Chapter 13:
The Troublesome Track Down
As the team exited Ilex Forest they came to the Hoot-Hoot rentals older brother. Nathan led Hoot-Hoot off of his shoulder and began to say goodbye. Hoot-Hoot hesitated to return to the salesman. The brother bounced his eyes between Hoot-Hoot and Nathan and began stroking his chin.
"You know… Hoot-Hoot seems to really like you. I've never seen her take to another trainer quite like this. I'll tell you what… if you can get me some charcoal from the charcoal maker at the end of the road here, I will give Hoot-Hoot to you."
Nathan's face lit up.
"Deal!"
As they made their way further up the road a boy ran in front of him.
"Hey… have you guys seen a Farfetch'd around here?"
The three looked between each other and shook their heads.
"Oh man… dad's gonna be so mad!"
The boy's head dropped, visibly upset.
Phillip crouched down on one knee to look the little boy in the face.
"What seems to be the problem?"
"My dad is a famous charcoal maker. Farfetch'd is used to cut down trees and return them to my dad. I recently got a new Farfetch'd after our last one got too old to perform its duties. This one doesn't listen very well and is constantly running away. My dad hasn't been able to make charcoal for a week because this Farfetch'd won't listen."
Nathan put his hand on the shoulder of the boy.
"You know when I first started my Cyndaquil didn't listen to me either. Now we are best friends and I have earned three badges with him. We'll help you find your Farfetch'd and train him."
"You would do that for me!?" the boy yelped.
"Absolutely."
"Wait until I tell my dad! Let's go!"
The boy led the group to his house to meet his dad. After hearing their story the charcoal kiln insisted the team stay the night for dinner and leave with the boy first thing in the morning to find the Farfetch'd.
"You see, Farfetch'd never ventures far, he just has a hard time listening. When we are stern with him, he doesn't respond well. I'm just out of ideas right now."
Phillip spoke up during the meal.
"You see, Pokemon are different from each other, just like humans, they respond well to certain things, and they refuse to listen to other things. Just like any human being does. You just have to take the time to get to know your Pokemon. My Tyrogue is all about being pushed to his limits, that's how he responds to training. Nathan's Cyndaquil didn't respond as well to that, Cyndaquil needed to see his love and devotion before he decided to respect and follow Nathan. It sounds like your Farfetch'd is the same. He needs to know that you care for him and will fight for him."
"Phillip, how have you learned this much in your short journey already?" The kiln asked.
Phillip smiled.
"I worked with Professor Elm for three years. Together we raised and developed every kid in Johto's first Pokemon. We needed to know which Pokemon was a good fit for what kid."
"I see. Well we appreciate your help. I have been unable to take and fulfill any orders in the last week because we've been unable to track down Farfetch'd."
The group finished their meals and got ready for bed. They were all up first thing in the morning the next day. They departed into the woods all around them. After a couple of hours, they all stopped to sit down, exhausted from the humidity. Kathy whined about her hair, and Nathan made a joke.
"Your hair always looks like that!"
Kathy turned red and grinded her teeth. With one quick move she punched Nathan sending him sprawling across the cross. He yelped and grabbed his face. The boy shouted to her.
"You could be a professional fighter with that speed!"
The group laughed together. In an instant Farfetch'd jumped out of a tree and looked at the four travelers. The boy yelled out to him. The Farfetch'd took off deeper into the woods. The group chased after him. In the middle of dozens of trees several Pineco dropped out of the trees.
"You've gotta be kidding me." Phillip snapped. "Get behind me." He said to the boy moving him in order to protect him.
"Go Pidgey! Go Mareep!" Phillip shouted.
"Go Heracross! Go Cyndaquil!" Nathan followed his example.
"Go Chikorita! Go Abra!" Kathy joined the fight.
The three trainers barked out commands for all six of their Pokemon. Abra just looked at Kathy confused.
"Abra!"
Her shoulders dropped.
"Return." She called him back.
