Note- Welcome back Heart and Soul readers,! We've made it to another addition of Heart and Soul! Today finds the spotlight being turned to a different trainer as he travels on his Pokémon journey. We find he and Chris not far from one another, just after Chris' mutual split from the trio in Ecruteak. Let's check in with that young man first! Hope you enjoy! Please Review and Subscribe!

Johto Adventures: Waz' Wild Day

A short stroll from Ecruteak's east gate, across a pleasant plateau, would bring one to Mt. Mortar's western entrance. The doorway held no flair or even an identifier. A roughly cut opening in the dark pitchstone was all explorers would find. It was not a welcoming entrance. And those who traveled Route 42 were indeed reluctant to explore Mt. Mortar's maze-like interior. Yet every so often—whether on a mission or through curiosity—individuals would enter. The reports from these visits often read the same. Dark. Confusing layout. Many Pokémon. Rare secrets. Despite having no lore to its name, Mt. Mortar carried a weight and a status that challenged the will of those who considered exploring it. And so, it was with great reluctance that Chris chose to travel through the mountain.

Passing through the unadorned archway, he found himself encased in shadow. He cursed his poor foresight as his hands fumbled through his bag to find the Poké Balls within. Several frustrating seconds later, all six of his party had been released.

"Nido?" came the confused roar of the Poison/Ground-type.

"No worries, guys," Chris said, forcing calmness into his voice. "We just entered Mt. Mortar. Hey," he waved fruitlessly in the dark as he spoke, "Typhlosion and Flaaffy, why don't you guys give us a light?"

A wave of heat washed over Chris' face as a column of fire rose to his left. The Volcano Pokémon stood on his hind legs, spreading the flame on his shoulders as far as he could. A blue orb of light appeared on Chris' right. The cool glow grew until—combined with the fire from Typhlosion's shoulders—the entire party, and the chamber they stood in, had been lit.

"Flaaffy," the Electric-type said in a concerned whisper.

"It's alright," Chris reinforced. "I thought we'd take the mountain path to Mahogany Town."

Eevee moved to the edge of the circle of light and looked off into the darkness. "'Vee," he said quietly.

"Don't sound so excited," Chris said with a chuckle. "I had the option of taking a quicker, more... well-lit road, but I didn't think we were that kind of team. I thought we were a crew that enjoyed a good challenge."

"Ty," the fire starter growled in agreement, though the trainer didn't find it to be a ringing endorsement.

"I get it," Chris said, looking over the five Pokémon before him in turn, "I have a personal distaste of caves. They're claustrophobic, they have a lot of nasty surprises in them…" his mind drifted back to his and Luke's harrowing journey through Union Cave, "...and the last out-of-the-way cave I visited nearly saw me get crushed by some rocks. But," his eyes drifted to the ceiling as he spoke, "who do you think might enjoy a trip through the darkness?" The team followed his eyes until they were all staring at the stalactites.

A dark figure clung upside down from one of the longer spikes. With a soft click, the shrouded creature dropped into the light below, unfurling his wings to slow his descent.

"Scy!" came the Mantis Pokémon's joyful cry.

Crobat now hovered at the center of the group. His teammates came rushing forward to welcome back their comrade. Despite his glad shout, Scyther hung at the back of the welcoming committee. Chris grinned. Trying to save face, I'm sure, he thought. And indeed, after the other Pokémon had given their warm regards to Crobat, Scyther inched his way forward. The two Pokémon, whose species were often labeled as 'loners', connected their wings together in a greeting known only to them.

"Does this make the road ahead a little bit more bearable?" .

The approving roars Chris got back were all the validation he needed. "It's going to be a difficult road," he said slowly, "and I'm already banking on getting lost at least a couple times. But just as we've sought to improve our individual ability, I'd like us to grow stronger as a unit. And we're going to need to rely on each other while we're in here." His thoughts darkened at the tale Luke had delivered on their cruise. He and his team had gotten lost in the wild, and it'd nearly cost all of them their lives. "Let's find the eastern path and go from there."

The sun shone brightly on a grassy field in northern Johto. Mt. Mortar loomed over head. Separate lakes bordered the space to the east and west. A green woodland covered the southern edge of Route 47. At its center though, a battle raged on.

"Snag 'em with your Thunder Fang, Luxio!"

Two young men stood a good distance apart on the grassy plateau beneath the base of Mt. Mortar. A Pokémon stood before each of them. They'd been locked in battle for several minutes at this point. At the command of the brown-haired trainer, the blue and black feline took off. As he charged, the lynx-like creature opened his maw, revealing fangs wrapped in dancing sparks. His target was the small, white garbed creature across the grass. The green haired Pokémon—his eyes closed and his arms on his white gown—remained motionless. Luxio covered the space between them and pounced at his foe. That's when the second trainer finally spoke.

"Double Team, Kirlia," the olive skinned trainer directed.

Luxio brought his electrified fangs down onto the Psychic/Fairy-type's body. To his and his trainer's surprise, the Electric-type passed completely through Kirlia's body. When he spun to face his intangible foe, Luxio found three enemies staring back at him.

A small grin crept onto Waz's round face. "Disarming Voice."

The three Kirlia's launched rings of purple energy at their confused opponent. The rings swarmed the Electric-type, forcing Luxio to recoil.

"Focus on the attack that's actually hitting you," the other trainer directed. "And strike back with a Bite attack."

