Notes- Now we're getting to some good ole fashioned adventuring. After writing the cave scene, I looked back and had to hold back a laugh. It reminded me of the scene in The Hobbit where Bilbo gets seperated from his party. I thought about going back and adding a segment where Chris finds a ring lying on the ground, but I digress haha. This was an incredibly fun chapter to write. The scene changes made the chapter feel longer to me, but it checks in at around 6k words. I'm happy with how it turned out, though! I hope you enjoy this 11th chapter in Chris' journey through Johto! Please Review and Subscribe!
Chapter 11
Chris' slumber was interrupted by a brash knocking sound. The trainer's eyes opened slowly as they adjusted to the morning light streaming through the room's window. The young man rolled out of bed after discovering that the nearby door was the source of the noise. Opening it, Chris was met by a well energized Luke.
"They're serving a free breakfast till ten," Luke informed, before checking his watch. "You still have a half hour to get down there."
"I'm guessing the food is what put you in good spirits this morning!" Chris couldn't suppress a yawn after the exclamation.
"Maybe it'll lift you back to the world of the living!" Luke countered as he entered into his room.
"A shower would help too." Chris mumbled.
The trainer cleaned up and dug out a pair of clean clothes to put on. As he was pulling out a pair of clean shorts, the trainer noticed a trinket fall from them. Chris picked it up slowly, identifying it as some sort of small, rectangular case. What caught the trainer's eye was the golden covering around it and the silver chain that dropped from it. Chris noticed that it was hollow inside and attempted to pry it open, but found no success. He placed it around his neck, like a necklace, and tucked it beneath his shirt.
"One more thing," Chris withdrew a Pokéball and tossed it into the air.
The trainer's always composed Cyndaquil emerged. The pattern had become so familiar now that the Pokémon did not wait for Chris to speak. The starter immediately dropped into a set of push ups, and was quickly followed by its trainer.
"I've got a good feeling about today!" Chris breathed between reps. "Its your day to shine Cyndaquil!"
"Quil!" The fire starter nodded as it finished up its reps.
Chris stood up, allowing his Pokémon to perch on his shoulder. "Let's go grab some food!"
The trainer found the banquet in the center's main lobby and noticed that the food was beginning to be put away. Chris grabbed hold of some waffles for himself and a couple of apples for Cyndaquil. He grabbed a seat at one of the many open tables and began to chow down. Dinner had escaped him from the day before, and Chris knew there would be no banquets in Union Cave.
As the duo ate, Chris thought back to the trainers from the day before. Tim had seemed like a bundle of fun and energy. Chris would really like to hear some fisherman tales from that man. The trainer had never cared much for fishing, but even he wouldn't mind spending a day on the water with a fun personalty like him.
Gabriel however, seemed to be a different story. The trainer seemed so focused and composed no matter what the challenge. Chris had silently admired the trainer's battling ability and strategy. The older trainer had stayed competitive in battle with his newly caught Pokémon. Chris may not have been the most experienced trainer, but even he could see how remarkable such a feat would be. The trainer's long, snowy white hair may have been a subtle hint towards the man's surprising wisdom.
"Guess we should probably get a move on," Luke appeared beside the trainer. "It would be great to get through the cave and still have enough light to find Azalea Town."
"I agree," Chris nodded, placing his plate on a nearby counter. "I'll grab my stuff and meet you outside."
"Sounds like a plan."
Approximately six minutes later, Chris was exiting the center. With substance in his stomach and a bright sun overhead, the trainer felt excited about the new day. He found Luke sitting on a bench outside studying the road ahead.
"Guess I can't convince you to trust my PokéGear?" Chris laughed as Luke shook his head.
"Doesn't hurt to check anyway," Luke stood up.
The trainers continued on Route 32, with neither man eager to speak. Despite Chris' good mood, his attitude was slightly dampened by the thought of traveling through a dark, dingy cave. The Fire Mouse Pokémon on Chris' shoulder reminded him that at least they would have light. And there was always Charmander's flame as well.
The path stayed straight for another mile as its surroundings enclosed around it. The rocky hillside edged into the downhill route, pushing the trainers' path closer to the nearby forest. Ever so slowly, the route steeped downward, until the two trainers found themselves in a small hollow.
