Six months had passed since our team conquered Pike Port's gym and we earned our first badge. It had been a long wait, but we would soon be facing another gym. I didn't have a perfect understanding of it all, but apparently the way it worked was that those League guys gave each trainer a card with 'points', and earning a certain amount of those is what allowed you to fight new gym leaders. Boring busywork! You could earn points by defeating other trainers participating in the League's challenge in friendly combat, based on their number of badges, but you would also lose points if you lost the fight.
Me, Jarque, and Valentine had been traveling the region these last few months fighting other trainers, winning some battles and losing others. I would say maybe we won a little over half of our matches? Jarque liked challenging opponents with too many badges, then again we had only the one, so every other participant either matched us or had more badges. But we were now very close to reaching the arbitrary threshold that allowed us request a match at any of the seven gyms left.
Now the problem was deciding which gym to tackle first. Jarque held an open map in his hands, with both me and Valentine peeking out from under his arms to take a good look at that piece of parchment depicting Baraja. "This region is pretty much a big circle, or perhaps a bit of an oval," he explained. He placed a finger on the map's center. "Over here is Jester's Junction, Baraja's largest city, which contains the regional professor's lab. The Junction connects all other eight notable landmarks of the region, each of which contains a gym. At the north we have Pike Port and its dragon-type gym, which is always meant to be challenged first. But with that one out of the way the other seven gyms can be challenged in any order, although the leaders will use different teams based on the number of badges of the challenger. Do you guys think we're ready?"
"Of course we are!" I proclaimed in my chirpiest voice. I knew he couldn't understand me, but he should be able to discern the emotion in my voice. He began to stroke right behind my ears, and I felt pretty content with myself as I raised my head.
"Are we…?" Valentine asked. Ugh, ever the negative one, this Fennekin. Way to kill the mood. What was it now?
"We might not be ready just yet," Jarque said as he left the map on the ground and used his now free hand to rub the tips of Valentine's ears. I'm not jealous. I'm not jealous. He is only doing that to calm her down. "The first gym could be challenged with only two pokémon, but most gym leaders in Baraja use a roster of three pokémon and allow challengers to do the same. Although we are allowed to compete with only the two of you against a leader's three, there's no benefit to being outnumbered. At this point we should consider expanding our team to include at least one more teammate."
My ears tensed up. I knew this was coming sooner or later, but I had not anticipated it happening this soon. I had already internalized that Jarque would eventually add more pokémon to the team and that I would have to share his attention with them. But we only had one badge yet! I hadn't even evolved, not even once! Did we really need a third pokémon with us so soon? If I promised to put in extra effort, could we maybe delay adding a third teammate until we had two or three badges at the very least? Please? I was only barely getting used to Valentine. I wanted to spend more time adventuring alone with you…
I don't know. This felt like too much, too fast. Like I couldn't adapt to it.
On the other hand, this would likely be the last addition to the team for a very long time. From what I understood this region only allowed trainers to use up to three pokémon during gym battles regardless of how many mons formed their team, with the exception of the first gym only allowing two. So once our team hit three pokémon we would be all set to challenge all the leaders without requiring any more teammates, unless Jarque decided to acquire a few more pokémon for the sake of type variety. But I hoped that if I trained real hard he would see no need to catch any more team members, as I would steamroll the competition all by myself. And then I would be the one to get all the headpats!
I couldn't keep my tail from swishing from side to side as we walked through this vast forested area, immersed in the reinvigorating smell of raw nature. Then I took notice of a large lake in the distance, and that made me ever so slightly less happy. Hey, no place could be perfect.
Jarque spoke as we walked, reading from some booklet he had acquired at some point. "The Lozenge is the name given to the large secluded area located at the westernmost reaches of Baraja. It is an area inhabited mostly by pokémon, where one can hardly feel the reach of human industrialization. There are no human cities or settlements in the Lozenge, other than small outputs for rangers, sentries, and researchers that protect the area and the pokémon that live in it. The Lozenge is considered a wildlife sanctuary, and human intervention is limited to conservation, protection, and study of the wild pokémon that inhabit it."
It did seem like a nice, paradisiac place indeed. Even Valentine was ambling happily close by my side, her eyes full of curiosity as she looked around. She was usually far more fidgety whenever we arrived to new places.
"The name 'Lozenge' refers both to the area itself, and the ruins of the rhomboid-shaped castle that once stood proud at the center of the largest lake in the territory, remnants of an as-of-yet unknown civilization. Guided visits to the ruins of the Lozenge are a significant source of income for Baraja, as pilgrimages to the area are common both among enthusiasts of history and devotees of pokémon battling, since one of Baraja's gyms is located within the Lozenge." Jarque closed his book and stored it safely into his backpack. "I see some sort of man-made building in the distance. Must be one of those human outputs the booklet mentioned."
