Note- Welcome back to this summer time wonderland of fear and uncertainty! I hope you all are doing as well as can be during this time. Know that no matter what happens, I love you, and there are people in your life that do so to an even greater degree!
But this chapter finds our trainers not in summer, but winter! Yes, that's right, I did say 'trainers'! Chris isn't the only one prepping for the most important tournament of his life! Along with our favorite Cherrygrove native, we'll get to see what a few other trainers are up to! I had a lot of fun writing this one, and hope you have just as much fun reading it! Hope you enjoy! Please Review and Subscribe!
Johto Adventures 3: Preparation is Paramount
A Prodigal Struggle
The immaculate blue water shot beneath them. Or was that the sky?
The wind whipped through Luke's long, brown hair. It brought a salty tang into his nostrils. Despite the lake below being freshwater, when heavy rains swept through, the runoff would pour out south. Luke and his brothers had explored that same path numerous times, always ending up at the same location: the sea. That wouldn't be his destination today.
Another strong flap of Charizard's wings sent his dark brown locks into a frenzy. Why didn't I get this shit cut? he asked himself. He almost had when he'd stopped to register for the Silver Conference in New Bark Town. He'd always worn his hair short growing up. So had his brothers. So did his father. Even his mother kept her hair just above her shoulders. It was untelling what their response would be. As the most mellow of the three brothers, Ben wouldn't say a thing. Tommy would be insufferable about it, but he was already insufferable about everything. No, he couldn't care less what his brothers thought about his hair or even his journey as a whole.
Charizard sank lower. His claws scraped against the smooth surface, spraying water in every direction, including back on his trainer's face.
"Hey," he said, attempting to wipe the droplets from his eyes, only to realize that the wind had already blown them away. "I understand you wanting to help me look presentable to my folks. But I have a feeling it's going to take more than a clean appearance to win them over."
Luke pointed north and the winged lizard took them off the water and over a long stretch of pines. An overgrown clearing passed beneath them. And then the top of a shingled roof appeared between the intertwined branches of an oak and cherry tree.
It's been nearly ten months.
At Luke's signal, his starter swung beneath the high branches and brought them to a sliding stop. He'd only just hopped off his companion's back when the front door flew open.
"Luke!"
His mother brought him into a fierce hug. Luke returned the gesture as best he could with his pinned arms. His smile soured a bit when it became obvious she wouldn't be letting go anytime soon.
"It's great to see you too, mom."
"I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to come back! And my goodness, look at your hair!"
Luke fidgeted enough to squirm free of her death grip. "I could have been a bit better about giving you guys updates. But you know I wouldn't miss coming back to see ya." That was mostly true. Her nagging and oblivious optimism had never grown on him, but it couldn't outweigh her love. It did feel good to see his mother's smiling face. The face that had greeted him every morning before school with a great breakfast. The same one that would always bring him water or freshly made lemonade after a long afternoon working outside with his father. "And I wouldn't mind getting a couple inches trimmed off my hair."
"I don't care to help you with that. It's just great to have you back! Your dad will be happy too!"
That statement surely held a bit less truth.
"I… would like to talk to him."
"Sure! I'm getting ready to make lunch and we can all sit down—"
Luke was already moving toward the door. "I'd like to talk to him before that," he called back.
"He's probably getting cleaned up right now. He just got done with a shipment."
Luke nodded back but didn't stop. He glanced around the porch as he reached the front door, surprised to not see Ben working on some project in the shaded space. Luke came to an abrupt stop, nearly causing Charizard to trample him.
"I'm gonna have you stay out here for a bit," he said.
The fire lizard tilted his head to the side but kept silent.
"Trust me."
Charizard gave a soft snort. Then a nod. Luke ran his hand over the creature's long snout and threw on his best reassuring grin. Based on his starter's unchanging expression, Luke could tell it wasn't super convincing. I'm gonna need to work with Chris on that, he thought.
Passing through the entrance, he was a lot less surprised to see his youngest brother stretched out on the living room couch. Arceus, he hated how similar their faces looked.
"Good to see nothing has changed," Luke said as he passed by.
The groan of leather told Luke that he'd at least gotten his brother's attention. "Thought you'd be back a lot sooner," Tommy called.
"There's something to be said for taking your time. Looks like you know all about that."
"Did you at least get all the badges?"
Luke wanted to just ignore him as he reached the hall. But his brother had given him another chance to assert himself. "I did. And it looks like you got a lot done too. Have you decided what path you'll be taking?"
"Not a clue," Tommy said, rolling back to face the television.
That's what I thought.
He passed by his mother's study. Or at least, that's what she called it. It would be more apt to call it her recuperation room. With their father making decent money, Amy Skyler had chosen to focus on raising her sons. It had been as much work as a full time job. Between driving them to school, Luke's track competitions, Benjamin's football practice and games, and Tommy's academic meets, she'd barely had time to feed and clothe them, let alone herself.
Next came his father's office. Floor plans littered the chairs and desks on both sides of the room. Scattered two-by-fours lay in a pile in one corner. And his father stood, towel over his shoulder, looking out the window at the back of the room. He turned his ever present half smirk on Luke.
"Good to have you visiting us."
Luke bit his upper lip. If there was one thing he and his father could agree upon, it was the value of getting the first word in. Luke adjusted the strap of his satchel as he shrugged. "Did you think I would just never come home?"
"I didn't know what you were thinking."
"I had to prove that I could do this," Luke said, taking a step closer. "It's what had to be done before I could make it back."
"Well, congrats. You did it. And you did it all while nearly giving your mother a heart attack." Marcus waited for his son's incredulous expression before continuing. "Not one phone call. Really?"
"I sent out text updates."
"Every two months!" His father had a remarkable ability to project his voice without yelling. Even when truly mad, he rarely could bring himself to shout. The raspy edge helped stab every loudly spoken word into the listener. "After what you put this family through, you think a paragraph saying you're alive is gonna cut it?"
"No. It doesn't."
His father stepped around his desk and came slowly toward him. Luke noticed a slight gingerness to the man's steps. Compounded with a support belt around Marcus's hips, Luke felt alarmingly compelled to change the subject. "Did you fall?" he asked.
His father grimaced. "A few months ago. Ladder fell back with me."
Luke's skin turned to ice. "Are you alright?"
"I'm alive and still able to do my job. So I'm at least better than a one legged man in an ass kicking competition."
"Why didn't anybody let me know?" Luke asked, his hands balling into fists. "You're my dad."
"I told the others not to mention it."
