Note- Happy Holidays to all my readers! What a wonderful time of the year! I hope all of you are handling the colder temperatures alright. I also know that this can be a very rough time for those folks who have lost loved ones and/or are battling with depression. I want to say that you are loved and appreciated, even if you aren't feeling it now. Just like you need the support of others, they need you also. I just wanted to send out good vibes and love to all of you. Our story picks back after Chris' successful outing against Chuck. We pick back up today with Luke and Chris are on their way to the Safari Zone with their teams! Hope everyone enjoys!
Chapter 33
With camp set up and night now upon them, the two trainers had taken their places beside the fire. Being a good distance from the city lights, the stars in the night sky shown all the brighter. The plateau they rested upon seemed completely deserted, the stillness lingering over the trainers as a somber aura. Both trainers remained preoccupied with their own minds.
Charizard kept a watchful eye over the flames he had created. Quilava also watched the fire closely, though for a much different reason. Chris' fire starter could not resist the urge to compare the intense flames to those he had issued in his battle against Primape and Poliwrath. The echidna sat motionless as Crobat and Scyther sparred just out of the fire light. The introverted teammates had formed somewhat of a mutual bond over their standoffish personalities. Nidoking sat beside Quilava and attempted to study his teammates' night time training.
Chris had recently returned the animated Gyarados to his capture device after finally calming him down. Much like the Water/Flying-type though, Chris was having a tough time containing his own excitement. Through the duo's many struggles: Chris' bruised forehead, Magikarp's loss to Faulkner, both members almost drowning multiple times, and Magikarp's loss to Dobbs' Machoke, both trainer and Pokémon had not stopped supporting one another. Magikarp had scrapped and clawed as hard as any of Chris' teammates. The Pokémon had battled raging currents that even his trainer had thought would be too tough for him. The relentless fight had paid off for both trainer and Pokémon. Gyarados was now the strongest teammate in Chris' arsenal. Most importantly of all, Chris still sensed the same fighting spirit that Gyarados had possessed before his evolution.
A small beacon of light to the west finally brought the trainer out of his own mind. "Wonder what that belongs to."
Luke followed Chris' line of sight. "Oh, that's a supply store. I saw it when I first went to the Safari Zone. I think it actually sits beside Cliff Edge Gate."
"I've been needing to restock some supplies," Chris stood up. "Care to watch over camp for a bit?"
Luke nodded. "I may head that way too once you get back."
Chris' voyage to the store was thankfully uneventful. The trainer loaded up on some vitamins, Poké food, and a new flashlight. He was back at the camp in short order, prompting Luke to take off.
After the trainer from Tohjo Falls had departed, Chris made his way over to Luke's side of the camp. Charizard had not moved from his spot, but his eyes had shifted toward his trainer who had disappeared into the night air.
"How're things?" Chris was hesitant to smack the fire lizard with too many personal questions.
The fire starter snorted softly.
"…that's good." Chris thought for a moment. "So Luke tells me you defeated all three of Jasmine's Pokémon. I had a tough time believing it at first. That's pretty dang impressive."
Charizard didn't vocalize a response, but Chris could read answers in the Flame Pokémon's shifty glances.
"I know you're worried about him." Chris decided to skip straight to the point. The statement managed to draw Charizard's gaze back to Chris'. "You've barely taken your eyes off him since we reunited. I hope you don't feel responsible for all that happened. You're the reason Luke is still with us."
The winged lizard nodded reassuringly for Chris.
"And don't forget about your teammates," the trainer from Cherrygrove smiled. "They look to you for leadership whether you realize it or not. Being a trainer's starter comes with extra responsibility." Chris chuckled. "I try to give Quilava as many hints about that as I can."
Charizard glanced past Chris' head to where Quilava was watching the duo talk. Even though he couldn't hear the words Chris was speaking, the Fire-type seemed to be staring holes into the pair.
Chris threw a look back over his shoulder. "Quilava considers you a personal rival. Even though he's come a long way from when he only cared about his own strength, you'd better watch your back. Every time he sees you I think it only fires him up more."
