Chapter 14:
The party moved with purpose due Eastward as the route quickly turned to go northward under the bike freeway. Nagamasa noted from the pokenav that this would lead them to Mauville City.
"There better be a gym there." Mitsuhide said in joking tone. The others agreed and readied themselves for the journey of the low road which they knew would be littered with aggressive trainers and wild pokemon seeking to steal their sunshine on their march.
The team laughed while dismantling a young challenger at the start of the route who had a party that was no match for the leaders of the party in battle prowess. Nagamasa laughed from the back as he saw himself falling further behind the lead group in terms of fighting prowess but ultimately understood that perhaps this wasn't an issue as he was more of a planner than a warrior at heart.
"Hey guys….STOP!" Mitsuhide called as the group noticed a girl in the grass up ahead looking poised for a battle.
"What is wrong Mitsu?" He realized that in this moment he was the only one in the party that had actually met the girl who started all their problems, May.
"That's May." All were instantly alarmed and angered for battle. "Guys calm down, we can be angry but we can't harm her seriously or her pokemon."
"Why not? She pinned a death on our Brenden." Masamune growled losing his composure.
"Because if she dies or is seriously harmed. Then who do you think will get the blame? She is no doubt out here for us." All understood and vowed to not steal or kill her or her pokemon or even touch the trainer herself.
"BRENDEN YOU MURDERING ASSHOLE!" May called out to Katsuie. Katsuie came closer but made sure to stay further back to help May not potentially se through his disguise. "You murdered my dad and have now beaten two gym leaders. I am going to apprehend you so you can stand for trial for murder! Now is your time to learn you lessons by the sword of justice and the law!" she said while throwing down a pokemon. She called for a civilized 1v1 pokemon duel, her party vs the registered active party of Brenden.
"Guys we gotta play by the rules here so don't draw attention if you aren't in the active roster." Mitsu spoke taking position.
"Who is in the active roster?" Hisahide asked.
"Not us." Kicho said while pulling the fish out of the way. May threw down a fat wailmer quickly, showing the girth of the pokemon as the others were impressed having not seen such a big monster to this date. Masamune let the others know that he would take this duel. He proceeded to bite the whale hard, causing the opponent to flinch. Masamune seeing an opening then bit the enemy again, this time with critical damage causing the wailmer to faint. May in frustration recalled the pokemon and then sent out a Combusken.
"This one is mine." Motonari called as he knew his typing matchup was the prime choice for this opponent. The Wingull proceeded to shoot a few water guns at the fire type. The damage while super effective was very weak as Motonari somehow was lacking in the special attack power, and the Combusken was better able to defend against it than expected. The two went a few rounds of blow for blow with both sides withering in the damage taken.
"Moto let me take over." Kenshin called as the others noticed the bird looking beaten up and while the Wingull was faster than the combusken they were scared the enemy would use a quick attack and kill their friend. Moto smiled as he committed to finishing the enemy. He fired a final water gun which knocked the combusken out. May was stomping her feet in anger at the results. She wanted blood and knew that her last pokemon would not be able to deliver. She sent out her Shroomish. Mitsu stepped up and claimed this opponent…..It wasn't even a challenge.
As the battle ended May looked decimated and angry she knew her power and ability to do anything of value at the moment was shot so she hoped on her bike promising vengeance and took to the north toward Mauville.
"Uhh…if she goes up there…will she."
"Probably Naga. We'll probably have to deal with an enraged Gym leader and lackeys." Mitsu remarked as everyone checked themselves and their supplies. "We better be prepared." Berries were given out where needed and all seemed okay for travel as they proceeded down the route.
The gang marched onward. Naga however, knowing that in the last series of fights he was not able to be a contributing factor was feeling eager to show that he was and is a viable fighter in the group. "I have the lead on the next trainer."
"Naga where is this coming from?" Moto asked his friend.
"Just let me have this next trainer. It is my fight until I say otherwise." The others were skeptical and not comfortable with the notion. Yet, they would abide and let their friend take the forefront.
A super nerd quickly emerged and challenged Katsuie recognizing the picture of Brenden and being egged on to attack by the testimony of May, who on her way to Mauville City was alerting on trainers on the lowland path. Nagamasa stood ready for the duel. His first opponent was a lombre. The battle was not smooth as Naga had several lackluster headbutts and while the lombre was not initiating damage the others looked on in terror as they felt unsure of their friend. Though Naga showed himself the better as he felled the enemy and then gestured to the trainer to send out another fighter. The trainer obliged his hand gestures and sent out a nuzleaf. The zigzagoon then lunged forward in aggression with the focus of a much more experienced fighter. He knew that maybe he wasn't as aggressive as Masamune, or as skilld as Mitsu, or had the potentially that Hisahide had, but he was determined to make his mark and show that he belonged on the fighting portion of the team. With all his might he reared back and thrust his head forward and smashed into the nuzleaf knocking the opponent back into his trainer and pinning the nerd under the defeated nuzleaf. Kicho then with enthusiasm ran up and stole the wallet from the trainer as was her custom at this point. She stood with the bounty held high as she stomped on the stunned trainer's face a few more times. The others cheered and lauded their friend Naga's prowess and performance. Yet Mitsu asked the zagzagoon for caution going forward as he saw the pokemon as a point of reason and stability in the party and did not want him taking unneeded risks.