Luke took a step forward. "I'm your son! Why shouldn't I know?"
His father shuffled over to a chair and eased into it. Bringing a hand up to rub at his stubble, he turned toward the window he'd been staring out previously. For a man as quick witted as Marcus, it was concerning to see him delay a response, let alone for this long.
"Because I know how much you hate my job."
"What does that—"
"If you had known about this," Marcus's sharp tone cut in, "you would have come back and worked with your brothers. You three, under my supervision, could have made this transition a lot smoother." His father paused to let a cough come through, his shoulders spasming with pain in response. Luke made a move to grab him but Marcus stopped him with a glare. "But it would have ended your Gym Challenge. And I refuse to be the reason that happens. If you're going to fail, you may do so of your own volition."
Not exactly a ringing endorsement, Luke silently admitted. An idea struck him though.
"Have you received any mail for me?" he asked.
Marcus's pained expression slowly slipped off his face. "We did. Were you expecting something?"
"I was expecting some endorsements," Luke answered. That was a lie. The handful of tournaments he'd competed in had never seen him place high enough to warrant much of anything. He had doubted his relationship with Morty and passing interaction with other prominent members of the battling community would have done much for his monetary gain. But when every conversation with his father was a game, one which Luke himself had always loved, if you weren't cheating, you weren't trying to win.
Silence fell as Marcus studied his son's face. His own remained blank as he fought off another coughing fit. The middle aged man finally rose slowly to his feet. "We got a couple—one of which was pretty generous." Luke almost asked why he hadn't seen this money yet, but one look at the medical belt around his father's waist and the support brace bulging from the back of his shirt answered that question. His father continued, "That larger sum came from the Gym Leader in Ecruteak. Why do you think this Marty guy would have done that?"
"Morty," Luke instinctively corrected. Shit, his mind repeated half a dozen times.
"That doesn't answer my question."
"He donated because… he knows I'm responsible enough to pursue this career."
"Responsible?" his father repeated. He took a step closer. "You got yourself lost and nearly died along with your Charmander."
Luke tried not to fidget under his father's stare and the truth of those words. He found himself staring at the ground. "It was one accident," came his weak reply.
"Can you afford to make another mistake like that?"
Luke forced his gaze back up and his eyes latched onto his father's belt. "Bad accidents can happen on the job," he said.
Marcus opened his mouth but no sound came out. He eyed his son with a look that fell a lot closer to anger than humor on his constant spectrum of the two. He grabbed the large buckle around his belt with one hand and pointed out the window with the other. Luke caught sight of movement outside. Benjamin flashed into view, carrying a pile of chopped wood in his arms. "If something were to happen to me, I know I have raised a family that can provide and care for each other. Your brothers, and especially Ben, have busted their asses to keep things on track for us. And I've stayed close to make sure they know exactly what is expected."
It was Luke's turn to have his reply die on his lips. He'd refused to tell his parents about his split with Charizard or the negative dynamic it had formed within their team. He'd spent these last six months doing everything he could to remedy his failures. But had he done enough? And was there a chance it could happen again?
"When you got lost, you left your team behind. A group that was young and had only known you for a month at the most suddenly found themselves alone and far from home. How can you be sure they'll ever fully trust you? How do you know you won't leave them behind again?"
Luke wanted to argue—wanted to scream—that he had never meant to leave his teammates behind at the Ruins of Alph. It had been completely out of his control. But he had left them behind intentionally afterward. His overreliance on Charizard had driven a wedge not only between the two, but between the trainer and the rest of his team. He'd set them back so far. It was evident in Electabuzz's failed attempt to take Charizard's place as the leader. And it had been painfully present even when Luke had finally reunited with his starter.
He tried to hide his gritted teeth as he blinked back tears. Arceus, I was an idiot, he thought.
"And that Pokémon egg, son," his father continued, taking another step closer. "To leave an unborn child in those ruins unattended. It's like a parent leaving their child behind. I know you didn't mean to, but even accidentally doing it once can prove fatal."
Luke tried to find something, anything, to counter with. His tongue darted in a million directions but no words came to him. He was through.
"What's going on with your pack?"
Luke could feel shaking as he turned to look at the bag. He reached back and pulled at the zipper, prompting a white flash of light to issue out. The light arced and smashed into the ground between father and son, its formlessness slowly taking shape.
"Fraxure," Luke breathed.
The bipedal dragon stood half as tall as the humans on either side. He tilted back his green, horn-topped skull so that his grey face could find Marcus's.
"Which creature is this?"
"The one who hatched from the egg," Luke carefully said. "The child I've raised these past few months."
The creature's red eyes looked to be staring a hole into his father's skull. Those red-tipped tusks twitched at the sides of his mouth. That nearly brought Luke to return the creature.
"He evolved around the time I'd gotten my last badge," Luke added.
"Will he evolve again?" Marcus asked.
Fraxure's back straightened, giving the creature maybe an extra inch on his height. It looked to be a pointless gesture, but Luke suddenly felt himself standing taller as well. And with his father this close, Luke realized that he had actually passed him in height. It helps that he can't fully stand up right, he silently acknowledged. But any advantage one could get over Marcus must be used before the man could take it away.
"He'll evolve one more time," Luke finally answered. "That way, when we go to the Silver Conference and win, he'll be able to look you directly in the eyes."
"Hmph." Marcus carefully strolled past his son, but not before Luke caught his familiar smirk back in place. Son followed father back through the hall, with Fraxure trailing them both, and out onto the porch. Marcus braced against the wall as he leaned around the covered area to call for Benjamin to come in for lunch. When he turned back, his eyes found another Pokémon's own.
"This other one has changed a bit too," he said.
Charizard stayed quiet. He didn't even let out a snort. His furled wings slowly uncoiled—an alarming sign for his trainer, who was used to seeing it happen right before a battle.
Marcus did his best job yet of hiding his limp as he strolled between the trainer and his starter. He made it to the door, opened it, and stepped through. His footsteps halted though as his hand stayed clasped to the door. Luke began to worry that his father might be about to fall.
"Now you actually look strong enough to burn down a forest."
The sound of rushing water echoed off the cliffs as it traveled up with the steam. The warmer temperatures for this late winter season provided plenty of overflow for Crystal Falls. The second biggest waterfall in the area held claim to a three hundred foot drop that could bring on acrophobia even from a distance. Sitting on the grassy hill above it, Luke couldn't say he fully understood the fear. As long as one kept their balance and didn't leap into the current, you had nothing to be afraid of. He couldn't believe how much Chris had seized up even climbing the ladder out of the Slowpoke Well. And the way the Cherrygrove native clutched the rocks on Route 47 made Luke fear he'd have to carry his fainted body across the entire route. Not falling is something anybody can do, he added silently. Surviving in freezing conditions and fending off angry beasts is another matter entirely.
