Note- Haha! Only a month a half break between chapters this time! I am very glad I wrote several chapters this summer, because these past couple months have been about the busiest I've been in my entire life! But enough of that! I hope you all are doing well and are excited as the year begins to wind down! In Johto, the year has just about wrapped! When we last chilled with Chris, he'd bumped into Sarah, who had joined him on his trip through Ice Path. The two seem to have set off some of the local creatures however, as they've found nothing but fierce opposition on their trip though the frozen cave. Our previous chapter ended with another reunion, this time with Waz and his older brother, Prinny. The four squabbling trainers seem to have stumbled into some more trouble though, so we'll see just how well they can coexist! Let's hop back in and find out! Hope you enjoy! Please Review and Subscribe!
Chapter 51
Shards of ice whizzed through the air. Chunks of rock pounded against the stone floor. Roars and screeches bounced off one another and spread throughout the cavern. Flashes of light and heat cut through the darkness as streaks of fire shot across the open space.
"Just stay back and let me handle this!" Prinny shouted.
"You're going to get your stupid ass killed," Waz retorted.
Typhlosion and Infernape dashed back and forth, batting away the repeated assaults with the help of Prinny and his Scrafty. Cover for the physical combatants came in the form of Waz's Torkoal, who stood with the other trainers and Ampharos. Repeated, well placed Flamethrower attacks put a stop to any foes that snuck past their primary line of defense. Things seemed to be going well until one of the streams of fire singed some hairs atop Prinny's head.
"Are you trying to kill me?" he shouted.
Waz flipped him the bird. "No, but if you don't get out of the way, I'll let these wild Pokémon do it for me!" He turned to his Coal Pokémon, a devious smile forming on his face. "Let's go with Heat Wave."
A dark cloud bellowed out of Torkoal's shell as his body took on a red glow. The air in front of the Fire-type took on this hue a second later, but Chris never got to see the attack land. The black smoke released found his face, sending the trainer into a coughing fit. As he bent over to escape the cloud and wipe his eyes, he heard a string of curses pour from Prinny. He felt Waz's hand on his shoulder a moment later.
"You good?" he asked.
"Fine," Chris managed between coughs. "Noth—nothing like a little carbon dioxide to toughen up the lungs." A white light shut the trainer's eyes once more. When he opened them again, Torkoal had vanished and been replaced by a green and white humanoid looking creature.
Waz nodded to the bipedal creature. "Let's put in some work."
The two of them had stormed into the dwindling crowd of wild foes a moment later.
"Do these brothers have some kind of death wish?" Sarah asked.
Chris shook his head. "I think they're just some tough, fearless Sevii Islanders." He turned to Ampharos, who had just finished launching a Power Gem assault. "Stay here and keep up the good work." With that, the trainer raced toward the nearest beacon of light.
Typhlosion bounced back and forth like a flaming wrecking ball. When his trainer drew close, he caught sight of the biggest grin he'd seen on the Volcano Pokémon since evolving. At Chris's direction, his Focus Blast found a Sneasel mid jump, launching the creature damn near through the cave wall. As the two searched for their next challenger, Chris found his attention drawn toward the brothers.
Waz stepped in front of his Gallade and into the path of an attacking Snover. He dropped to a squat to avoid the clubbing blow and popped back up an instant later to catch the Ice/Grass-type with a palm strike. The surprised creature stumbled back, giving Waz time to switch positions with his teammate.
"It's not about being faster," Waz told him as Snover approached again. "It's about reading your opponent."
Gallade went low but Snover's Wood Hammer was there to meet him. The blow knocked the fighter back and gave the wild creature a chance to attempt a follow up.
Waz shook his head. "You have to create and find the opening."
Iron Tail missed a backpedaling Gallade. As the Blade Pokémon went to set his feet, Waz grabbed his attention again.
"Be patient!"
Gallade slid to the right as the Frost Tree Pokémon's forearm swing went wide. The Psychic/Fighting-type brought a long arm up and flattened out his hand.
"Now!"
