Note- HA-HA! I didn't go two months without a chapter! Just managing to sneak in on the final day of March, we have the 54th official chapter of Heart and Soul! If I'd waited a day, none of you in the west would have believed this chapter really existed (April 1st, 2020 is tomorrow for those of you reading this in the HOPEFULLY still existing future)! When we last left Chris, he had FINALLY earned his eighth badge, qualifying him for the Silver Conference Regional Tournament! Now only a few routes stand between him and a return home! Will he encounter anything or anyone on his journey back? We'll get to find out today! Hope you enjoy! Please Review and Subscribe!
Chapter 54
The sun made a special appearance the following morning, piercing through the thin gray clouds that clung to the mountain peaks above. It did nothing to change the below freezing temperature, but Chris found himself sliding off his toboggan, letting the warm light find his neck. He wanted to let his teammates bask in the sunlight as well, but had already decided to wait until they'd gotten out of town.
Blackthorn had come to life over the past couple days. More and more people had taken to the streets, with the vast majority hauling supplies and working on the earthen infrastructure. As he weaved clear of an oncoming line of cargo-strapped jeeps, unwanted memories of Goldenrod came surging back. Think I'm ready for routes again, he silently acknowledged.
Moving away from the last ring of buildings, the sight of Chris and Sarah's training ground came into view. The young man from Cherrygrove was surprised to find it occupied by two other trainers—and two familiar ones at that.
"Iron Tail!"
"He's going high to low!"
A Mightyena somersaulted through the air and swung his glowing tail down like a hammer. With a quick shuffling of his feet, the Gallade below slid just a fraction to his left. The shift didn't look like it'd be enough, but somehow the iron-embedded tail swung harmlessly past his head.
"Brick Break!"
Flattening out a hand, Gallade's arced chop swung down to catch the back of his crouched foe's neck. The Dark-type let out a yelp and staggered sideways. His jaws snapped out as he stumbled but they only found air. A quick shout of encouragement from his trainer couldn't prevent the Bite Pokémon from toppling into the snow coated dirt. When it was clear he wouldn't be getting back up, both trainers simultaneously moved toward their teammates.
Chris did the same, but opted toward his better known companion. "Tough to believe that pup I battled on Route 29 could grow up to look this intimidating," he said.
Luke looked back over his shoulder from his hunched position, but quickly turned his attention back to his teammate. "We're working to make sure his bark isn't scarier than his bite. He has some catching up to do thanks to me."
As he came to stand over his friend, Chris cast a glance at the victors. Waz had his hand on his Pokémon's shoulder. The two were deep in conversation. With the Blade Pokémon's back turned toward the sunlight, Chris could clearly see several bite marks and bruises covering it.
"Gallade might disagree with that."
Luke gave the canine a pat on the head before returning him to his capture device. He stood up and brushed away the patches of snow still clinging to his knees. "What brings you out this way? More training?"
"Maybe once we finally hit Route 45."
"Oh, shit. You're done in Blackthorn?"
Chris dug a hand into his bag's side pouch and brought out the Gym's metallic insignia.
"So you've got all eight."
Chris's follow up died before it could reach his lips. It felt suddenly as though an Octillery had wrapped its tentacles around his throat. He forced a painful cough that triggered an involuntary barrage of them.
"Are you okay, man?" Luke asked, taking a quick step back.
Chris wiped at his watering eyes and swiped at the bottle hanging from his backpack. He popped open the lid and downed half the container, ignoring the stream of icy water rolling down his chin and neck. As the Tohjo Falls' native stepped back toward him, Chris gave him a thumbs up.
"I—I'm good. Just got a little choked up there."
Luke shook his head. "Do you ever stop?"
"You good, Chris?" came Waz's voice an instant before his arrival.
"Just fine. My body just reacted in unison to Luke's performance there."
Waz somehow managed to keep his laughter behind a tight grin. Luke flashed him the bird and shook his head, but said nothing. The former trainer nodded back toward town.
"If you're heading this way, does that mean..."
"All eight."
"That's awesome. Guess that double battle tournament really paid off."
Chris took a moment to consider that. "It definitely helped me keep track of both their Pokémon. I don't think anything could have prepared me for teaming up with Sarah though."
"So you two aren't dating?" Luke asked.