Luxio surveyed his attackers for a brief moment. With a roar, he muscled his way through the swarming rings, and lashed out at the Kirlia on his right. The green haired creature cried out as Luxio's jaws clamped onto his arm. The doppelgangers faded at once.

"Don't lose focus," Waz's even voice directed. "Zen Headbutt."

A pink glow surrounded the Psychic/Fairy-type's head as he fought with the tight grip of his adversary. Luxio gave a surprised yelp as Kirlia suddenly pulled him into an energy infused headbutt. That broke the Spark Pokémon's grip and provided Waz' teammate with the chance for an encore. The second headbutt knocked Luxio back to the water's edge. The creature wasn't ten feet from Waz, and the trainer could see the exhaustion in his opponent's eyes. But as he surveyed his fatigued foe, he saw something blue and cone shaped strapped to the Pokémon's neck.

"Natural Gift!" came the opposing trainer's confident command.

Waz' eyes widened. A berry.

Two streams of water burst from the smooth surface of the lake behind Luxio. The Spark Pokémon leapt toward his surprised enemy. The berry on his neck had disappeared, but a swirling vortex of water now surrounded the creature. He delivered a full body tackle to Waz' partner, the water around him rushing forward to aide in the assault. Kirlia flew back and landed hard on his side.

"Bet you weren't expecting that!" the opposing trainer called toward him.

And now he's wasted his momentum, Waz thought. He shook his head. He hated taking advantage of a trainer's lack of focus, but it would be a necessary learning moment for him. He nodded toward Kirlia. "Shadow Sneak."

A look of shock came over his opponent when he noticed Kirlia had disappeared. "Where—"

He and his companion didn't notice the moving shadow until it was too late. The void of darkness made it passed Luxio's guard and reached the ground behind it. Kirlia burst from the shadow and delivered a well placed chop to the back of the Spark Pokémon's neck. With a yelp, the Electric-type collapsed to the ground and remained still.

"Damn!" Luxio's trainer shouted.

Waz let the smallest of sighs pass through his lips. He strode onto the battlefield and came to stand beside both Pokémon. He caught Luxio's eye as the creature regained its senses and gave him a nod. "Nice fight." He then turned to his own Pokémon. Kirlia looked a little shaken, with bruises on his torso, and a black bite mark on his arm. "How do you feel?" Waz asked.

"Kirlia," the Emotion Pokémon replied coolly.

"Your physical attacks looked stronger today. I mean that. Now here's some medicine."

The other trainer reached them just as Waz had begun to treat his teammate's injuries. He gave his Luxio a warm glance before turning his gaze on Waz. "Hell of a battle," he said,

"For sure." Waz studied the trainer for a moment. He said his name was Jacob, I think.

"I can't believe your partner here used physical attacks. I don't think I've ever seen this stage of the species battle like that!"

"Kirlia's aiming to be a Gallade someday," Waz explained. "But speaking of surprises, you really got us with that Natural Gift attack. Awesome use of the terrain."

"Thanks, man," Jacob answered. He brought a hand up to scratch the back of his head. "I have to switch out the berry sometimes depending on our surroundings, but it almost never fails to catch an opponent off guard."

"Consider us blindsided," Waz said with a nod. "I occasionally have Kirlia wear a necklace with a Lum Berry attached. I'm glad your first Thunder Fang didn't paralyze us or else we might have been fucked."

"Berries are a great tool in battle. I think that Chesto Berry was actually my last one. I'm gonna have to swing by the market in Mahogany and pick up some more."

Waz dropped to a squat and reached into his large travelers backpack. He withdrew a Lum Berry, a Chesto Berry, and a Sitrus Berry a moment later. "Here you go."

Jacob's mouth fell open. "Forreal?"

"Yeah, man."

Jacob gently sat the berries onto the ground by his Luxio, stroking the creature's black mane before turning to face Waz again. "I really appreciate this, man. My supplies are on empty or else I'd make this a trade."

Waz shook his head. "It's all good."

"Still," Jacob said, regarding him with a warm smile, "I'd like to pay you back as best I can." He pointed to the east. "I'm meeting a group of friends on the outskirts of Mahogany. It looked like you were heading that way too when we met. How about we head that way together? I can introduce you to the group and you can try some of Seth's cooking. He and Sarah are going to be splitting from our group after tonight, so this'll be your only chance to try their pizza pancakes. They're extra spicy!"

"That does sound delicious," Waz began, feeling Kirlia's eyes on him, "but I'll have to pass. Me and my team still need to train a bit more before we roll into Mahogany Town."

A look of surprise came over Jacob. "I think you and your Pokémon are ready," he said with a laugh. "Your Kirlia looked to be in tip top shape, and I'm pretty sure you could bend steel with those tree trunk legs of yours."

"That's the thing though," the stout Sevii Islander replied, "I want to be able to break steel."

Jacob studied his face for a long moment before letting his shoulders slump. "Alright, man. Wish you would come with me, but I'm not about to attempt to force you."

Waz chuckled at that. "I appreciate the offer."

After treating his Luxio, Jacob packed up the berries and the rest of his belongings. He began to walk away, but turned back to Waz. "Hopefully I'll see ya down the road," he said.

"The Silver Conference sounds like a nice meeting spot."

That brought a grin onto Jacob's face. "Till then," he said, giving one final wave. When he reached the water's edge, Waz saw the trainer bring out a Mantine. He hopped onto the creature's back and was halfway across the lake a few seconds later.

