The trainer could tell that Nidoran's strength had significantly improved after witnessing his Pokémon knockout a wild Nidoran with a single Horn Attack.

Chris also got a glimpse at Luke and his Pokémon's development. The trainer from Cherrygrove could tell that his counterpart had focused on increasing Charmander's stamina in battle. Luke's Elekid also demonstrated extraordinary physical strength for such a young Pokémon.

"Have you been feeding it a lot of Protein?" Chris asked, nodding towards the Electric Pokémon.

"Yeah," Luke acknowledged, examining the baby Pokémon, "I actually doubled the amount."

"Guess you're going for a more physical attack set with that approach," Chris mused. The trainer hadn't thought of pushing the training process. His four Pokémon still seemed so far from that point. "Maybe they are ready..."

The trainers returned their non-starter Pokémon as they emerged from the rocky hillside. The trail opened up and revealed the ocean to their left. The quartet stayed on the path as it slithered towards the shore. They soon came upon a fork; with one route taking them across a pier overtop the ocean and the other providing a smooth, grassy path.

"I'm feeling adventurous," Luke looked over the wooden road atop the water, "let's travel across the pier. Wouldn't hurt Elekid to take down some Water types."

"Sounds good to me."

The trainers found a staircase nearby which twisted down to the pier. Chris was relieved to find the wooden structure solid. Despite this, Chris could tell the ocean current was extremely powerful to produce the swells that were crashing against the rocks in the distance. He could feel the waves crashing underneath the boards beneath his feet, giving the trainer an uncomfortable feel.

"If you can find some training out here," Chris tried to get his mind off of the paranoid thoughts, "then I guess I can too!" Chris withdrew a Pokéball from his backpack and released the Pokémon inside into the water.

"I'm going to toughen you up Magikarp!" Chris informed the golden fish. His inner flame was snuffed out at the sight of his Pokémon struggling to stay afloat in the current. "You're stronger than that!"

"Pidgeo!"

Chris instantly recognized the cry that resonated above him. The trainer turned in time to see a white flash shoot towards Magikarp. Chris instinctively called out an attack.

"Tackle!"

The trainer was even more surprised by his Pokémon's response. The Fish Pokémon flipped out of the water and rammed its head into the winged creature, which Chris recognized as a Pidgeotto. The blow did not halt the Bird Pokémon's pursuit of dinner, however.

"Magikarp!" Chris was horrified to see his Pokémon be snatched up into Pidgeotto's mouth. The trainer realized that the bird was beginning to fly away and called for Cyndaquil. "Knock that bird down with Ember!"

Before Cyndaquil could fire off its attack, a pulse of electricity shot by Chris' ear and zapped the escaping Bird Pokémon. The trainer recognized it as Elekid's Thundershock, but suddenly turned his attention to his Magikarp which had escaped Pidgeotto's talons after the attack. The Fish Pokémon flopped back into the water, but found itself trapped in a strong current. Chris could make out his Pokémon beneath the water's surface as it was quickly being pulled out to sea. Throwing his backpack onto the pier floor, Chris dove into the water.

Underneath the foamy waves, Chris could just make out the shadow of his Pokémon several feet in front of him. The trainer kicked hard with his feet and managed to catch up with Magikarp, who was doing its best to fight the current. The trainer clutched his arms around the hard-scaled fish and pushed upwards. Chris managed to break through the dark blue surface and inhaled as much air as he could. Seeing the pier in front of him, Chris ducked beneath the water once more and kicked his feet with everything he had.

Once he felt his lungs begin to burn, Chris brought his head above the water's surface for another breath. The trainer's arms were locked tightly around Magikarp and Chris finally realized that he wouldn't have enough energy to carry them both back to safety. The trainer's mind examined his options and in a split second he had made his decision.

"There he is!" A gruff voice resonated from close by.

Chris could hear the sound of an engine rumbling beneath the water. He felt a pair of hands grab underneath his arms. The trainer made sure Magikarp was still in his clutches before allowing himself to be pulled out of the water. Chris was laid onto the floorboard of what could only be a boat of some kind. He couldn't make his eyes open just yet.

"He's fine," Chris heard Luke's voice coolly remark.

"Just got a bit over his head!" A deep voice added.

"All of this excitement over a Magikarp?"