Spinning on his heels, Gallade delivered a Brick Break straight to the crown of Snover's tree-shaped head. As he staggered back, a frozen cloud issued out of the wild creature's mouth and caught Gallade unaware. The Blade Pokémon recoiled as Snover toppled onto his rear. Waz looked between the two dazed creatures and then reached into his pocket. With one big swing, the large trainer launched something at the wild Ice/Grass-type. A flash of red preceded Snover's dematerialization into what Chris now recognized as a Poké Ball. The device shook against the ground for a few seconds and then stopped.
Seeing continued action out of the corner of his eye, Chris found Prinny working with Scrafty against a pair of Golbat. The battle appeared to be more of an exercise with the amount of repetition and non aggression from Prinny's side. The Dark/Fighting-type would create a substitute and then wait for both wild creatures to attack it. When the defensive technique gave way, Prinny would instruct Scrafty to create another. Chris witnessed this cycle three times before Infernape stepped over to end it with a single Flare Blitz.
Sarah and Ampharos came to Chris's side a moment later.
The Sinnoh native flailed an arm at each of the brothers. "What is your deal?"
"We're training," Prinny answered matter-of-factly.
"While you're lost in a cave and surrounded by a swarm of angry opponents?"
Chris had never seen Waz look so perplexed. "Training conditions don't get much tougher," he said.
Sarah looked to be on the verge of screaming. She brought a hand up to her mouth and closed her eyes.
The echo of footsteps drew everyone's attention to Prinny. The Sevii Islander and his Scrafty had nearly made it out of Ampharos's ring of light before Chris managed to say something.
"Do you know where you're going?"
"No, but I'll find the right path eventually."
"We know how to get out of here. And as pissed as the Pokémon are right now it might be best to stick together."
Prinny stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Answer me this: do you think I need an escort?"
Chris rubbed at his temple. His only previous interaction with Prinny hadn't prepared him for this level of pride. The quiet, well-intentioned trainer he'd spoken with appeared to have died at the Lake of Rage. Or maybe he's just reacting to Waz, he thought.
"I don't think you need an escort, but I know I'd like to have one," he said.
"You don't think those two would be enough?" Prinny asked.
"Having the Winter Classic Champion on hand would make me feel a lot better."
Prinny stood motionless and silent for close to a minute. "I get to walk in front. And I get first shot at any wild Pokémon."
Chris tried to tune out the volley of quiet curses coming from Waz. "Deal."
"And me and that piece of shit don't walk anywhere near each other."
Waz spit on the ground and used his middle finger as a pointer. "That's a goddamn guarantee."
The next several hours saw an uninterrupted steady climb uphill. Gradually, the open space dwindled till it had returned to its narrow hallway feel. A right turn down an opening in the rock face brought them into a slightly wider area, prompting Sarah to stop suddenly.
Chris shifted to the right to avoid running into her.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I'm gonna get some sleep."
Chris checked his Pokégear and stifled a gasp. "It's six in the morning." He turned to the large, unhappy caboose behind him. "When did you get to Ice Path?"
Waz shrugged. "Not sure. It's been a few days."
"How have these wild Pokémon not overwhelmed you?"
"Everything had been pretty calm," he explained. "I hadn't faced more than a dozen or so Pokémon until that swarm attack yesterday." Waz's eyes narrowed but his scowl softened. "What do you think caused that change?"
A guilty smile and nod were all Chris could respond with.
Waz gripped his shoulder. "Get some sleep. I can take the first shift."
Chris set out some food for his Pokémon and applied Potions while they ate. He brought out his sleeping bag and nearly passed out the moment his ass touched the soft fabric. Something struck his arm and jolted the trainer back into full alert mode. His assailant turned out to be a sleeping bag armored foot. That appendage belonged to Sarah, who twisted around in her grey bed to face him.
"Something wrong?" she asked.
Chris shook his head. "Just checking out your sleeping bag."
"I'm not looking to trade."
"Darn."