"The entrance to Union Cave should be slightly to our West," Chris announced after studying the PokéGear. "It shows a small path leading to it off of the main route..."
"Quil!" The fire starter pointed, directing the trainers' attention to their right.
"There's your trail!" Luke confirmed, nodding at a cleared path behind a nearby tree.
The group approached the dirt trail and noticed a sign covered in overgrowth.
"Looks like most trainers don't head this way any more," Chris surmised as he removed the vines away from the sign.
"I guess trainers would rather take Route 36 to Goldenrod and then head south," Luke added.
"Either way," Chris felt a sudden surge of energy, "the sign says we're headed in the right direction! Let's bust this cave!"
"I'm going to hear a lot of inspirational outbursts aren't I?" The trainer sighed after seeing a fist pump from his counterpart. "On to the cave then!"
The group did not have to go far to reach the cave's entrance. It held signs of abandonment, but still looked fairly preserved.
"At least the entrance hasn't caved in."
"Well I'm not waiting for it to!" Chris replied with a laugh. "Let's go!"
Once inside, the young trainer realized that he had underestimated the cave's environment. A sudden chill slid up his spine as the sound of movement overhead caught his attention. Chris also heard a dripping sound nearby and almost jumped when he felt a drop of water splash on his shoulder. The worst feeling for Chris had to be the blinding darkness around him. Beside Charmander's small tail flame and Cyndaquil's blazing back, every direction Chris looked displayed only black.
"I didn't plan on it being this dark..."
"When you live by a cave you're whole life," a stream of light suddenly passed over Chris' eye as Luke revealed a flashlight, "you get used to all the quirks and necessities."
"I forgot Tohjo Falls is in a cave!" Chris shook his head. "Did you do much exploring?"
"We had to go through it sometimes to get back home." Luke answered, pointing the flashlight towards the ground. "There was a pretty nice path laid out for us to travel on. Me and my brother rarely strayed from it."
"You have a brother?"
"Two actually." Luke replied with a chuckle. "One is a little over half a year younger than me. He should be starting his journey soon. My youngest bro is almost 4 years younger than me. I think his thirteenth birthday was a couple days ago..."
"You must have gotten a late start on your journey if you've been sixteen for a little while." Chris inquired, confused by his fellow trainer's delay.
"My birthday is in October," Luke informed him, "and Professor Oak couldn't get his next batch of starters in until April. Needless to say, I was quite ready to pick up Charmander."
"I'd say!" Chris couldn't imagine waiting that long to begin his journey. His birthday was perfectly timed, as Elm had acquired a large number of starters only a few weeks before.
The trainers set off into the darkness with only a flashlight and their starter's flames as a light source. Chris continued to feed the group directions from his PokéGear as the unit weaved back and forth through the cave.
After seeing how slow of progress they were making, Chris finally asked what had been on his mind for a while. "Why are you keeping the flashlight pointed down? We can't move very quickly because we can only see ten feet in front of us."
"Trust me," Chris could make out Luke's head turning back towards him, "there are things above and around us that we don't want to disturb."
Chris gulped. "Gotcha."
All seemed to be going smoothly until Chris felt Cyndaquil perk up on his shoulder. The Fire Mouse Pokémon leap to the ground and paused. Chris stopped and thought he could make out a distant shriek in the distance.
"Do you-"
"I hear it too." Luke nodded to Charmander, who stepped in front of its trainer. "We're about to have company."
The noise slowly began to increase until it seemed almost on top of the group.
"Get ready Cyndaquil."
A loud screech echoed in front of the group, forcing Luke to raise the flashlight's beam upward. It revealed what apperared to be a multitude of Zubat glaring at them from the cave's jagged roof.
"I thought you said it was a mistake to flash light around here!" Chris hissed, afraid that a booming voice might set the legion off.
"It would be a mistake to ignore that many angry Pokémon," Luke whispered nervously. "Though, they don't seem to be ready to attack just yet.
"Cynda!" Chris felt his heart skip a beat at the fearless roar of his starter. Its echo reverberated around the cave and seemed to send the Zubat into a frenzy.