Chris felt the Fish Pokémon continue to flail in his arms and finally managed to open his eyes. He noticed five figures standing around him, three of which he recognized. As Chris sat up, Cyndaquil came to stand beside its trainer. Luke and Charmander sat on a bench a few feet away from Chris. Two men stood in front of the trainer, each dressed in fishing gear. One stood tall and was clean shaven, while the other styled a mustache atop his short frame.

"Feeling a little dazed?!" The smaller fisherman asked.

"Not too bad," Chris mumbled.

"Here's your bag," Luke sat Chris' backpack beside him. "I have no idea why you're hell bent on saving that Magikarp, but its good to see you're alive."

"This guy is apart of the team just like Cyndaquil," Chris answered slowly, managing to gather his thoughts. The trainer was relieved to hear silence from his starter Pokémon. Chris grabbed Magikarp's Pokéball from inside his bag and returned the Pokémon into its device.

"Guess we'll get you guys back to the pier!" The shorter man fired up the fishing boat's engine and gunned it toward the wooden structure. He turned back to Chris and shouted, "By the way, my name is Tim!"

"And mine is Gabriel!" The slender man added.

"I'm Chris!" The trainer managed to announce before he was overcome by a fit of coughs. A good amount of salt water still remained in the young man's throat.

"With this hot sun," Gabriel glanced up at the descending star, "your clothes should dry in no time."

"Well that's a relief," Chris could feel his soaked shirt pressing tightly upon his skin. A nauseating, salty sent was currently present. The trainer was surprised to see Tim bring the boat up next to the ramp and motion for Gabriel to tie it off. "Do you guys live here?"

Tim let out a hardy laugh. "Not quite. You see, I live in Violet City." The fisherman motioned to his partner, "He's a good buddy of mine and happened to be visiting the city. I thought I'd take him out for some fishing!"

"He claimed there would be fishing!" Gabriel chuckled, guiding the two trainers out of the boat and onto the pier. "So far today, about the only thing we've managed to catch is a Pokémon trainer."

"Are you two trainers as well?" Luke asked, eyeing the Pokéballs lining the men's jackets.

"I'm more of a casual battler," Tim answered politely. "If you're looking for a serious battle Gabriel is the man for the job!"

"Are you competing in the Johto League?" Chris asked, studying his potential opponent.

"I actually just grabbed my sixth badge a week ago," Gabriel replied, shocking both trainers. "It's pretty sad that I only have six at the ancient age of twenty-four!"

"I don't want to hear anything about ancient!" Tim chuckled. "I'm forty!"

"When did you start the Gym Challenge?!" Luke asked, perplexed by the man's age.

" I've worked as an architect and part time blacksmith for the past six years," Gabriel informed. He pulled a Pokéball off his fishing jacket and studied it. "I took the Gym Leader challenge when I was twelve, but didn't find much success in Kanto. I promised myself that I would try my luck in the Johto region after I built up enough cash to support myself."

"That's awesome." Chris was inspired by the man's tale. He was the living embodiment of hard work. With enough perseverance, Chris was sure he could reach his goal as well.

"I won my sixth badge badge in Olivine," Gabriel elaborated, "and decided to check out Violet City before heading on to Mahogany Town."

"Here's an idea," Tim interjected as he turned to face Chris, "as payment for saving your life, would you be interested in a double battle?"

"That is a very tempting offer…" Luke unclipped a Pokéball from his belt and maximized it.

"Me and Tim versus you two?" Gabriel suggested.

"Why not?" Chris shook his head, amused. The trainer had never been a fan of double battles, but he couldn't pass up this opportunity. "Guess some more training couldn't hurt."

"Excellent!" Tim pointed at the pier floor they were standing on. "This will be our battlefield!"

"Then let's get started!" Luke tossed a Pokéball high into the air. The device opened up and released the trainer's Poochyena onto the battlefield.

"C'mon out Qwilfish!" The short fisherman released the spiky fish into the ocean, but the Pokémon showed no trouble in commanding its position in the water.

"It's been a while since you've battled," Chris simply pressed the button on his Pokéball which released Golbat into the sky.

"I'll use this little guy I caught today," Gabriel released a small, blue tadpole onto the battlefield. "We'll see what this Poliwag can do!"

"Start us out fellas!" Tim announced, mirroring each trainer's anticipation for the battle to begin.

"Guess I'll go first!" Chris proclaimed. "Hit Poliwag with a Wing Attack!"