Sarah settled in to, prompting Chris to do the same. The two Poké Balls felt like massive weights as he lifted them up to return his teammates. The world sank into near complete darkness the moment Typhlosion and Ampharos vanished. A lone beacon of light stemmed from Infernape's head flame. In it, Chris could just make out the outline of Prinny's face as he leaned against a wall.
"Are you not going to get some sleep?" Chris asked him.
"Not while that fucker is awake."
Chris turned to Waz and whispered, "Will you two be okay?"
"As long as he doesn't open his fucking mouth again."
Well that's reassuring, Chris thought. He didn't have to worry about them for long; once his head hit the pillow, he was out.
Chris was shaken from his slumber. Shouting voices found his awakening ears. His brain kicked into gear an instant later—his mind filled with thoughts of the trainers under attack. That snapped his eyes open and got the trainer fighting to get out of his sleeping bag.
"What's—"
"—piece of shit!"
"You're all talk!"
"You want to get your ass kicked again in a Pokémon battle? Or how about a fist fight?"
"Will you two shut up?" Sarah shouted.
"Hey!" Chris shouted, finally freeing himself from his bed. He rose to his full height and stared down at the trio of standing trainers. None of them looked intimidated but Chris told himself that the low lighting hid their fear. "If you two can't sit here without arguing… just go to sleep."
"That's fine with me," Waz agreed.
"Who's gonna take the next shift?" Prinny asked.
Chris glanced over at Sarah, who gave him a shrug.
"How long have you guys been on watch?" Chris asked the brothers.
"About five hours," Waz answered.
"Okay, then I'll—wait. You guys sat here in the dark and didn't talk for five hours?"
"I'm amazed they're both still alive," Sarah added.
The brothers's silence helped Chris regain his train of thought. "I'll take the next five hour shift."
"I will too," Sarah said.
It took under a minute for both Sevii Islanders to fall asleep. Their soft, rhythmic breathing synced to the point that nearly five seconds of silence passed between breaths.
Chris and Sarah both packed up their sleeping bags and slid over to sit against the wall. The Cherrygrove native considered bringing out one of his living light sources, but decided against it once he saw Infernape drop down beside his trainer.
"Those two are something else," Chris said.
"Yep."
"You ever seen anything like that?"
"It can happen to the best of siblings."
Chris leaned closer. "You speaking from experience?"
Sarah snorted but said nothing.
Fiddling with his hands, Chris glanced over at the dark figure laying beside the smaller brother. Prinny's Scrafty had been one half of a tournament winning team. Yet his trainer still pushed him to get reps with a move like Substitute—a technique he'd already proven to be more than capable with. Waz looked to have done something similar with his Gallade, though that Pokémon appeared to have much less experience. Either way, it was reassuring to see two strong trainers share his training method.
"You know what I just realized?" Chris asked.
"What?"
"I'm the only one who didn't use a Fighting-type in that last battle."
"Guess that's true."
Chris held up a finger as another revelation struck him. "And before that, Prinny was the only one who didn't use a Fire-type."
Sarah answered with silence.
Chris slowly leaned back to stare ahead once more. He sat staring at a dark spot on the opposite wall for what felt like an eternity. He tried to distract himself by listening intently to the world around him. Waz's cyclical intake and outtake. Infernape's soft snorting when he'd turn in Chris's direction. After a few seconds of listening, he even managed to pick up on Sarah's measured breaths. The quiet sounds created such a peaceful ambiance that—
"You awake?"
The trainer snapped to attention. "What's up?"
"Nothing. Just seemed like you were falling asleep."
"I think I was," he said with a laugh. "Did you sleep okay?"
"Not particularly."
"These cave floors can be pretty uncomfortable."
"So is someone rolling into you a half dozen times."
Chris grimaced. "Guess I do move a bit in my sleep."
"It's alright. I don't think I could get much sleep in a place like this anyway."
"You have seemed a bit… on edge." Chris held his breath and waited for a retort. Instead, Sarah leaned back to rest her head against the wall.
"I'm just not a fan of caves—particularly of the frozen variety."
"Strange to hear that from a Sinnoh native."