"Now they're ready!" Luke roared as an explosion of flapping wings raced around them. "Charmander, back them off with Ember!"
The Fire Lizard's mouth released a torrent of fire which engulfed many of the Pokémon over head. However the attack did not seem to back the angry army off.
"Use your Ember attack as well!" Chris replied, realizing that Charmander could not hold off the multitude of enemies.
Cyndaquil released its own burst of inferno which backed off several of the bats. Chris momentarily glanced over at Luke and was stunned to see the sheer strength of Charmander's attack. It covered almost twice the area of Cyndaquil's and seemed to scare away many of the bats almost immediately.
"You think we can handle them all" Chris shouted over the commotion, trying to make out how many Zubats they were dealing with.
"Hell no!" Luke roared back. "We've gotta get away!"
After his answer, Luke patted his starter on the shoulder and motioned for Chris to follow him.
The two trainers sprinted forward, ducking their heads to avoid the chaos around them. Chris was forced to squint to try and keep the light of Luke's flashlight in his vision. The trainer noticed that many of the Zubat's had stopped their pursuit and were occupied with something behind him. Chris looked over his shoulder and felt a lump form in his throat.
"Cyndaquil!"
Chris sprinted back towards the flame of his starter Pokémon. The trainer could tell that the Fire Mouse's attacks were weakening and realized it would soon be overwhelmed. The trainer dove into the whirlwind of wings and scooped up Cyndaquil. Chris shielded his Pokémon with his arms as he raced away from the barrage of Zubat. The trainer zigzagged back and forth between different corridors. After almost a minute of swerving through the labyrinth, Chris realized that they were alone and collapsed onto the hard ground.
Alone.
"Quil!"
The trainer released his tight grip on the Fire Mouse Pokémon. He was overjoyed to find no serious injuries on his starter. Based on Cyndaquil's annoyed tone, Chris believed the starter had actually wanted to stay and battle.
"We have to live to fight another day buddy," Chris leaned his head against a nearby wall. He felt something metallic in his hand and was relieved to find his PokéGear intact. After searching through the map section, the trainer was surprised to find that his blind sprinting had led the duo to a cavern close to the exit.
"Maybe Luke and Charmander made it to the exit," Chris remained hopeful. The trainer would have to head for the exit to find out. "Let's get out of this place!"
Chris and Cyndaquil inched their way along the cavern as the trainer carefully studied the cave's layout. Their progress was poor with only Cyndaquil's small flame providing visibility. Chris kept his ears perked just in case the sound of screeching returned. Never had the trainer seen such ferocity from a wild Pokémon. These cave dwellers must have become accustomed to few humans ever appearing. It appeared that there were still many places in the world that few humans had ever ventured to.
"Remind me to never go through this cave again!" Chris laughed, thinking about the mess they had just escaped from. He could not shake the unnerving thought of his fellow trainer being lost though.
After close to twenty minutes of tiptoeing, Cyndaquil rounded a corner and excitingly pointed ahead. Just a hundred feet away, stood an opening which possessed the sun's blinding glow. Chris abandoned caution and began to walk quickly towards the exit.
As he approached the light, a thundering boom shook the cave. The trainer and his Pokémon halted their movements and remained completely still. A deafening roar echoed from the trainer's right side. Chris was ready to escape the claustrophobic space, until an almost diminished light caught the trainers eye.
"It could be L-"
Chris turned, but saw his starter already racing towards the commotion. The trainer sprinted off after his Pokémon, praying that their inquiry would not be in vain.
"So close."
As the duo raced towards the light, Chris noticed that the beacon was becoming increasingly large. Chris felt a cool blast of air come over him as he ducked underneath what appeared to be a doorway. The chill in the air brought Chris' attention to the quiet rippling sounds of a body of water nearby. Chris continued to walk forward until he felt his foot sink into a pool of water.
"Let's light this place up a bit."
Cyndaquil let loose a stream of fire into the air. The flame's light revealed multiple pools of water surrounding a linear path. Chris dipped his hand into a nearby pool and tasted it.
"Bleh!" Chris spit out the icy water. "Salty! Somehow, this cave must have an underground channel that connects to the ocean."
