Notes- Goodness. I don't even know where to begin. I want to apologize for the three month delay for this chapter's release. Life and school have walloped me, but I refuse to put down this story. I pray that all of my wonderful readers will forgive me and continue to travel with Chris and his team. Me and Chris are in this together, and I WILL NOT give up on documenting his journey! Thank you for joining me again for the next chapter in his travels. Please Review and Subscribe!
Chapter 21
As the day's temperature continued to rise, Chris found himself wishing he had stocked up on water at the National Park. Chris had put away the jacket he had worn for the tournament and was considering traveling without his shirt on. Only a faint breeze whipped by occasionally, and there was not a cloud in the sky. Chris searched for any source of water he could find, but there were no bodies of water or creeks along the path.
"Might as well distract myself with some training," Chris released Nidorino and Quilava out of their devices. "Just a heads up guys, not only do we have a new team member, but Golbat has also grown quite a bit too! Check 'em out!"
Crobat and Scyther materialized from their Pokéballs and caught the other two Pokémon staring at them. Sycther stepped towards Quilava and drew back its bladed arm.
"Woah Scyther!" Chris jumped forward and grabbed the Bug/Flying type's shoulder. "This isn't a battle. These two are your teammates!"
Nidorino stepped up and greeted the Mantis Pokémon with a friendly greeting. Scyther seemed not to notice however, as the newly caught Pokémon kept his eyes locked firmly on Quilava's. The two creatures seemed to be locked in a mental tug of war, with neither Pokémon willing to back down. Chris had seen this look in his starter's eyes before, and the trainer knew the Fire type was sizing up his new ally.
Quilava suddenly took a step forward. It was a slight movement, but Syther immediately back pedaled. This mighty mantis that had almost cut Chris in two earlier was now backing away in fear. The trainer stepped between the two Pokémon once more.
"Alright," Chris tried to lower the tension, "good to see you two acknowledge one another. Now, let's get some training in." The trainer reached into his bag and withdrew several bottles. "First thing's first though, let's take our vitamins!"
Chris set out food for each of his Pokémon and made sure that Scyther knew to eat the Protein that Chris had put out for him. The trainer was pleased to see Quilava and Nidorino both congratulate Crobat on his evolution as they ate. Once everyone had finished, Chris led the group east, where they encountered several common, wild Pokémon. Chris had Quilava lead off, with the Fire type scoring victories against several Pidgey and Ledyba. Nidorino followed by battling off a herd of Stantler. Crobat used its remarkable speed to score quick victories against Spinarak and Pineco. The newest addition found his battles to be the most difficult, as Chris quickly tried to adjust to Scyther's movements and attacks. After bumbling through their first few battles, the duo found themselves locked in a fierce battle.
"Don't let it get away," Chris encouraged his Pokémon as the enemy Growlithe pounced backwards. "Strike with Pursuit!"
Scyther raced after the backpedaling Fire type and delivered a powerful tackle. The blow knocked the off balanced canine down, and sent the creature fleeing into the nearby woods.
"Excellent work there Scyther!" Chris gave in to his desire for a fist pump. The trainer was feeling incredibly productive on a day which already featured the Bug Catching Contest and several hours of training. "We are going to be ready for Morty!"
"Scy?" The Mantis Pokémon gave his trainer a strange look.
"I guess I better catch you up to speed," Chris scratched his head, thinking about where to begin. "We are a team on a very specific mission. We wanna grow into an incredibly strong, loyal team. One of the ways we're doing this is through the Johto Gym Leader challenge. If we can take down five more gyms, we will be able to participate in the big tournament in May, called the Silver Conference."
A look of intrigue overcame Sycther. The Bug/Flying type looked around at each of his new teammates and studied them closely. Chris could only assume that Scyther was looking to see if the trainer's other Pokémon were truly dedicated to this goal. The Mantis Pokémon's eyes finally found Chris'.
"Scyther," the Bug/Flying type nodded to the trainer and took his place beside him.
"Great to officially have you on board," Chris wiped a pool of sweat from his forehead. The trainer checked the map on his PokéGear. "Route thirty-six and thirty-seven are both relatively short." Chris noted that they were already halfway through the first of the previously mentioned routes. "At the pace we are traveling at, I'd say we will reach Ecruteak by tomorrow evening at the latest."