Chris bid Luke's fire starter a goodnight and headed back to his camp. As he halted Crobat and Scyther's sparring, bringing his entire team to his side, the trainer sensed Charizard watching the group closely.
The young man brought his hands together. "How about we get a solid night's rest and pick things back up tomorrow?"
As Nidoking brought up a clawed hand to oppose, Chris shot him down with a look. Flaaffy nodded and was the first to make a bed in the short grass. Crobat took off to find a spot to sleep in a nearby tree as Scyther dropped to his side a good distance from the fire. Nidoking begrudgingly fell onto his back a short distance away from his trainer. Chris moved his sleeping bag toward the fire and slipped inside. He sent a quick message to his mother and father updating them on his recent victory. As he prepared for bed, he noticed Quilava still stood nearby, his gaze back on the fire. Chris groaned as he forced himself back out of his sleeping bag, crawling over to lay beside his fire starter.
Chris took a moment to study the flames. "You notice how the fire has gotten a lot smaller?" Chris kept his gaze straight ahead. "Those flames are intense, no doubt, but they're gonna' kill the fire quicker than if I poured water on it."
Quilava turned slowly to look at the trainer. "Quil?"
"The fire has already incinerated all the wood we collected," Chris explained. "The intense, uncontrolled heat means this fire won't go another five minutes. It will burn itself out." The trainer placed a hand on his starter and finally turned to look at him. "I don't want you to worry about your strength compared to Charizard. I want us to focus on our control, our precision, and our roles." The young man slowly crawled back to his sleeping bag. "Just think about how our battle with Chuck went today; what was needed from all of us to get the job done. And please, make sure you get some sleep."
The trainer rolled onto his side and his eyes quickly closed.
The next morning saw both trainers pack their belongings and move west. After passing by the trainer shop, it wasn't long until the group had reached a large opening in the cliffs. Once inside, Chris found himself halted by two guards in front of a desk. A woman behind the desk's counter jumped from her seat and threw on a spirited smile.
"Hello there!" she brought out a fairly large device. "Are you boys planning on visiting the Safari Zone?"
"Yep," Luke answered, flashing some sort of pass.
"Ah," the woman waved him on through. She looked at Chris who shook his head. "The Safari Zone likes for trainers to register here before they participate in a game. Gives them a quick way of identifying trainers and getting you onto your safari as quickly as possible! I just need your 'Dex, please!"
Chris handed over his Pokédex as the rest of his Pokémon traversed the well-lit, open cave. The device was scanned and returned to him in short order.
"You're all set!" the woman cheerfully announced, handing him the same pass that Luke had shown. "Happy hunting!"
"Let's go guys!" Chris called to his team.
Luke and Charizard led the group up a flight of steps that had been carved out of the rock. They stepped back into the sun much quicker than Chris had expected. He felt a strong cool breeze drifting from what he could only assume to be the ocean nearby. He threw on his sunglasses to block out the increasingly bright sunlight and immediately yelled in shock. The group stood on a path carved into the side of a bluff. A two-hundred-foot drop-off lay just a couple steps away from the group. Chris saw narrow bridges connecting this path into other carved routes.
"This is a freaking cliff!" Chris quickly returned his Pokémon back to their devices.
"Why do you think the entrance back there was called the Cliff Edge Gate?"
"…I was hoping it was named metaphorically."
Luke stepped over to the closest edge, looking out across the path before them. His eyes seemed to be drawn to the waterfalls that roared both overhead and below the path they stood on. He seemed to relish in the steam the water kicked up. "You're not afraid of heights are you?"
"Deathly, I'm afraid." The trainer groaned.
Luke shook his head. "You're gonna' love this path then."
Chris practically hugged the wall as he, Luke, and Charizard traversed the treacherous route. The trainer from Cherrygrove practically floated across the narrow bridges on their path. The young man felt as though a slow or heavy step might drop him into the mist below. Luke thankfully knew the path to take, leading his fellow trainer deeper inland, and eventually away from any dangerous drop-offs.
"I wish I could say this sweat was from the heat," Chris rubbed the sides of his face with his shirt, "but that nice sea breeze kind of ruins the excuse."