"Kirlia."

Waz turned back to his Pokémon. "What?"

The Psychic/Fairy-type pointed east. "Kirlia."

"It was a nice offer," Waz agreed, "but I just wasn't feeling it."

The Emotion Pokémon tilted his head to the right and let his gaze fall to the ground. "Kirlia."

"Now listen," Waz said, dropping down to his teammate's eye level, "we still need to put in some work before we go for our seventh badge. Partying it up with those trainers wouldn't have done us a bit of good."

Kirlia looked back up and met his gaze. There was a twinkle in his eyes and the edge of his mouth held the faintest trace of a smirk.

Waz stood back up. "I'm not afraid of strangers. You saw how well I got along with that guy."

Kirlia nodded slowly, but his expression didn't change.

"You think it's different if there are more than one?" Waz incredulously questioned. He turned away from the Emotion Pokémon. "It's ridiculous." His hands went into the pockets of his athletic shorts, and a moment later, his other five Pokémon had joined them. "You all have put in a lot of work recently," he said, withdrawing food and vitamins from his pack, "so I thought it best we take a moment to reinvigorate our bodies and our souls." When he'd ensured everyone had received their meal and supplement, Waz made for the water's edge. He dropped onto the grassy bank and dipped his uncovered feet into the water. The recent heat of late summer had left the lake feeling like bath water, but Waz appreciated the refreshing feel nonetheless. He brought the collar of his blue shirt up to wipe sweat from his forehead. Then he turned his thoughts toward the team's current status.

His party of six had made great strides since defeating Morty. They had ultimately forgone the Whirl Islands Tournament to strengthen their bodies and their resolve. Their patience and sacrifice had paid off. Jasmine had fallen quickly to Torkoal and Wartortle. The latter Pokémon had swam with Waz across the ocean, stopping to rest and to train on the rock outcroppings that bordered the Whirl Islands. When they had finally made it to Cianwood City, Waz had gone against his immediate desire to battle Chuck, and had given his party a three day resting period. He'd wondered shortly after if the move would backfire, but Swellow, Kirlia, and Haunter had proven to be as sharp as ever in their victory over the Fighting-type expert. It had been the long journey back to Ecruteak that had proven the most difficult stretch of their journey. Battling the ocean once more. Fighting through the hectic traffic of Olivine City immediately after the Whirl Islands Tournament had concluded. The trek north and east below the smoldering summer sun. Waz had stayed resolute and calm throughout, but now, as he stared at his reflection in the water, the young man could see stress lines embedded in his forehead. Waz rotated his club-like arm and heard a pop in his shoulder. There was no pain, but the trainer knew enough to realize the strain he'd put on his joints.

You'll be no good to them broken, Waz reminded himself.

Soft footsteps on the grass behind him alerted the trainer to another's presence. He twisted slowly around and found Wartortle watching him. "How are you?"

"'War," the Turtle Pokémon said with a shrug. He nodded toward his trainer. "'Tortle?"

"Doing alright," Waz answered. He turned back to stare at the surface of the water and caught the reflection of Swellow, who soared high above them. The bird drifted east on the wind, scouting the path ahead. The sight brought a smile to Waz' lips. They probably could function as a unit without me at this point, he thought.

The quiet patter of feet drew closer. The trainer brought his vision back to earth, and he now saw Wartortle standing at his side. The Turtle Pokémon lowered himself onto the ground beside him. Waz knew what would happen if he didn't spark a conversation quickly.

"Your last Aura Sphere looked pretty good," he said. "We just need to work on improving the move's speed. That'll come with repetition, I'm sure."

Wartortle nodded, but said nothing. Trainer and Pokémon sat together in silence for a long while. A cool northeastern breeze rolled over Mt. Mortar and descended onto the route. Several leaves were torn from the trees bordering the lake and flung into the air. The yellow and blue flowers on the plateau danced with the breeze. Waz felt the soft rippling of waves against his heels.

"You talked with Kirlia, didn't you?"

"'War."

Waz took a deep breath. "I don't like large groups of strangers." He paused when he felt Wartortle's clawed hand on his shoulder. The trainer turned to face his starter. "Do you think I should of gone with him?"

The Water-type shrugged and shook his head. "'Tortle."

"You're right," Waz acknowledged. "It's not worth getting distracted over. What's done is done."

"'War," his starter said, squeezing his shoulder.

"I'm fine," the trainer assured him. When his starter's stare didn't falter, Waz sighed. "Alright... I'm a little exhausted. Tell the rest of our squad that we'll rest here for another hour." He felt Wartortle release his grip. "You get what you needed?"

The Water-type's bushy ears perked up as the creature let go a chuckle. He slapped Waz' back. "Wartortle!"

The next hour saw Waz return to his team, but the trainer ate his lunch in silence. He watched his Pokémon interact with a poorly concealed grin plastered across his face. Gabite swung her finned forearm at Haunter, who had just attempted a surprise scare. Wartortle nearly choked on his food while laughing. The Cave Pokémon proceeded to berate the Poison/Ghost-type for attempting such a ploy in broad daylight. Swellow circled overhead, his laughter coming as a flurry of chirps. Kirlia missed the exchange, having moved south to run through his post-combat stretches. Torkoal had also not seen the exchange. The Coal Pokémon lay asleep on his stomach beneath the sun's warm rays.