Benjamin stood a short distance away. He'd just finished climbing his favorite tree on the property—an ancient, sprawling oak, with a trunk as wide as their living room. Despite his propensity for selling off timber, their father had refused numerous offers to cut down the tree. It had been christened the 'Skyler Tree' by their great grandfather.
Some of Luke's first memories had been picnics beneath this natural monument. He'd seen Hoppip blow in with the spring breeze and get caught on the branches. Those same Hoppip had stuck around as the temperatures warmed and the sun stayed out longer. By the time fall had rolled around, fully evolved Jumpluff had let the autumn winds sweep them to their next home.
"Luke?"
The dancing light between the tree branches vanished as Luke sat up. Ben had stopped his pacing and was currently staring at his older brother.
"What's up?" Luke asked.
"I just asked how it felt to be back home."
"Oh." Luke paused. "Uh, it's going to be nice to be able to sleep in my own bed again. And there wasn't any food on the road as good as mom's cooking."
"So you think you'll last for a month and a half?" Ben asked.
"Oh… shit."
"I'll be happy to have you here. You'll be a lot more help than Tommy."
"That's not saying much."
Ben's reply was cut off by a sound behind him. He glanced over his shoulder in time to see Mightyena trotting up the hill. None of Luke's other Pokémon were in sight, not that it surprised the trainer. They hated staying in one place almost as much as him. He wondered if perhaps he'd rubbed off onto them during their manic trip around the region.
"I can't wait to start my journey," Ben said. "These next two months can't pass quick enough."
"You're sure dad will let you go?" Luke asked, standing up slowly. "You might have spoiled him with all the hard work you've put in around here."
"That may be true. But I've done all I can to stay in his good graces. And I think he sees some potential in me."
"You always were his favorite." Luke's admission didn't stir anger or sadness inside him. The truth was what it was. "But after I win the Silver Conference, you and dad may find expectations too high to top."
That got a good round of laughter from Benjamin. "Well champ, how are you gonna prep these next few weeks?"
Luke flipped open his Pokégear. "I'm going to start by making some calls."
"I'll leave you to it, then."
Luke reached down to pet Mightyena, and in the time that took, only Benjamin's head could be seen over the hill. He'll beat my time for collecting the eight badges, Luke silently acknowledged.
A bark from Mightyena grabbed his attention. The canine looked up at the open communication device with a tilted head.
"I've got some friends to catch up with."
How to Tame a Dragon
"It'll be fine."
"Scy'!"
"Ala'!"
"Oh, come on!"
David and his team of five Pokémon stood atop a curved, black stretch of stone. The rocky outcropping stretched out in all directions, rising and falling like waves frozen in time.
"'Mar."
"You can't be serious. We met because I dared to venture into unknown dangers." The trainer ran a furious hand through his short black hair and turned to his longest tenured teammate. "What do you think?"
His recently evolved companion tilted her horned head. The blue, bipedal reptile stood under five feet tall but still had more muscle than the rest of his team combined. She eyed the dark crevice they stood around. Ever since joining David outside of Violet City, Nidoqueen had always been very agreeable. She'd grown very fond of her trainer, and the young man knew he could use that to his advantage here.
"Nido'," she finally said with a shrug.
"'Kazam!" the fully evolved Psychic-type objected. He thrust one of his spoons back to the south. The tops of buildings could just be made out over the rows of uneven rock. But David knew that wasn't what his intelligent companion was pointing to.
"That guy said we couldn't pass through that entrance," David acknowledged. "Which is why we're entering here." Alakazam's narrowed eyes led his trainer to take another large breath. "This is probably just a small cave entrance. There's nothing wrong with exploring above the Dragon's Den. We spent all day in the freezing cold so we could sweat our asses off to get up here. And besides," David paused to point at the northern mountains, "the longer we stand here, the better chance there is of a blizzard coming down off those mountains." He nodded at each of his team in succession as he spoke. "We'll have Magmar to light the way. And whatever wild Pokémon are in there will run the moment they catch a glimpse of what we can do."
Jolteon, the only teammate who had actually been excited to enter the cave, nearly leapt through the crevice the instant her teammates had stopped arguing. She seemed to be the only one who shared David's love of exploration. It came with the trade off of having infinite energy that always drove the lazy trainer to the point of exhaustion.
"Alright. Everybody stay close and be on alert."
The living beacon of fire led the way, with Jolteon, Scyther, and Luke following soon after. Nidoqueen walked directly behind her trainer, with Alakazam's watchful eye taking the rear guard.
It became immediately evident that this was not a natural cave. The rocks had been blasted by something strong enough to leave a jagged, uneven tunnel. And with an unwavering, downward path, it became very clear that this would not be an isolated, small space.
"'Kazam," David heard the Psychic-type mutter.
He forced himself not to whip around for a retort. So the tunnel may dip into the Dragon's Den. That didn't mean they'd be exploring the whole area. And they'd yet to even run into a wild Pokémon, let alone some dragon that would give the game away. It's just an accident that we wound up in the sacred space, he told himself. A happy accident.
The Safari Zone did occasionally play host to Dragon-types. The reports had said they would occasionally show up during the changing of the seasons. They enjoyed some of the roosting spots at the top of the tallest mountains the preserve had to offer. David had never stumbled upon any of the rare creatures during his time there, but he had seen the remnants of their dens on a couple of occasions. To be able to actually explore and study a habitat with living dragons was a rare treat that David couldn't pass up.
The sound of running water found the young man's ears. As they rounded a corner, Magmar gave a grunt. David took a cautious step forward and found that the tunnel walls had vanished. He now stood in a space both too wide and too tall to be fully lit by the Spitfire Pokémon's flames. The bank of a black body of moving water and a distant white light were all that could be seen.
"Ala'."
"Now we don't know this is the Dragon's Den. It could just as easily be an uninhabited ca—"
Freezing cold water blasted David's face. The young man toppled backward and would have smacked his head against the ground if not for Scyther.
"Get back Magmar and Nidoqueen!" David shouted. As he rolled back up, he felt another rush of water explode by his feet. "Fire a Thunderbolt toward the sniper, Jolteon! Head into the air to see if we can spot our target, Scyther!"