"Growing up around Tohjo Falls killed any fear of heights I had," Luke explained as they marched onto a winding path that followed a river to their right. "I spent years hiking the hills and cliffs around there."
"Hopefully your dad will let you hike there some more," Chris realized his poor choice of words as they left his mouth.
"Hopefully," Luke replied, somewhat absentmindedly.
The group followed the river, running into a few wild Pokémon along the way. Luke brought out an Electabuzz, who Chris was happy to discover had evolved from Elekid, to take care of a Fearow. Chris brought out Nidoking, deciding to reveal an evolution of his own to Luke. Nidoking's now reliable Ice Beam made short work of a Hoppip and Farfetch'd that eagerly jumped into battle.
"So the little guy decided to finally grow a few inches!" Chris watched as the Electric-type bounced on his toes like a boxer, pounding the wild Pokémon like a bruiser in a street fight.
The two Pokémon approached one another after they had finished handling their respective adversaries. The Electric Pokémon stood a foot shorter than Chris' teammate, but didn't seem perturbed by the height difference. They studied one another for a moment before Nidoking stuck out his fist. Luke's Pokémon grinned, pounding his own fist into Nidoking's in a display of respect.
"Don't get too chummy," Luke looked at the path ahead, "you may have to face Nidoking down the road."
The group made a few more turns on the path before finally arriving at a large gate early in the afternoon. Just past the elaborate entrance rested a dozen or so store booths and pop up shops.
"What all do they sell here?" Chris asked.
Luke shook his head. "I didn't spend much time around the shops last time."
The trainers slowly weaved in between several of the booths. Chris noticed some novelty items that really jumped out to him for their creativity. A handmade beanie with a Sneasel stitched in to the material was one of the things that caught the trainer's eye. The current summer heat made wearing the item now an impossibility, but Chris knew winter always seemed to sneak up on him. Ultimately, the trainer decided against buying the item, instead opting to look over some local paintings that hung nearby.
The trainer had no skill when it came to drawing and painting or any arts and crafts really. Nevertheless, beautiful depictions of Pokémon and the Johto landscape always captured his attention and imagination. The pictures reminded him of the painting of Bell Tower that rested just outside of his room back home. Artistic renderings of Johto had a way of reminding the trainer of his love for the region.
The trainers' perusing eventually brought them to the gates of the Safari Zone. Chris looked over the entrance building and saw a mountain looming in the distance. The Johto native had always heard stories of how large his region's Safari Zone was, but a mountain?
"This place pretty big?"
Luke raised his eyebrows. "You have no idea."
They stepped into the air-conditioned building and found a short line stood in their way. As they waited to reach the counter, Luke attempted to explain the layout to his ambitious comrade. The more the Tohjo Falls resident explained, the more amped up Chris became.
"Hundreds of different Pokémon all in one place," Chris was holding back tears. "This has to be the most magnificent place on the planet."
After several minutes, the duo was met by the smiling faces of two ladies behind a desk.
"Hello!" they both greeted in unison. "What can we do for you today?"
Having experience with the process, Luke stepped forward and clarified. "We'd like to catch some Pokémon."
"You've come to the right place!" the blonde haired woman checked the database and found both trainers in the system. She gave them each an armband. "These are to let our staff know that you are registered participants. We can't have just anybody running around back there without our knowledge!"
Each boy was given thirty safari balls. As they were preparing to depart, the second clerk added. "Don't forget that you can't battle the wild Pokémon! Happy hunting!"
As they passed through the doors, Chris gave Luke a shocked look. "I forgot we can't battle them."
Chris had to stop after taking his first few steps into the Pokémon resort. Every kind of scenic beauty imaginable was on display before his eyes. A lush forest resided to the west, a grassy plain to his east, and a large pond to the north, surrounded by a rocky beach. Beyond the body of water resided several more ecosystems that Chris couldn't quite make out. It was almost too much to take in.
"I can't believe a place like this exists," Chris' eyes followed a swarm of Heracross as they glided to the pond from out of the forest's depths.
"Something's wrong," Luke's worried tone snapped Chris back to reality.
"What's up?"
Luke looked closely at his surroundings. "This was not the layout last time I came here."
"Hm," Chris nodded to himself, unsure of what Luke was getting at.