Her scoff appeared before he'd even finished the sentence. "Oreburgh is in southern Sinnoh. The whole continent isn't just one big frozen tundra."
"That's true," Chris said. "And I can definitely understand your feelings on caves. I haven't enjoyed my time in any of them."
"Really?"
Chris tapped a finger to his head. "I've got some wild stories in here. Nearly got crushed by an Onix in Union Cave. Took an absolute beating during my two month stay in Mt. Mortar."
"Why on earth did you spend two months in there?"
Chris found himself with a grin. "I had to help someone."
"That still sounds awful."
"Oh, it was. But we got a lot tougher because of it."
"After all that, why didn't you just fly over Ice Path?" Sarah asked.
Chris sighed. "I don't have any Flying-types big enough to do that."
"Same," Sarah said. She reached into her bag and brought out a berry for Infernape. The Fire-type took it without a word. "And the real infuriating part is not being able to hike up to Blackthorn from Cherrygrove City."
"It's possible," Chris corrected. When Sarah couldn't hide her intrigue, he elaborated. "My brother did it as part of his training before the Silver Conference."
"You're sure he didn't fly over at least part of it?"
Chris nodded. "He left Skarmory at home to prove it. Machamp helped him scale some of the more dangerous stretches."
"Did he do well at the tournament?"
"Runner up."
Sarah folded her arms. "Does that make you nervous?"
"It gives me something to shoot for."
"You didn't answer my question."
Chris opened his mouth and then closed it. When he'd set out on his journey, surpassing his brother had been near the top of his goals. He'd taken so much from Matt—using many of his training techniques and following a very similar route around the region. He told me to skip Mt. Mortar though, Chris thought, a smirk rising to his lips. But even after training with the Karate King, could he do what Matt and his squad couldn't? "To win the silver conference… a little, yeah."
"You said he was runner up, though?"
"Why not aim higher?"
Sarah gave a short nod and fell silent.
The next day—if one could even call the perpetual darkness that—passed without much action. A few wild Pokémon broached the divide and sought combat, but Prinny almost always made short work of them. Chris's only opponent during this stretch turned out to be a quick hitting Golbat that swung past the two trainers in front of him. Late ambushes provided the young man behind him with extra training did little to appease the younger Sevii Islander.
"He always fucking does this."
"I'm cool with it as long as he follows Sarah's directions," Chris replied.
"But you and your team should be up front. You have the Pokémon with the two brightest lights. And both of them have type advantages over most of what we'll see."
Chris shook his head. "Infernape's light should be enough in this narrower section. And your brother's Pokémon are strong enough to handle any individual attack." The Cherrygrove native sighed as Waz spat on the ground. "I've never seen you like this, man."
"I'm normally not like this."
Chris ducked under a low hanging section of rock. "What happened that made you two hate each other like this?"
Waz spat again. "Sixteen years of bad blood."
"You guys have never gotten along?"
"He's always been a jackass."
"That's just crazy to me."
"You and your brother never had issues?" Waz asked.
"He was a good five years older than me," Chris explained. He stopped to think back. "I'm sure I annoyed him sometimes with how many questions I asked. That didn't stop us from hanging out. He spent more time with his older pals but he always made opportunities to chill with me. And I'll always be grateful for the times he let me watch him train."
"My brother refused to train around me when he was home—not that he was ever there."
"You said he competed in Kanto last year, right?"
"Yeah."
"How'd he do?"
Waz's scowl deepened. "Finished third."
"Dang."
Upon reaching a wider stretch of cave, the group stopped for lunch. The four quickly separated to each corner of the space. Without a partner to light their area, Waz and Prinny vanished into the darkness. Chris could just make out Sarah's mouth moving in the red glow of Infernape's flame, but her quiet conversation was inaudible.
Bringing out his team, the Cherrygrove native quickly dished out a round of vitamins with their food. Nidoking was the first to voice his confusion at their current situation.
"Yeah, we're back in a cave."
"Nido'," the Drill Pokémon growled with a shiver.
Chris snorted. "They don't call it Ice Path for nothing."