Jolteon burst into view as sparks shrouded her body. A bolt of lightning sliced through the black and vanished a moment later.
"Nido'?" his first Pokémon asked. She received her answer a moment later as a water jet crashed into her tough hide.
"Scy'!"
The buzz of the Mantis Pokémon's wings were replaced by a frantic splashing.
"So that's the way it's gonna be," David muttered. As he went to give his next command, he began to shimmy sideways. "Alakazam, lock onto Scyther's location and pull him out with Psychic. I need a Flamethrower from Magmar straight ahead." He paused as a concentrated blast of water whipped to his left, coating his face in its spray. "When he's finished, we need Nidoqueen to step in front of him. And while all this is going down, I need Jolteon to have Pin Missile locked and loaded."
A stream of fire spread out through the darkness, revealing his floating Scyther. In the water beneath him, David could make out a row of jagged fins. Another jet of water poured from a long snout just in front of them.
"Release Scyther and focus your Psychic pull directly below him!" David directed.
Now free from both the water and Alakazam's psychic grip, Scyther went to move back toward his trainer, but David had him stay close to the action. He still had Nidoqueen beside him in the case of an ambush.
Alakazam's invisible grip had found their elusive foe. A Seadra now floated several feet out of the water. Magmar's flames faded at that moment, throwing the wild creature, along with everything else back into shadow.
"Give me one more Flamethrower! And when this place lights up again, I want that Pin Missile fired and a Slash attack lined up immediately after!"
The dark, formless cave turned red once more. A sharp whistling sound echoed around the space as a dozen of Jolteon's white energy spikes filled the air. Scyther was already spinning back toward the space he'd just occupied, the dull glow of his blades surprisingly bright in this dark arena.
"Ala'?!"
The sharp projectiles stayed on course but found a different Pokémon where Seadra had just occupied. The thin missiles found an equally spiny, but more shell like target. The small blue creature had given way to a much more bulky, red figure. A change in opponent hadn't stopped Scyther's attempt, though the Mantis didn't move quite as quick as he had.
A blinding flash of light forced David's eyes shut. A burst of heat, hotter than anything Magmar could produce, whipped past, bringing a thousand small stings to his exposed face. A deep boom followed immediately after and shook the ground beneath the trainer.
When he opened his eyes, he found he could still see all his Pokémon and the strange looking creature they had attacked. Or rather, he could still see the one who had flipped the script and become the attacker. The opposing creature now stood on the rocky bank, his shell still pointed toward the trainer. His body glowed brighter than even Magmar's. It revealed Alakazam's motionless body not far away. Twenty feet back, his body propped against the wall, lay Scyther. Jolteon looked to be injured as well, though she seemed to have avoided a direct blow. That left Nidoqueen and Magmar to take on their new foe—a tortoise-like creature with a long snout even more peculiar than Seadra's.
It looks like we'll need to keep our distance with this one, David speculated. "Alright, let's—"
"That'll be enough of that," a booming voice cut in.
A human stepped out from behind the stout creature. She strode past David's fallen Psychic-type, by his shaken Jolteon, and right between his frozen bodyguards. When she stopped in front of him, the first thing that struck David was her height. This fit woman stood several inches taller than himself. Her long, dark brown hair could barely be seen, even with a pair of living light sources at hand.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I—we were just exploring the mountains north of the city. When we came back south, we stumbled upon this cave."
"Did you not know about the Dragon's Den? This is one of its branches."
"I did know about the sanctuary. I just didn't realize it spread this far."
"This is a private area for Dragon Tamers to hone their skills."
David brought his hands up and motioned one toward his returning teammates. "We're bad about hopping into exciting new locations. It's from my days working at the Safari—"
"Do you have the Rising Badge?"
"Do I have the…"
"The Rising Badge."
David grimaced. "That's Blackthorn's badge, isn't it?"
"It is," the woman said, taking a step forward. "What's your name?"
"David."
"There are no men named David who have permission to enter this sacred space. Those without the Rising Badge are also forbidden from entering. Are you a tamer of any Dragon-types?"
David's team had made it back to his side. Magmar and Jolteon did not look eager to involve themselves in the conversation. Nidoqueen stood tall at his side, but David could feel her shaking through the stone floor. Scyther looked to take a threatening step forward, but David grabbed his rounded shoulder. He brought his other hand up to pinch the top of his nose. "I haven't trained any dragons either."
"So you fail to meet any of the criteria?"
The young man from Violet City wanted to be angry, but caught trespassing and facing someone who could whip his ass in a fight and a Pokémon battle left him more in the scared department. "Yes, ma'am."
"Then you are prepared for the consequences?"
"A kind escort out?" David asked. He bit hard on his tongue the second he'd finished it. Comedy may be a good cover for fear but it would not help him get out of this.
The woman took a deep breath. "You are barred from challenging the Blackthorn City Gym."
"It… it's the only badge we have left," David said, his voice pleading. "We will leave the city the instant we have it and will never come—"
"Did you not hear what I said?" came that booming voice again.
Scyther waved a scythed arm through the air in front of the woman's face. A grim faced Nidoqueen stepped over to seize Scyther's other shoulder, and together, she and her trainer pulled him back.
"I did. And I understand."
"Then follow me."
The woman and her glowing creature took off at a brisk pace. David and his party slowly trudged after. They passed through another narrow tunnel, emerging into another open space. Dozens of dim orange lights could be seen far in the distance. The trainer's confusion didn't last once he caught sight of the torches on the walls they had just passed. The substantial firelight still did little to illuminate the water-filled space, revealing just how large a cave they stood in.
I could have actually explored this place if I'd just had an ounce of self-control, David fumed. All he would have needed to do was defeat the Blackthorn Gym and he'd surely have been more well received. Now, he'd never get the chance.
What would they do? There were no other Gyms in Johto at the moment. He'd chosen this region. Not just because of his family's move, but because of the opportunities it provided. The ability to earn some cash for his journey through working at the Safari Zone. Having a job that lined up with his passion had been a dream. He'd almost regretted leaving once that final week rolled around. But then he'd met Chris and Luke. He'd gotten to spend time with and battle their Pokémon, and through that process he'd managed to grow closer to his own. He'd loved managing habitats and fostering a community with the Pokémon in the preserve. But now… he was part of a team pursuing a different goal. One that had him forming a different kind of community.
A family.
And I've taken them straight off a fucking cliff.