After some deliberation, the young men decided to try out the forest first. As they walked, they came upon several peaceful residents. A Bidoof hurried back and forth between a fallen tree and a nearby creek, his arms full of broken limbs. Some Pidgey nested on a high branch above the trainers. Chris even thought he caught the shadowy outline of a Ghastly far to his left. As he cleared a log, Chris' foot almost found a stationary Bellsprout. The trainer managed to spin to his left at the last second, and was impressed to see that the Flower Pokémon had not flinched.
"With courage like that," Chris reached into his bag, "you'd be a worthy addition to my team. Come on out Nido-"
"Chris," the dark-haired trainer shook his head.
"Shoot!" Chris mentally cursed as he put Nidoking's device away and brought out a Safari Ball. "So I just… toss this at it without doing anything before?"
"Give it a shot."
Chris quickly took aim and launched the Safari Ball at Bellsprout with all the strength he could muster. As the device reached Bellsprout, the motionless Pokémon suddenly sprang into action. The Flower Pokémon brought one of his leafed appendages up and swiftly knocked the Safari Ball into the dirt, shattering it almost instantly. The stemmed creature then proceeded to shift his body backwards and limbo beneath the fallen tree. Just like that, Chris' opponent was gone.
There was a momentary silence as both trainers stood still and stared down the spot where Bellsprout had previously been standing. Luke was the first to speak.
"Whelp..."
"Let's keep moving." Chris cut him off.
The duo continued through the wooded area. Luke saw a couple of Pokémon that intrigued him, but they dashed away before the trainer could attempt a capture. Chris went after a Misdreavous, but the Ghost-type also eluded his capture. Chasing these wild Pokémon brought both trainers to the northern edge of the woods.
"Okay, what the actual fuck?" Luke breathed heavily as they emerged from the tree line and stepped onto a sprawling savanna. "There was a collection of hot springs at the edge of these woods when I was last here."
"It's tough enough to catch these Pokémon when you know where to look." Chris then jokingly asked, "Are you saying that somehow the ecosystems are being moved around?"
"That's exactly what's happened," a voice behind them spoke.
Both trainers turned to trace the origin of the voice and found a young man who looked to be around their age. A smirk was etched on his tanned face. As he came to stand by the two young men, Chris noticed that the boy stood a couple inches shorter than Luke and himself. Decked in cargo shorts and a grey shirt emblazed with the words "Safari Zone", the black-haired boy seemed to look at both trainers expectantly.
"So you're saying they somehow can manipulate where these landscapes appear?" Chris' voice held nothing but skepticism.
"Each ecosystem is built onto a massive panel," the young man explained, "and each panel is connected to a hydraulic gear mechanism. We are standing on the world's first artificial tectonic plate system."
Luke took a second to process what had just been said. "That's the wildest fuckin' thing I've ever heard in my life."
"Pretty freakin' nuts, huh?"
"I always wondered why Johto's Safari Zone was considered the best in the world," Chris rubbed his temples. "It's hard to fathom that something like this is possible." He looked over the vastly different visible scenery once more before turning back to the newcomer. "How do you know all of this?"
"I signed up for a two-month study program here," the short-haired boy motioned towards the trio's surroundings. "I knew it would hurt me in the Gym Challenge, but I couldn't pass up this opportunity."
"So you're a trainer?" Luke eyed him over. "When'd you start?"
"Birthday was back in June," the young man sighed, "so I've only been a trainer for a little under two months. I managed to get a bit of training in on my way over here." The boy chuckled. "Faulkner and Chuck were nice enough to surrender a badge to me."
"You've filled us in on this place," Chris caught a Rhyhorn bounding across the savannah out of the corner of his eye, "so I guess it's only fair to ask for a name."
"Just trying to help out some fellow trainers," the young man nodded. "You're talking to David. Pleasure to meet ya."
"Likewise," Luke replied in passing. "We probably should decide our next course of action. Any ideas on where we should head next?"
"Depends on what type of Pokémon you're looking for," David chimed in. "There's some open land to the east just over that hill beside us. It has a lot of variety."