We approached, with perhaps a bit more caution that was warranted, but it was a bit jarring to suddenly find a bunch of small huts in the middle of what was otherwise a perfect nature preserve. There were some humans around, but none of them paid us much attention other than a curious gaze here and there. Most of them wore practical garbs to move through a forest, presumably scouts and rangers, but there were also some that were less properly outfitted, perhaps researchers. While Jarque pondered what to do, a tall woman with long bright blue hair approached him from the side.
"Now who might you be?" she asked in a cordial tone. She dressed in a way similar to the other rangers in the place, although she wore her garments with a certain kind of elegance. She was perhaps close to Mom's age. "I don't remember seeing your face around here, and there's not so many of us that I could forget anyone's face."
"A-Ah, yes." Jarque was a bit startled, but was quick to recover his composure. "I'm Jarque. Jarque Montecarlo. I was sent here by the professor on a request. I was told to look for some Aluette…?"
"That would be yours truly." Aluette offered her hand to Jarque, and he shook it after a moment of hesitation. I always found this irrational ritual humans had to greet each other very funny. "Yes, we were expecting you, Jarque. How punctual! I figured it was you when I saw your two pokémon. Please follow me."
We followed the woman into one of those human moving boxes with wheels, like the one Mom had. A car, I'm told, although this one was bigger and was probably adapted to traverse tricky terrain. It didn't even have a roof! The lady sat on the front and piloted the machine, while Jarque sat on the back with us. Apparently only stage-three humans — uh, adult humans, could pilot these machines. Jarque wasn't quite there yet.
"It's a bit off the beaten path," the woman said, then added a brief melodic chuckle. "Although I suppose here in the Lozenge everything is off the beaten path. It will take us something like fifteen minutes to get to our destination." She sent a brief glance back, to us, and then focused ahead again. "Professor Lovelace informed you about our help request, yes?"
"I was told you guys needed help with some controlled burning," Jarque said as he pet both me and Valentine. B-But he was totally petting me with more emphasis. "I'm guessing he contacted me specifically because he knew my pokémon were grass and fire."
"Those are the types we need the most, yes," Aluette said as she pushed aside a bang of her curly, blue-hued hair. Its shape reminded me of a wavy sea. "Fire-types for obvious reasons, and then grass-types to ensure any nutrients in dead leaves and trees return to the soil and aren't consumed by the fire."
"It, uh, won't be dangerous, right? There's a lot of foliage in this place." Of course, I would never screw up my part, but I could understand if Jarque were worried that Valentine would lose control of her flames, being a newbie and all.
The lady tapped with one hand at the belt she wore, bringing attention to the circle of multicolor spheres around her waist. Oh, so she was a trainer too! "Don't worry about that one, Jarque. I bring more than enough water-types on me to safely put out a fire of any size." I don't think anyone was surprised that this woman would be a water specialist given her hair. Now I wondered if she dyed it, or if she genuinely was born with such a prophetically colored hair. "A gym leader always has to be prepared, right?"
"A-Ah?" Jarque almost stood up in a jolt, but his seat-belt kept him bound to the moving machine. "O-Of course." He was playing it cool, but I could tell he was surprised because I was observant like that! Hah! I bet the Fennekin didn't have the slightest idea and assumed he was super calm right now!
So the water-type gym leader, uh? She did give off an air of maturity, I guess. We would have to face her sooner or later, but it should be a breeze with a grass-type like me in tow.
"What are you planning to do after this, Jarque?" she asked, her eyes looking ahead as she steered the moving box. "Will you be challenging me? Lovelace told me you only have Tute's badge so far."
"Would love to," Jarque said as he leaned out to better contemplate this idyllic green paradise we found ourselves in, so I of course did the same. "But I don't have the points to challenge another gym leader just yet, or a third pokémon in my team for that matter. It's only been like half a year since we got the dragon badge at Pike Port. One of the reasons I took this job was because the professor told me you would pay both in cash and in League points."
From what I understood, the gist of it was that this Pokémon League organization would grant you points for winning battles or helping them take care of small jobs, and you would lose points if you lost battles. And then you would need to cash in a certain amount of points to have a go against a gym of your choice. The professor had contacted Jarque through the device for long speaking and informed him that the League needed someone with grass and fire-types in their team for a task, and would pay in those League points. And that's why we were here. I don't know, I wasn't paying much attention. I was just along for the ride wherever Jarque wanted to go!
"There is no haste," Aluette said in a soothing voice. "The classic pokémon journey takes years. It is meant to be an adventure, not a race. Even the Haymaker, our ex-champion, took some good four years before gathering all the badges. We will face each other in time, if the fates so will it. Finding another member for your team seems like a far more pressing issue anyway."
"I'm aware."
In a few more minutes we reached a small grove and the machine came to a halt as Aluette invited us out. "This should be a safe spot," she said as she glanced up. "And the weather conditions are right. Visine, you can come out now."