A large paw fell gently onto the back of his neck. Nidoqueen's normal good natured smile had vanished, but her stare remained warm. And Magmar's presence on his other side literally kept him so. He could hear Scyther's beating wings behind him. Jolteon's quick steps pounded the ground with nearly as much ferocity. This family still had life. That truth was echoed by Alakazam's calming voice in his head.
They came upon a narrow land bridge. It forced the group to travel only two wide. As they began to cross, the rushing sound of water took on a different tone. A swirling, crashing sound.
"Be careful," came the woman's stern voice. "There are whirlpools on both sides."
"Are there now?" David mumbled. He had studied the habitats of every Pokémon type since he was a boy. And whirlpools were a particular favorite of a certain kind of creature.
He motioned for his team to slow. After a few seconds, he turned to Magmar. "Use your flames to light up."
"Mag'?"
David got a half step ahead of him. "Now is perfect."
The cave took on a yellow and orange glow as fire leapt from Magmar's crown. David blinked back the tears in his eyes and forced his gaze to hold on the dark pool of swirling water to his left. A pair of white, fin like ears had popped out of the churning, black surface. Could it be?
"Give it a bit more juice," he quickly added, before turning to Scyther. "And I need you flying on my right, ready to catch me."
David was forced to close an eye as sweat poured into it. But through his remaining eye, he caught sight of a blue head beneath the ears. A pair of large, round eyes glowed back in the firelight. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the woman turning toward them. He just managed to sneak in a quick wave to the creature before she caught sight of him.
"What is—"
An orb of water smashed into David's face. It didn't hit as hard as Seadra's blast from earlier, but it hurt no less. At least I was ready for it this time, he thought as he fell backward. Scyther caught him on his shoulder and kept him from falling into the watery abyss. No doubt the creature would have accidentally left him with a nasty scar if he'd tried this without a heads up.
"Thunderbolt, Jolteon!"
From this close proximity and with Magmar serving as a torch, there would be no darkness to hide in. That was just fine with David. With the roaring water in their ears, the same strategy that had worked on Seadra would not work here. Electricity arced out and blasted the water just to the right of the attacking creature. A high pitched cry came from the creature, who looked to retreat further into the swirling water. As it did so, it fired another pulse of water, this time, at the easiest opponent to see.
"Nidoqueen!" David shouted.
The Drill Pokémon stepped in front of Magmar and met the attack with one of her fists. With his feet back beneath him, David scrambled around her and prepped the finale.
"Get ready Alakazam!" he called, before turning toward Magmar. "Step to Nidoqueen's left and give us one more Flamethrower. Just like when we fought Seadra!" Then he motioned to Scyther. "Strike as soon as you catch sight!"
The stream of fire glowed against the water's surface. It also revealed the slim body of their opponent as it circled the watery vortex. The Water Pulse that followed looked to snuff out the revealing firelight, but instead found Scyther's blades. The Mantis swooped low and caught the creature with the dull side of his bladed arm and pushed hard against the current. It wouldn't hold the slithery creature for long, but it would give Alakazam and his trainer enough time to do what was needed.
"Telekinesis, Alakazam!"
In the chaotic darkness, and with the roaring of the swirling water, the Psi Pokémon wouldn't have been able to lock their foe in with his most powerful psychic attack. But levitating a currently stationary target?
The dragon's long, slender body lifted from the foaming water. It's glowing eyes reflected in the dying flames, almost matching Alakazam's own.
In his peripheral, David saw an arm come for him. He'd only just retrieved a Poké Ball with his own. But his years playing baseball would not let him down now. Even as Magmar's flames faded and the cavern darkened, the trainer knew he could trust his aim. When the powerful woman seized hold of his wrist, she found it no longer holding a capture device.
The spherical mechanism spun through the air, a small shadow in the wide space. But when it struck the dragon's thin frame, it lit up like Cinnabar's erupting volcano.
"You chose to defile our code. You willingly disrespected the way of our people." the voice boomed in his ear. When he didn't respond, her grip tightened to the point that his fingers numbed. "What gives you the right to do so?"
A buzzing sound filled David's other ear. He heard the sound of metal on metal as the Poké Ball slid off of Scyther's blade… and into his free hand.
"I'm a Dragon Tamer."
David sat on a rock beside a beautiful blue lake. The sun shimmered across its smooth surface, a wonderful contrast to the dark contrast that resided just beyond its other shoreline. And the dim abode of Dragon's Den wasn't the only source of darkness on that side of the lake. The same elder who had browbeat David now stared at him with a look somehow more harsh than his words. It made the young man thankful to have the body of water separating them. He no longer had the woman, who he now knew as Amalia, to vouch for him. She had escorted him past the seething elder and, upon David returning his teammates, had led him across the lake on her Dragonair.
"You're lucky I found you," she had said once they'd made landfall. "They say Clair has softened over the years, but on her most flowery day, she's still harder than steel."
"Thank you for being a bit more malleable," he had answered.
"I will not tell her of this incident. But I do not want you challenging this Gym until that Dratini has evolved."
"Why is that?"
"You've caught a dragon, but you still need to prove that you are a Dragon tamer."
That conversation had only ended a couple minutes prior, and yet he felt as though he'd taken his mind on a long safari since. Relief that his Gym Challenge hadn't been destroyed. Frustration that he'd have to wait till his newest capture evolved. Intrigued at what his Dratini could become. And the feeling of doubt, knowing just how tough a challenge the Blackthorn Gym provided. He needed something to distract him.
That's when he caught sight of a message on his Pokégear. Two missed calls from Luke.
"Huh," David said, flipping open the device, "I wonder what's up."
Even at noon, and with the late winter months still in full effect, the intertwined canopy of Ilex Forest fought hard to prevent its roots from seeing the sun. It boggled the mind to still see so many thick tree trunks growing beside one another. Their low hanging branches rested in shadows, and at night, often provided tired travelers with a painful wake up call.
Chris and his team were neither tired nor traveling at night. They'd been on the road for over two weeks now. With no tournament deadline, the trip had been set at a leisurely pace. The focus had been on exploration and training. With a more powerful team, this trip had seen Chris explore every nook and cranny along the routes and towns they had gone through.
What had once been a joke had actually come to fruition. They'd explored a good stretch of Dark Cave, but aside from stumbling across a group of training Makuhita, it had been largely uneventful. A trip to Violet City had been a bit more exciting. He hadn't been able to see Falkner, but it had been nice to visit Sprout Tower again. The sages on the first floor had somehow remembered him, or at least pretended to, and had listened intently to some of his recountings. They had refused to confirm whether any powerful trainers had passed the trials since Chris's attempt, but the young man could see the truth in their smiling faces.