"Sounds good to me," Chris answered. "That'll give us a chance to loop back around the park if we want to hit up some of the areas near the entrance."
After agreement from Luke, the trio made the short journey east. As they walked, the traveling partners found out that their new companion hailed from Violet City, but had been born and raised in his early years on Cinnabar Island.
"That's one hell of a geographical jump," Luke replied upon hearing the trainer's origin.
"Wait a minute," Chris stopped in his tracks. "You're from Cinnabar Island… isn't that where the massive volcanic eruption happened?"
To Chris' surprise, David laughed. "Why do you think we moved?"
The trainer from Cherrygrove shrugged. "That makes a lot of sense now that you mention it."
After trekking up the good sized hill, the trainers found themselves in an open space of scattered rock formations and patchy grass. Outside of a couple of dried up river beds, there wasn't much in the way of water. There was no sign of life whatsoever in the wasteland.
Luke gave David a concerned glance. "You sure we're at the right place to catch a variety of Pokémon?"
David grinned as he checked his watch. "Wait for it."
After several seconds of silence, movement toward the north grabbed the trainers' attention. Chris squinted at the approaching party and identified the group as a pack of Fighting-types. They arrived quickly and almost immediately went to work on the multiple rock mounds. Once they started, Chris finally realized that the group was putting on a training session. The tall grass to the east shook as Breeloom emerged with a colony of Illumise buzzing overhead. The tough dirt and sand began to give way near where the Fighting-types were training as Skorupi emerged. A pair of Solrock drifted out of an untouched rock formation.
"Are they all coming out to watch the Fighting-types train?" Luke asked in shock.
David glanced up at the early evening sky. "To an extent. This is also a big, open space for friends to gather later in the day. It's too hot for most of these Pokémon around noon."
The ground beneath the trainers began to shake as a massive line of boulders blasted out of what Chris had formally thought were dried up creek beds. The trainer was reminded of his and Luke's Union Cave journey as he stared up at the rock snake, Onix.
"Where do we even begin?" Chris' eyes were having a difficult time keeping track of all the playful creatures.
"I'll go ahead and warn you," David's tone became somewhat serious, "these Pokémon have been at this park for a while. They are experienced escape artists."
"The challenge only adds to the excitement," Chris replied with an overconfident smile.
Chris and Luke went to jump into the fray, but noticed that David had taken a seat on a boulder.
"You're not going to try and catch any?" Luke asked.
"That would require a lot of work and running," David stretched his legs out. "I'll pass."
"A lot of work and running?" Chris examined the trainer more closely and noticed he possessed a bit of a gut.
"I think some running wouldn't hurt you!" Luke said with a laugh as David flipped him the bird.
The Safari Zone worker managed a grin and shrugged. "I know I'm out of shape. Just let me be content, darn it."
Once Chris and Luke had focused their attention onto the wild Pokémon, the next few hours seemed to go by in a blur. Luke went after the ground dwelling Skorupi and Solrock as Chris attempted to haul in the lanky Onix and training Machoke. As they attempted to wrangle in the elusive creatures, David never stopped shouting tips.
As the shifty Onix slithered around one of Chris' Safari Ball tosses, David shouted, "You've got to read his movements. He naturally rolls left!"
"That's a little bit easier said than done," Chris fired back, quickly scooping up the device he had misfired.
As night began to approach, an exhausted Chris and Luke were finally forced to call it quits. The two trainers had used up all of their capture devices and had zero Pokémon to show for it. Chris was clearly the most frustrated about this.
"So they won't let me battle any of the Pokémon here so I can capture them as a trainer normally would." The young man from Cherrygrove was simmering as they headed back towards the entrance. "On top of that, they won't even let me travel around this beautiful place with my team."
"We'll just try again tomorrow," Luke replied, wiping sweat from his brow. He turned to look at David as they walked. "How much longer are you going to be working here?"
"My last day is the day after tomorrow," David replied.
"Good," Chris chimed in, "because in these next couple of days, you're going to help us find the hot spots so I can finally catch one of these bad boys."
"Based on what I saw," David chuckled, "I think I could lead you to a thousand creatures and you'd still struggle to catch one without the use of your Pokémon."
"Sadly, I think you may be right."