After another flurry of attacks, the Pineco were defeated. Nathan was about to throw a Pokeball to catch one when several more Pineco replaced the ones they just defeated. Phillip grinded his teeth and clenched his right fist.
"Let's go guys. We aren't gonna win this fight."
The four of them took off running in the direction Farfetch'd ran through the Pineco as they called their Pokemon back. After minutes of dodging trees, bushes and leaping over logs. They took a break to catch their breath. As they were catching their breath, they heard a familiar laugh. Brett and Betty begin their motto as they are holding Farfetch'd. Before they can finish the boy interrupts them.
"That's my Farfetch'd!"
Betty patted her hair.
"The nerve of this little twerp."
"Let's teach him a lesson Betty."
"Go Spinarak!"
"Go Zubat!"
"Mean look Zubat!"
"Spider web Spinarak!"
The four trainers were being webbed up by Spinarak as they were being paralyzed with the rays of Zubat's mean look. Fafetch'd popped out of Betty's grip and struck both her and Brett with its leek stalk. As they were reeling from the hit Farfetch'd flew in front of the boy. With the momentary pause in Zubat and Spinarak's attacks the trainers were able to break free.
"Go Wooper!"
"Go Totodile!"
"Go Drowzee!"
"Totodile give them a taste of your scary face attack!"
Zubat, Spinarak, Brett and Betty were stricken by the scary face and were slowed down to a complete halt. As Kathy and Phillip did a double attack.
"Headbutt!" they shouted in unison.
The attack sent Team Rocket popping up in the air. The boy jumped in.
"Farfetch'd! Air slash!"
The strike sent Team Rocket flying.
"TEAM ROCKET IS BLASTING OFF AGAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIINNNNNN!"
Farfetch'd ran to the boy and gave him a big hug. The boy led the three trainers and Farfetch'd through the woods and across a bridge towards his house. As they were crossing the bridge Phillip stopped in his tracks as he stared out to the water with the image of the three shadows of the two-legged dragons from Ilex popped into his head. He recognized the waterway. Kathy turned around and called him out of his daze. Phillip shook the image out of his head as Kathy ran to him and got under his head and looked him in the eyes.
"You okay Phillip?"
"Always."
"Okay. You just kinda stopped and froze. Let's go. We're going to get left behind."
Once they got back to the charcoal kiln's house, they dropped off Farfetch'd and the boy. The kiln thanked them by making them some charcoal. The boy walked them back to the main path.
"Thanks for all your help! I think Farfetch'd is going to stick around for a while."
"It was our pleasure." Phillip said.
Nathan was eager to get back to the Hoot-Hoot man's store. They returned with a bag full of charcoal.
"Thanks a bunch kid! She's all yours. Take good care of her." The salesman said handing Nathan Hoot-Hoot's Pokeball.
The group camped once more as Phillip sat away from the group staring into the night sky. Kathy sat next to him.
"What's on your mind Phillip?"
"Did anything weird happen to you in Ilex Forest Kathy?"
"What do you mean?"
"I just had a crazy vision. It was as if I was translated to an intense scene."
"Wow. What do you think it means?"
"I'm not sure. There's a cave near the charcoal man's house that we crossed on that bridge. I think I need to go in there."
"Well, we can all go together."
"I think I need to do it alone."
Nathan overheard, walked over and plopped next to them.
"What'cha guys doin' over here?"
Kathy looked over to Nathan.
"Phillip has to go off on his own again tomorrow."
"Again?" Nathan whined. "What are we supposed to do!?"
Phillip leaned back as he bounced his eyes between the two of them.
"You know. There's a Pokemon daycare not far from the charcoal man's house. You guys should go there. You might learn a few things about raising Pokemon Nathan."
Kathy screeched.
"BABY POKEMON!? OH MY GOSH! WE HAVE TO GO!"
Nathan leaned away from Kathy.
"Okay! Okay! Just stop screaming!"
Phillip stood up.
"It's settled then. You two go to the daycare and I'll meet you at the entrance of Goldenrod City."
To be continued...