The flap of wings drew Chris's attention to Crobat, who had drifted further down the cavern and nearly out of their ring of light. The trainer jogged over to him. "Shorter days and multiple cave visits. I bet you're loving this."
The Bat Pokémon came to rest upside down on a frozen stalactite. He gave a short nod but said nothing.
"We're going to need ya in our upcoming Gym Battle," Chris said. "I know the last couple of gyms haven't been good matchups for us, but I'm excited to see how much better you've gotten since our battle with Chuck."
Crobat lifted a wing and waved to their surroundings. "Cro'?"
"I'd love to be able to train with you in here. Problem is, we've pissed off a lot of Ice-types while traveling through. I'd hate for you to get jumped by a bunch of type-advantaged Pokémon."
"'Bat," Crobat softly screeched, pointing another wing back at himself.
"I know you can overcome type disadvantages," Chris clarified. His following rebuttal faded before it had a chance to form. "And I guess you can see better than all of us in here. It would make sense for you to scout things out. Would you be up for that?"
Crobat dropped from the ceiling and attempted to land on his trainer's shoulder. The moment his weight came down nearly sent Chris to the ground back-first.
"You weigh almost as much as me!"
"Would have been nice to have had a creature that can see in the dark this entire time."
With everyone packed up, Sarah stood before Chris and his three remaining Pokémon.
"I just didn't want these Ice-types to ambush him," Chris explained.
"With his sight and speed, we would have been the ones doing the ambushing."
Chris sighed. "I see that now."
"You said we were close to the exit?" Prinny interjected.
Sarah tapped her Pokétch. "It looks that way."
"Then we better expect a fight soon," Waz said.
"Why's that?" Sarah asked.
Chris jumped in. "Because of how much you—we've pissed them off." Sarah's eyes narrowed but she let it slide. Even if she had argued, Chris knew he'd told the truth. And maybe that'll help her get us out of here quicker, he rationalized. "You guys ready?"
When they set off again, the party had been reorganized. Crobat flew ahead of the group to serve as a scout. He stayed just ahead of the light put out by Ampharos and Typhlosion who, at Waz's insistence, had moved to the front along with their trainer. Prinny still walked in step with Chris, but he didn't mind. We'll just let him take care of any surprise attacks.
But to Chris's genuine surprise, the next hour brought them not so much as one wild encounter. They traveled in relative silence, with Sarah and Waz not making a peep behind him. It wasn't until a white light appeared in the distance that conversation started back up.
Chris blinked and shielded his eyes with a hand. "Is that…"
"Daylight," Sarah finished.
"Looks like your map was correct," Prinny said.
"Did you doubt it?"
"I just know that paths can change in a hurry when wild Pokémon are involved. Especially ones that seem this angry and vindictive."
"Okay, I get it," Sarah said, throwing up her hands. "Let's just get out of here."
The light grew brighter as the walls around them parted. As Ampharos and Typhlosion stepped into the wide space, their combined glow lit what the piercing sunlight could not. The open area easily stood as the largest chamber they'd passed through, even rivaling the size of Kiyo's layer in Mt. Mortar. The overall stalactite formation and lack of ice also reminded the trainer more of the cave he'd spent a couple of months in. Sweat began to bead up under the trainer's toboggan as he passed into the warmer air. He winced as his gaze found the golden rays on the far side of the chamber. I'd say that's probably why, he thought. But as he squinted at the nearby exit he became aware of several shadow-obscured figures standing before it.
"Do you guys see—"
"Yes," Prinny cut him off.
Sarah motioned for Infernape to slowly advance. "We've managed to beat them back so far," she said. "I'm not about to let them stop me at the end."
"Let's form a plan of attack," Prinny said, bringing out a Poké Ball. "I can take the left side alone."
"You proud piece of sh—"
Sarah punched her palm. "Shut up so we can get out of here." She pointed at Chris. "Me and him can take—"
A beam of concentrated energy whizzed past her ear and exploded against the wall behind them. As shards of ice rained down on him, Chris chanced a peak through a half open lid. "They're moving!" he warned.