As Waz looked over his team, he longed to see his Whiscash and Skorupi again. He'd caught the former in the pond before the Sprout Tower, and the latter in the Safari Zone. Whiscash's first battle as a fully evolved Pokémon had seen him defeat Whitney's Miltank. Despite this, Waz knew better than to throw the Water/Ground-type at a squad of Ice-types. Waz would have loved to have used Skorupi in his battle against Chuck, but he hadn't caught the Pokémon until after the Gym battle. The Scorpion Pokémon had proved to be a promising companion on their journey from Cianwood to Ecruteak. The creature's tough hide had allowed him to endure the hits of many wild Pokémon. But as they prepared to approach Mahogany Town, Waz couldn't, in good conscious, leave Kirlia in the PC. Unbeknownst to the Emotion Pokémon, his trainer had found and purchased a Dawn Stone at a vendor station in Ecruteak. It'd cost him most of his money, but the trainer knew he'd have few opportunities to acquire the evolutionary stone. The purchase would prove to be a solid investment the moment Kirlia was finally ready to take the next step.

Waz checked his PokéNav— a hand-me-down from his brother—and saw the given hour had passed. "You guys ready to get a move on?"

"Wartortle!" came the team leader's affirmation.

Waz bent over Torkoal and gently rocked the sleeping Pokémon. The Fire-type awoke with a start, but relaxed when he caught his trainer's eyes. "We're going to swim our way to the eastern shore. Is it alright if I return you to your Poké Ball?"

Torkoal, to the surprise of no one, hastily agreed. Upon withdrawing the Coal Pokémon, Waz turned to Haunter. "I'm guessing you'll be levitating instead?"

The Gas Pokémon gave a ghoulish howl. "Haunter!"

Waz' playful scowl sent the spector into a cackling fit. "For enduring the sun, I'll give you a pass." And with that, the Sevii Islands native secured his waterproof backpack around his shoulders and dove into the lake.

The trainer felt the water cool as he sunk deeper into the vast pool. He kicked his powerful legs until he'd made it back to the surface. Looking around, he found an excited Wartortle and Kirlia at his side, and a far less happy Gabite a short distance behind. A look of shock, and then pride, came over Waz' face at the sight of Swellow churning his wings through the water. The Normal/Flying-type had previously opted to travel by air during their trip across the route's western lake. The Swallow Pokémon caught his gaze, and the trainer made sure to give him an approving nod. Together, the four teammates set off once more through the calm waters of Route 42.

As they swam, Waz kept his eyes up to scout the water ahead. Wild Pokémon could still challenge his team, but the trainer focused more on their next landing spot. Two options stuck out to him: a small rocky outcropping not far to the south, and a larger, flat isle bordering Mt. Mortar. Waz brought an arm up and pointed toward their options with his index finger and pinky. "What'll it be?" he asked.

"Wartortle!" his starter shouted, pointing his bushy tail toward the distant northern island. Waz' starter led all other party members, including Waz himself, by a country mile. Haunter glided not far behind the Water-type.

The trainer tossed a glance over his shoulder. Kirlia churned through the water not far behind him. The Emotion Pokémon looked as though he still had plenty in the tank. Swellow glided along the surface of the water a short distance behind the Psychic/Fairy-type. The bird couldn't cover nearly as much distance with each stroke as his larger teammates, but the creature's speed more than made up for it.

"How are you, Gabite?" Waz shouted over the splashes that filled his ears.

The Cave Pokémon had not enjoyed their foray across the first of the route's lakes. She looked to be enjoying the second even less. She had fallen a good distance behind the rest of the party. "'Bite!" came her annoyed, but resolved growl.

Waz stopped his forward moment and began to tread water. His teammates passed him by without even a glance. "Head for the northern isle," he told them, before turning back to face Gabite. The Dragon/Ground-type continued to churn ahead, though Waz could see her strokes slowing. He waited until she had reached him to speak. "You alright?"

Gabite didn't answer, but instead drove her fins forward with renewed vigor. Waz pushed forward again until he was matching the Cave Pokémon stride for stride. "You go at your own pace. I'm with you no matter what."

Trainer and Pokémon pressed forward until both fin and hand were touching solid earth. Waz pulled himself onto the flat rock and immediately dropped onto his back. His breathing came quickly, but held steady. Gabite dropped onto her back beside him. She gasped for air, but Waz could see a satisfied smirk on her fanged maw. He took another couple of seconds to let his breathing slow.

"Hell of a workout," he said, sitting up. "That swim was easily our farthest without a break."

"Swellow!" the Flying/Normal-type chirped, shaking the moisture from his wings.

"I'm glad you joined us for that one too."

"Haunter!"

Waz shot the ghoul a very real stink eye. "That joke has worn out its welcome."

The team sat there for several minutes, catching their breath and letting the warm sun dry their bodies. Waz tapped the backpack still strapped to his shoulders. "I wish Torkoal—"

A loud crack, like the sound of a gunshot, echoed across the lake. Waz turned in every direction to try and find its source. It was Wartortle, and his sensitive ears, that tracked the sound's origin.

"'War!" the water starter shouted, and pointed toward the peak directly above them.

Another crack roared down the mountain, this one followed by a low rumble. The dull roar grew in Waz' ears until it sounded like a hundred cannons going off at once. The sound burrowed into his head and tapped into a memory he'd long since tucked away.