A flash of fire in front of Chris brought the trainer back to his original intentions. Cyndaquil led its trainer along the narrow path and into a second, much larger cavern. The trainer was immediately drawn to the tumultuous flame before him. The light it cast illuminated almost the entire area.
"Luke!" Chris could make out his fellow trainer standing before a monstrous figure.
A powerful stream of fire erupted out of a Pokémon beside Luke and slammed into what appeared to be a massive rock snake. As Chris and Cyndaquil approached Luke, the trainer quickly withdrew his Pokédex and scanned the rolling behemoth.
"Onix, The Rock Snake Pokémon. It rapidly bores through the ground at 50 mph by squirming and twisting its massive, rugged body."
"So that's an Onix..." Chris breathed, stunned by the creature's size.
"Hit it with another Flamethrower!"
Chris could hear desperation in Luke's voice and rushed to aid his fellow trainer.
"Are you alright?!" Chris quickly asked before the Rock Snake slammed its tail into the ground nearby.
"I'm just fine!" A hint of sarcasm slipped through Luke's voice. "I'm a lot more concerned with Charmeleon actually."
"Charmeleon?"
Chris noticed the air around him explode with heat and the trainer turned to look at Luke's starter Pokémon. He was shocked to find the minuscule, innocent frame of Charmander completely replaced by a taller, much stockier figure. Chris could make out a horn protruding from the back of its head. The trainer was most stunned by its much larger tail flame which explained the rising heat.
The evolved starter opened its mouth and a solid wave of inferno crashed over Onix. The Rock Snake did not retreat, but instead hurtled a massive boulder into the ground beside them. The attack knocked the group off their feet and brought to Chris' attention the strength of their opponent.
"Let's go Golbat!" Chris released the Bat Pokémon, realizing its exceptional visibility could help them. "Hit it with a Wing Attack!"
The Bat Pokémon slashed into the air and delivered the strongest blow Chris had ever seen it land. The attack managed to knock Onix back into the wall behind it. Before the trainer could celebrate, the monstrous Pokémon whip lashed its body forward and smashed its head into Chris' unsuspecting Golbat. The blow knocked the Bat Pokémon out of the air, but Golbat managed to land hard on its feet.
"This thing seems impervious to anything we throw at it!" Chris shouted over Onix's continued roaring.
"It's been that way since I stumbled across it!" Luke glumly informed him.
"Guess we'll just have to try and scare it away!" Chris optimistically replied.
"Or bore it away." Chris heard Luke mumble.
"Back up Golbat with an Ember attack!" The trainer from Cherrygrove had learned very few things from his father. But the man's persistent nature had been passed down. Chris had made sure of that.
The trainer was confused when no fire emerged from his starter Pokémon. Chris was shocked to find Cyndaquil standing motionless, staring at Luke's starter Pokémon.
"You can't quit now!" Chris pleaded with his starter. "We can't get out of this without you!"
"It's too late!" Luke dove towards the ground as Onix went to bring its tail down upon the group.
The cave was filled with a low, sorrowful voice. Before Chris could turn to identify its origin, a low hum followed it. The group looked up in time to see a pale blue beam of energy smash into Onix. There was a blinding flash of light, and the trainers found their attacker to be frozen solid in a block of ice.
"What... is that?" Luke whispered.
The two trainers and their Pokémon found themselves before another large, shadowy figure. This one was definitely not an Onix, and appeared to be floating atop a large body of water.
As Chris went to identify it with his Pokédex, a soothing voice resonated across the chamber. The passionate melody flowed from the creature's head, which rested far above them.
"What is going on?"
Chris could feel his body quickly relaxing beneath the power of the lullaby. The trainer's brain began to fill with clouds as his feet gave way beneath him. Chris' eyes began to close, but the trainer forced himself to look over at his starter Pokémon.
Safely asleep.
The final image he was presented with was that of the creature lowering its long neck to view the group.
Chris' eyes snapped open, but were blinded by light over head. The trainer felt the soft touch of grass underneath him, and heard life bustling around him.
"Where?"
Chris slowly sat up and took in his surroundings. The trainer found himself before a forested path, not unlike the one they had encountered on Route 32. Chris heard a moan and found Cyndaquil, along with Golbat, by his side.
