"Trainers, ready your Pokémon!" a voice shouted, echoing across the large rocky road.
I tightened my grip on Aster's Poké Ball, feeling the familiar cool and smooth surface against my palm calming my nerves. A young kid named Damian stood across from me, a shit-eating grin on his face. He held a Poké Ball in his hand, ready to release his Pokémon.
"Go, Ponyta!" Damian yelled, tossing his Poké Ball into the air. In a flash of light, a Ponyta appeared, its fiery mane and tail blazing brightly.
A Ponyta, huh? Perfect. We had the high ground, and his Pokémon looked fairly young as well. It shouldn't be a difficult battle.
"Alright, Aster, let's do this!" I called out, hurling her Poké Ball into the air. With the swish of the ball mechanism popping open, Aster shot out in a fury, flying around the small roadside. I had been forced to battle the kid as he refused to let anyone pass who didn't battle him.
Watching her as she took up her position right in front of me, I nodded to the referee for our battle. The kid's friend. Damian, however, frowned at the sight of Aster. Good, I thought, that means he really will be an easy obstacle to get past.
Shaking his head, Damian sent his friend a thumbs up, prompting him to speak. "3, 2, 1! Fight!"
Immediately, I pointed at the Ponyta and shouted, "Alright Aster, Tailwind into Wing Attack!"
Instantly, my star took off, flapping her wings and creating a powerful tailwind around the road, blowing against the opposing trainer and his Pokémon. Using the newly created wind, she blasted off towards the fire-type, her wing gaining energy as she charged her attack to full power, getting closer to her target.
"Ponyta, use Ember!" Damian shouted. The Ponyta neighed and sent a flurry of fiery embers toward Aster, who quickly dodged the slow-moving fire attacks, then struck Ponyta with a powerful hit. Ponyta stumbled but quickly regained its footing, its eyes gaining an angry glare.
"Ponyta, u-use Flame Charge!" Damian urged, his voice unsure. Ponyta hesitated but then charged forward, slowly becoming engulfed in a Firey coat.
"Aster, use Quick Attack to get out of the way, then hit back with Aerial Ace!" I ordered. Aster darted out of the path of the Flaming Pokémon with incredible speed, then looped around and struck Ponyta right in its side.
Ponyta staggered, its flames flickering as it struggled to stay on its feet. Damian clenched his fists, worry creeping into his voice. "Ponyta, can you keep going?"
Ponyta shook its head and let out a soft whinny, signaling its defeat. Damian sighed and recalled his Pokémon, but his determination didn't wane.
"You're really good," he admitted, his voice sincere. "But I'm not done yet. Go, Kricketune!" He tossed another Poké Ball, and in a flash of light, a Kricketune appeared, its bow-like arms reflecting in the sunlight. The Pokémon let out a melodic cry, ready for battle.
"Alright, Aster, you've done great. Time for a break," I said, recalling Aster. I grabbed another Poké Ball from my belt. "Aria, let's go!"
Aria, emerged from the Poké Ball with a flash, her eyes gleaming with determination and clicking her pincers in anticipation.
"Kricketune, use Sing!" Damian commanded. Kricketune began to produce a haunting melody, the notes swirling through the air towards Aria.
"Aria, use String Shot to interrupt it!" I countered. Aria quickly shot out strands of sticky silk, tangling Kricketune and disrupting its song.
"Nice work! Now use Shadow Sneak!" Aria vanished into the shadows and reappeared behind Kricketune, landing a sneaky hit.
"Kricketune, use X-Scissor!" Damian yelled. Kricketune crossed its scythes and slashed at Aria, landing a solid hit that sent Aria skidding back.
"Hang in there, Aria! Use Shadow Sneak again!" I called out. Aria disappeared into the shadows once more, reappearing, and striking Kricketune from behind.
"Kricketune, use Leech Life!" Damian ordered. Kricketune let out a small sharp needle draining some of Aria's energy healing the cricket Pokémon.