"Let's do the same!" came Waz's reply.
The trainers booked it toward the approaching shadows, narrowly avoiding the icy projectiles that emerged from the quasi darkness. Two flashes of light, one on each side of Chris, revealed the presence of a Waz and Prinny teammate. He had no time to register their identities as a shard of ice shattered against his left bicep. A sharp pain shot across the appendage and up into his shoulder. He hissed and staggered to a halt. Typhlosion and Ampharos were at his side an instant later.
"I'm alright," he assured them. He ducked a multicolored beam and waved toward its point of origin. "Return fire with Flamethrower! Ampharos, keep an eye out for any retaliation!" A burst of nearby heat let Chris know his command had been carried out. The crackle of static in his ears preceded a bolt of electricity fired into the barely lit chamber by Ampharos. He shook his head and squeezed his left arm. A dull pain, weaker than before, greeted him. Mt. Mortar treated me worse, he reminded himself.
A red glow on the far side of the chamber momentarily grabbed Chris's attention. The heated air visibly spread to overtake what was revealed to be a pair of Jynx. They recoiled as the air combusted and flames danced across their skin. Chris traced the Heat Wave attack back to Waz and the Torkoal that stood beside him. Another blast of heat to his right revealed the location of Sarah and her Infernape. Typhlosion and Ampharos had also taken the initiative during this time, advancing to the chamber's halfway point. But charging after his surging Pokémon, he saw no sign of Prinny. Had he been defeated? Or had he fought his way through and escaped? Leaving his brother to fend for himself wouldn't be too surprising, Chris rationalized.
Living in his thoughts nearly cost the trainer his head. A sharp claw sliced through the darkness and narrowly missed Chris's chin. He turned toward his attacker as a second claw came for him. Grabbing the creature's wrist with both hands, he let out a hiss as pain surged into his left arm once more. He juked to avoid a swipe from the attacking Sneasel's free claw and spun with all the torque he could muster. He heard a yelp as he pulled the Ice/Dark-type over his shoulder and launched him as far as he could. When he turned back toward the piercing daylight, he found that Sarah and Infernape had nearly made it to the exit. Ampharos and Typhlosion had also been driven that way, leaving the trainer with a sudden and intense feeling of vulnerability.
"Are you alright?"
Waz stood alone beside him.
"Doing better now," Chris answered. "Though I'd feel even safer if you had a teammate backing us up."
"I will once they hit me with something I can't handle."
"Let's see if we can find that closer to the exit."
They had only taken a few steps when the ground beneath them shook and a high pitched yell echoed through the chamber. Chris looked up but Waz had already spotted the source.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me."
A row of creatures had appeared before the exit. With the sunlight pouring in from behind, their silhouettes cast long shadows.
"They saved the biggest for last," Chris managed between sharp breaths.
Nearby footsteps revealed Chris's teammates and a backward scrambling Sarah. Infernape was at her side a moment later, though his hunched form and heavy breathing revealed just how worn down he'd become. With the light from their Pokémon, Chris caught sight of a growing red stain on the fabric covering Sarah's shoulder.
"You're bleeding," he told her.
"I've noticed. So are you."
Chris looked down and found streaks of red emanating from his exposed left arm.
"Guess I—"
"Ty'!"
His starter's warning brought Chris's attention to a pair of nearby creatures. Twin incoming multicolored beams revealed these foes to be a pair of Cloyster.
"Flamethrower!" Chris shouted.
His starter's quick reaction time helped the flames meet the oncoming attack at a safe distance. The trainer's sense of safety began to rapidly dwindle as the rainbow hued energy started to gain ground. Chris whipped around to summon aid from his other Pokémon, but found them engaged in their own skirmishes. Sarah and Infernape had also found themselves on the receiving end of suppressive fire.
"Don't back down!" Chris encouraged, reaching for another Poké Ball.
Two concentrated streams of water shot past the trainer from behind and smashed into the clashing attacks, breaking them apart and filling the chamber with steam.