Chris let out a hearty laugh that nearly brought out another coughing fit. "Not exactly. About ninety percent of our interactions leave me feeling like she hates my guts."
"Sounds like it'll be good for you to get away from her for a bit," Waz replied.
"Yeah."
"You sure it's okay to be heading down the mountain alone?" Luke asked, a deathly seriousness in his tone.
Chris flashed the Pokégear on his wrist. "I checked the forecast. Barring any pop up blizzards, it's looking like a cold but dry trip back home. I've got Typhlosion to keep me going if mother nature does decide to throw something at us." He paused to cast a curious look at the pair. "And when exactly will you boys be hitting the road?"
Waz shrugged. "We're gone the minute we've beaten Clair."
"I'd still like another couple days to prep for our battle," Luke answered.
"I just hope you aren't letting some of these recent losses hurt your confidence," Chris replied. "You and your squad have got what it takes."
"Trust me," Luke said, running a hand back through his shoulder length hair, "these losses feel better than most of those wins from before Cianwood." A grin slid onto his face. "And you're still talking me up. What if Charizard and Mightyena are the only Pokémon I still have?"
"Then Cody and Amalia are gonna feel pretty freakin' foolish when you beat 'em."
Luke turned his head up and sent an exasperated round of laughter skyward.
Waz stepped forward and placed a hand on Chris's shoulder. "Kick some ass on the way home."
"It's a done deal."
Weepinbell smacked into the earthen wall, her extended vines flailing through the air before dropping limply beside her. An armored quadruped arrived not long after, but held back his horn at the sound of his trainer's voice.
Chris stepped over to kneel beside his defeated teammate. The Flycatcher Pokémon eyed him through a half-closed round lid. He responded with his warmest smile and a pat on her nearest leafed appendage.
"We're getting better," he said.
The opposing trainer's arrival cut off Weepinbell's response. Chris stood up and found that he still had to lift his head to look the blond haired trainer in the eyes.
"That was fun," the older trainer said, extending a hand.
Chris shook it and motioned to the narrow, makeshift battlefield. "I appreciate you and Rhyhorn agreeing to it. Knew we were in for a fight when you said you'd been camping in this cleft these past few days. I didn't even expect to run into anyone the whole way through Route 45."
The 20-something year old patted the side of his teammate's horn. "Wouldn't have been here without Rhyhorn digging us some tunnels to stay in. Even these natural walls on either side can't keep the wind from finding us. It's made Aspear berries a must." He paused to eye Weepinbell. "Would you guys like to have a couple?"
"I appreciate it," Chris said, kneeling back down by the Flycatcher Pokémon, "but we have some medicine that can do the trick. Save those for if you run into anybody out here even crazier than us."
The man chuckled. "Good call. Even if I don't run into anyone, I'm sure I'll see more and more people flying overhead. Everybody is starting to migrate back to Blackthorn. Those crazy fools are willingly flying back into that freezing tundra!"
"Maybe it's easier if they grew up with that winter chill."
The man nodded. "I think we always bring something from our home with us wherever we go. I just wish Azalea Town had sent with me a tolerance for the cold!"
Chris pointed south. "We're almost out of it."
"But we can't drop our guard until then," he replied, adjusting the shoulder straps on his backpack. "So be extra careful on this last leg."
"Same to you."
Chris turned back to his teammate, running a comforting hand back over her as he sprayed the Potion. The rest of the team filed over to stand by them, with Gyarados's residency in the PC being the only reason they could all fit in the mountainous hall.
Ampharos was the first to reach out to Weepinbell, a reassuring smile already on her face as she rubbed the Flycatcher Pokémon's back. "Amph'."
Chris felt Scizor's presence behind him but the creature didn't step forward. Nidoking and Typhlosion both eventually came forward, but the former's scowl didn't look reassuring.
The Drill Pokémon slammed his claws together and let out a frustrated grunt.
Chris stood back up and dropped his hands to his hips. "That's not needed right now. She hasn't been at this as long as you have."
"Nido'!" the creature cried, pointing to Weepinbell's slowly retracting vines.
"Type advantage isn't everything. In fact," Chris's stern stare softened, "I recall us losing in Goldenrod a couple times with type advantage on our side."