He'd been preparing to celebrate his mother's birthday at their home beneath Cape Brink on the Second Isle. Waz had stepped outside—for what, he couldn't remember—and had looked out to the east. He'd caught sight of the vast First Isle and the towering peak of Mt. Ember. In the evening sun, its peak had shimmered like the Olivine Lighthouse. At that moment, he'd witnessed a cloud of smoke and ash blast from the mountain's chimney. A low rumble had reached his ears seconds later, followed by a sharp blast of wind. It had been the first of several minor eruptions Waz had witnessed. His father had told him after that about the First Isle's active volcano. Those memories only served to tense his muscles and furrow his brow now that he stood beneath another mountain. Another roar, this one much closer, brought Waz onto his bare toes. A wave of heat slammed into the team, brought on by a frighteningly familiar gust of wind.

"Everyone behind me," Waz said in a low voice. His direction was met with bewildered expressions. I've taught them too well, he thought.

Wartortle took a step toward him. "'Tortle?"

Waz nodded at him. "One last time."

His team turned their gaze from their trainer to his starter. With each passing second, the air temperature seemed to warm. The Turtle Pokémon looked at Waz for a moment longer… then nodded back.

At once, all five of his Pokémon swarmed behind their trainer. Waz didn't catch any of their looks as they passed. His eyes were fixed on movement high up on the mountain ridge. The figure took on a more pronounced shape as it zigzagged down the steep rocky face.

A thought struck him. "Come on out, Torkoal." Upon materializing from his capture device, the Fire-type looked to his trainer for clarification. "I need you to lay down a Stealth Rock for me."

The Coal Pokémon looked over the island with some confusion about the attack's target. He said nothing, however. Sensing the urgency in his trainer's voice, he rumbled forward as swiftly as he could move. He lifted up onto his hind legs before slowly crashing back down. The island surface beneath his feet exploded upward. Among the debris were a collection of large stones that spread out from the collision and hung in the air over the corners of the island.

"Nice work," Waz said, before quickly ushering the Pokémon behind him. When he looked overhead once more, their danger had become immediately clear.

A ball of fire plummeted off the rock face directly above them, crashing into the center of the island like a meteor from heaven. The collision kicked dust into the air and sent ripples through the rock and dirt. The water began to bubble around the edge of the isle. It wasn't long before the beautiful blue lake had churned into a boiling foam. Even as the dust settled, a wall of steam had risen to surround the patch of land.

"Swellow?" the ever inquisitive bird Pokémon chirped.

"If I'm right," Waz said, studying the fading dust cloud, "trouble."

A large shadow rose from the clearing air. Slowly, large gray paws came into view. Above them, stood four thick legs, each coated with shaggy, brown fur and a black cuff-like band. A grey plate stuck out beneath its cream colored torso. Similar plates jutted out from both sides of its back. From between these two covered portions, a light grey cloud of smoke ran down the creature's spine. That brought Waz' gaze up to the creature's head. A red, star-shaped face plate held a three pronged yellow crest. Just beneath it, a grey plate bent around the outline of a harsh snarl. It's red eyes were nothing more than creased slits.

Entei. Waz mouthed the name, but didn't dare to make a sound. The Legendary Beast stood crouched from its landing, but still dwarfed the trainer by at least a foot. The creature shook its mane and raised its head back toward the mountain. The trainer's eyes followed, but Waz saw nothing.

A sharp growl preceded a perspective change. Its red stare turned back toward the path before it… the path that ran through Waz' team. Crimson met brown as trainer and Legendary Beast locked eyes. Slitted lids recoiled as its mouth opened wide in tandem to provide a deafening roar. The churning water around the island seemed to sizzle hotter as the wall of steam grew ever higher.

Waz brought his arms slowly up without thinking. He could feel beads of sweat run down his large forearms and into the crook of his elbow. His head still rang from the visitor's bellow. Every curse he knew passed through his mind at that moment.

Entei watched his outstretched arms with wild eyes. It became suddenly apparent that the creature was breathing hard… very hard. His windswept mane and fierce eyes only further drove home the danger Waz and his Pokémon now found themselves in.

The trainer slowly worked his jaw as the two parties stared one another down motionlessly. It felt like an eternity before any speakable words came to him.

"We mean you no harm," he said in as calm a voice as he could muster. It was the same tone he'd used to council his Torkoal after their loss in the Goldenrod Tournament Quarterfinals. The same tone he'd presented to his Kirlia when the Emotion Pokémon had battled his identity crisis. The same tone he'd spoken in at the funeral for his family's Stoutland.

Entei tilted its head forward, obscuring its gaze. Its ears twitched as it processed Waz' words. The heavy breathing continued for several more seconds. Slowly, the Fire-type brought its eyes back to rest on Waz.

The trainer leapt backward, throwing his team to the ground as a star-shaped fireball roared over their heads. Every trainer report on encounters with the Legendary Beasts had pointed toward their use of Roar to flee potential battles. The trio had never looked to start a fight. Waz had no time to wonder why this particular occasion called for aggression.

"Stealth Rock!" he yelled.

Torkoal shook off the surprise and pushed himself back onto his feet. The four stones hovering at the island's edge rocketed toward Entei's location. The sharp rocks smashed into the Legendary Beast's sides and torso with another force to shatter them upon impact. The Volcano Pokémon didn't recoil in pain, but rather splayed its feet further apart in preparation for battle. What the fuck have I gotten myself into? The thought seemed to run through Waz' mind on a constant loop. Despite his precaution, Waz now knew that he and his team wouldn't make it off the island unless they worked together.