"Ty'!"
A metallic clang snapped Chris's attention to what might have been the only clearing in the whole forest.
Typhlosion staggered back and toppled onto his hindquarters. Scizor came to stand over top of him. He held one of his metallic pincers close to his partner's nose, though it was unclear whether it was a threat or an offer to lift him back to his feet. Typhlosion ignored it either way and rose back onto his hindlegs.
Chris stepped around the divets their battle had left in the ground. Rocks, some large and jagged, some completely shattered, littered the ground around the Volcano Pokémon.
"It looks like you're getting better at driving the stones from the ground," Chris told him. He continued after getting a shrug in reply. "No, really. This is completely different from the energy and fire based attacks we've focused on to this point. It requires you to physically muscle up an unfamiliar element from the earth."
The Volcano Pokémon snorted and flexed his upper limbs. "'Phlosion."
"I never said you weren't strong enough. It's just going to come down to mastering the technique. Just like we did with Focus Blast." Chris turned to the Pincer Pokémon and gave his steel-plated back a slap. Frick. That was dumb. "Grr—great job smacking him around. Did you sit him down with Bullet Punch?"
Scizor shook his head and dropped to a low stance.
"Pursuit. Nice."
The trainer stepped away from the duo and glanced toward the trees around the clearing. Ampharos was the only one of his teammates he immediately saw. She strolled in between trees, pausing to look up into their branches and around each trunk. It was a confusing sight until Chris noticed something up in the tree Ampharos had nearly reached. Espeon's vibrant lilac fur was impossible to miss. Something large hung upside down from the branch he rested on. And what looked to be vines wrapped around that very same branch, turned out to be the long appendages of Weepinbell.
Ampharos made it to the base of the tree and tilted her head up. She seemed to focus immediately on the heavily populated limb; a branch that Chris was honestly amazed hadn't—
Snap.
Weepinbell, Espeon, and Crobat plummeted like the rocks Typhlosion had dug up. Crobat was the first to gather himself and stop his fall with a quick flap of his wings. Espeon and Weepinbell had no such fail safe. They plummeted right toward their shocked teammate. Their trainer's rush of panic quickly gave way to instinct.
"Crobat, grab Weepinbell!" Chris called. "Ampharos, use Cotton Spore!"
Crobat's speed made it child's play to reach his teammate's flailing vines. As he yanked Weepinbell to the right, Ampharos gave a violent shake. The motion launched a large, cloud-like glob of white into the air above her. It didn't halt Espeon's fall, but it gave his trainer enough time to aid in that.
"Confusion!"
Espeon's pale irises lit up as a faint aura surrounded him. That energy field expanded out right as the Sun Pokémon was about to strike the ground. The energy reversed course upon meeting an immovable force, pushing back against gravity's pull, and allowing Espeon to land as though he had just jumped down from a chair.
The four Pokémon all looked at one another. They then turned their shocked expressions on their trainer.
"How about a lunch break?"
The sky darkened as he sat out food for his team. Raindrops, icy cold in the winter air, had already begun to fall on his head and neck by the time he brought out a snack for himself. Better here than where I was a month ago, he thought. Azalea Town and Ilex Forest lay further south than any other spot in Johto. Even so, they couldn't escape occasional thirty degree days during this time of year. That's what made the resiliency of these trees and their foliage so damn impressive. It was almost like they had a guardian keeping them alive.
Chris squinted toward the path ahead, but the dark sky and low hanging branches kept the view in shadow. They had to be close to the Ilex Shrine. He could still remember Luke's Pokémon's bizarre reaction seeing it. If it was the home of the Voice of the Forest, Chris would have to make sure his team didn't disturb it either.
Caution was nothing new to the team. This current trip had seen them finally visit the Ruins of Alph. It had been Chris's first visit since a school field trip when he was very young. The ruins didn't look quite as large now that he was taller, but that didn't make them any less fragile. He'd made sure Nidoking was not with the party during this visit. It had almost not mattered. The river ran close enough to the ancient structures for Gyarados to nearly wipe out a piece of history during his battle with a wild Quagsire. A guide had led him through the first floor of the main ruins, as well as three offshoot chambers. The main cavern had been unbelievably vast, with rows of statues dedicated to a creature Chris had never seen. The offshoot chambers contained their own unique hieroglyphs. Each had displayed one of the fossils native to Kanto and Johto. With each new area, the young man wondered which location Luke had gotten lost in. He'd nearly called the trainer up right after to make a joke about it.
I really should have done that, he thought. It would have been hilarious.
The start of this trip had not been as humorous. Mr. Pokémon's house still had police tape wrapped around the dirt driveway and each entrance. The dead plants outside and the empty lot added to the story of abandonment. His call to Kayla had gone unanswered.
He'd seen a less drastic version of this at the trainer school in Violet City. The school had stayed in operation, but the security detail around the facility had tightened exponentially. After twenty minutes of questioning, going through a metal detector, and having his Pokémon retained at the entrance, Chris had finally been allowed to walk the campus. He hadn't stayed long, and had only really come to see if there had been any updates on Earl Dervish. His office door had been closed when Chris passed through, but a hotline number had been posted to it.
Azalea Town had been nice to revisit, but it had added to the negativity twofold. While healing up in the town's center, he'd seen a news report about the death of two men in Cianwood City. They'd gotten into an argument on one of the piers and had nearly burnt it down during their deadly struggle. Not much had been said about their backgrounds, other than that they were Johto natives with ties to the defunct Rocket Crime Syndicate.
The other whammy had been much less morbid, but still depressing. He'd swung by the motel he and Luke had stayed in during their first visit. He'd been surprised to see Adam there, but had quickly discovered why. The young man had quit his Pokémon journey. He simply had not been able to budget time for it with his responsibilities at the inn. His water starter had fully evolved, but he now helped with cleaning rather than battles. Adam wished Chris luck for the Silver Conference and had told him that he'd win vicariously through the Cherrygrove native.
"Weep'!"
Startled, Chris looked to his newest capture on the blanket beside him. The sun had reemerged from behind the clouds and had the creature's chlorophyll-friendly skin absolutely glowing. His wide eyes somehow glowed even brighter. They didn't stare at Chris but something to his right. The young man turned and found nothing but empty air. The tree branches closest to him softly swayed, but that was to be expected in a forest.
The Flycatcher Pokémon had worked hard since joining their team. He had yet to really grow comfortable around any of them, but his battling prowess had improved. He'd battled for several minutes against Scizor when they first entered the forest—an impressive feat considering the type disadvantage and the overwhelming experience edge his opponent had. The same resiliency he'd shown when Chris had first met him had not vanished. Chris went to turn back to him with a perplexed smile.