The creature's jaw slackened as his arms dropped to his side. "'King."
The whistling wind warmed as Typhlosion stepped between Chris and Weepinbell. Even with the Fire-type's body in the way, Chris could see the nerves running wild in Weepinbell's twitching vines. Chris thought about going for his starter's capture device, but ultimately decided to let this play out.
That looked to be a bad decision when Typhlosion suddenly rose onto his hind legs and extended one of his front legs toward the Grass/Poison-type.
"Hey…"
The remaining words retreated from Chris's mouth at the sight of Typhlosion helping Weepinbell back to her base. As quickly as he'd done the deed, the Volcano Pokémon had already turned and was passing back by his trainer.
The sound of wings drew Chris's attention away from the heartwarming exchange. An approaching Crobat darted around the limbs that jutted from the earthen walls extending high overhead.
"How's it looking?" Chris asked.
The Bat Pokémon swooped low and circled the trainer, giving him a series of quick nods. "Cro'."
"I had a feeling we were on the right track."
The steeper than expected descent forced the crew to add an extra day onto their already lengthy trip south. Even with a tent and Typhlosion's radiant heat, Chris still had to pause before every nightfall to find clefts or abandoned dens to help shield from the biting wind and occasional flurries. And with Ice Path having left a tear in an arm of Kamon's jacket, every gust of wind that blindsided the opening felt like another dozen prickling Ice Shards.
Wild battles on narrow paths finally gave way to more flat, open hills. The snow that had clung to much of the rock and dried grass gradually receded until none remained. Patches of leafless trees and evergreens began to sporadically pop up, with a quick glance at the horizon revealing entire forests at lower elevations. A freed up skyline also gave the trainer a prime view of the waves of Dragon-type Pokémon soaring past him. Many of them carried equipment or people, with the larger species able to do both. They paid him no mind. Chris, however, felt the urge to summon several of them down to battle, with the thought of delaying his freedom from the chilly domain being the only reason he did not.
At the base of the last mountain, Chris turned to look back up the vast collection of slopes. How in the hell did Matt climb up this? the trainer thought. Could he and his most battle-tested teammates ever hope to do the same?
Crobat cut his thought off with a clap of his upper wings. The Bat Pokémon had flown away from the party and now circled an arched opening in the earth. Chris stepped over to the earthen wall, slowly followed by his team, but his buzzing wrist brought him to a halt. He flipped open the cover and found two different locations displayed.
"Apparently, we just entered Route 46. And," he paused to hide his smile, "here is a cave with the word 'dark' in its name. Would you guys be down for another cave adventure?"
Ampharos reeled back in terror at that. Scizor didn't overtly respond but carried in his eyes the weight of a thousand hits from their Mt. Mortar 'excursion.' Weepinbell and Nidoking seemed ambivalent, with Crobat even giving an excited flap of his wings at the prospect. With half of his team not opposed, the trainer almost considered taking his own joke seriously.
"Ty'." A paw dropped onto Chris's shoulder, bringing the trainer face to face with his starter. The Fire-type starter's expression mirrored that of Scizor's, but with actual lines under his eyes. Lines born from traveling with his trainer on every step of their journey. Hundreds of battles across dozens of routes, caves, and Gyms. His mouth barely opened to utter, "'Phlosion."
Chris went to open his own to explain his joke, but thought better of it. "Yeah, let's keep going."
More Pokémon began to appear along the open hills; a prospect that would have sounded a lot more daunting only a day prior. These Pokémon—Sentret, Jigglypuff, and Aipom—carried the same enthusiasm for battle as many of the mountain dwellers, but none of the power or battle prowess. It only took a couple of quick knockouts by Weepinbell to turn the vast majority skittish.
Hopping one final ledge, Chris found himself face to face with a sign for Route 29. An arrow had been carved into the wooden display, pointing toward an official gate on the other side of the flat field. It felt like mere seconds before he'd passed through the building, his greeting to the stationed official not even registering with his brain. As he and his team stepped back out into the sunlight, a warm breeze from the south greeted them. It carried just the subtlest hint of spring with it.