One of the spheres in her belt, one of red and white, opened up without her intervention to release one of her pokémon partners. My first impression was one of awe, taking one step back and hanging my head on instinct. And Valentine was basically cowering against my hide. It was a large, gallant penguin creature, with blue gleaming feathers lining up its wings in a fashion that resembled sharp steel. Its beak, which also looked strong as metal, extended upwards and reminded me of a crown. The avian was enveloped in an aura of royalty, as if we were starting at a King.
The gym leader, as if perceiving our apprehension, directed a smile at us while placing an unworried hand on the penguin. "I know she looks scary, but Visine is a softie, for an Empoleon at least. She will guide you through the process."
The Empoleon stared at Valentine, and I caught her shivering with her head hanging low. Hah! Silly scaredy thing! Look at her getting all antsy just because an imposing, fully-evolved pokémon is staring at her! Then the Empoleon turned to me, and I felt like tucking my tail between my legs completely out of my own volition.
The Empoleon tried to give us her warmest smile. I could tell she was trying, but, noble as the effort was, she simply couldn't turn off that tenor of regal supremacy. "The procedure is rather simple, and I will be here to fix any issues that might arise, so there's naught to fear. All you need do is follow my orders. Let us begin by gathering dead leaves, fallen tree branches, and other such debris so that we can initiate the prescribed burn."
Under her guidance, it didn't take us too long to find all the material to burn, and then Valentine followed her instructions to reduce it all to ashes in a careful and organized manner. Visine explained how this would help prevent natural, destructive wildfires, and the open space would help young trees grow. I helped by guiding nutrients back into the soil from the ashes of the burnt vegetation. This was something that would happen naturally, she explained, but a grass-type could always help expedite and intensify the process. There were two or three occasions in which the young Fennekin lost control of her fire, but our water-type guide was quick to put out any unintended flame before it could grow to be a threat.
All in all, this was kind of easy. I pondered for a moment if perhaps the professor had assigned this task to us as an excuse to have us work together and grow closer, Valentine and I. She was… okay. I was still not too happy about having her around. I would rather it be just me and my trainer, but the golden fox wasn't literally the worst.
This continued for some long minutes, us pokémon focusing on the task at hand while our humans talked among themselves about menial stuff, mainly related to the League and the gym circuit. Then, a beeping sound suddenly came out of Aluette's pants, alarming Valentine and making her hurl out a far too big flame, but the penguin empress thankfully sorted out the situation with a prompt burst of water.
"Excuse me just one second," Aluette said as she reached into a pocket. "Visine, you guys can keep going." She produced a small gadget that was much similar to Jarque's device for long speaking, and after tinkering with it for a moment, she placed it against her ear. "Aluette here. Is something the matter?" She was silent the next moment, as someone else presumably relayed a message to her from the other end. Her expression became one shade more somber. "Okay, first of all, calm down. Is anyone else hurt? Are your pokémon okay?" I noticed that at this point even the Empoleon had stopped giving us instructions. "… Right. Please send me your location. Yes, I will call for backup immediately. Don't do anything rash until backup arrives, you hear? This goes for your pokémon too. Stay put until further orders. Yes. And stay safe."
Aluette pushed a button on the device, which made a beeping noise, then kept tinkering with it for a moment. Serenity was still present in her elegant, mature face, but I could detect a faint frown. Even if I didn't have a perfect grasp on the situation, it was obvious there was trouble ahead.
"What's the matter?" Jarque asked. He looked just a bit more serious than usual.
The woman sighed for a moment as she watched the younger human, as if pondering whether to tell him, or how much to tell him. "I just received an SOS by pokégear. One of our rangers ran into some trouble. I've sent some backup his way, but the coordinates he sent indicate he is far from our base, so it will take a while for help to arrive. His position is close to our location, actually, so I'm pondering whether it would be a wise idea to scout ahead." She turned towards the Empoleon. "I mean, you guys are basically done here, right?" The Empoleon gave a short, strong nod.
"Should we go?" Jarque asked, with a special glint in his eyes. I knew he liked to get into unnecessary trouble. I knew I did too.
Aluette gave an awry smile, as if anticipating this turn of events. "Jarque, we didn't call you here to put you and your team in danger."
"Danger?" He crossed his arms. I could see the excitement leave his face. "Why would it be dangerous? I thought we would only go assist one of your rangers. Like, what happened to him exactly?"
"He saw someone suspicious. It could have been his imagination, but although rare, we do get poachers in the Lozenge from time to time. There's plenty of rare species to be found at this neck of the woods." She began to walk towards her wheeled machine, and Jarque followed. "But still, I cannot leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere. I'll drive you back to our base real quick and then join the others."
"Didn't you say this ranger was close?" He entered the machine even before the woman did. "What if he really is in urgent need? Can we afford the detour?"