"Water Pulse!" he directed.

Wartortle whipped his head forward. A bright blue orb leapt from his mouth and hurdled toward the stationary Fire-type. Entei suddenly opened its jaws and produced a pointed ball of flame. Studying its shape more closely, Waz recognized it as Fire Blast. The burning star collided with Wartortle's attack and looked as though it would blast past it with little resistance.

Waz quickly motioned for Torkoal. "Overheat!"

The Coal Pokémon's body took on a faint red glow. That aura was overtaken by a blossoming white light from his open mouth. That white energy burst from Torkoal's maw, exploding out as a stream of brilliant gold fire. The surging flames reached the battlefield's center, arriving just as Wartortle's attack dissipated into a cloud of vaporized steam. The clashing flames wrapped around one another in a chaotic embrace before splitting apart in a blinding explosion that shook the island to its core. The expounded air thrust the steam toward Waz' team. Residual flames from Entei's attack surged forward shortly after, but diminished and died a few feet from the group. And before Waz could even catch his breath, the Legendary Beast had bounded through the steam and made for him.

Waz pointed toward Swellow floating above and Gabite hunkered down low. "Aerial Ace, Swellow! And Dragon Claw, Gabite!"

As his teammates raced forward to meet their foe, he turned to Kirlia. The Psychic/Fairy-type's back stood painfully straight, his legs together, knees shaking against one another. His arms hung limply at his sides.

"I know you don't think your physical attacks will do much good. But they can, and they will. Race in after them with a Zen Headbutt. Go, now."

Kirlia looked from his trainer to his charging companions, and finally to his motionless arms.

"We need you."

Kirlia nearly tripped over his own feet as he lunged forward. A smile slipped onto Waz' lips as he watched the Emotion Pokémon charge ahead, his confidence seeming to grow with each step. The smile disappeared quickly when his gaze returned to his other two attacking teammates. Swellow had dive bombed toward the approaching beast, his wings aglow with a white light. Gabite had stayed low to the ground, choosing to swipe at the massive creature's legs with his purple hued claws. Waz could feel his toes digging into the cool dirt as their attacks landed simultaneously. The two Pokémon bounced off the Legendary Beast like they'd run into a brick wall. Even so, Entei let loose a howl upon impact, and the creature seemed to slow his approach. Kirlia reached the Fire-type at that moment of hesitation.

"Nice work!" Waz called as Kirlia drove his energy capped skull into Entei's exposed torso. He waved at Haunter. "Now, Hypnosis!"

The ghoul slashed through the air with his trademark quickness. He swung in overtop of Kirlia and launched a barrage of faint yellow rings at the Legendary Beast's eyes. At that moment, Entei opened its jaws and unleashed an ear splitting roar that, had it not been for his stout legs, would have driven Waz to his knees. He jammed his fingers into his ears and looked back to the battlefield through squinted eyes. His eyes opened wide when he saw Haunter dematerialize into a mass of red energy, and return to the Poké Ball in his backpack.

"Shit."

Entei pressed forward, knocking Swellow and Gabite away with two vicious kicks. Before Kirla could retreat, the Legendary Beast brought its fangs down on Waz' teammate. The black energy that surrounded them clamped onto the Emotion Pokémon's shoulder, drawing a cry of pain from the Psychic/Fairy-type. With a vigorous shake of its head, Entei launched Kirlia into the air. Upon seeing the middle staged Pokémon land at the island's edge and remain still, Entei turned its attention back to Waz. The trainer took an unwilling step back, but kept his eyes focused on his teammates.

"Need you to dig, Gabite," he called to the Cave Pokémon, who had just managed to get upright. The Dragon/Ground-type nodded and slashed into the dirt beneath him. He found Torkoal still standing at his side. "Fire attacks won't be any good now that we've used Overheat. Keep Entei occupied with Rapid Spin." Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the Legendary Beast beginning to approach, but he forced himself to find Swellow. "Mix up your strikes between Aerial Ace and Facade, but watch for its counter!" The Swallow Pokémon managed an affirmative chirp before taking to the sky once more. That just leaves… Waz turned to find his starter before him, an expectant look in his eyes. Of course he's ready, the thought brought another grin to Waz' face. They'd keep fighting. "Let's give Entei a steady supply of Water Pulses," he told the Water-type. "We have to keep him off balance. Just watch out for Torkoal."

"'War," the Turtle Pokémon growled back, before turning to face the oncoming Legendary Beast.

As the quartet moved to attack, Waz fumbled with his backpack, seeking out Haunter's Poké Ball. As he dug through the bag, he chanced a quick glance toward his Kirlia, but the Emotion Pokémon still lay motionless at the water's edge.

"There," Waz hissed, finally drawing out the Ghost/Poison-type's capture device. He activated the mechanism and tossed the ball into the air. Even as he did so, his gaze had already returned to the battlefield. A wave of pride washed over him at the sight of Water Pulse's blue orb bursting against the Volcano Pokémon's side. Swellow struck at the massive beast with each aerial pass. Torkoal did likewise with his hard hitting shell. Their only shot would come from a sustained multi attack. He could see the ground moving behind Entei. Gabite was almost in position. They were still in this.