Chris swung slowly around to face his team. A smile had never come easier. "This was the first route of our journey," he said. Nidoking and Typhlosion straightened up at that. Crobat dropped to the ground beside them. "I know half of you guys weren't with the team yet, but this is where it all began for you three." Typhlosion shrugged his shoulders and pointed west, leading to a playful sigh from his trainer. "Yes, I guess technically you linked up with me in New Bark Town. Though, I think we'd both agree that I didn't quite have your respect then."
Typhlosion rose onto his hind legs and let out a quiet, "Ty'."
Chris jabbed the Fire-type's shoulder. "I definitely do now though… right?"
The Fire-type didn't reply but Chris caught a grin on his face.
"And speaking of New Bark Town…" Chris turned back west. "I think we may have one more stop to make before home."
New Bark Town hadn't changed a day from the last time Chris had laid eyes on it. Every windmill, small home, and tree remained rooted in time—though the latter looked to have several less leaves on them. A few folks hustled about in the early afternoon chill, but most of the quiet town's traverses were Pokémon. A pair of Sentret split off from their path to trail the trainer and his team. Chris was fine with their curiosity until Nidoking caught wind of it. The Drill Pokémon turned in an instant, fangs bared and a clawed hand reaching for the nearest terrified creature.
"Easy there, big fella'!"
The tug-of-war that ensued between trainer and teammate resulted in them both lying in the dirt, breathing heavily; the wild Pokémon—now in the nearby overgrowth—were a distant memory. Ampharos offered her trainer a paw, but Nidoking quickly snatched it.
"Woah!" Something grabbed the scruff of Chris's coat and yanked him back to his feet. Turning, he found Scizor eyeing him closely. "You know it takes more than that to hurt me. In fact," he stopped to wrangle Nidoking into a headlock, "I've still got enough energy to help this guy learn to read a room!" Chris caught a confused look from Weepinbell and added, "It's a saying."
"Nido'!" the Poison/Ground-type roared. He reached out for aide from Ampharos, who promptly stepped back and turned her attention to the ground.
The two wrestled their way up the laboratory drive, nearly barreling into the large, wooden door. It took a clicking sound from the other side to finally split the horse-playing teammates.
Chris quickly wiped the building sweat from his forehead and smoothed out his ruffled jacket. As the door opened, he prepared his greeting for the professor.
"Hell..."
"That's… quite a greeting," came the other man's soft response. But this wasn't any random man. Even without his normal grey suit and gold pin, Chris recognized the Head Supervisor of Construction in the region, though his name escaped him. "Is everything alright?"
Chris realized his mouth still hung open. "Uh, yeah, of course!"
The slender man scratched at the collar of his button-up. "I just wanted to make sure. You look like you've been scraping with some Legendary Pokémon."
The young man ran an embarrassed hand over his jacket. "Wish I could confirm that, but the path south from Blackthorn isn't known for housing those."
"Blackthorn, eh? Does that mean you've earned all eight badges?"
"We have."
"So you took my advice, then?"
Chris paused. Words that had resided in the outer recesses of his mind came storming back in that moment. Now if only the man's name would return in such a way. "Never give your Pokémon a reason to doubt you, right?"
A smile creased the taller man's lips. "That's it.
"I mean, I always try to exude confidence." Chris tried not to wince as a bead of sweat found his eye. "But I never want to lie to my team. Me and Typhlosion were actually talking about something similar just west of here." Crobat swooped over to land on the doorstep beside him. The Bat Pokémon scanned the hall behind the man, his eyes no doubt peeled for Hawlucha. That finally prompted the question Chris had held since the door had first opened. "But what brings you down here, sir?"
The man gestured toward the hall behind him. "The professor had put in a request for some renovations on his lab months ago. Now that me and some of my team have wrapped up our other project, we've finally been able to get down here."
That other project… "You've finished rebuilding the Burned Tower?!"
The man let out a soft laugh. "I wish that were true. I was the onsite supervisor for the foundation reconstruction. That was completed back in December."
"Oliver?" a shout echoed down the hall. "Could I get your thoughts on this frame?"
That's right, Chris silently acknowledged.
Oliver motioned for the trainer and his team to follow him. Chris went to do just that but stopped and turned back to his team.
"If this place is as packed and filled with expensive stuff as last time," he paused to cast a suspicious eye at Nidoking, "then it would be better if I bring you guys out after we've made it back outside."