"How did we get here?" Chris looked over his shoulder and was greeted with the outer wall of Union Cave.
The trainer noticed a large opening on a section of the wall close by. The hole showed signs of age, leading Chris to believe it had existed before their arrival at the cave. Commotion in the tall grass beside Chris caught the trainers attention.
"Luke!"
"Where are we?" The young man from Tohjo Falls rubbed his eyes. "And is Charmeleon okay?"
"As far as our current location," Chris was to find the PokéGear tucked away in his bag, "it looks like we are a ways North of Route 33. As for Charmeleon, it appears to be sleeping comfortably beside you."
The answer seemed to alleviate Luke's anxiety as the trainer released a loud yawn. He glanced up at the sun which had just begun to drop below the trees. "Looks like we still have plenty of daylight left to find Azalea Town!"
"It's pretty late into the afternoon," Chris checked the time and their distance from the town, "but I think you're right."
"Better gather up your snoozing team members," Luke nodded at Chris' Pokémon who were still passed out.
"You might think about waking your starter as well!" Chris replied with a laugh.
The young man approached his Pokémon and dropped to a knee beside them. "Wake up guys!"
Cyndaquil bounced onto its feet and released a barrage of fire over Chris' head. Once the trainer had calmed his starter down, Chris was happy to find Golbat much more calm upon its awakening.
"Care if I grab a bite for myself and the team?" Chris asked upon hearing an unruly growl from his stomach.
"Good idea."
Chris released his other two Pokémon and sat out food for the four of them. The trainer waved a nutrition bar at Luke, who declined by brandishing a ham and cheese sandwich.
"I wonder what that creature was?" Chris pondered aloud as he bit into the nutrition bar. "I'm assuming it was a Pokémon, but it wasn't like any I had ever studied."
"It was definitely a Pokémon." Luke clarified, releasing the other four members of his team. "I think it used the move Sing on us."
"That would explain all of us passing out at the same time." Chris agreed. "And the soothing tune."
"Whatever it was," Luke massaged his neck, "I don't plan on going back in there to find out."
The group ate in silence the rest of the time. Chris noticed that his starter Pokémon was hardly eating and examined it closer. The trainer realized that the Fire Mouse's eyes had not strayed from Charmeleon since the starter Pokémon had awoken. Nidoran had yet to notice the Fire Lizard's evolved state and Magikarp remained aloof in a pool of water nearby.
"Time for some vitamins!"
Chris gathered his three nearby Pokémon and brought them over to the pool where Magikarp continued to swim.
"You delivered a shot to that Onix," Chris pointed at Golbat, "and managed to bounce back after taking a direct hit from it. I like where your attack and stamina are right now." The trainer withdrew a blue capped jar and tossed a vitamin from inside into the air. "That Carbos vitamin should held build up your speed!"
Golbat sprung upward and snatched the capsule out of the air with its mouth.
"Not a bad choice." Luke remarked quietly.
"You missed out on a lot of action Nidoran!"
"Nido!" The horned Poison type seemed infuriated by the information. "Ran!"
"I'll make sure you get in on the excitement next time!" Chris chuckled, seeing the Poison Pin Pokémon nod reluctantly. "Here's a Protein Vitamin."
"We're going to continue to push your strength past their limits," Chris gently scooped up Magikarp and fed the Fish Pokémon a Protein Vitamin, "no matter how low they are!"
"What motivation!" Luke applauded with a grin.
Chris turned to face Cyndaquil.
"Alright buddy," Chris brought out the container for Calcium, "let's keep building on that Special Attack."
As Chris went to grab a vitamin, his starter slapped the trainer's hand away.
"Quil."
The Fire Mouse reached into the opened containers and tossed each Pokémon an additional vitamin. The Fire type locked eyes with its trainer before consuming two Calcium vitamins. Chris was in shock at first, but nodded upon seeing the look in his starter Pokémon's eyes.
"I've been too cautious with the four of you." Chris sighed, remembering his lessons at Sprout Tower once more.
"You about ready to get a move on?" Luke came to stand beside Chris.
"Aren't you going to give your team some vitamins?"
"I take care of that in the morning," Luke quickly informed him.