"Are you actually gonna' attempt some captures tomorrow?" Luke teased.
David yawned as he spoke. "I may have to show you fellas how it's done."
The boys exited the park as the moon continued to creep higher into the evening sky. As they entered back into the shop-infested tourist trap, David took a step away from the group.
"All the workers have a camping area we sleep at," David's head motioned over his shoulder, "so this may be where we split for the night."
"You still down for traveling with us tomorrow?" Luke asked.
"I have a few things to do for the Zone in the morning," David tilted his head in thought, "but I should be free around noon if you guys can wait for me."
"That's fine with me," Chris answered. "That'll give me a chance to spend time with my team. It felt wrong to not have them out traveling with me for most of today." Chris noticed Luke hadn't replied. "That alright with you?"
Luke gave a short nod in response.
"I'll see you boys tomorrow." David gave a wave before departing.
The traveling companions stood in silence for a few seconds.
"You want to go ahead and get camp set up?" Chris asked.
Luke nodded. "As long as we set it up away from all of these shops."
The trainers backtracked to Route 48 and set up camp within sight of the entrance gate. The spot was surrounded by short pines, which had littered the ground with their needle-like leaves. Overall, the area would serve as a nice, semi secluded spot to rest and train.
Both trainers situated their gear on opposite sides of the enclosure as night slowly surrounded them. Being at a higher elevation, the night air felt cool, prompting the trainers to get a fire going. Chris returned to his side of the camp and brought out his team.
"It feels like I haven't seen you guys in ages," Chris spoke with a relieved sigh as he plopped down on the ground and looked over his Pokémon.
"Nido?" Chris' eager teammate seemed confused by his trainer's words.
"I tried to find us a new teammate today," Chris winced as he thought about all of his missed opportunities, "but I didn't have any luck." Flaaffy came over and placed an arm around his shoulder. He cast a glance over to Luke's side of the camp. "If I'm being honest, I can't capture Pokémon on my own. I'm not wired to be able to patiently tire these guys out through chasing and throwing dozens of Safari Balls."
Quilava motioned to himself and his teammates. "Quil!"
Chris nodded. "I know you're right." The trainer rubbed his forehead. "But I'm not even allowed to bring you guys out in the Safari Zone. Which is a darn shame, because you guys should see this place. It's got every habitat that you could imagine."
The trainer and his team mingled for a few more minutes before Chris stepped over to the fire in the middle of the camp. The trainer wasn't there long before he was joined by Charizard. The fire lizard had been the only Pokémon Luke had brought out since establishing camp. The two individuals looked into the flames and did not speak for a moment.
"Any feelings of déjà vu on your end?" Chris smiled at the starter.
Charizard snorted softly.
The young man from Cherrygrove glanced over the winged lizard's shoulder and eyed Luke, who faced away from the fire. "How's he feeling after today?"
Charizard gave a slight nod and a thumbs up. The fire starter's gaze never left the flames.
"How's the rest of your team doing?" Chris asked, tilting his head up. "Ya know, I haven't seen anybody but you and Electabuzz since we reached Cianwood."
Charizard's breathing grew softer, but the fire lizard did not give Chris an answer. Instead, Luke stepped over to join the duo.
"Hope Charizard isn't giving away any secrets," Luke gave his starter a pat on the wing.
"Nah," Chris grinned at the Flame Pokémon. "He told me I wouldn't need any insider info to lay the smackdown on ya."
Luke stoked the fire with a stick. "I'm hoping tomorrow will be a little bit more productive than today."
"I'm sure it will be from a catching standpoint," Chris nodded. "Can't get much worse than catching zero Pokémon." The trainer thought for a moment. "I have an idea as to how to make at least the ending of today semi productive. How about a sparring session?"
Luke considered the thought as he stirred up the coals. He cast a look at Charizard. "I'd be down for a quick battle to end the night."
"How about using Pokémon that we've caught since we last saw one another?" Chris suggested. "I've been eager to see some of your new teammates." He pointed over his shoulder. "You can see all of mine running around over there."
Luke kept his gaze on Charizard, who nodded in approval of the idea. The trainer from Tohjo Falls sighed. "Alright."