The Drill Pokémon's head sagged, but no one gave a vocal objection. The trainer withdrew each of his teammates one-by-one until only Typhlosion remained. The Volcano Pokémon tilted his head up to give a questioning look.
"Professor Elm was the reason we met. I just wanted him to see what that led to."
Typhlosion stood up on his hind legs, his brow furrowed, and his fanged mouth wavering. He brought a paw up to rest on his trainer's shoulder and opened his mouth.
"You didn't come here just to catch up with me, did you?" came Oliver's disembodied voice.
"Sorry!" Chris shouted back. He grasped his starter's paw and gave him a guilty smile. "You're going to have to save your heart-felt speech till later."
The Volcano Pokémon snorted at that, before quickly dropping back to all fours.
The lab was somehow even more messy than Chris's first visit. The sun beaming through the high windows showed an abandoned building's worth of dust floating through the air. Power tools lay scattered across tables. Concrete slabs lay next to saw boards. Ladders sat precariously against machines and the railing of the open balcony above the main plaza. One piece of equipment toppling over would be all it would take to start a domino effect.
Thank Arceus I returned Nidoking, Chris thought.
Professor Elm lay beneath one of the many propped up ladders, examining a piece of timber tossed haphazardly under it. At the sound of footsteps, he glanced up and met Oliver's gaze. "Do you think this will be sturdy enough to add beneath that railing?" he asked.
"I'll have to ask Conkeldurr."
At that name, a shuffling noise issued out from behind Chris. The Muscular Pokémon rumbled out from the shadow of the balcony, a concrete slab in each hand. The professor rose to his feet and shuffled out of the way of the construction specialist. He finally caught sight of Typhlosion and his trainer in the process.
"You didn't tell me we had visitors," Elm cried. He gave the Volcano Pokémon a huge smile and clapped his hands around Chris's. "What brings you all the way back to New Bark, Carl?"
The wham sound in Chris's gut came courtesy of his heart. Typhlosion's flinch was visible in his peripheral. The trainer somehow still managed a smile. "I'm doing great, professor. Just wanted to swing over on my way home."
"Well, I would apologize for the mess, but if you remember your last visit, I'm sure that's nothing new!"
"It comes with an air of excitement now," Oliver added.
"Mr. Oliver told me you were doing some renovations. What exactly do you have planned?"
"A couple aesthetic changes," Elm replied, gesturing toward the wooden railing above them. "Expanding out the balcony and reinforcing that second floor in general. Knocking down that far wall—" he gestured toward the back of the room, "—and bringing in some new furniture. Oliver here also suggested I update the Pokémon transfer tech inside several of these machines."
Oliver shrugged. "You can't be too up-to-date."
"I would say I like my tech to stay traditional and familiar like our most famous city," Elm said, stifling a chuckle, "but you're already in the process of updating those as well."
A thought entered Chris's head, accompanied by a strange jolt of pain. "You… you aren't renovating the Bell Tower, are you?"
Oliver's lips curved down just a fraction of an inch. "No. The city board thought it was a good idea, but the Council of Sages would not give their approval."
A relieved sigh passed through Chris's lips. His eyes went wide at the realization, but Oliver gave no response.
"So is there anything else I can do for you, Crystal?"
"Chris, sir," Oliver chipped in quietly.
"Oh, my apologies. Anything else, Chris?"
"Well, I was hoping I could gather my whole team for a meeting on your corral."
"Of course, my boy!" Elm clapped his hands together. "What species are the Pokémon you have in reserve?"
"A Gyarados and an Eevee."
"Splendid. Both of those species will be out of their devices and roaming the biomes." Elm jabbed a finger at a glass door at the back of the room. "Just pass through that door on the far wall and follow the signs. My assistants will be out tending to the Pokémon, but you can still ask them if you get lost."
"Thanks, professor."
Chris passed through the door which, based off the amount of glass covering it, could have easily qualified as a window. The sunlight streaming through its translucent frame now poured onto the trainer and his starter. The sight it illuminated left the former stunned.