"He did sound a bit alarmed, but I don't think…" She turned a key against the rotating wheel on the front seat, making a loud noise that I assumed indicated the machine was on. "I won't deny that it would help to have another body there, even if it is only for coordination and communication. We can go if you're okay with that, Jarque, but you will not engage in battle with anyone unless strictly necessary, you hear?"
"Roger that."
Valentine and I joined Jarque in the back seat while the Empoleon returned to her sphere. She was a bit too large and heavy to just ride alongside us. Aluette's machine traveled a short distance, moving much faster than before, and stopped after no more than ten minutes. The gym leader was quick to dismount the machine and look around.
"Over here!"
A distant grunt brought our attention to a man dressed in adventuring garb, sitting against a tree, resting his leg as he pressed down on it. He looked pained. We all ran to him, and I of course was the first to arrive.
"What happened?" Aluette asked as she crouched down by his side, examining his extended leg. "Are you hurt?"
"I twisted my ankle…" What. "I saw an unknown figure of human proportions in the distance. I called out to them but they ran away. So I dashed after, but then I must have tripped on a stray root and ended up twisting my ankle. I told my pokémon to chase after the escaping figure, but they refuse to leave my side. Whoever that was, they disappeared in that direction."
"I see," the blue-haired woman said as her gaze followed the man's indication. "It could have been one of those pokémon that are more on the anthropomorphic side, like a Machoke or a Mr. Mime, or simply an adventuring trainer. With some luck it's just a false alarm." Her hand rested on one of the spheres on her waist as she pursed her lips. "But Crow's Foot is in that direction. That lake is home to plenty of rare pokémon, so I wouldn't put it past poachers to try to sneak in."
"Should we go scout ahead?" Jarque asked.
"We? Jarque, wouldn't it be better if you stayed behind with our wounded friend here?"
"Do not worry about me!" the ranger said. "The pokémon in this area are generally peaceful, and I've got my own pokémon with me if things turn awry. I'm more worried about that trespasser. They may escape before the backup team arrives, and Crow's Foot is too large of a lake for a single person to explore."
"That is true." The woman paced forward with hesitant steps, observing Jarque as she did so. "Again, this could all be a silly misunderstanding, but there's a chance this could turn out to be dangerous. Are you sure you want to come, Jarque? You are under no obligation to, and we will not be held liable for any damages you or your pokémon incur, nor will there be any form of remuneration."
"Hmm… It does sound like a pretty bad deal, I'll give you that." Jarque turned to face me. Valentine also happened to be in his field of vision, but he was totally looking at me. "How are we feeling, girls? Do we go or do we stay?"
"Let's go!" I shouted. I wish I could speak his tongue, but my effusiveness should transcend language. "It would be boring to just wait here!" I needed excitement in my life, goddammit!
"A-Are you sure?" Valentine asked by my side. "Clover, the lady said it could be dangerous…"
"Hah! You're just scared to go near a lake!"
"T-That too."
"But they said there could a poacher around, Valentine! Would you sleep tight at night, if something happened to a poor innocent pokémon, knowing we could have done something to stop it?" In all honesty, I wanted to do this because it sounded fun, and I didn't particularly care about whatever would happen to some random wild pokémon I didn't know. But I also couldn't help but be reminded of that one time when a pair of thugs napped me and that Oshawott, Oaknut. Oh, and Valentine was there too.
"Oh, buttercakes, I guess you're right…" Valentine said as she hung her head, pensive. I guess she would care a little more than I did about helping total strangers and stuff. She was so weird. "L-Let's do it! I wouldn't want anyone else to have to go through that…"
"So…" Jarque looked us with a complicated expression. "Have we decided anything? Not sure if there's an agreement here." Hold on, why was he hesitating? I thought I had made it clear I wanted to go. Why would it matter whether Valentine agreed or not?
Regardless, Valentine looked up to him and gave him a strong nod, dispelling any doubts. "Gotcha," Jarque said, his smile returning to him before he turned to Aluette. "We're going with you after all."
"Very well." She stood in silence for a second. "Visine." The mention of the Empoleon's name was enough to make her come out of her sphere on her own. "Crow's Foot is a lake that owes its name to its peculiar three-pronged shape, reminiscent of a Murkrow's foot. It is a natural habitat where plenty of water-type species live, some of them rather rare and found nowhere else in Baraja. Fishing is strictly forbidden, but we do get trespassers every now and then. Jarque, since the lake is vast, I could go check the eastern bank while you check the western one, to cover more terrain. Visine, you go with Jarque for safety, since we don't know what we're facing." The Empoleon gave a solemn nod and approached our side.
"What about you?" Jarque asked.
"I have other pokémon," Aluette said as she placed a hand on her waist, right above her belt of pokéballs. "I am a gym leader. It is not me you should be worrying about, Jarque. You're only doing recon, you understand? Let Visine take care of any battling that might ensue."
