Chapter 50; a growing team
Team Sonic woke up early morning from excitement eager to get back on track with their journey.
Their last few days had been full of trials and challenges but they had all emerged together, trainers and pokemon stronger than before. Now it was time to go forward.
Packing all their stuff up and restocking on supplies, they left goldenrod city heading north towards their 4th destination. Ecutreak city.
"The time has come" Sonic said as he realized this fact "we should keep a low profile when we get there. Detective Looker could be on the lookout for us, especially after the slowpoke well. We should do our best not to attract any unwanted attention".
"I agree" Tails said looking sideways "a few days ago his help may have not been totally out of reach but now it'd be too dangerous to approach him. We will have to see this mission through ourselves".
"That's ok with me" Knuckles shrugged "I honestly prefer it to be just us and our pokemon against the world. Or at least against team rocket".
"Then it's settled. Onward team Sonic! " Sonic declared pointing forward trying to look cool.
"You've been waiting for a chance to do that haven't you?" Tails teased him.
"Haha. Guilty as charged" Sonic smiled as the three friends laughed.
Their way forward took them north, with the team hoping the way to Ecutreak would be relatively uneventful.
After about an hour of walking they came up to a crossroads with a sign pointing towards…
"The national park! It's on my to-visit bucket list! We should go check it out!" Tails exclaimed hyped.
"Sounds cool in all actuality. Is there any rocket activity though? "
Tails took out his phone. No notifications.
"Not one bit".
"Good. National park… "
"Please don't" Tails teased him again.
Team Sonic burst out laughing as they took the left path. After a short walk of 20 minutes they found themselves at the park's entrance.
The park was huge and incredible. Fields extending as far as the eye could see as well as several small scale forests throughout. Team Sonic let their pokemon out so they could walk alongside them. Of course Sonic's shiny tyrogue attracted attention but none of the three friends or their partners seemed to care.
Following a bit of strolling the team stopped to just sit around and relax. Sonic remembered he had a chat in order with his pokemon including bayleef. Bayleef in fact was the one pokemon he needed to urgently talk with in greater depth so they could solidify their bond as trainer and pokemon.
As Sonic took his party further away from Tails and Knuckles, the latter two got into a conversation about the potential future of their journey through Johto.
"What's after Ecutreak?" Knuckles wondered.
"We go southewest towards olivine city. The 6th gym is located there. From there we're going to have to find a way to get to cianwood city on the other side of the bay. The 5th gym is located there".
"That is a strange path we have to take" Knuckles commented "we go back and forth for no reason".
"We can make the most of it. West of Cianwood and through a path through the cliffs there is the Johto safari zone. Could be worth the visit".
"Definitely worth the visit. Remember Sonic's pinsir? It came from the safari zone in Kanto and it was crazy strong. Imagine if each one of us catches a pokemon like that".
"Team rocket won't know where to hide" Tails said confidently, a small part of him desiring to have payback for Knuckles against the iron mask marauder.
"You know, with Proton possibly out of the picture due to his injuries, there only 3 higher ups of team rocket. Archer, Ariana and Petrel".
"Three of us and three of them" Tails surmised rubbing his chin "Sonic will probably deal with Archer. So that leaves Ariana and Petrel".
"I'd say I take Petrel and you take Ariana since Sonic has encountered her before but he never battled her team so… yeah we're going to have to be ready. You know eevee will probably prove powerful when it evolves into whatever it chooses but it alone… maybe you should catch more pokemon too".
"Yeah, I've been thinking about it for a while. And I think I know exactly where to start" Tails smiled as he showed Knuckles an online announcement for a competition.
The bug catching contest of the national park.
"Bugs huh? I don't know they seem to have too many weaknesses to be worth it".
"Remember how much trouble Mike's beedril gave Sonic?"
"You have a point".
"I know. And best of all I'm not aiming for a beedril. What I really want to find is a butterfree".
"Another one? All the ones in your stomach are not enough?" Knuckles teased him.
"Oh shut up" Tails fired back with a smile "seriously though butterfree will be very efficient. It has access to the powder moves like sleep powder which could prove useful against wild pokemon as well as against our enemies. Aaand to top that off it can learn confusion".
"Confusion? Now I'm starting to like the idea".
"Great. The contest starts in an hour. Let's let Sonic know. Maybe he wants to enter too".
"Let me know what?"
Sonic had just finished his conversation with his pokemon with raichu once again filling the role of translator between Sonic and the other 3 pokemon.
"What'd I miss?"
"Oh I just decided to enter the bug catching contest that starts in an hour here. Get myself another pokemon to grow our team more".
"Bug huh? We've got time".
"Will you enter?"
"Nah don't want a bug type again. Don't get me wrong pinsir was crazy powerful but most bug types require longtime training and we don't have that much time".
After the team went to the registration desk at the entrance of the park, they waited patiently. In the meantime Tails explained his plan of adding a butterfree to the team as a support pokemon that could be used offensively against team rocket. Sonic agreed it was the perfect fit for Tails who wasn't so battle focused as his two friends but also didn't miss the opportunity to tease Tails for his crush on Cosmo as a duet with Knuckles.