The two stood atop a large hill. A small rail car sat stationed on their right, clearly there to assist those who couldn't handle the ascent and descent. The base of the hill saw the land flatten out into a plateau that nearly stretched into the horizon. High security fencing ran all the way around the space. And inside this protective measure lay the countless biomes. A mini forest backed up to a swamp, that segued into a grassland, that then dried up into a savanna, and rocky hills. Ponds and entire lakes lay sprawled and stretched around other habitats. And inside of all these biomes resided a multitude of Pokémon. Chris must have seen nearly a couple hundred just from glancing at the habitat's edges.
"I've seen this on TV… but I still can't believe it exists. It's like a mini Safari Zone."
The team sprinted their way down the hill and came to rest at the edge of the expanse. Several signs pointed out directions to habitats, but that didn't do enough to guide the very overwhelmed trainer. A helpful aide got him on the right track, pointing him toward a nearby grassland. The flat patch of land pulsed with life: packs of playing Rattata, a scrapping Furret and Zigzagoon, a relaxing colony of Aipom and Teddiursa, and many more Normal-types than Chris could count. After a handful of minutes of useless searching, he quickly threw out the surprise factor.
"Hey, Eevee!"
At that, at least fifteen identical heads turned to examine the trainer. It was impossible to pinpoint Chris's own from the surprisingly large spread. That was, until one of the Eevee came charging through the crowd to throw a full-body tackle at Typhlosion. The Volcano Pokémon whipped back onto his hindlegs to let the Normal-type go flopping beneath him.
Chris stooped down to pet the disappointed creature's head. "Quick Attack would have done the trick."
Eevee spun onto his back to face his looming companions. Ampharos's warm grin brought out the Normal's type's own. Eevee went to roll back onto his own feet, but found an unexpected paw extended to help.
"'Vee?"
"Ty'."
Eevee grasped the clawed appendage and let himself be pulled back to all fours.
Chris gave an approving nod and set his sights toward a lake in the distance. "I think I know just where to find our last teammate."
That big body of water turned out to have a bridge that ran directly over its center. The team had to tap-dance around a few intrigued Marill and Wooper on the bank before they could work their way up and onto the structure. Crobat flew on ahead and skimmed low across the water's surface. Chris's gaze followed him, before panning out to view the lake as a whole. A multitude of Pokémon glided across the surface, and even more swam in the shadows just below. Chris rotated a full three hundred and sixty degrees, but caught no sight of his red-tinted companion.
"How do you hide when you're that freakin' ginormous?" he asked no one in particular.
"Cro'!"
The Bat Pokémon circled a spot near the lake's center—just to the right of the bridge.
Chris motioned for Crobat to fly back over. He then brought a finger up to his lips and guided them toward the directed location. Upon reaching the spot, Chris peaked an eye over the wide wooden railing and caught sight of a long red body lined with a ridge of scales. The sight brought out a devilish grin and an even more devious idea.
The trainer brought one long leg up and over the railing, drawing an alarmed cry from Ampharos and Scizor's firm grip on his arm. He waved away their concern and leaned in close.
"This is only a four foot drop," he explained. "And I don't plan on actually hitting the water." He gave them a wink and then twisted his head back toward the water. "Oh, no! I have lost my footing and am about to fall into this water!" He paused and waited for movement out of the corner of his eye; it didn't come. Eevee hopped onto the railing and wiggled his butt like he was about to jump in. "No, no, no. Trust me. I don't think he would catch you." The trainer glanced back over his shoulder and belted, "I said, I, Chris Aedan, am about to fall into this lake!" Still nothing. Chris spun fully around and decided to drop the charade all together. "Hey, Gyarados! We're here to—"
The edge of the wooden planks Chris had been standing on felt as though they rotted all at once. He was suddenly approaching the water. Or was the water moving up to meet him?
An explosion of sound and rapid movement preceded an icy chill that ran up Chris's feet and lower legs. His vision went momentarily white but quickly turned pitch black after several blinks.
"Where am I?" Chris's voice echoed around the dark chamber.
He went to stand up, but the squishy ground gave out beneath his numb feet. A response came to his question a moment later in the form of a blast of hot air. A bright light appeared from one side of the space and the ground proceeded to launch Chris toward it.
"Woah!"
Several arms reached out to grab Chris and completely halt his momentum. He twisted to look around and found they belonged to his concerned teammates.
"I'm alright," he told them. He shivered as a gust of wind tugged at his soaked pants. "Though I'm a little cold."