And so we marched onward, Aluette running off eastward while me, Jarque, Valentine, and also the Empoleon took the other side. Strong as she was, I could tell the penguin was the slowest one of us. Was she a steel-type, perchance? I wouldn't doubt her power, but she was going to slow us down. And then she threw herself into the lake, and suddenly she nearly matched me in speed. Okay, I take it back.
We kept walking for a while, and then we heard a sudden rumbling sound in the distance, on the surface of the water. Or perhaps it came from below? It was hard to tell. The Empoleon got out of the water, and then turned to Jarque and pressed a wing hard against the ground. "You all wait here. It is probably just one of the large water-dwellers of the lake shifting about, but I will go investigate just in case." She emphasized the way she placed her wing against the ground.
Jarque watched her movements for a moment. "You want us to wait here, I presume?"
The empress nodded, then jumped back into the water and swum away, diving until she was out of sight.
Great. Now what?
Jarque sat down on the grass near the lake, and beckoned us to come. Valentine obeyed immediately, running to him, but I approached at a more languid pace. Why the haste? Hah, that would make her look so needy in his eyes. Then he began to pet the Fennekin once she was close enough, so I dashed to him like mad and basically headbutted his hand. He chuckled, then began to scratch my ears. That's better. So we sat down for a while, all three of us coddled together, and I guess it wasn't that bad. I wouldn't mind too much if the Empoleon took her sweet time before returning to us.
But then Valentine interrupted our lull by letting out a faint but sudden cry as she perked up her large fluffy ears and tilted her head to one side, before leaving Jarque's petting hand behind — how dare she? — and moving in a seemingly random direction as her ears twitched. Had the fox heard something? I for sure hadn't heard anything off. Jarque also looked at her with more confusion than worry.
But, you know, better safe than sorry. Just in case, I decided to sniff towards the direction she was walking towards. More out of sheer curiosity than anything. But my muscles tensed up when my nose caught wind of a clearly human scent in the distance. That wasn't Aluette, she smelled much nicer. That was a male, and it wasn't the wounded ranger from before either. I don't think this was anyone we knew.
I left Jarque's side, and he immediately knew something was off. "Girls? Something the matter?" he asked as I heard him stand up behind me. "Did you hear or smell something suspicious?" A human's nose and ears weren't as able as a pokémon's. So thank goodness we were here. "Let's go take a look then."
Valentine looked back to him with worried eyes as she made a pained noise, then turned to me. "But the Empoleon told us to wait…"
I raised my head as I approached. "Oh? Our trainer just gave a direct order. Are you suggesting we disobey it?"
"No! But…" Her ears twitched a few times as she looked into the distance. "B-But we're just taking a look! We're not getting into any trouble."
I rushed ahead of her, not bothering to respond. I was a bit irked that she had been the first to notice the presence of the distant human. Were her ears better than my nose? Bah! I was just not paying attention at the time because I was basking in Jarque's pets, that's all! We ran ahead a short distance, with me on the front followed by Valentine, and then Jarque on the back. I didn't like the idea of the fox being closer to Jarque than I was, but under no circumstance was I letting her outrun me! Speed was my thing!
I stopped, as did Jarque and Valentine so soon as they reached me. There he was, indeed, the unknown human. Who was he? It was a young boy, perhaps close to Jarque in age. He was as scrawny as they come, even by human standards, and wasn't particularly tall either. Not what you would call imposing. But his choice of outfit was for sure weird. Who dresses in full black and white in the middle of a forest? And why did he wear a butterfly-shaped ribbon knot on his neck? That was not adventuring gear for sure. Like, I always found it bizarre that humans wore clothes at all — why not go nude like us? — but this guy's choice of wardrobe really made you question his sanity.
He was holding in both hands a strange tubular device against his face, against his eyes, as if looking through it. Oh! I think humans called this invention of theirs 'binoculars'! They allowed you to see further, I think? Outright magic. I guess humans had no need for our overdeveloped senses when they could just create marvels like that, uh.
Wait, who cares? Who is this guy, and why is he here in the middle of nowhere looking at the lake through that thing?
Jarque let out something in between a sigh and a pant, since he was a bit tired from the run. "A bit disappointed that it's just a peeping tom after all." His voice caught the other guy's attention, who stopped looking through his binoculars to turn to Jarque. "Looking for any naked bathing girls?"
"A-Ah. You scared me." He stashed the binoculars away, adjusted his posture, then took a good look at Jarque. "Are you the contact?"
"Uh… sure?"
"Oh, thank goodness. I thought I had gotten the location wrong." He tilted his head as he approached Jarque. I made sure to stay in front of my trainer, but this dude really didn't look all that threatening. "Uh, although I sure was expecting someone much older. You might be even a tad younger than me, I reckon?" He looked down to me, then to Valentine by my side, who also stood before Jarque in a defensive position. "Although I was told some of our members are pretty young, and I see you have rare pokémon with you. Anyway, name's Theil. Joined like a month ago. So this is the place then?"
Jarque pursed his lips as he slowly nodded. "Might as well be."