"What is—"
He froze.
Three berries lay on the blanket beside him. Chris glanced up. He sat in one of the only spots in the forest with no wooden ceiling. The middle-of-the-day sun warmed the air and almost made it feel like mid April. He looked to his team and found them all sitting in his view and clearly out of reach. With the connection humans and wild Pokémon had in this region, it wasn't unexpected to see acts of kindness between both parties. But that didn't stop it from being a wonderful surprise.
He gave a salute in the direction of the wooded path ahead. Arceus knew they might need it in a confusing place like this. And that's when he saw it.
Outside of the clearing, the warm light had been snuffed out. Thick foliage or not, the sheer number of limbs was too great to allow much of anything. But a miraculous ray had somehow pierced the veil. And amidst the murky shadows, its light found only one object to illuminate.
Chris scooped up one of the berries and placed it in front of the Flycatcher Pokémon.
"Let's not waste a good thing."
Weepinbell nearly jumped out of his own skin as a ringing sound filled the clearing.
"Shoot!" Chris said, thumbing the silence feature on his Pokégear. He'd turned it on after having his call to his father go to voicemail. Having snagged tickets to the ball game, he wasn't about to miss his chance to lock in a commitment on his dad's callback. Surprise took the place of excitement as he noticed the name on the screen. It didn't take long for a similar excitement to follow. A smirk slid onto his face as he went to answer. "Looks like I'm going to get to make my joke after all."
Viridian City somehow stayed green year round. The winter would come, and with it, the occasional freezing temperature. Certain plants would die. Some flowers would wilt. But never all of them. Evergreens, both trees and shrubs, hung tough. Phlox, winter jasmine, and iris flowers bloomed on sunny days after a light snow. The city had a resiliency that belied it's smaller size.
Prinny knew the same could be said for himself. The son of a short Kanto man and a Sevii Island woman, he had little chance of ever being tall. His vindictive younger brother had miraculously reached within a few inches of being six foot—a milestone on either side of the family. It was just one of his brother's numerous blessings. As he stood under the back porch of their family's home, Prinny glared across the yard at his training brother.
Waz had not inherited the struggles of their mother and father. That bastard had been born bigger and stronger. By the time he'd reached the age of thirteen, Waz could nearly bisect a human with his legs if he squeezed them together. Prinny had been the sole target of this death grip, and it had forced him to build up his arms. Even if they weren't as strong, his arms would at least allow him to rain down heavy blows while the life was squeezed out of him.
Despite being a couple years older, Prinny had only started his journey last year. His folks had still been unsure if they could afford their son's career choice. So he'd taken on a job at a local department store to relieve them of that. It had forced him to wait a year for the real path he'd wanted to pursue, but it had also let him grow close with his starter and the handful of Pokémon he had caught around Viridian City.
Three of them sparred in the yard in front of him. Slowbro and Venasaur unleashed Scald and Petal Blizzard on their shared foe. Their target—two floating, gas-filled orbs—did not attempt to counter. The leaves and water rushed over Weezing's misshapen body, but the Poison Gas Pokémon did not budge.
He's really toughened into one of our central walls, Prinny silently acknowledged.
A small explosion on the far side of the yard grabbed the trainer's attention. A jet of water arced across the large space. Prinny called for Weezing to duck as he did the same. The stream sloshed overhead and sprayed against the house's outer wall. Their carpeted living room would have been drenched had Prinny not just shut the door.
"Damn him."
His parents had come from nothing. His mother and father had worked at an academy on Second Isle when the boys had been young. A janitor and student aide respectively. For them to have turned these thankless jobs into more respected positions at the prestigious academy here in Viridian City deserved praise. They'd bought a quaint house and a decent spot of land for the two boys to grow up in these last few years. By the time Waz was old enough to start his journey, they'd become financially able to support his journey. That struggle was something that Prinny appreciated more than Waz, even if the older brother didn't always get along with his folks.
"Make sure your Blastoise has his eyes open when he fires!" Prinny shouted.
Waz spun around, a middle finger ready for his older brother, and Prinny was surprised to see him on the phone. Who in the hell would he be talking to? he wondered. No way it was a girl. And despite how nice his younger brother was to literally everyone but him, he tended to keep a smaller circle of friends. Chris? Yes, that was probably it.
The young man from Cherrygrove intrigued him. One of the first questions Prinny had asked his brother after they'd been home for two weeks and not spoken, was about Chris's result in his Blackthorn Gym battle. The 'fuck you' Prinny had recieved had been expected, but had been said enough times over the years for him to draw certain answers based on the tone.
Despite making it to the quarterfinals, Chris had struggled with the double battles throughout the Winter Classic. Prinny had seen it in person during the last couple rounds and had gone back to receive verification from other trainers for the earlier matches he'd missed. That had led the eighteen year old to predict a decisive loss for the Cherrygrove native in his Blackthorn Gym double battle. Even without Clair, who had proven herself to be an absolute threat in her battle with Prinny, her understudies were no doubt excellent trainers. For Chris to step into an uncomfortable situation like that on such short notice and to win…
The door opened behind him and his mother's head poked through. She glanced up at the cloudy sky and then at Prinny.
"Is it raining?" she asked.
"No," Prinny answered with a sigh. "That's just your baby boy being belligerent."
She shook her head, a warm smile appearing. "Not Waz. Not my gentle boy."
The older brother barely flinched at that. He'd become almost numb to his mom's willingness to overlook Waz's menacing side. "When is dad getting home?" he asked.
"He said he had to stay after with a boy. His parents were running late. He is on his way to pick up…" his mother paused, her fingers spinning as she grasped for the word.
"Cinnamon?"
"Yes! It will be good for cake later."
Prinny returned her smile. His mother had grown up speaking the native language of her island, but that hadn't stopped her from mastering the common language of the mainland. "You may want to tell that dufus to get inside and get cleaned up if dinner is ready."
His mother's warm smile turned mischievous. "Why don't you tell him?" She'd shut the door before Prinny could retort.
When he turned back around, he found his three Pokémon watching him closely. Slowbro had on his aloof stare that belied just how intelligent the creature was. Prinny thought he often did it just to get his trainer to lighten up. Weezing had already begun to drift off toward Waz's camp, prompting his trainer to jog over to stop him. The Poison-type was one of his newer captures and was about as smart as he looked.