"Then I guess we're ready!"
Chris packed up his vitamins before returning Magikarp and Golbat to their Pokéballs.
"I'll keep out Cyndaquil and Nidoran just in case we run across some wild Pokémon!" The trainer from Cherrygrove told his counterpart.
Luke nodded. "I may give Pidgeotto and Elekid the same treatment."
Once prepared, the group continued their journey to Azalea Town. Their progress was hampered by the overgrown forest around them. The trainers kept their eyes open for any sign of civilization, but Chris' PokéGear revealed just how far off course they had starter from.
"I'd say it'll be another thirty minutes before we stumble upon a cleared path." Chris grimly announced.
"And I don't need a PokéGear to tell me that there is quite a bit of rain in our future!" Luke added, after examining the darkening sky overhead.
The squad found themselves increasing their pace as the sky blackened around them. Their pace spooked several wild Pokémon, but each trainers' Pokémon made quick work of them. A light drizzle soon fell upon them, forcing Chris to return Cyndaquil as a precaution. It wasn't long after this that the group broke free from the forestry and stepped onto a dirt path.
"We made it!" Luke breathed, wiping sweat off his forehead.
The sky was suddenly lit up by a large lightning bolt. The shattering sound of thunder overhead caused everyone to jump.
"And so did the storm!" Chris stated as he and Luke returned their remaining Pokémon to their Pokéballs. "It doesn't look like we're very far from the outskirts of town!"
"Then let's head that way!" Luke shouted over the wind, which had now begun to roar.
The trainers raced along the route as the drizzle became a downpour. Chris thought he saw a pink Pokémon motionlessly staring up at the sky, but had no time to observe it. A building appeared ahead of them, and Chris had to hold back a song of praise when he saw the word "Inn" atop it. After diving underneath its roof, the trainers took a moment to catch their breath.
"It's a good thing the rain held off till we got close to town." Chris panted, clutching at his side. "I would have hated to seek shelter in the middle of the woods!"
"It's sad how worn out we are," Luke bent over and grasped his knees, "considering how good of shape we're both in."
"It has been an exhausting day." Chris noticed that the sun had disappeared completely, leaving their world to darkness.
"Let's just get inside."
Chris watched as Luke walked over to the door and pulled back on the handle. To the trainers' horror, the door would not open for Luke.
"I guess this place closes early." Luke sat down on a bench beside the door.
"It probably doesn't get many visitors at night," Chris shook his head, "being this secluded."
"What are we going to do?"
A clicking sound came from the door which grabbed both men's attention. The door swung open slowly, eventually revealing a man who looked to be about their age. A dark tan covered his skin, but a warm smile was what greeted them first.
"I can't leave you fellas out here in the cold!" The young man motioned for them to come in.
As the trainers walked past the man, Chris noticed that his height was noticeably shorter than their own. However, his posture carried that of a man who was proud of his identity.
"Hello!" The stranger shook each of their hands. "Name's Adam!"
After the introductions, Adam motioned them over to a couple of seats by a fireplace.
"You two look like a pair of trainers." Adam crashed on a couch in front of them.
"Good eye." Chris confirmed, glancing around at the large living area. He noticed a welcome desk on the other side of the room, but could not see anyone manning it.
"This place seems pretty deserted." Luke's statement mirrored that of Chris'.
"That's because it's currently closed!" The young man answered with a laugh.
"Do you own it?!" Chris asked, not meaning for such surprise to echo in his voice.
Adam shook his head. "I may one day, but my parents are actually over this place.
"Have you lived in Azalea Town your whole life?" Luke asked.
"Yep!" Adam pulled back the light brown jacket he was wearing and revealed three Pokéballs on his belt. "Until I got these guys, that is!"
"How long have you been a trainer?" Chris should have guessed that the man's confidence was that of a trainer.
"A couple of weeks." Adam yawned. "I would be on my way to Violet City, but my folks needed me to come back and watch the inn while they were gone."
"So you haven't gotten to travel very far?" Luke inquired.
"I've only gotten a couple of badges." Adam revealed through clinched teeth. "One from Bugsy and the other from Whitney."
"You've already battled them?!" Shock surrounded Luke's words.