"You don't ask the same of Masa or Moto." Naga protested to his leader out of ear of the others who were already making their way down the path. "So why ask these limitations of me?"
"Naga you know why." Mitsu explained.
"No I don't." Naga made sure to keep Mitsu's eye contact despite his efforts to evade facing his friend. "Tell me."
"Bro…You're just lacking at the moment."
"Is it because I am not evolved yet?" Naga retorted with more hurt in his heart.
"Bascially." Mitsu explained further. "You matter to this party and keep us on mission, I can't have you falling in combat, what would happen if I or Masamune died. You'd be the clear leader."
"But I need to catch experience to evolve also and be relevant to party." Naga replied. "If you and Masamune die and I can't in some way replace your prowess the mission to honor Brenden dies with you." They both had different views on this argument, but they each came to an understanding of what the other saw in the scenario ahead. They shook hands and then hugged it out in peace and joy with each other as both cared about the mission and the other.
"HEY GUYS YOU COMING OR MAKING AN ADULT MOVIE?" Gozen called out. Kicho instantly bopped the gulpin on the head.
The party continued onward with little trouble in spite of the girl's efforts to rally the trainers ahead as ultimately the leaders of the team were more than strong enough to handle them with ease. "These guys are all creampuffs." Moto laughed as they proceeded to near the end of the route.
"Not so fast Brenden the Bastard." A fisherman with a face that said he meant business emerged. "I was told there was a bounty on your murdering ass and that girl that ran through here told me you are a sick twisted fudger who likes murdering academic types. You make me sick!"
"You'd think people would eventually start thinking for themselves." Masamune said as he prepared for the fight.
"Dude just look at the Democratic and Republican parties…..idiots abound and the dumbest are in office." Motonari said with an air of superiority in his voice.
"Hey no politics bird." Masamune jested lightly. The fisher threw out a tentacool, a pokemon that the party didn't have the best matchup towards. Mitsu called dibs and instantly sprang into action.
"That's my leader." Kicho and others patted Mitsu on the back as he took positon. The leade threw a barrage of bullet seeds but the tentacool took them in style and then fired a supersonic that missed the leader. Grovyle looked in full control as a second salvo hit the squid, further weakening it. Though the squid hit back with a poison sting that connected with Mitsu.
"Ahh." Mitsu grabbed his neck.
"Oh Shit!" Nagamasa already noticed. "He's been poisoned!" Mitsu staggered and yet stayed on his feet, giving a thumb's up to the party signaling that he was going to finish off the squid. He fired one more bullet seed knocking the squid dead as desired before he dropped to a knee. Kicho, Gozen, and Kenshin grabbed their leader throwing his arms over their shoulders as they pulled him back from the front. Masamune stepped forward with blood in his eyes ready for combat.
The fisher sent two more tentacool out who died from rending bites from the dog. He was not in the mood to play games. The fisher was screaming mad at the failure and brutality of his enemy. At the back of the party slumped over on top of Kicho and Kenshin's shoulders, Mitsu looking worse with each moment the team not in combat were no longer even paying attention to the fight as they assumed that Masa has this covered. "Hold on." The each called as they examined their supplies seeing that there were not any more poison curing meds in their bag. Katsuie popped open a soda for their leader to sip on as the fisher sent out his final fighter, a wailmer.
"Masa take him out quick, Mitsu needs to get to the medic." Naga yelled to his bloodthirsty friend. The wailmer was thick and seemed sure of himself as the final round started. Masa bite down hard on the thick fat but found the blow mostly glancing. The wailmer then smiled and started a rollout. The initial attack proved minor and yet all in the group smelled how deadly this could get as the attack gained more steam and power. Another round of blows saw both still comfortably standing but the rolling damage was snowballing atop the dog who was now fighting his third monster in a row. Those who weren't focused on Mitsu's condition watch intently as their battlemaster was in a tough situation. Both were weary and with the rollout gaining steam he needed to end the assault here and now or lose everything. Masa moved in tight and bit down once last time. This one did the job and ended the tubby whale's advance seeing him to grass. The fisher fainted from the shock of seeing his four pokemon beaten in such fashion. Yet, there were no eyes upon him as all focused quickly on getting Mitsu into the cart and hustled to the pokemon center up a head.
"Masamune! Pull the cart hard! We need to get Mitsu to the nurse." Naga said as he saw his friend droop forward. The party were all of one focus as they positioned their waning leader who had poison oozing around him. All asked for their friend to hold on as the only focus was storming ahead the faster members of the team were tasked with pushing onward while the slower were to catch up. This split wasn't ideal but the goal was to get Mitsu to the center quicker this way.
Mitsu closed his eyes as the cart roaring in haste reached the edge of the city. "HOLD ON MITSU!" Masamune called in an enraged snorting yell as he pulled with everything he had the push cart. Mitsu had lost consciousness…