Aria struggled but managed to stay on her feet. "You've got this, Aria! Use Poison Jab!" I urged.
Summoning all her remaining strength, Aria's stinger glowed with a toxic purple hue as she lunged at Kricketune, landing a direct hit. Kricketune staggered, its movements slowing as the poison took effect.
"Kricketune, can you keep going?" Damian asked, worry in his voice. Kricketune tried to stay upright but eventually collapsed, defeated.
Damian sighed and recalled his Pokémon, walking over with a respectful nod. "You're tough, Rusk. Thanks for the battles. I've learned a lot."
"Same here, Damian. You and your Pokémon did great. Keep training, and you'll be even stronger next time," I said with a smile.
Damian nodded, his determination renewed. "I will. Thanks, Rusk."
As he and his friend headed back toward his farm with a wave, I turned to Aria, who was now resting beside me. "Great job, Aria. You've definitely gotten stronger. That training has started to pay off."
Aria clicked happily, her legs stretching out in relaxation. The path ahead was still long, with the cycling bridge a few days away, but I felt ready for whatever else we met on the road. Adjusting the straps of my backpack, I set off again, Aria now walking beside me.
"We've got this, Aria," I said, glancing at the mountainous trail that loomed ahead. "Let's keep moving and see what else Route 206 has in store for us." Returning her so she could get some rest.
The crunch of gravel under my boots was a familiar rhythm, and the sounds of rustling leaves and distant Pokémon cries filled the air as we walked. Somehow, my fiery partner had not woken up during that entire battle…
Shaking my head at the little sloth, I continued on the rocky path as the sun began to dip lower. I managed to find a small clearing and decided to set up camp for the night. There wasn't any stream, but I should have enough water to make it to the cycling bridge where I can get some from the mountain stream. That's the premium glacier water, baby!
Setting up my tent and sleeping bag for the night, I reflected on how the Sinnoh region was generally a lot like home. Maybe that's why I settled in rather quickly? The trees were mostly similar, ignoring the missing poplar trees. It felt rather familiar to the Rocky Mountain range, if a lot shorter in length.
Releasing my team for the night to better be ready in case of a wild Pokémon attack, I crawled into the sleeping bag, content with using Nova as a space heater.
XxxxX
The night passed uneventfully, with the sounds of the wilderness serving as a lullaby. When dawn broke, I stretched and yawned, feeling refreshed despite the chill in the air. Nova, my ever-reliable space heater, stirred beside me, his warm body radiating heat.
"Morning, everyone," I said, crawling out of my sleeping bag. The rest of my team was already awake and alert, ready to face the day. Aster was perched on a nearby tree branch, Aria skittered around the campsite, and Rukia was playfully chasing her own tail.
"Alright, let's get to work," I said, standing up and dusting off my clothes. "I want us to get some training done before we hit the road again."
I set up a small clearing as our training ground, the morning sun casting a golden glow over the area. "We'll work in shifts today. Each of you gets half an hour with me while the others practice on their own."
First up was Aster. "Aster, we're focusing on your speed and agility. Use Quick Attack to dodge these rocks," I said, picking up a handful of small stones. I tossed them one by one, and Aster darted around, avoiding each one with impressive speed. Meanwhile, Nova, Aria, and Rukia practiced their moves independently, each finding their own space in the clearing.
"Starrrrr-Aviaaa!" she chirped as she blasted off managing to double back around before the last rock hit the ground.
"Great job, Aster! Now, let's try Wing Attack on that tree." Aster took off, her wings glowing as she struck the tree with a powerful blow, sending leaves fluttering to the ground.
"Excellent! Keep that up, and you'll be unstoppable." Aster chirped happily, her feathers fluffed with pride. After thirty minutes, I sent her away to practice her endurance against ice types with Rukia and called over Aria.