Eventually more trainers along with some random kids registered for the contest. Tails wasn't particularly bothered by it, as he didn't care for victory, he just wanted to be able to assist his friends in battle when the time came.
After everyone was registered the contest master explained the rules of the contest. The contestants would be rewarded points based on the number of pokemon they caught as well as the pokemon's rarity. They were provided with what appeared to be regular poke balls though the contest master called them competition balls. He also informed them they could only take one pokemon with them and the balls, no other gear including no cell phones. Tails was caught off guard by this as it meant he would have to venture into the park with just eevee and nothing else.
Sonic and Knuckles realized his anxiety and encouraged their friend telling him he would do just fine. Tails smiled and when the contest began headed off.
Immediately the rest of the competitors raced into the tall grass, running into several pokemon like paras, weedle and caterpie. Tails however didn't follow suit. He had considered the chance of catching a caterpie and evolving it but knew it would take time and their debacle at ilex forest had already put them behind schedule.
Heading off with eevee on his shoulder, he made for one of the small forests. Tails had already researched butterfree so he knew that they either stayed into treelines to find food and avoid predators or flew in groups in the open, again to avoid predators.
Tails and eevee entered the woods cautiously and quietly, making sure not to startle the wild bug types. They came across several caterpies on the ground as well as metapods hanging from the trees waiting to evolve but no butterfree.
"Damnit" Tails thought "they're really rare. If I had my gadgets with me I could set up a fake cry of their species to lure one out".
Tails was out of his element. Usually depending heavily on his tech, he now found himself for the first time ever having to depend on his instincts and what he remembered about butterfrees to find what he sought. And the fact that the mere word butterfree brought Cosmo to his mind didn't make it any easier.
He momentarily let his mind drift to he remembered how her stunning beauty had paralyzed every fiber of his being. And her smell. Working as a florist she was drowning in flower smells.
Flowers.
"Eureka! " Tails screamed triumphantly having hatched a plan. Eevee got startled and fell off his shoulder.
"Sorry eevee" Tails apologized as he looked around.
"Butterfrees love flowers. If I can make a big enough bouquet, it should attract at least one" he thought excitedly as he started picking them up as fast as he could.
Two minutes later trainer and pokemon were being swarmed by bugs. Weedles, caterpies, paras, even venonats.
Racing to a tree in panic, Tails and eevee tried to climb only to remember that bugs could also climb.
"Looks like my plan worked too well" Tails commented racking his brain on how to get out of the situation
Just when they were ready to retreat and flee, their plan came to fruition; a butterfree flew down from the tree coming after the flowers.
Tails wasted no time ordering eevee to use quick attack to get its attention. Eevee obeyed. Butterfree was slammed into a branch and Tails took the opportunity using a competition ball. The ball shook thrice and captured the butterfree.
"Mission accomplished" Tails smiled before hearing a loud screech.
His gathering of bug types had something in common; they were all prey pokemon.
And when so much prey gathered together, a predator was bound to not be far behind.
A large winged bug type emerged from one of the bushes. From its limbs protruded two large scythes.
"A scyther!" Tails gulped trying not to panic. Scythers were deadly hunters.
Scyther started chasing the other bug types around as they all made a run for it. Tails looked to the ground where his competition ball containing butterfree was.
"Eevee when I say go we run like there's no tomorrow got it? Because otherwise there might really be no tomorrow".
"Vee!"
Tails turned his gaze back to scyther. The moment the predator flying bug cornered a venonat, Tails gave the signal, jumping off the tree with Eevee following suit.
While landing they accidentally stepped on a branch which cracked.
Scyther's lightning quick reflexes sent them running away in a panic with Tails managing to grab Butterfree's pokeball in the process. Scyther started chasing them while flying.
"It's getting closer!" Tails yelled looking back over his shoulder as eevee picked up the pace though it clearly didn't seem too happy to be running away instead of confronting the predator.
Eevee's eyes then fell on the competition ball containing Butterfree.
"Vee!" eevee cried out jumping on Tails while pointing at the completion ball.
Tails figured out what eevee was referring to but wasn't too sure about the idea; they didn't know any of butterfree's moves. Hearing scyther's scythes slashing the trees behind them as it got closer and closer, Tails relented.
"Go butterfree!"
Butterfree emerged. Scyther momentarily halted deciding which prey would be the one most worth it. But only momentarily.
The fox was obviously the prize.
"Butterfree use something on scyther quick!"
Butterfree of course hid instead of fighting. Tails jumped out of the way to avoid the scythe that would have no doubt cut him in half had he stayed where he was.
"How are bug catcher trainers so chill when they do this?" he thought terrified trying to figure a way out the predicament.
And then it hit him; he was the prey right? Then he should act smart, hide and wait.
All they needed was a moment of distraction. In other words…
"Butterfree" Tails called out to it hoping it knew the move and would obey "confusion!"
Butterfree did obey and used the move successfully. Scyther started seeing doubles as it hit itself once in its confusion and in anger started slashing on a tree. Tails took the chance to recall eevee and Butterfree and climbed a tree quickly and silently.