"You'd be in a battle with hypothermia right now," a soft voice called out, "if not for your companion's quick thinking." Oliver's swift steps had nearly brought him to the group by the time Chris turned to face him.
"I was just trying to surprise Gyarados," Chris managed through chattering teeth. "We found him napping by the bridge."
"That's precisely why the professor sent me to find you. He has the Gyarados on a sleep routine that allows some of the more timid species to play in the sun for a while."
Chris's head sank. "My apologies. I didn't mean to throw off Professor Elm's routine."
"You had no way of knowing. Though, I feel like there were better ways to wake up your Pokémon."
"Waking him up…" Chris spun around and found a massive red visage eyeing him from behind the railing. The large creature flinched at his trainer's glance and tried to sink further behind the thin railing. Chris popped up, nearly fell onto his face, and then hobbled over to grasp the Atrocious Pokémon's crest. "Do I have you to thank for catching me?" The water serpent's eyes dropped to Chris's legs, prompting a vigorous shake from his trainer. "You heard Mr. Oliver. Your quick action is the only thing that saved me from my foolishness." Chris dropped a hand to tap one of his teammates's long fangs. "And the fact that you were able to catch me without biting me in half is a testament to your control. You're awesome, Gyarados."
Gyarados let loose a roar that nearly sent his trainer tumbling back into the icy water. An icy chill shot up Chris's leg as he braced himself, his numb left leg nearly giving way. That chill melted away once he turned to fully register his view. Typhlosion standing ahead of the pack, leaned back on his hind legs to study his trainer. Scizor a close second, his head swiveling to eye both Gyarados and Oliver suspiciously. Ampharos had turned her attention to Eevee, who circled around the group, waiting for the next exciting event. Nidoking had also taken notice of the Normal-type, though his response showed less amusement. He repeatedly rose and planted his right foot into the wood each time Eevee got close. Each missed stomp only added lines to his scowl. Weepinbell had clearly picked up on his aggression, scooting further from him and closer to Chris with each passing second. Crobat put a dome on the gathering with the circles he made overhead.
They had finally come together. Olivine had been the last time the entire team had gathered. It felt like years since then. And that had been with only six Pokémon, Chris silently added. This is our Silver Conference crew. These are my region champions.
"Not to break up this wonderful moment," Oliver interjected, "but we best get you inside. I know the sun makes it feel warm, but it's still below freezing."
"Right." Chris dropped to a knee the moment he let go of Gyarados, prompting his entire team to surround him. "I'm alright. Really." Chris let Ampharos guide his arm around Scizor's shoulder as they set off toward the shore. On this flat bridge and the even ground between biomes, they shouldn't have any problems getting back. But that big slope before the lab…
"Your renovations don't involve that service vehicle on the hill, do they?"
"Are you sure you don't want me to start up a fire?"
"I appreciate it, professor, but Typhlosion's flames are better than any fireplace."
The trainer sat wrapped in a blanket in the lab's main lobby. With the simmering flames of Typhlosion's shoulders next to his soaked pant legs, the blanket served more as armor to defend from the loads of wrenches, books, and building materials that pressed against his sides on the messy couch. The rest of his team sans Gyarados also surrounded him, but they at least gave him a few feet to breath. The Atrocious Pokémon won the distancing contest by residing outside, though he made sure to shake the building each time he peered through the high rise windows. Chris did his best to appease him through periodic waves.
The professor's pacing brought him close to toppling over Chris's crouched starter more than once, prompting countless apologies that quickly lost their effectiveness on the annoyed Volcano Pokémon.
"Goodness me," the professor muttered. Why didn't I just escort you out there? What if you catch hypothermia? Could—"
"He's going to be fine, Felix," Oliver interjected. "His legs weren't in the water for very long. And we got him up here quickly."
"And you know better than anyone how effective Typhlosion's flames can be," Chris added. He ran a quick hand over the top of his starter's head. "You're the one who gave me this little guy!"
Typhlosion snapped his fangs at the space his trainer's hand had just occupied. Chris grinned back, but he wasn't sure the move was done entirely in jest.