"Aria, it's your turn girl. We're going to work on your precision and stealth. Use String Shot to hit those targets." I had set up a few makeshift targets around the clearing. Aria focused, her eyes narrowing as she shot out strands of sticky silk, hitting each target only missing the last one as Nova had gotten a bit overzealous with his Flame Wheel training and spun out into our practice area.
"Nice work, Aria! Nova! Keep your legs tucked in or your going to spin out again!" Complimenting my Spider, and remembering how much Nova originally struggled with his balance when we trained with Rowan's guidance. I made sure to give Nova some advice I learned the hard way after rolling down a large hill in a tractor tire… it ended somewhat well… if a broken arm being the only broken thing wasn't a good outcome for that decision nothing was.
After Aria's half hour was up, I called Rukia over. "Alright, Rukia, let's work on your ice attacks. Use Powder Snow to cover that area over there." Rukia nodded eagerly and breathed out a slow flurry of icy crystals, blanketing a section of the clearing in snow.
"Perfect! You're range is increasing, Rukia. Now lets work on getting some more force behind your attacks!" She yipped happily, her pinkish-white fur glistening in the sunlight.
Finally, it was Nova's turn. "Nova, let's work on getting your Will-O-Wisp down. A move that burns instantly will come in handy if we run into anything really dangerous."
"Quil!" chirping out as he concentrated on a large stone we had dug out of the ground, he opened his mouth letting a small purple flame charge, shooting it out with a "Da!".
While, well formed it didn't yet have the required oomph to properly use in battle, "Good attempt bud! You've got the move down pretty well created, its just a matter of powering the launch a bit stronger and this will be a great for battling!" patting him on the head as I spoke.
Taking a break as two hours had passed and we had yet to eat, I got to making us breakfast. A simple dish of bacon and eggs I had in my cooler compartment of my bag, a perfect start for myself. For my team on the other hand, I had gotten better at cooking for their individual needs, each Pokémon had a dish of PokéChow and berries/vitamins I had bought tailored for their growth, something that I had both Brock's and Rowan's help in perfecting.
The sun was high in the sky by the time we packed up and set off again. The rocky path of Route 206 stretched out before us, but with my team by my side, I felt unstoppable.
XxxxX
By the time we had made it to the Cycling Bridge, the sun had begun to set once more. Casting long shadows across the path as we continued our journey along Route 206. The training session had invigorated both me and my Pokémon, and our steps were lighter despite the rugged terrain.
Finally, after several days of travel, the bridge came into view. It stretched high above the ground, a marvel of engineering that connected the two sides of the mountainous terrain.
"Almost there," I said, glancing at Nova peaking over my shoulder. "Just a little further, and we'll be at the bridge."
But as we approached, a Pokémon Ranger stationed at the base of the bridge stepped forward, blocking our path.
"Hold it right there," the Ranger said, raising a hand. "You need a bicycle to cross this bridge. It's not safe to walk across."
I frowned, looking up at the bridge. Noticing a biker coming out the gate onto it, peddling up the steep incline. "I don't have a bike. Is there not a walking path for this bridge?"
The Ranger shook his head. "I'm afraid not. The bridge is designed specifically for cyclists. The surface is too smooth for safe walking, and the high-speed bike traffic can be dangerous for pedestrians. Additionally, the bridge has several steep inclines and declines that are too challenging to navigate on foot."
I sighed, feeling the weight of the challenge ahead. "Alright, thanks for the information."
Turning to my team, I said, "Looks like we're being forced to take the mountain path guys, it won't be much longer as long as we move a bit faster until we make it to the 206 center."
Aster chirped in agreement, and the rest of my Pokémon showed their determination. With a deep sigh, I adjusted the straps of my backpack and set off on the rocky path that wound its way through the mountains.
The terrain was unforgiving, with steep inclines and narrow trails that tested our endurance. Each day was a grueling journey, but we pushed forward, determined to reach our destination.
XxxxX
At the end of one particularly exhausting day, we found a small clearing to set up camp. The sky was a deep orange, and the air was cool and crisp. I released my Pokémon, letting them stretch and relax after the long day.