The team seemed to liven up with Chris' declaration. Quilava was already facing east, toward the end of Route thirty-six. "Out of all of the Gym Leaders," Chris spoke as the group continued traveling along the route once more, "I know the most about Morty." Days of running past the Ecruteak Gym and seeing the blonde Gym Leader with his Gengar would forever be etched into Chris' mind. "He specializes in Ghost type Pokémon. The one we need to prepare for the most is his Gengar."
Chris could tell from his Pokémon's body language that they did not yet comprehend their next major challenge. The only Ghost Pokémon Chris had ever faced was a Sage's Ghastly at Sprout Tower. That battle however, had been in complete darkness. The trainer had been too focused on staying connected with his Pokémon to really take note of Ghastly's style. Chris thought about the televised battles he had watched growing up.
"Ghost types are no pushovers," the trainer needed to get his point across. "From what I've seen, Ghost Pokémon use their shifty nature and overall creepiness to wear down their opponents physically as well as mentally." Chris was pleased to see his team members' ears begin to perk up. "And then there is Gengar. The Pokémon is amazingly quick and the variety of attacks it can learn is mind-boggling. Not to mention that each of its attacks hit with an unbelievable amount of power."
"Nido!" The Poison type jumped into the air in excitement.
"Wasn't exactly the reaction I was looking for," Chris massaged his temple. "I do like the energy though! If we can channel that energy into determination, I think we have a shot." Chris was ecstatic to see Quilava look over his shoulder and nod to the trainer; he had gotten the message.
Crobat flew ahead and began to turn in circles, as if searching for something. A soft buzzing sound found Chris' ears and the trainer also began scanning the area.
"Cro!"
Chris spun around and saw his Bat Pokémon chasing after a large dragonfly. The rest of his Pokémon began to give chase on the ground as well.
"Don't let Yanma get away!" Chris had always had a soft spot for the Clear Wing Pokémon. He really wasn't sure why.
The speedy Bug type led them on a high speed chase for close to a minute. The Clear Wing Pokémon finally made a sharp right and headed for a tree that held a woman underneath.
"Hold it guys!" the trainer directed. He had a hunch that the Pokémon they were chasing wasn't wild. Each of his Pokémon begrudgingly came to a halt as Yanma settled onto the older, dark haired woman's shoulders. Chris was relieved to see no look of anger on her face. "I'm sorry ma'am. We thought this was a wild Pokémon."
"It's quite alright," she waved off his apology. "That's what I get for sending Yanma to scout out the rest of the route."
"Oh," Chris pointed behind him, "so you're heading towards the National Park?"
"My final destination is Goldenrod, but I suppose I could stop there as well and see how the contests have been," she adjusted the thin framed glasses on her nose.
"So you've participated in the Bug Catching Contest before?"
The woman let loose a hefty chuckle. "My dear boy, I've been going to the contests for over twenty years now. I started when I was just ten years old!"
"I see," the tone of the middle aged woman's voice was beginning to get on Chris' nerves. He did not want to terry in the boaster's presence for much longer. "Well, I guess I better be going! Have a nice d-"
"Not so fast!" the portly woman revealed an unnerving smile. "You've stirred up my Yanma's fighting spirit. You can't leave without first entertaining him with a battle."
Chris held back a sigh. A battle was tough to turn down, and perhaps he had jumped to conclusions in labeling the woman as annoying. The trainer would make the most of his situation. "Sure, sounds good."
"A one-on-one battle it is!" Chris' new opponent squealed as her Pokémon flew forward and hovered in place.
"One-on-one..." Chris debated on who needed the most practice. Magikarp definitely needed the extra training, but he would not be able to strike the elusive Yanma, making the scenario pointless. Crobat was exhausted from its previous battle with Pinsir and Scyther. The Mantis Pokémon was still fatigued with the aforementioned battle with Crobat and the day's training. Quilava had earned a break from battling after his recent workload, which left only one Pokémon for use in Chris' party.
"Let's go Nidorino!" the Poison Pin Pokémon left Chris' side and stepped onto the invisible battlefield.
"Quick Attack!" the woman suddenly commanded.
"Wait, wh-" Chris and Nidorino were completely unprepared mentally for the battle to begin, resulting in a vicious tackle being dealt to Nidorino.
The Poison type managed to shake off the blow and Chris quickly found his footing. "Strike back with Horn Attack!"
Nidorino pounced forward in hot pursuit of the retreating Yanma.
"Confuse them with Double Team!" the trainer's opponent directed. Before Nidorino could attack,the Poison type was suddenly faced eight, identical opponents. Chris searched through them closely, trying to find someway to tell them apart.