"I've been, uh, looking around the lake, sir," the boy in the tight-fitting black suit said as he waved a hand around. "But I can't seem to locate the supposed Popplio colony. Are we sure it is located somewhere within Crow's Foot? Is our intel to be trusted?"
"A Popplio colony?" Jarque cocked his head as his eyebrows went up. "That's… What pokémon was that again? The sea lion one?"
"That's the one! One of them starter species. Plenty rare from what I've heard, found only here in the Lozenge, and nowhere else in Baraja." He looked aside for a second. "Ah, you haven't been told?"
"First news I get of this." Jarque took a step back, as subtly as he could. "So then… I take it you are like a poacher or something to that extent?"
"U-Uh? No, of course, we are…" Color seemed to rapidly drain from the boy's face. He also took a step back, his hand reaching for his waist, bringing attention to the lone sphere sitting on his belt. "Please, no. Please tell me I didn't screw up on my very first mission. You are not my contact, are you?"
"Don't think so, bud. Why would you assume I was?"
"That's…!" He began to wave his arms around. "We're in the middle of nowhere! Why would anyone else be here? Why are you here? Like, you're not dressed like a ranger or anything."
"Not a ranger, no, just a trainer passing by. Jarque's the name."
"My pleasure. Again, I'm Theil." He bowed his head a little. I couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not at this point. "But my understanding was that the Crow's Foot lake was off-limits to the public, no? You cannot be here if you're not a ranger or some kind of official. You could get into trouble."
"You don't say."
"Look, I know that sounds rich coming from me, uh, but you cannot be here and I cannot be here, so I haven't seen you and you haven't seen me, right? I shut up and you shut up, and we each go our merry way."
Oh, going for diplomacy right off the bat, uh? Boring. Even though he had a single sphere of red and white with him, I wasn't too sure if this was a trainer. Or if he was, he couldn't be more experienced than our Jarque. Definitely zero badges.
Jarque dared to take a cautious step forth. "So are you like a poacher?" If he really was one, we couldn't just let him go, could we?
"What? No." The boy took another step back. I noticed he was a bit shorter than Jarque, in spite of likely being a year or two older. "Are you a poacher?"
"Do I look like a poacher to you?"
"Why the hell would I know what a poacher looks like?"
"You don't know how a poacher looks like?"
"No…?"
"Come here." Jarque moved aside and crouched near the lake's water, motioning to this Theil boy to come along. "Come here." After a brief grunt, the boy obliged and crouched by Jarque's side. "Now look into the water." Both of them looked into the lake, and Jarque pointed a finger at Theil's reflection. "See? Now you know what a poacher looks like."
The boy in the black suit glared at Jarque with narrow, irritated eyes. "Oh, shut up, you loon!" He gave Jarque a light shove, not enough to push him back, then stood up hurriedly. "No, seriously, who are you then? You don't look like a ranger."
Jarque stood up, unhurriedly. "I am a trainer participating in the League's circuit. I am here assisting the Lozenge's gym leader in a small mission."
"Oh, crap. So you're with them rangers after all." He crossed his arms and looked aside. He didn't look too alarmed, as if he had already anticipated it. "Do I run here or…?"
"Easy there. We're just talking. What's the haste?" Was Jarque trying to hold him in place until the Empoleon returned? "So who are you after all? Say, you're dressing far too fancy to be taking a trek through the forest. The black jacket and white dress shirt combo, black slacks, and then that cute black bow tie. You'd think I'm looking at a croupier that just fled from a casino."
"It's our uniform, okay?" He extended an arm to look at it. "I think it looks fancy. Don't you think it looks fancy?"
"I do think it looks fancy."
"Glad we're in agreement!" He clapped his hands, smiling. At least he wasn't wearing gloves. "Not everyone in the Shuffle Foundation dresses like this, but I personally like it. Makes you look distinguished, you know?"
"The Shuffle…?" There came a sharp intake of breath from Jarque as his face turned as good as white. A chill ran down my spine, and I could tell Jarque was going through the same, as I was close enough to see goosebumps on his legs. Only Valentine remained blissfully unaware of the gravity of the situation, although she still remained tense. "Team Shuffle? You fuckers have followed us all the way from Holon?"
"Team Shuffle?" The well-dressed boy let out an awkward chuckle. "No, the Shuffle Foundation. We are not a — Well, I supposed we technically are a team of sorts, but they don't like it when folks call us that."
Jarque's breathing was hectic. "Okay, chill. There's no way they moved to a new region just because of us. Let's not be that conceited."
"What are you talking about, mate?" He cocked his head. His confusion was likely genuine, but I was a bit too busy hyperventilating to stop and analyze the situation. It's okay. Jarque was right. They couldn't be the same people, that would make no sense.
"Still…" Jarque looked this Theil person up and down. He dressed fancy for sure, but again he wasn't the slightest bit imposing. "You said you only joined a month ago. I take it you're just like a grunt or something, no? Shuffle Grunt Theil."