Looking out towards the canyon, I could see the bright lights of the bridge in the distance bridging the gap between Oreburgh and Eterna, as I set up my tent. "Hah… what's taken me three days of climbing and horrible walking conditions, would've taken me a single afternoon… maybe I just should've had Rowan send me a bike… Fuck."
Shaking my head as I set the rest of camp up, and had Nova start the campfire with the few bits of wood we found nearby.
As night began to fall, I glanced out at the cliffside once more, noticing the beautiful skyline. "Come on, everyone," I called out to my Pokémon. "Let's go check out the view."
Nova, Aster, Aria, and Rukia eagerly followed me to the edge of the cliff. As we reached the edge, the sight before us was magnificent. The setting sun painted the sky in shades of orange, pink, and purple, casting a magical glow over the vast valley and bridge below.
"Look at that, guys," I said, marveling at the scene. "Isn't it beautiful?"
All four of my Pokémon called out in awe, their voices blending together in a chorus. The sight of them, standing side by side, gazing at the stunning view, made me feel incredibly content. While a shitty situation thanks to the cold, I still get to see the wonders of the Pokémon world again and again.
"Hold still for a moment," I said, pulling out my phone. I stepped behind them, framing the picture perfectly. With the vibrant sunset in the background and my Pokémon looking out at the horizon, I snapped the photo. It was a moment I wanted to remember forever.
"We'll cherish this one," I said, putting my phone away. "Now, let's head back to camp. I've got a special dinner planned."
Back at the campsite, I gathered some ingredients from my backpack and set up a small cooking pot over the campfire. The higher altitude made the air colder, and I knew a warm stew would be perfect to warm us all back up, sans Rukia as she was an ice type… kind of know for being Cold.
"Alright, everyone, dinner's coming up," I said, stirring the pot as the aroma of the stew filled the air. My Pokémon gathered around the fire, their eyes shining with anticipation.
As the stew simmered, I added the final touches. "This should do the trick," I said, tasting a spoonful and nodding in satisfaction. "Perfect."
I served each of my Pokémon a hearty portion, making sure everyone had enough to warm up. "Here you go, Nova. This one's for you, Aster. And for you, Aria. Rukia, yours is coming right up." I spoke, sliding over a bowl to my resident ice type, who gave me a huff before freezing the stew into a popsicle of sorts and starting biting into it making me chuckle as ate twice as fast as everyone else.
The rest eagerly dug in, their contented sounds filling the night air. I took a moment to enjoy my own bowl, the warm stew a comforting contrast to the chilly mountain air.
"We've come a long way," I said, looking at my team as they enjoyed their meal. "And we've got a long way to go until Eterna, I know we'll be ready to help Rowan with this job. I owe the man to much for helping me out when I dropped out of nowhere and he offered me a home and means to make a living…"
As the fire crackled and the stars began to appear, I felt a sudden sense of peace wash over me. My team has been getting stronger, I had battled three separate trainers on the path so far, each one easier than the last. My team was amazing against Roark even if it was fairly close at the end, and against the Fossil Pokémon.
The sense of worry had lessened in my chest, the future felt less… dangerous? No, more like I'm ready to face difficult things and come out stronger for it. My team had my back after all.
After dinner, I settled into my sleeping bag, feeling the warmth of the fire and the presence of my Pokémon around me. "Good night, everyone," I said softly. "We've got another big day ahead of us."
As the stars and moon twinkled above, casting a serene glow over our campsite, I felt a deep sense of peace. The gentle crackling of the fire and the rhythmic sounds of my Pokémon's breathing lulled me into a state of relaxation. My eyelids grew heavy, and I allowed myself to be enveloped by the tranquility of the night and into the realm of Cresselia.
XxxxX
That ends chapter 11! now while not a long chapter i wanted to highlight more of his travels towards Eterna and events to come.
Anyways, i wanted to know, what is your favorite thing about the story so far?