The two trainers lined up across from one another, the fire in the background serving as the lighting. Chris called over Scyther as Luke brought out a Safari Ball.
"Busting out a previous Safari Zone capture," Chris' voice grew excited.
"Come on out," Luke flicked the device into the air, activating the release mechanism.
A scrappy looking bipedal canine emerged from the subsequent flash of light. The natural mask around the creature's eyes did not hide the stare it was giving Chris and his Pokémon.
"This Riolu looks like it has something to prove." Chris' face grew serious. He patted his Bug/Flying-type partner on the shoulder. "Watch out for the big swings."
"You ready?" Luke asked.
Chris smiled. "This is our first battle since the very first day I started my journey. You better believe I'm ready!"
"Get in close with Quick Attack!" Luke commanded.
Riolu darted ahead at a speed faster than Chris expected from the unevolved Pokémon. Chris couldn't help but notice the nervous look on Charizard's face as the trainer called out a move for Scyther.
"Let's meet 'em halfway," Chris felt an instinctual grin reach his face as he slipped into battle mode. "Stop him with X-Scissor!"
Scyther's wings began to flap quickly as the Mantis Pokémon pounced towards Riolu. It was Luke's turn to be surprised by his opponent's quickness. Both Pokémon met near the center of the makeshift battlefield, with Scyther's bladed arms clashing against the pads on Riolu's forepaws.
Luke issued the first follow up. "Force Palm!"
"Absorb the blow!" Chris watched with a smile as Riolu's palm strike bounced off a Pokémon that doubly resisted the move type. "Now return the favor with Wing Attack!"
Having just finished an attack, and with no space to avoid the move, Riolu took the full brunt of Scyther's wing strikes. The super effective assault knocked Riolu to the ground, but Chris was surprised to see the Emanation Pokémon quickly jump back to his feet.
"He's resilient," Chris complimented.
"Stay focused, Riolu!" Luke shouted towards his young teammate. "Quick Attack!"
Now it was Riolu's turn to use the shortened distance to his advantage. Scyther managed to get his claws up, but the attack was still delivered in full. As Riolu started to retreat, Chris jumped at the opportunity.
"Chase it down with Pursuit!"
Scyther's move blasted him towards his retreating foe, doubling the move's power. Right as the Mantis Pokémon was about to deliver a heavy strike, Luke made his swift response.
"Counter!"
To Chris' surprise, Riolu planted his feet into the ground and stopped Scyther's full body tackle with his glowing forepaws. The Emanation Pokémon then pivoted, spinning back around to deliver a punch that seemed to just miss a full impact. Still, the blow momentarily stunned the Mantis Pokémon, allowing for Luke to follow up.
"Hit 'em with Brick Break!"
Riolu sprinted forward, giving Chris little time to come up with a counter of his own. Just as Scyther had regained his bearings, Riolu had found himself in striking distance. Luke's Pokémon did not choose to attack immediately however, instead choosing to close the distance even further.
Chris recognized Riolu's error. "Stop it with X-Scissor!"
The Emanation Pokémon's glowing chop-like strike was caught by Scyther's crossed blades. Riolu found himself unprepared for the sudden stop in momentum. His loss of balance allowed Scyther to deliver an effective Quick Attack on Chris' command. The blow sent Riolu tumbling backwards.
"Did he learn that move from Chuck?" Chris asked with a smile.
"He did a month ago or so, yeah." Luke gave his Pokémon a disappointed look. "That's why I'm surprised he misjudged the distance necessary to deliver it. He had an opening and he waited too long to strike."
"He's still a young Pokémon," Chris tried to rationalize, "and he seems overly eager." The trainer from Cherrygrove eyed Luke's stoic face closely. "He kind of acts like he hasn't been in too many battles against other trainers."
"We don't use excuses," Luke nodded to the Fighting-type, who managed to stand back up. "Riolu has to execute if he wants to win. It's as simple as that."
"Okay," Chris gave up trying to drop the tension between trainer and Pokémon. He directed his focus to his own teammate, but the previous discussion had drained him of most of his excitement. "Hit Riolu with Wing Attack."