"Knock it back with Tackle," the woman had retaken the offense.
"Wait a minute," Chris looked over the battalion of dragonflies once more. "They haven't moved since they were created." Chris found the Yanma that was attacking from the real Pokémon's original location. "Hit the Yanma directly in front of you with Horn Attack!"
The Poison type slammed his horn into the targeted Yanma. Much to Chris' relief, the other Yanma faded away as the actual Bug/Flying type was sent spinning backwards by Nidorino's strength.
"I guess it's important to move the original Pokémon to another location when using Double Team," Chris made a mental note. If he relied on this move in the future, he would have to ensure his Pokémon was camouflaged well.
"Not bad," the woman's voice had dropped an octave. "It appears I trusted in the numbers aspect a little too much. No matter," she waited until Yanma had recovered from the previous attack. "Sonic Boom!"
The trainer from Cherrygrove had not expected a ranged attack. "Can't let her regain momentum," Chris gritted his teeth. "Charge forward!"
Nidorino sped towards Yanman as the Clear Wing Pokémon unleashed a pulse of energy with a whip of its tail. Chris could already see Yanma beginning to move forward, causing the trainer to realize that his opponent was planning on Nidorino avoiding the attack. The Poison type would be vulnerable after dodging the energy pulse.
"Don't stop advancing!" Chris encouraged as his Pokémon approached the projectile attack. The young man wanted to ensure that Yanma was as close as possible to its own attack. "Stay at full speed."
"Now use Quick Attack!" Chris' opponent commanded.
"Push through the Sonic Boom and use Fury Attack!"
Nidorino's built up speed helped the Poison type break through the enemy's pulse and catch his opponent off guard. Chris' Pokémon lashed out and delivered multiple blows to Yanma's abdomen. The Clear Wing Pokémon was sent to the ground, motivating Chris to go in for the kill.
"Finish with Tackle Attack!" the trainer let a grin escape from his otherwise stoic face.
The tackle landed hard against Yanma's side, putting the Bug/Flying type on its back.
"Hm," the larger woman mused over her fallen Pokémon. "What you lack in manners, it seems you make up for in battling."
"Thanks," Chris scratched his head, "I guess."
The trainers both approached their Pokémon. "You did great Nidorino!" Chris patted his Pokémon's head. "That wasn't a very easy match up for you, but you still knocked it out of the park. I'm proud of you!"
"At least I was defeated by a compassionate trainer," the larger woman smiled as she returned her Pokémon to its device. "It was quite an entertaining battle, for which I thank you. The woman waved one last time and strolled out of sight.
"Wasn't as creepy as I first thought," Chris grinned as he continued to pat Nidorino. "Just as strange though."
The trainer's mind was soon directed towards the route that still separated him from Ecruteak City. The group had reached the end of Route thirty-six, and only a short path stood between Chris and his hometown. The conundrum presented itself in the absence of the sun overhead. The heavenly body had completely disappeared behind the tree line.
"This route shouldn't take us longer than a couple of hours," the trainer guessed that only a few hills lay before them. "But I'd rather start it on fresh legs and with a warm sun on my back. You guys game for camping here?"
Quilava did not answer his trainer directly, but rather plopped down beside a large tree. A loud thud caught the trainer's attention and he found Crobat already sound asleep on the ground. The Bat Pokémon had exhausted every ounce of energy on his battle with Scyther and the training that had come after.
"Who's feeling like helping me set up camp?" the trainer received absolute silence from his Pokémon. "How about you Scyther?" Chris figured he would break his new team member in on the nightly procedures.
"Scy," the Mantis Pokémon slowly nodded.
"I'm gonna set up a sleeping bag and rocks near where our fire will go," Chris pointed towards the woods. "It'd be awesome if you could cut us some branches for firewood."
The Bug/Flying Pokémon vanished as Chris began to unpack. The trainer formed a small fire pit and ate a quick bite. By the time he had set out his sleeping bag, Scyther had returned, caring massive branches that could pass for logs.
"Wow," was all Chris could articulate as the Mantis Pokémon placed the wood by the pit. "That should be enough for now." The trainer knew these massive pieces would not burn unless a strong fire source lit them. "Hey Quilava," the Volcano Pokémon opened an eye, "would you care to start the fire?"
"Quil," with a small motion, a stream of fire leaped from the starter's back and engulfed the wood Chris had just placed into the pit.