A wave of heat forced Waz' eyes closed. When he forced them open a moment later, the first thing he saw was a massive, branched burst of fire striking the ground between Swellow, Torkoal, and Wartortle. The concussive force knocked all three Pokémon onto their backs.

"Now, Gabite!"

The ground shifted beneath Entei's feet and gave way. Gabite's clawed fist was the first thing to emerge, aimed directly at the Legendary Beast's undefended belly. With a speed Waz had never witnessed, the Volcano Pokémon's hind legs suddenly drew up, pulling its broad stomach with it. In that brief moment, Waz caught sight of a blackened patch of skin bare of any fur. Gabite's uppercut drew close to the damaged spot on its stomach, but only found air. Before Waz could warn his teammate, Entei brought its legs down with the same unmatched quickness. The Fire-type's massive paws stomped on to Gabite's exposed back, driving the creature back into the earth with a sickening thud. The island shook beneath the weight of the attack. Cracks opened up across the land mass and water began to bubble up through the split soil.

"Fuck," Waz muttered, unable to see the Cave Pokémon at the bottom of the newly formed crater. He watched in frustration as the Legendary Beast came up on to its front paws and stomped onto the exposed underbelly of Torkoal in front of him. One look at the Coal Pokémon's face told Waz he was out of the fight. That forced him to turn his attention back to his reemerged Haunter. "Hit him with a Shadow Ball!" Checking on the status of Swellow and Wartortle, he felt a sharp pain in his gut at the sight of Swellow's unconscious expression. A rush of warmth replaced it upon seeing Wartortle back on his feet.

"Aura Sphere!" Waz directed. Wartortle threw a glance at him over his shoulder. Waz nodded back in reply. They were still working on getting the move down, but it seemed the only remaining option to deliver surefire damage.

As Wartortle prepped the attack, Haunter glided forward and launched the black energy orb he had built. Entei crouched onto its massive legs and the fissures splitting the island widened in response. As Haunter's attack bore down on it, the Legendary Beast pounced forward with exposed fangs. A familiar dark aura came over its jaw and—in one swift motion―Entei bit through the Shadow Ball. Its powerful leap carried the Volcano Pokémon the remaining distance between it and Haunter. Another flash of its fangs saw Haunter drift unresponsively to the ground.

Entei now stood only a few feet from Wartortle. Based off the weak blue outline around the Turtle Pokémon, it'd be several more seconds before his attack was ready. But they didn't have any time to spare. Entei crouched low again. Waz could feel his feet driving him forward. The nature of Aura Sphere meant Wartortle's current focus would be inward, and not on an advancing opponent. Waz had called for the damn attack, and he would be the one to ensure it went through. But even as he sprinted forward, he knew he wouldn't get between the two Pokémon in time.

As Entei went to pounce, a shadow slid in front of it. Waz skidded to a halt as Kirlia shot from the darkness and delivered a chop to the yellow crest atop the Legendary Beast's skull. Entei's eyes met the Emotion Pokémon's. In that brief moment, wonder replaced rage. It was short lived however, as soon, Entei had begun to summon energy for its Fire Blast.

Gabite suddenly appeared behind the Legendary Beast, his purple claws already prepped for attack.

"Strike now!" Waz' voice cracked as he called.

Gabite slashed its glowing claws across Entei's back. The Volcano Pokémon let go a frustrated roar before leaping straight up. As it rose, it looked down at the duo that had attacked it. Waz threw up his arms as a vortex of fire spiraled down to strike his two Pokémon. The resulting explosion launched the teammates in opposite directions. When the trainer unshielded his eyes, he found them both unresponsive. He quickly realized that Wartortle was his only companion still standing. But he also saw their opponent falling back to earth…

"You ready?" Waz called to Wartortle.

"Wartortle!" came his affirmation. The dull outline around him had become a brilliant cerulean aura.

"Aim at the wound on its stomach!"

Another long second passed. Then, with a roar that surpassed his small stature, the Turtle Pokémon extended out his arms, and a large sphere of energy, colored the same as his aura, launched from his clawed appendages. The energy orb raced forward, hanging low to the ground. As it reached the descending Legendary Beast, Wartortle's attack sloped upward as if it had shot up a ramp. The energy blast found its mark, slamming into the black, skinless patch and exploding on impact.

Entei threw back its head and let out a shrieking howl. The creature crashed back to the ground feet first, kicking up a cloud of dirt, and splashing the steadily invading lake water everywhere. There was a long moment of silence, broken only by the teammates' heavy breathing.

"Way to go," Waz uttered through clenched teeth.

"'Tortle."

The dust cloud settled, and to Waz' dismay, but not surprise, he found Entei still standing. What he didn't expect was the Fire Blast bearing down on them. He reached out to pull his teammate back, but the star-like fireball found its target first. The ground in front of Wartortle seemed to vaporize as a pillar of fire engulfed the damp earth around him. Waz felt the back of his water starter's shell slam into his torso. The remaining air in his lungs was driven out, his eyes closed, and it took all his remaining strength just to stay upright. The fire and heat faded a moment later. When he opened his eyes he found Wartortle lying at his feet.

"Wartortle?" he croaked.

A long growl answered him, but not from Wartortle's mouth. He could sense Entei's approach—feel the earth rumble beneath his bare feet. But his eyes refused to turn from his fallen starter. Finally, instinct took over, and Waz took a pair of wobbling steps forward to stand between Entei and his first Pokémon. He looked up through his half closed eyes and found Entei only a few strides away. The rage hadn't vanished from his eyes, but the Legendary Beast's fangs had receded behind its closed maw. Waz didn't figure it would stay that way for long.