"It wasn't easy!" Adam clarified. The trainer studied one of his Pokéballs before continuing. "Bugsy wasn't an incredible challenge, but you have to take his Scyther seriously. It was nothing compared to Whitney's final Pokémon though."
"Was she really that difficult?" Chris could feel a slight sense of apprehension sinking into his stomach. "What is her last Pokémon?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Adam chuckled. "Just be ready for a fight!"
"At least we have an idea of what to expect," Luke managed to announce before releasing a yawn.
"I didn't mean to drag you fellas into a drawn out conversation!" Adam apoligized before standing up.
"Don't worry about it man," Chris reassured him. "It's always fascinating to hear about other trainers' travels."
"Regardless, I should have realized you would be tired." Adam shook his head. "How about I show you guys to some comfortable rooms?"
"Some sleep does sound pretty awesome," Luke acknowledged, as Adam led them down a nearby hallway.
The young man brought the trainers to the end of the corridor before finally coming to a halt.
Adam pointed at the last pair of rooms on each side of the hallway. "Both of these are unused, but the sun does shine through the right room's window." Adam presented two keys. "I'll let you two fight it out!"
"I'm not the best morning person!" Chris grabbed the left room key, before turning to Luke. "You seem like the type who'll get up bright and early!"
"With the schedule we're on," Luke reluctantly took the other key, "we're both going to have to be morning people!"
"Goodnight!" Adam waved before heading back to the lobby.
"I'll set my Pokégear alarm to eight o' clock," Chris informed. "Does that work for you?"
"Sounds good."
"Then I guess I'll see you in the morning!"
Chris couldn't hold back a yawn as he entered the room. The room was small, but well sized for a simple individual. Chris sat his backpack down next to a bedside dresser and turned on the lamp above it. After changing into a comfortable t shirt and shorts, Chris grabbed a Pokéball from his bag and released its occupant. The Fire Mouse Pokémon appeared beside the trainer and hopped onto the far corner of the bed, turning its back to the trainer.
"I know you're frustrated right now," the words felt like lead coming out of Chris' mouth, "and I'm sure you blame me for this feeling of weakness. But you have to trust m-"
"Quil!"
The fire starter turned back to face its trainer and shook its head. Chris could see that liquid was appearing in his starter's eyes.
"Cynda!" The echidna mustered a growl and pointed at itself.
"I think we've approached our partnership all wrong." Chris took a seat beside his Pokémon. "This whole time we've been pushing ourselves to the limit. Since we started our journey, I feel like we've been on two seperate paths. We've isolated ourselves by trying to prove something to one another. This journey has been more about reaching for power than building a bond."
Cyndaquil remained quiet and kept its eyes locked on its trainer. Both knew that something must be resolved.
"When I set off to become a Pokémon trainer," Chris could feel his voice shaking, "I had two goals: to surpass my brother by becoming a Master trainer and building a lifelong friendship with a team of Pokémon. I realize now that one can not be acheived without the other."
Chris took out the other three Pokéballs containing the rest of his team, but did not release them.
"This can't be a matter of me vs. you or you vs. Charmeleon!" Chris calmed himself, realizing that focus was crucial. He pointed at the Pokéballs. "We're both building a team right now, not just me. There is a reason that I picked you and that you accepted me. We have the potential for greatness and the drive to acheive it! But we have to work as one unit!"
"Quil!" Cyndaquil nodded as its back released a blast of fire.
"We will become stronger," Chris thought back to Luke's evolved starter, "and you will take the next step forward when the time is right."
"Cynda." The fire starter nodded once more before lying back down.
"Let's get some shut-eye."
Chris flicked the lamp switch and the room became black. Sliding beneath the covers, Chris fell asleep with dreams of a bright future in mind.
Closing- Hope you enjoyed Chapter 11! Chris and Luke have survived Union Cave and have the Azalea Town Gym in their sights! But with only two days until the Goldenrod Tournament, does the duo have enough energy left to reach their destination! And what will a reestablished bond do to Cyndaquil's confidence! Please Review and Subscribe if you enjoyed this installment of Heart and Soul. I hope to see you in the next action packed episode of Heart and Soul!