The Bat Pokémon shot towards Gabriel's Pokémon with outspread wings. Chris tried to expand his attention to keep up with the other trainers' orders.

"Counter with Water Gun!" Gabriel directed.

"Let's backup Golbat and use Bite!" Luke followed up.

"Block Poochyena and strike back with Brine!" Chris heard Tim shout through the commotion.

Golbat slashed towards the miniscule tadpole and brought its wings forward. Chris was happy to see the attack land cleanly, but was shocked to find that Poliwag had not faltered. Gabriel's Pokémon released a powerful blast of water from its mouth, catching the surprised Golbat squarely. The attack sent the Bat Pokémon spiraling back towards Poochyena and Qwilfish who had just begun their battle. As the Bite Pokémon locked its jaws onto the exterior of the spiny fish, Chris noticed the sea begin to rise up around the pier. Golbat crashed into Poochyena, breaking the Bite Pokémon's grip, and sending both Pokémon spinning to the ground.

"Hit em' hard!" Tim roared as a torrent of water exploded around the Bat and Bite Pokémon.

"Look out!" Both trainers called out.

The surge smashed into the stunned Pokémon, almost sending them into the sea below.

"Bounce back with a Tackle Attack!" Luke countered, before laughing. "Oh, the target is Qwilfish!"

"Stop it with a Bubble attack!" Gabriel commanded.

Poochyena nimbly manuevered through the Poliwag's barrage and slammed its body into the surprised Balloon Pokémon. The strike knocked Qwilfish back into the water below where it quickly disappeared.

"Throw Poliwag off balance with Confuse Ray!" Chris directed after seeing Golbat recover.

"Stay firm!" Gabriel encouraged his Pokémon, much to Chris' surprise.

A ghostly aura leapt from the Bat Pokémon and surrounded Gabriel's stationary Pokémon. The energy faded, but left Poliwag dazed.

"Now Luke!"

"Take that tadpole down with Bite!" The trainer from Tohjo Falls followed up.

"Pin Missile!" Tim's voice echoed out immediately.

Before Chris or Luke could comprehend the command, brilliant shards of light slashed between the gaps in the pier floor. Golbat and Poochyena were caught advancing forward and were drilled repeatedly by the attack. Poochyena seemed to falter as it was pounded by the repeated blows and was forced to retreat back to its trainer. Chris noticed Golbat holding its ground and realized that it possessed a quadruple resistance to Bug Type attacks.

"Smash through the wood above Qwilfish," Chris knew that from his Pokémon's vantage point it could see Qwilfish, "and then strike Poliwag with Bite!"

Golbat paused for a second to locate Qwilfish before diving towards the pier floor. The Bat Pokémon smashed its wings through the wood, before spiraling towards Poliwag with its fangs bared.

"Water Gun!" Gabriel pleaded after seeing his Pokémon still stumbling around.

"Strike Golbat with your Water Gun as well!" Tim called out to his surfaced Pokémon.

"I don't think so!" Luke motioned for Poochyena to charge forward. "Let's him with your new move! Assurance!"

The Tadpole Pokémon managed to fire off its attack, but the jet of water shot over Golbat's head. The Bat Pokémon swooped low and sank its teeth into the dazed tadpole. Behind the exchange, Qwilfish also released a stream of water at Golbat, but was immediately struck by Poochyena, who was surrounded by dark energy. Poliwag's previous attack found a target in Poochyena, who was slammed by the torrent of water after dishing out its own attack on Qwilfish. At almost the same time, the Balloon Pokémon's Water Gun smashed into Golbat's bat. All four Pokémon dropped beneath the damage done by the simultaneous attacks, bringing the amusing battle to a sudden end.

"They're all finished?!" Chris was stunned by the outcome.

"That may be the first draw I've ever experienced in a double battle!" Tim chuckled as he examined each Pokémon.

"That was quite an enjoyable battle!" Gabriel mirrored his comrade's enthusiasm.

Chris approached his Pokémon, as did the other trainers with their own, and studied the damage. He was relieved to find no serious cuts or bruises and retrieved a potion from his backpack. After spraying Golbat's minor cuts, the Bat Pokémon came to.

"Great job," Chris could tell that Golbat still needed improvement on its stamina. It never lost speed, but its health seemed to falter the longer the battle went. "We'll get you healthy in no time!"

"You're right about that," Tim replied before returning his Qwilfish to its Pokéball. "There is a Pokémon Center right down the road. Being in the middle of the route, I guarantee it won't be crowded!"