"A grunt? Now that's not nice. It is true that I'm new and this is my first real mission, but I am a bona fide member of the Shuffle Foundation, thank you very much."
"Why?" Jarque stomped his foot. I could tell shock was giving way to anger. "Why the ever loving hell would anyone willingly join Team Shuffle? What is wrong with you?"
"What?" The other man crossed his arms and frowned, keeping his body upright to appear taller. "No, what is wrong with you, Jarque? What's your beef with the Foundation? We fight for equity between human and pokémon. What's so bad about that?"
"See, you could make a small fortune as a comedian, so why stay in Team fucking Shuffle of all things?" Jarque extended an arm and pointed at him, his glare stern. "Whatever! You're not going anywhere! We cannot let you go after you confessed to trying to kidnap those Popplio!"
"Kidn… No, seriously, what the heck is wrong with you? Lay off the fantasy novels." He plucked out the single sphere of red and white from his belt, rising it in his fist as if to display it. "I don't think you want to be messing with me, Jarque. I've only got one pokémon, sure, but it's a strong one. You're still in time to just turn around and pretend you never met me, you know."
I looked up to Jarque and caught a moment of hesitation. But a short-lived one. "Well, let's see your pokémon then."
"Your choice, mate. Get them, Javelin."
This Theil person… Nah, why should I bother remembering his name? This random Shuffle grunt threw his sphere of red and white against the ground a very short distance in front of him. Every muscle in my body tensed up as my nose got ready to get a whiff of our adversary as soon as it left the comfortable transportation device. I didn't need to turn around to confirm Jarque's and Valentine's reactions. I could practically smell their apprehension.
The sphere landed on the grassy ground by the lake's side. A healthy pokémon could leave their sphere at any time they so wished, but some liked to bide their time and make triumphal entrances. A light was released, bringing out the pokémon. The first thing I noticed was that its feet, if it had any, where not in contact with the ground. This was not a landbound pokémon. That was terrible news. I caught the distinctive scent of feathers that avian pokémon of soft plumage sported.
The magnificent beast spread its wings, then began to flap them at great speeds to remain airborne as it looked down upon us, pathetic flightless mammals.
"Dude." Jarque covered his mouth with his hand as he shook his head. "All that fanfare for a Pidgey?"
"Javelin is the strongest Pidgey there is, you cretin!" He began to wave a hand at us. "Go on! Send your pokémon! See if you're so cocky after we're through with you!"
"Okay, I will." Jarque threw both arms forth, without much emotion. "Clover, Valentine, go."
Yes! That was my name first! I jumped ahead in a rush, and Valentine joined me not much later. A flying-type opponent would normally mean trouble for a grass-type like me, but now that we knew my ability was Protean, maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
"Hold up." The Shuffle grunt extended an arm, and the Pidgey landed on it. "I've only got one pokémon. Javelin is the only partner I've ever had, so this is meant to be a singles battle. So which one of yours are you sending?"
Jarque looked to me, then to Valentine, then back to me, and finally shrugged. "Both, I think."
"No, you're not listening, Jarque," he said with a chuckle as he raised an arm, shaking his head with a smile. "I've only got one pokémon. I can only fight with one pokémon."
"Don't worry, I believe you. But the thing is, I have two."
"And I believe you too, but…" He looked up as the Pidgey again took to the skies. "You understand that a one vs two would be inherently unfair, right?"
"Sorry, is this supposed to be a gym battle or what? Am I supposed to follow competition rules even when facing a nameless thief?"
"Theil! I told you my name is Theil! And I'm no thief, you jackass!" He shook his fist at the air, gritting his teeth. "But have it your way, Jarque! Javelin, let's show them what we can do!"
I adopted a battle stance, as did Valentine by my side. No matter how you slice it, a two-vs-one dance of skill would necessarily be lopsided heavily in our direction, but on the other hand our opponent was a flier. Valentine could aim her flames high, but I didn't have many options to hit an airborne target.
"You will not win!" the Pidgey shouted at the top of her lungs. "That I swear on my honor! That you can be certain of!"
"Oh, we'll see about that, flying chicken!"
"Let's end this quick!" the human grunt shouted. "Javelin! Hit them with our secret signature combo!"
"Oooh, I was waiting for this!" That was a worrisome grin on the Pidgey's beak as she stared down at us. With no further warning she plunged down in a quick dive, and we braced for impact. She stopped before reaching the ground, hovering a short distance above the grass and dirt, and then gave her wings a strong flap to release a small gale that carried large amounts of sand with it. Was this Sand Attack? Then, before we had any time to react, the surprisingly agile Pidgey fluttered her wings once more to release a series of wind flurries that fused into a massive hurricane. Gust now? Oh, I could see now. Or, no, rather I couldn't see at all. She had comboed Sand Attack into Gust to form a massive wall of sand in front of us that concealed their position.