"Counter with Brick Break!" Luke called for the move in a somewhat agitated tone.
Riolu did not have the strength to pounce and meet Scyther head on. The Emanation Pokémon brought back his glowing paw and waited until his opponent was upon him. Chris felt little satisfaction in watching his Pokémon steamroll through his exhausted opponent's chop. Scyther's wings slammed into Riolu's torso, knocking the little guy out almost immediately.
Chris congratulated and thanked his battling partner who, in what Chris found to be a bit out of character, quickly approached his fallen opponent. Scyther's trainer immediately took off after his Pokémon, with both individuals arriving beside Riolu. Scyther made sure to use the non-bladed part of his arm as he and Chris helped Riolu back to his feet.
"You're one scrappy dude," Chris complimented as he patted the creature's head. "I haven't seen many Pokémon as young and inexperienced as you put up that much of a fight." He pointed to a pair of bruises on Scyther's jaw and torso. "You landed some nice shots."
"Still," Luke came over to stand with the trio, "we have a lot of work to do. Riolu can't expect to win a battle against a Gym Leader like Whitney, who we have a clear type advantage over, if he battles that sloppy. An experienced trainer like her will capitalize on any openings we give her, completely negating the type advantage." Chris gave his fellow trainer a confused look, but thought better of replying. Luke returned Riolu to his capture device. "It's gonna' be a long day tomorrow. We better get some sleep."
Chris watched as Luke walked back to his camp and almost immediately slipped into his sleeping bag. The space around the camp was quiet as Chris' Pokémon had caught on to the awkwardness of the situation. The trainer's eyes found Charizard's. Against the dimming orange light of the fire, Chris had a difficult time making out the emotion hidden behind the Flame Pokémon's unyielding stare. Quilava stepped over to Chris' side, prompting the fire lizard to turn away from the duo and lay down beside his trainer.
Chris and his starter made the short trip back to their side of camp. The trainer gathered his team beside his sleeping bag. To avoid disturbing Luke, Chris had his Pokémon huddle close together. Gyarados ensured the group's intimate meeting by coiling himself around his teammates. Crobat perched on Chris' shoulder as Quilava stood on his hind legs by the trainer. Nidoking held Flaaffy and Scyther around their shoulders with each arm, pulling them all awkwardly closer together. Chris knew he had his team's full attention.
"Before we hit the bed I wanted us to give props to Scyther on a great battle." At Chris' statement, Nidoking squeezed his muscular arm even tighter around the Mantis Pokémon. Chris had to hold back a loud fit of laughter after seeing Scyther's eyes bulge out of their sockets. "And I wanted to say one other thing." Chris scratched underneath Crobat's ears softly. "Regardless of if I catch us a new teammate in these next couple of days, I want all of you to know that I wouldn't trade you guys for any other team." Chris looked down at the locket around his neck. "Let's get some sleep."
Quilava gave his trainer a light tap on the shoulder before settling down by Chris' sleeping bag. The rest of the trainer's team also gave him an appreciative gesture before turning in for the night. The trainer sent out a reply to his mother's daily message before settling into his sleeping bag. Before sleep could take him, Chris cast a glance towards Luke's side of camp. The trainer was relieved to see Charizard's stomach moving slowly up and down. The fire lizard had to be exhausted from all of the traveling, battling, and worrying he had done in the past two months. Chris' eyes followed the draconic creature's body down to his tail flame. The lizard's tail light was small, mirroring the slumbering starter's current state. Charizard's tail flame flickered to life for a split second, revealing a pair of glowing eyes nearby. Chris remained still as his eyes stayed on the same spot. Even as Charizard's tail flame dwindled again, the young man from Cherrygrove could still make out the unwavering stare from across the camp. Luke's eyes did not turn away from Chris and his team.
Not quite the hot start Chris was expecting in the Safari Zone. Our young trainers are learning quickly that catching Pokémon in the randomize resort is not a walk in the park (ehhhh, get it?). We also had a chance to meet a worker and young trainer in David. What part will this young man play in the trainer's time in the Safari Zone and potentially beyond? Stick around to find out! Hope to see you soon in the next installment of Heart and Soul! Please Review and Subscribe!