"Thank ya buddy," Chris checked to make sure he hadn't lost any appendages in the sudden flare up. "Everybody comfortable?"
Quilava and Scyther nodded from opposite sides of the camp. Nidorino and Crobat had already fallen asleep beside Chris' sleeping bag.
"Tomorrow's the day," Chris mumbled as he slid underneath the covers. He would be back in Ecruteak for the first time in eight years. What changes had occurred since he'd last seen the city? Had the area expanded outward even further? Chris wondered if his father's office still stood by the city's Pokémon Center. Unlike Goldenrod City, Chris was very excited to experience the area's culture once more. "My old stomping grounds."
When Chris awoke the next morning, he found the sun was already high into the clear sky.
"I slept in!" the trainer scrambled out of his sleeping bag and began packing up his gear.
"Nido!"
At the sound of his Pokémon's voice, Chris stopped his rushed procedure. All of the trainer's Pokémon were staring at Chris with baffled expressions. He could tell by the look in their eyes that they had not been up for much longer than him.
"I know it's not a big deal to sleep in!" Chris tried to explain as he quickly resumed packing. "But this is Ecruteak City we're talking about!" Still no response from his team. "I was born and raised there," he continued as he put out the last coals of the fire. "I want us to spend as much time there as possible. We can do plenty of sightseeing and training!"
"Quil!" the Volcano Pokémon decided to take Chris' words to heart and took off down Route thirty-seven.
"Wait up!" Chris shouted as he threw on his backpack. "It'd be great to keep traveling as a group!"
The rest of the team sprinted off after Quilava, who had slowed down to let his teammates catch up.
"I love the enthusiasm," Chris spoke through panted breaths. "How about we get some food in our system before we really get on the move?" None of Chris' Pokémon opposed his notion and the group ate a quick meal. After taking their vitamins, Chris refocused the team. "We wanna stick together, especially when we first enter the city. Things have probably changed since I was last here and my memory isn't the best with roads." The trainer was happy to see his starter nod. "Besides," as they began to walk once more, Chris pointed forward, "I wanna show you guys the grand tour."
As they traveled over the hilly terrain, Chris decided to cut back on the team's training for the day. The trainer could tell that his Pokémon were still recovering from the previous, eventful days. Each member battled a couple of wild Pokémon before Chris let them relax.
"We wanna stay sharp," Chris reminded them, "even if the day's battles aren't that challenging."
The group had traveled for close to two hours when they came across a massive hill. It was completely bare of any trees, giving it the appearance of extending straight into heaven. Chris recognized the landmark.
"Almost there."
As they trekked up the knob, the team was taken aback by the beautiful flowers that dominated the hillside. There were a multitude of blue, green, red, and yellow flowers that took Chris' attention off of the dull, dirt path. "If only these flowers had been here when we went on picnics," Chris reminisced.
Traveling up the hill still proved to be quite a task, even with the flowers serving as a beautiful distraction around them.
"It's about noon," Chris announced after checking his PokéGear. "We've made great time despite the late start."
"Hey!" the group had almost reached the top of the hill when a voice called out.
"So close," Chris sighed as he turned towards the voice. His eyes found a pretty face surrounded by wavy brown hair. "Guess I can't complain!" The trainer approached the young woman who stood to the left of the path. He immediately noticed how small in stature she was compared to him. This never helped his conversation abilities.
"Hello," Chris averted his gaze, not wanting to look down on the stranger.
"As strange as it sounds to say," the young lady chuckled, " my eyes are down here." After they locked eyes, she continued. "I'll have you know I'm two inches over five feet! That may still be a foot shorter than you, but that's actually close to average height for a seventeen year old girl."
"I didn't say anything!" Chris was so caught off guard by the young woman's remarks that he felt the need to defend his honor.
"I could see your thoughts in your eyes," the woman smirked as she extended a hand. "You really should work on concealing them better."
"Nice to meet you too," Chris grinned as he shook the woman's hand. "Name's Chris."
"Anna," she smiled.
"So what exactly did you call me over here for?" Chris decided to get straight to the point with this feisty individual.
"I was wanting to frolic through the fields and then Pokémon battle," she looked over the green expanse around them, "but how about we forget the fields and get down to business."
"Uh," as much as the trainer loved battling, he was even more excited to get to Ecruteak. "I'm actually on my way to the city..."
"So am I," Anna put on an innocent smile. "So how about we have a battle, and then we can travel there together."