"That's what we can do!" the Shuffle grunt shouted from beyond the sandstorm. "Did you really expect me to fight a two on one? Good luck catching us now!"
"Told you you wouldn't win!" the Pidgey taunted us next. "Never said we would either! See you, suckers!"
You've gotta be kidding me. They're fleeing? No, but as far as thieves go, these ones are on the smarter side. You'd have to be a special breed of idiot to stay behind and fight in these circumstances, I guess.
"Hey!" Jarque shouted, glaring at the sandstorm but not moving. "Come back here!"
"Don't think I will!" I could hear the human's voice growing fainter. "But I appreciate the suggestion!"
Yeah, no. Did they really think they could escape from me? I am the fastest pokémon around! A silly little sandstorm isn't enough to stop me! I rushed straight into the dust blizzard, closing my eyes to avoid getting blinded. The loud, raging sandstorm would suppose an insurmountable obstacle for anyone depending on their sight or their hearing, but the mantle of sand would do little to hide their scents. I rushed straight through the storm as it battered me from every direction, making sure to keep both my eyes and my mouth closed, relying only on my trusty nose to guide me towards my targets. I heard a voice behind me, presumably Jarque's, but the storm would ensure his words were unintelligible by the time they reached my ears.
Before long, the roaring racket of sand clashing with sand began to become more and more distant behind me. I half-opened one eye, cautious, then fully opened both when I realized the worst part had passed. I had crossed the storm, and I could see the human and his avian companion ahead, still fleeing away. I shook my body and head in a vain attempt to clear away some of the sand that had become stuck to my fur. Ugh, my coat felt so dirty and I hated it. I would make sure they paid for it!
"God freaking dammit!" the human shouted as he looked back at me as he ran. The Pidgey was a flier so I had no dreams of catching her, but I could easily outspeed a human, specially one that looked so frail! "They're chasing us?"
"There's an easy solution to that!" The Pidgey stopped her flight and turned to me, and I knew something terrible was about to happen. I realized only then that I had left Jarque and Valentine far behind, and I had lost track of the time so I had no idea for how long I had been running. "Byebye, kittycat!"
She began to flap her wings so fast I could barely see them anymore. Another Gust? But as a tall column of winds began to materialize before me, I figured this was something else. It advanced too fast and too erratically for me to escape it. This vortex of wind wasn't turbulent enough to harm you, and had instead being generated with the express purpose of blowing you away as far as possible. Whirlwind. Even now that I was alone, they still refused to fight. They planned to end the dance of skill before it started. Cowards!
The next few moments I couldn't make heads or tails of. The world seemed to rapidly spin around me as I realized that my feet were no longer in contact with the floor. The whirlwind spat me out like a nefarious trampoline, and I had no understanding of where I was or in which direction it was hurling me. All I knew was that I could do nothing to stop it. I must have been really high. A fall at this distance wouldn't kill me, being a pokémon and all, but boy would it hurt. In my disoriented state, I hoped I would land on a soft patch of grass and not on rocks, or I might actually break a bone. Then, my eyes were opened wide as my throat failed to let out a shrill cry. We were by a lake. No. Please no. I can't swim. Please no. I'd rather break a bone. Let me land on sharp rocks instead, please.
I closed my eyes as if that fulfilled any purpose, then waited for what seemed like too long until I landed. One second. Two seconds… I don't think I could keep my nausea in check for much longer. My stomach hurt so bad.
Then, a splash.
I frantically shook my paws to ascend to the surface above the water, and my mouth then opened against my will in rushed gasps, letting out water, saliva, and I don't wanna know what else. Shivering, I looked around. The sight only made me feel even colder. I could see land, so I hadn't fallen too deep into the lake, but I couldn't possibly cover that distance in my current state. At least the water would have cleaned off the sand, but I felt cold, and nauseous, and scared, and my entire body hurt, and I needed a hug from Jarque so bad right now.
My eyes were threatening to close. I needed rest badly, but this was the worst possible place for a nap. The currents weren't too strong, but they were strong enough that trying to splash about would only send me deeper into the lake. My vision was getting blurry, and all I could hear was a strident ringing in my ears. I was also too exhausted and disoriented for my nose to pick up any significant scents.
Then I felt something or someone grab me from behind. Could it be the Empoleon? No, her steel wings would feel colder. I struggled in a sudden panic, plunging deeper into the waters, but my captor never released me. What a sad way to go. Couldn't I at least get one last hug from Jarque before going? Just the one?
"Relax." A voice. A feminine one. A mature one, even. My abductor, perhaps, but I was too confused to tell. "I'm here to help, sugar."
I couldn't possibly fight the waters, my captor, and my exhaustion all at once. In a few more moments I found myself again above the water's surface, resting on the back of some blue creature that was only barely larger than I was. I couldn't fight back anymore. The creature began to swim in some random direction, and all I could think of was how warm its back felt…