"We only fought to defend ourselves," he heard himself say. "I'm sorry, but you didn't give us a choice." One of his eyes had completely shut now. He wasn't sure if it had come from the heat or a swollen bruise from the earthen debris. Through his ringing ears he could pick out Entei's approaching footsteps.

Not a bad way to go, he thought. Just a shame no one was around to verify it. Guess it doesn't matter. Prinny wouldn't believe it anyway; that son of a bitch.

"'War."

He felt something grip his leg. He brought his open eye down and watched in amazement as his starter dragged himself back in front of Waz. The trainer had no energy to retake the lead or even verbally rebuke him. Despite having launched close to a dozen attacks and even after taking a pair of hits from a Legendary Beast, Wartortle managed to stagger back to his feet. With a low growl, he flung out his lifeless arms, and a faint green barrier encased him and his trainer. Waz had known that Protect would do little against Entei's might, and had avoided wasting Wartortle's time with it.

"Shit," he breathed. A shadow came over him. He didn't have to look up to know that Entei now loomed above them. He dropped to a knee at the abrupt roar that issued from the Volcano Pokémon. At the sound, Wartortle's body took on a red glow and his molecules began to dematerialize. Good, Waz thought. At least his teammate would be spared.

The red light turned suddenly white. The Sevii Islands native looked on through his drooping eye as the glowing form of his starter grew. Wartortle shot up in height to dwarf the kneeling trainer. His brown shell expanded until Waz could no longer see Entei. Two objects extended out from the water type's back. As the light slowly faded, Waz found strength returning to his legs. He stumbled back onto his feet, though he couldn't bring himself to full height. He could feel pain in his lower back. Sweat poured across his shaved head. His brown islander skin was covered with cuts, burns, and bruises. But none of it mattered at that moment.

"Blastoise!" Waz' fully evolved starter bellowed.

Through his hazy vision, the trainer tried to discern Entei's thoughts. The Legendary Beast still had its fangs tucked away, meaning he would be safe from a Fire Blast or Bite. His thoughts of being stomped to death were cut short by the look in the Volcano Pokémon's eyes. The anger and rage that had been there were no more. The Fire-type's eyelids were drawn back, as was its neck. The beast no longer crouched like trapped prey. Indeed, having risen to full stature, and with a hard stare in place of its frenzied glare, Waz could understand why such a creature would be held in such high regard. It resembled the mightiest of legends in the old tales he and his brother would read before bed.

At this close of range though, he also could make out a myriad of minor injuries embedded into the Volcano Pokémon's skin. Deep lacerations left red trails through its fur. A small patch of fur looked to be missing beneath the creature's jaw. Waz didn't doubt many of the wounds came from its encounters with trainers. But some of the wounds looked far too… grizzly. He'd battled some incredibly powerful Pokémon at the Goldenrod Tournament and seen the damage they had wrought upon his teammates. Entei's wounds looked to be on an entirely different level.

The noble beast regarded the companions for another moment. Its gaze went first to Blastoise, then to Waz, and then back to his starter. It seemed to the trainer, though his wavering vision may have betrayed him, that Entei rocked his head toward the two teammates.

Waz blinked and found Entei no longer in front of them. A gust of wind on his right alerted him to a fast moving object. When he'd worked up the energy to finally turn, the trainer just caught a glimpse of smoke fading in to the tree line on the opposite side of the lake.

"Blast."

Waz dropped back to a knee just in time for his starter to do the same. He brought an arm up and let it drop onto the top of his starter's shell. He nearly toppled over when he found himself staring into the barrel of one of Blastoise's cannons.

"Thanks for saving my skin," Waz said, managing a weak smile.

"Blastoise," the Water-type replied, shaking his head at the notion.

The sound of movement from around the ruined island reminded Waz and his starter of the status of their other teammates. Swellow had managed to roll over and rise onto his talons. Torkoal too had nearly fought his way back to a standing position. Gabite and Kirlia had both managed to sit up. Even Haunter had managed to drift a few inches off the ground, though his zany facial expression had yet to reappear. All of them now looked upon Blastoise, their fully evolved leader.

"We're going to have one hell of a story to tell," Waz spoke loud enough for everyone to hear him. His words echoed off the cliffs of Mt. Mortar and had just died when another set of voices came into ear shot. Waz craned his neck west to see who now approached. The sight dropped him onto his ass and brought a loud groan from his lips.

A party of nearly twenty people were riding toward the island on a variety of Water Pokémon. The woman in front had a concerned look on her face. "Is everything alright?" She shouted.

Waz let his head fall forward. He felt Blastoise's stout arm on his shoulder. His ass sank a couple extra inches deeper into the muck that had once been solid land. His usable eye closed shut and he sighed. "I don't want to tell it to them."

A heart pounding, life-or-death struggle results in the feeling of mutual respect. Waz finds he and his team miraculously alive after their fierce encounter with Entei. And though the bout has left him worse for wear, he now finds himself with an even more powerful comrade. Throwing it back to Chris, we find him diving into Mt. Mortar. He hopes to quickly find and travel along the eastern path, but how often do things go smoothly for our trainers? I'll look for you next time, when we discover what Chris may have gotten into, and peek into the day of a trainer on the rise. I hope to see you then! Please Review and Subscribe!