"Oh yes," Elm answered, coming to a sudden stop. "In the wild, they are known to whip up a heat wave hot enough to obscure the air itself. And the difference in internal temperature between themselves and their pre-evolutions is simply—"
Oliver waved a hand toward the young trainer to silence the professor. "Chris mentioned to me that he had earned all eight of Johto's badges. Why don't you go ahead and register him for the Silver Conference while we're waiting for him to dry off?"
You could visibly see the gears shifting in the professor's head as he brought a fist down into his open palm. "Oh, that's a splendid idea! I really don't know what I'll do when you leave, Oliver."
The older man gave him a small smile. "Surviving would be enough for me."
"Rose and Sammy will make sure of that at least." Professor Elm stepped over to the trainer and extended a hand. "Would you mind if I quickly borrowed your badges and Pokédex?"
"Not at all," Chris replied, digging into his backpack. "I've been meaning to get a real case to put them in, but mom has sworn she'd get one since before I started this journey." He placed his Pokédex in one of Elm's hands and gently dropped each of the eight signifiers into the other. A real sense of anxiety struck the trainer at that moment. He tracked the badges in the professor's hands like a Fearow tracking a Ratatta, swearing he could almost see the invisible identifiers that made each badge unique. Typhlosion and Scizor seemed to be on the same wavelength, with the latter going so far as to reach a pincer toward the professor.
"You don't have to worry about the professor stealing your badges to compete in the league."
Chris twisted to find Oliver eyeing him with a smile. The trainer returned the look and gave a shrug. "Hey, Professor Elm is a Pokémon expert. I'm sure that translates to training prowess in some way."
Elm let out a high pitch laugh as he slid Chris's Pokédex into a slot in his computer. "Being an expert on evolution and breeding sadly does not help my trainer instincts. Professor Oak would be the man in my profession for that. That fellow really is incredible."
"So," Chris said, attempting to peer around Elm's hunched figure, "have you registered many trainers so far?"
"Not many. You're probably number fifteen or sixteen."
Chris did a double take before asking, "Do you remember when the first trainer registered?"
"Let's see," Elm paused to type away at his keyboard. "Looks like early October. According to this, he also finished as the runner up in the Goldenrod Tournament. Did you happen to compete in that?"
"I… did."
"Interesting. That would have been pretty soon after you started. Did you find much success?"
Chris sucked his teeth and exchanged a guilty look with Nidoking. The temperature around the trainer's legs heated so quickly that sparks began to leap from the blanket. "Not much. We had a tough matchup in the first round."
"Tough to overcome when you're only a week into your journey," Oliver chipped in.
"Right. But we have had some success in other tournaments." He cast a warm glance toward Gyarados's peering face. The air temperature cooled around the trainer's extremities, prompting Chris to turn and catch Typhlosion nodding fervently. "We placed runner up in the Whirl Islands' tournament. And despite my awfulness at double battles, Typhlosion and Scizor dragged me into a top eight finish in the Winter Classic."
"I would call that progress," Elm replied. A moment later, he spun on his heels and returned Chris's possessions. "You're officially registered for the Silver Conference in April!"
Chris went to jump from his seat but found Ampharos and Eevee resting on the bottom furls of his blanket. "Thank you, professor!"
"And I also updated your Pokédex to include every identified Pokémon in the Kalos and Alola region. We've gotten a pretty full list from both since you began last Spring!"
"You're the best!"
After some final pleasantries, Chris gathered up his belongings and bid a temporary farewell to Ampharos and Gyarados. He'd be reuniting with them once he made it back home.
"I look forward to seeing your progress on display on the grandest stage," Oliver said, opening the door for them.
"Glad I've given you no reason to doubt me."
That drew a full grin from the older man.
"Oh, stay away from that!" came Elm's nervous howl.
Chris turned to look back down the hallway. "What is…" The trainer cut himself off and whipped around to examine his team. "We've got everybody… except—SHOOT."
Chris has conquered the mountains and managed a meeting with his entire team! Now he finds himself on the verge of making it home! But with at least a couple months remaining till tournament time, what adventures and training will our protagonist and his crew get into? Will we discover how his mother feels and what she has gotten into since last seeing her son? What important decisions and conversations have yet to be had? We'll discover the answers to these questions soon! I hope you'll join me—after several rounds of hand washing and social distancing—for the next intriguing installment of Heart and Soul! Stay safe and I hope to see you there! Please Review and Subscribe!