"Well," the trainer could not turn down an offer from such a pretty girl, even though she was playing him. "Sure."
"Excellent!" the female trainer slammed her booted fit into the ground. Chris noticed movement in the dirt around her, and a hole quickly formed in front of the trainer.
"Fur!" the Long Body Pokémon, Furret, poked its head out of the orifice.
"My Pokémon is ready!" Anna smirked, as if knowing some crucial piece of information. "How about yours?"
Chris looked back at his team. The trainer knew that only Quilava and Magikarp were in fair shape to battle. The trainer decided that battling with Magikarp would serve as great experience for the Fish Pokémon and it would end the battle more quickly.
"Battle with Quilava!" Anna suggested, much to the dismay of Chris. "Him and Furret are kinda similar."
"Oh," the trainer seemed to be caught off guard every time his opponent opened her mouth. Chris eventually realized that his starter might could end the match just as quickly, but in a different way than Magikarp. "That'll work, I suppose. Step on up Quilava."
The Volcano Pokémon glanced at Chris with an intrigued expression on his face. His starter knew that he was not Chris' first choice in this battle. The trainer shrugged in reply to the Fire type's questioning look. Once Quilava had taken his place on the open battlefield, Anna did the honors.
"Let's begin!" her Pokémon immediately dashed back into its hole at the starting announcement.
"You do realize your Furret is going to have to battle to win, right?" Chris figured a little playful banter couldn't hurt.
"Don't be so slow," Anna laughed as her Pokémon leapt out of a small burrow beside Quilava.
"Quick Attack!" Chris instinctively directed.
The Fire type had no chance to counter with Furret at such close proximity. The Long Body Pokémon swatted Quilava across the face with its slender tail, stunning the starter.
"Take Down!" Anna threw a fist into the air.
Chris realized his Pokémon would be unable to avoid the attack and decided there was only one way to regain momentum.
"Hang on tight!" Chris commanded as Furret slammed its body into Quilava.
The Volcano Pokémon managed to latch on and pull the Normal type to the ground as he fell.
"Now blast it with Flamethrower!" Chris directed. Furret's eyes widened as a beam of fire launched it into the air. Quilava was already in pursuit with Quick Attack before Chris had called for it.
"Catch 'em off guard with Sucker Punch!" Anna spoke calmly.
As Quilava closed in, the Long Body Pokémon suddenly regained its equilibrium. The Normal type spun around and met Quilava's attack with a powerful, glowing punch. Both Pokémon bounced off one another's attacks, but it was clear that Chris' starter had received more damage from the exchange.
"Back into the ground!" the female trainer was clearly following a premeditated strategy. Her Pokémon quickly disappeared from view.
"This isn't good," if the battle continued like this, Chris would only be able to respond to Anna's 'moves. A reactive battle strategy almost never succeeded if the opponent's momentum could not be broken. "Fire a Flamethrower into the hole Furret went into!"
Flames burst from Quilava's back as he unleashed a stream of fire into the hole. Chris waited several seconds, praying the attack had found its mark.
"Do you really think I'd send Furret into a dead end?" Anna couldn't conceal the satisfaction in her voice.
"You've already studied the underground tunnels!" A sheepish grin appeared on her face at Chris' words. "I'm literally fighting an uphill battle!"
"Hey now!" Anna placed her hands on her hips. "Using these underground tunnels is no different conceptually than battling in the air. It just comes with different positives and negatives."
"I better figure out those drawbacks fast," Chris scanned every visible opening in the ground he could see.
A flash of white caught Chris' eye and he found Furret attacking from Quilava's blind spot.
"Darnit," Chris hissed as the Long Body Pokémon delivered another Sucker Punch. The trainer felt like he was helpless in aiding his Pokémon. "Stay strong Quilava!"
"Quil!" the fire starter ensured Chris he was fine.
"It could attack from any of these holes," Chris now knew that there was connectivity between several of the holes, as Furret had appeared out of a different opening than the previous. "I can't attack all of these holes at once!" Chris pounded his head. "Wait," an idea slowly formed in the trainer's mind.
The Long Body Pokémon burst out of another hole to Quilava's right. Chris was ready this time.
"Duck!"
The reaction time of the Volcano Pokémon surprised even Chris, as Quilava flattened himself against the ground in an instant. The Normal type's momentum carried it over Chris' Pokémon.
"Back into the ground!" Anna hurriedly directed.