"Thank you sir!" Chris returned his own Pokémon to its device before turning to Luke. The trainer had just patched up Poochyena. "Think we can make it to the center before nightfall?"

"I think so," Luke answered after examining the darkening sky overhead.

"Thank you guys for saving my life!" Chris chuckled, shaking each man's hand. "And for the fun battle too!"

"Great to meet you fellas!" Tim tipped his cap as he leaped back into his fishing boat.

"We may meet again!" The former blacksmith cheerfully stated, taking his place in the boat.

"Until then." Luke waved back at the men, before turning to face the path ahead.

Chris also turned to examine what lay ahead. "Let's put some more road behind us!"

The duo were relieved to find their trek to be a relatively short one. After almost a half hour of walking, both trainers stumbled into the Pokémon Center. Chris placed Pokéballs containing his five Pokémon onto the counter before Nurse Joy. He glanced over and was surprised to see Luke also retrieve five Pokéballs from his bag.

"You've got Charmander, Elekid, Poochyena, and Wooper." Chris said aloud, thinking back to Luke's team. "Who's your fifth member?"

"I guess you were too busy swimming to see Elekid's battle!" Luke handed his party to the nurse and both trainers took a seat. "After seeing Falkner's Pidgeot today, I've wanted to try my hand at raising one."

"You caught that Pidgeotto?!" Chris tried to remember the events before his dive. "You almost let me drown just to catch a Pokémon?!"

"It was a strong bird!" Luke defended, but couldn't hold back a snicker. "I thought I could catch it a lot quicker. Besides, you can't tell me you would have passed up an opportunity like that!"

"It would have been a tough decision," Chris mused, before realizing how foolish he sounded, "but I still would have let it go to save someone!"

"Maybe all this traveling has scrambled my priorities," Luke messaged his temples.

"We did travel for about seven hours." Chris confirmed after looking at his PokéGear's clock. "I didn't think it would be possible to travel this whole route in a day!"

"We do have a mission to accomplish," Luke reminded the trainer. "If we can reach Azaela Town by tomorrow, I like our chances of making it to the tourney."

"Union Cave is all that's standing between us and our next Gym Battle!" Chris examined his device's map function. The trainer didn't foresee any trouble maneuvering through the cave.

"If you boys are looking for a place to stay the night," Nurse Joy grabbed their attention, "we have several rooms available. Not much traffic through here at this hour!"

"Thanks Nurse Joy!" Both trainers shouted in unison.

"Mind if I ask you a serious question?" Chris asked after seeing Tohjo Falls' icon on his PokéGear.

"Go ahead."

"Why did you come to Johto?" Chris realized afterwards that his question sounded demanding.

"It's a valid question," Luke responded slowly. He leaned back in his chair and tilted his head, as if remembering something. "I live closer to Kanto then Johto. I went to Pallet Town and chose Charmander as my starter Pokémon." The trainer paused. "Every sign pointed towards starting out in Kanto."

"Then why?"

"I guess I don't want my life to follow the standards others have set." Luke shrugged. "There is something different about this region. Something unique."

"Best region there is!" Chris laughed.

The two trainers kept quiet for the next few minutes until Nurse Joy appeared at the checkout counter.

"Here you go fellas!" The always cheerful nurse handed back both trainer's Pokémon.

"Our Pokémon must be getting tired of these machines," Luke shook his head. "They've been healed twice in one day."

"If we aren't careful, we might spoil them." The trainer responded as he put away his Pokéballs.

"The rooms are right down the hall and on the left!" Nurse Joy informed them.

Both trainers shuffled their way along the hall until they came to two doors beside each other.

"I still can't believe you almost let me drown over a Pokémon." Chris chuckled, thinking back once more to the comedic side of the event.

"Hey," Luke turned back to look at Chris, "I caught Pidgeotto and helped save your life." A sheepish grin appeared on the trainer's face. "I guess you could say I killed two birds with one stone...get it?"

"You need to get some sleep!" Chris shook his head disapprovingly. As both men went to enter their rooms, Chris added, "And leave the puns to me!" Chris.

Closing- And just like that, Route 32 has been conquered! The trainers have managed their time well and still found some training and battling to enjoy! Union Cave awaits Chris and his companion in the next exciting installment. Hope you've enjoyed and will continue to travel with Chris wherever his journey takes him. See ya soon!