Once he got on top he held his breath looking down to see scyther snap out of the confusion and begin searching for its prey – "more like its lunch" Tails thought gulping "how did Sonic tame a legendary pokemon like Moltres if a mere predator is that dangerous?"
Dangerous. Yeah. Scyther was dangerous. And that could prove just as useful as Butterfree.
Tails wasted no time taking out Butterfree and asking it to silently demonstrate him its moves. Butterfree looked at the two tailed fox for a moment and then obeyed revealing it knew confusion, sleep powder, gust and to Tails' amazement stun spore. That could be the key.
"We got the way to tame it. Now we need a plan on how to hit it so I can throw a competition ball".
But then he got another idea, this time from Sonic. He remembered how Sonic described he had caught his shiny nidoking when it was a nidorino. By surrounding it and preparing to immobilize it in case it wasn't caught on first try.
"Butterfree I will try to catch it. When it goes into the ball spray around it with stun spore. That should paralyze it in case it breaks out".
Buttefree got into position as Tails threw the competition ball at the unsuspecting scyther just as it just through a bush. The ball absorbed scyther and started shaking. Butterfree immediately jumped into action spraying the area around the ball with stun spore.
The ball shook once and broke releasing a now angry scyther. The stun spore however worked to great effect paralyzing it just as it tried to slash at Tails with a lightning quick strike. Tails flinched momentarily as he saw the giant scythe an inch from his face but wasted no time pushing another competition ball against scyther. The ball shook 3 times and the catch was confirmed.
Tails dropped back down taking deep breaths to calm himself due to the adrenaline rushing through his body. He had done it. Better than he could have ever imagined. A perfect support pokemon and a powerful attacker for their team.
"Hey butterfree. Good job" he said in between breaths.
"Free!" buttefree cried out as it flew above him with joyful motion.
Evntually Tails calmed down enough to return to the rendezvous point for the end of the contest. The contest master revealed a list of points for the competitors to count how many points they got based on how many and what pokemon they caught. Most competitors had caught a bunch of weedles, caterpies and kakunas as well as venonats and paras. Those were worth one and two points respectively. A teenager who had caught a total of 5 pokemon consisting of a paras, a weedle, a kakuna, a venonat and a beedrill got the lead with the point adding up 11 as beedril counted for 5 points. Tails was the last to present his catches. He revealed butterfree getting a thumbs up from Knuckles and Sonic as well as five points.
All hell broke loose though when he revealed his caught scyther. No one expected anyone to catch a predator bug like scyther and pinsir. Those were worth 20 points but that didn't really matter most of the time cause no one was crazy enough to try and catch them.
"Or at least no one who didn't have a crazy hedgehog best friend to learn from" Tails smiled as he got first place in the contest by a mile, earning first place and to his pleasant surprise, an evolutionary stone of his choice.
"Eevee" he said bringing out his partner "which one do you think we should take?"
Eevee looked at the fire, thunder, water and leaf stones in front of it. It contemplated picking the thunder stone but instead chose to everyone's surprise the leaf stone. Everyone expected for eevee to transform into a new evolution – why else would it pick a leaf stone after all – but instead eevee remained the same. Tails was disappointed nothing happened but, with rules being rules, he had picked his price.
As team Sonic packed up and left the national park heading north they got into a conversation regarding this strange choice by eevee, which was walking a bit further ahead with raichu.
"Why would it choose the leaf stone if it can't evolve with it?" Tails inquired trying to make sense of it.
"I was fully expecting it to choose the water stone. A vaporeon would be a nice addition. But to choose a stone it can't evolve with? Weird".
Before entering the treeline separating them between the field they were currently in and Ecutreak city, the team set camp for a while so they could have lunch. As they were eating, with Knuckles this time cooking them a variant of the homemade soup his mother once made him which his grandmother taught him to make, the three continued discussing the weird choice eevee made.
Unbeknown to them eevee had already explained its choice to raichu. It didn't want to evolve into one of its three stone based forms. It was momentarily temped to evolve into Jolteon because of raichu but felt another path call to it. It instead picked the leaf stone for their friend bellsprout. After all leaf stones were not super common so bellsprout would eventually need it.
Raichu, again by mimicking, got the message along to Sonic. Tails immediately agreed and forced the leaf stone into Knuckles' bag by tricking him despite resistance from the latter.
As the team got ready to venture into the treeline and finally reach Ecutreak city, Sonic's mind returned to the delicious soup they had and the fact that Knuckles told him his grandmother had taught him to make it. But why his grandmother and not his mother? And why even teach him to make soup?
He refrained from asking however as he had tried asking Knuckles about his parents before and Knuckles had just changed the subject. And all those weird inconsistencies. Most specifically when he called ho oh his mother's favorite legend.
"He said was then changed it to is… but why?" Sonic thought as a million possibilities raced through his mind.
He and Tails had both promised to have a talk with Knuckles about this when they got the chance but things just kept getting in their way. And unbeknown to the three friends they would continue to. Especially with destiny awaiting at Ecutreak city's burned tower.