Prinny placed a soft hand on the larger sphere. "May want to let me lead the charge. I appreciate you volunteering though."
"'Zzzzing," the creature answered, firing a cloud of gas upward.
What he lacked in intelligence, Weezing more than made up for with his kindness. Prinny had thought him gullible for the longest time, but he'd realized recently how cynical that felt. The older brother grinned and stepped around his teammate.
As Prinny approached the enemy camp, he found his starter shuffling along beside him. The Grass/Poison-type didn't look like he had anything to say. Not that he ever spoke much.
"Everytime I go to him, I feel like I'm crossing into the middle ground of a warzone," Prinny told him. From their rooms in the house, to the different times they ate, to the different areas in the yard they played in—the brothers had always maintained a constant divide. It had always been easier and less painful to just avoid one another. Almost every interaction had ended with, at best, a shouting match and, at worst, a knock-down-drag-out brawl. Prinny could usually win the former, but these last few years had seen him almost always lose the latter. But he can't touch me if Venusaur is here.
Prinny stopped fifteen feet short of his brother's camp when he noticed Waz was no longer on the phone. He now spoke to the four Pokémon he had out.
"Food's ready!" Prinny shouted. As he went to turn, he caught sight of Waz storming toward him. He spun back around, fists clenched and cocked for action.
Waz and his Pokémon passed by without even a glance.
That won't do.
Prinny quickly caught up and matched his steps. He heard a shuffling sound and found Venusaur at his side a few seconds later. The two teams crossed the yard in silence, but Prinny, as always, was the brother to break it.
"Who were you talking to?"
"Go fuck yourself."
"I was just asking a simple question."
Waz spat on the ground. "And I gave you a simple answer."
Their father rounded the corner of the house as his sons reached the porch.
"Here," he said, handing them the two bags he'd been carrying. "There's just one bag left in the truck."
Prinny didn't give his father a chance. "I'll get it," he said, passing off his current bag to Venusaur.
It didn't take long for Prinny to reach his father's old, beat up truck. Prinny always wondered how much nicer it might have looked if their father actually parked it in their spare garage space.
"Don't shut that door," his father's voice called as the man himself stepped up beside him. "I forgot my drink."
Prinny stepped aside as his father grabbed the ice-filled cup from its holder.
"Good day at work?" Prinny asked as he shut the door.
"It didn't put me in the hospital." Their father's tan, line edged face barely moved. Before getting into education, his father had worked a thankless job on the Sevii Island naval force. The extreme distance from the Kanto mainland to its archipelago made it difficult for the region to supply its islands with proper protection. The rise in organized crime had made a defense force absolutely essential. And so their father had volunteered for the low paying job and had left his home in Viridian City. He'd become a member of the sailing protective task force that had eventually helped drive off a resilient Team Rocket from the islands. And he'd also happened to have met their mother around that time.
"I don't think those kids could put you in one if they tried," Prinny responded.
"I don't know. Some of those suckers are so damn big for their age. Then again, if I could raise a boy as big as your brother, I guess I could handle them."
"I'm going to be leaving soon," Prinny said as they stepped up to their front door. "Is there anything you guys need before I go?"
The older brother expected his dad to open the door but he made no move for it. "No. Your mother and I are pretty good at fending for ourselves. And if there is something we need, your brother will still be here to take care of it."
"Oh, right."
"How long do you think you'll be gone this time?"
Prinny shuffled his feet but tried not to let his frustration show. "I'll be back after the tournament."
"Refresh my memory. Did you come home after the regional conference tournament last year?"
"I did. It just was a month or two later."
"Please try not to do that again," his father said with some actual sincerity. "It put us, and especially your brother, in sort of a limbo."
Prinny felt the rare urge to yell but kept his lips sealed. At least, until he was ready to mount his defense. "I helped in every way I could before I started my journey. Now, I'm an adult on my own path. I don't care to help when I can, but I can't just put my career on hold."
His father's stiff face somehow hardened further as he opened the door. "Of course. Me and your mother are very self sufficient now. And your brother is always willing to make a trip over to help with anything we can't take care of." He motioned Prinny through and waited a moment before entering himself. "I really shouldn't complain. You've stuck around a lot longer than I thought you would."
Prinny ate dinner in his room. He stared at the bronze trophy on the desk at the far side of his room, but his eyes saw nothing. I'm alone here, he thought. His brother had made allies with their parents. A man as stubborn and grudge-filled as their father would not be easily won back. And why should I try? He had his team—a group of companions that had traveled multiple regions with him. They'd never ridiculed or blamed him for anything. They'd shared a common goal and had sacrificed for each other's benefit. He'd always be grateful for the support his parents had provided growing up, but he was in a new chapter of life now. One where his new family took priority.
The door to his room burst open.
"You're gonna fix that when the hinges finally break off," Prinny calmly stated.
Waz marched through, followed closely by his Gallade. His blank expression didn't show any signs that he'd registered his brother's comment.
"I could tell dad was pissed at dinner," he said. "What did you say?"
"We had a calm conversation."
"About what?"
"I don't have to tell you jack shit."
Waz's arms shook and his small mouth scrunched. He's going to hit me, Prinny realized. Good. It would give him an excuse to leave early. And the two brothers hadn't had a real scrap since the first day they'd both been back home. In the time since, Prinny had spent a good chunk working the punching bag in the basement. It would be nice to see Waz grimace from one of his practiced kidney shots.
"You don't have to tell me anything," Waz said. "And I won't make you this time."
Prinny had to keep himself from firing off a retort at that. Instead, he kept his face emotionless and nodded. "Well, outside of weakening the stability of my door, this interaction has been one of our more charming. Anything else? Maybe you could tell me what your pal was up to."
"That's his business."
"True. But he obviously didn't care to share it with you."
"We're friends," Waz spat. "Outside of your team, I doubt you have any of those."
Something beside Prinny began to shake. He looked down and found his PokéNav buzzing. The orb on the center of the device was aglow and displayed the name of an incoming caller.
The icy stare off ended when a small smile slid onto Prinny's tan, freckled face. "I wouldn't be too sure."
Hope you survived that whiplash of hope, anger, and familial dynamics among our trainers! It seems our trainers have more in common than just their prep! Next chapter will see Chris reuniting with his father, as well as a couple other surprises that I hope you will enjoy! With school potentially starting back up shortly, I can't promise that I'll be able to get the next chapter out as quick as this one, but I can promise you that I'll be working on it every chance I get! And so, with that said, I'll join you guys again soonish! Please Review and Subscribe!