"Perfect," Chris grinned as Furret disappeared into a nearby hole. "Fire your Smokescreen into that opening!"
The Fire starter raced over to the surface and unleashed a large column of smoke. Several seconds passed as Chris and Quilava watched the other holes closely, waiting for any sign of movement. The smoke was beginning to drift through the other holes, verifying Chris' hunch.
"There's only one hole left!" Chris stated aloud for his Pokémon to hear. "Get in position!"
The Volcano Pokémon took off at a full sprint towards the last, smokeless opening. As he reached it, Furret finally emerged, with nowhere left to hide.
"Tackle!" Chris now knew he could land a physical attack on the shifty Pokémon.
"Counter with Slam!" Anna desperately called out.
The Long Body Pokémon recovered much quicker than Chris had expected. Before Quilava had even reached Furret, the Normal type was in full sprint.
"Smash through!"
Much to his trainer's surprise, Quilava began to spin as he approached Anna's Pokémon. The Volcano Pokémon's rotations increased until, without warning, a wheel of fire engulfed the starter.
"Oh snap," was all Chris could utter as the two Pokémon collided.
"Furret!" Anna cried, as her Pokémon was sent flying back by Quilava's scorching tackle.
"That was Flame Wheel!" Chris shouted in awe as the Long Body Pokémon crashed into the ground and remained motionless.
"Beaten by a new attack," Anna sighed as she looked over her Pokémon. "I guess there are worse ways to lose."
"My bad," Chris chuckled as he approached Quilava. The Fire type turned to face his trainer, and Chris immediately noticed the excited look in his starter's eyes. "That was spectacular buddy!"
"Quil," the Volcano Pokémon grinned back towards his trainer, an excited look in his eyes.
"After I beat you," Anna's amused tone caught Chris by surprise, "I planned on ditching ya." Chris and Quilava turned towards the short trainer as she approached them slowly. "I wouldn't want any dead weight slowing me down."
The rest of Chris' Pokémon came to stand beside him. The trainer was interested to see where the female trainer's monologue was headed. As she approached him, the trainer from Cherrygrove found his body begin to tense up.
"But I guess since you beat me," Anna stopped only a couple of feet from the anxious trainer, "I'll grant your wish, and have you escort me for a bit."
"My wish?"
"Come now," Anna raised an eyebrow and turned away, prompting Chris' eyes to drift down her body, "we both know you were thinking it."
"Damn," Chris finally let a curse slip past his lips.
"So let's get going," Anna waved back at Chris. "I need you to be in my field of vision at all times."
Chris shook his head in disbelief and jogged after the sassy, curved woman.
Chris could feel his feet moving faster as the duo approached the top of the hill.
"Easy there Rapidash," Anna called from behind Chris. "My legs are about half as long as yours. Cut me some slack!"
"Sorry," Chris' mouth replied, though his legs seemed to move even quicker. The trainer's eyes had caught sight of a spire, a golden beacon, pointing to the heavens.
The hill continued to level off as Chris and his Pokémon burst into a full sprint.
"Hey asshole!" Anna's distant sarcasm bounced off Chris as he and his team reached the top of the massive expanse.
The sun was still high in the sky, and its light illuminated a sight Chris had only seen long ago, but had never forgotten. A sea of wooden homes and businesses rested below him, sprawling to his left and right. Beyond them stood two towers, one of which towered above everything in Chris' view. A forest of golden and orange leaves circled its base. Its counterpart was much shorter and partly in shambles, but the destroyed tower stood taller than Chris remembered. The whole view seemed so surreal. Chris had stepped back into a childhood dream and for a moment, he felt like nothing had changed.
"This sight is really quite nice," Anna was now beside Chris, "but was it really worth sacrificing chivalry, prince douchebag?"
The young man from Cherrygrove decided to remain silent and continue to take in the view.
Anna chuckled. "Fair enough." After a few more seconds of looking over the scene, she turned to Chris. "Are we gonna stare at it all day, or get moving?"
Chris sighed. The moment was gone. "Sure."
"Then let's get going asshat!"
I hope you enjoyed Chris' route travels once more. He now finds himself facing his hometown, a place that holds a life time of memories for him, many of which we will see in the upcoming chapters! How will Chris handle the persistent, firecracker that is Anna? And there is also the battle with the colorful Dobbs on the following day! And what of Ecruteak Gym, and its cool trainer Morty? So many questions! I hope to see you back here for the answers in the upcoming chapters of Heart and Soul!