"I would have thought Typhlosion could handle a couple of Ice-types," Waz teased. He nodded to the Blastoise beside him, whose shell cannons shifted as he reloaded.
Chris found himself smiling. "Show me how it's done then."
"Already on it."
The Shellfish Pokémon dropped to a knee as a pale blue orb burst from his right cannon. The Aura Sphere quickly covered the short distance and exploded against one of the surprised Cloyster. But even as the creature fell, his comrade of the same species retaliated with a flurry of ice spears. With Typhlosion still attempting to catch his breath, and Blastoise having just launched an attack, the trainers had no way to halt the advancing threat.
"Get down!" was all Chris could think to shout.
As the icy projectiles bore down on them, a high pitched whistling sound filled the air. A grounded Chris chanced a peek and felt a sharp pain in his ear. He ducked back down as a flurry of thin projectiles whizzed overhead. One look toward Typhlosion's lit back revealed the storm's material. Leaves.
The barrage of razor sharp leaves diced Cloyster's ice and swallowed up the Ice/Water-type. The storm lifted him off the ground and flung him out of view.
Turning, Chris found Prinny standing over him. At his side stood a large, flower-backed quadruped.
"'Saur," the creature bellowed.
"I was hoping we could have taken more than one enemy out with that," Prinny said, casting a frown at his rising brother. "I know we're more than capable of that."
Waz and his Blastoise turned to face Prinny, the former's hands already balled into meaty fists. "Why don't you man up and say what you actually mean?"
"You wouldn't need me to spell it out for you if you'd looked back at any point," Prinny said, motioning to his Pokémon. "In just these past few minutes, Venusaur has protected your blind ass more times than I can count. And he's done all that with a type disadvantage."
"Keep talking and I'll—"
Chris shook his head. If they want to fight and squander their best chance to escape there's not a thing we can do about it, he rationalized. He could reconnect with Waz through his PokéGear once they were out of this maddening assault. "Typhlosion, Ampharos, and Crobat!" He paused for a split second to make sure he had their attention. "We're out of here!" As the group converged toward the growing light, two small shadows passed through ahead of them. Sarah and Infernape, Chris realized. But as he drew close he caught sight of a third, smaller creature exiting also.
"Have your fire at the ready!"
Chris shielded his eyes as they passed through the veil of light. The winter breeze that struck his face actually felt warm. These senses were quickly overridden by the sound of Ampharos's warning cry.
"Flame Wheel!" Chris instinctively called.
The trainer took a step back as the air temperature spiked. Though wincing, he managed to crack open an eyelid in time to see Typhlosion's flaming tackle meet the exact foe he had predicted.
"Deli'!"
Typhlosion met resistance in the form of Delibird's Drill Peck. The spinning beak jab couldn't halt the Volcano Pokémon's advance though. The Ice/Flying-type recoiled as the flames broke through his assault, forcing him to take to the air. But as Typhlosion took a quick step to pursue, Chris called him off. The trainer ignored the confused stares of his teammates, instead watching as the Delivery Pokémon landed back on earth a couple dozen feet away.
"Dish out as much as you feel is warranted," Chris said. "Just know that my team will not be punching bags."
Delibird eyed the trainer up and down before slowly raising the pouch under his left wing. Typhlosion's shoulder flames burst to life in response. The Ice/Flying-type's wing disappeared into the satchel, drawing a guttural snarl from Chris's starter. The two creatures stood frozen in their unique battle stances as the afternoon sun continued to sink. The trainer caught Ampharos shift nervously out of the corner of his eye.
"It'll be alri—"
A whooshing sound snapped Chris's attention back toward Delibird, but his eyes stopped at the sight of an incoming projectile.
"Flamethrower!"
A stream of fire met the oncoming white orb and instantly consumed it. Rays of light spiraled out from the impact, distorting Typhlosion's attack and sending bolts of fire out in every direction. Delibird had launched another orb before the clash had even ended.
"Focus Blast!"
With its added prep time, Typhlosion just managed to fire the golden orb. It instantly met Delibird's attack, with this collision resulting in a concussive blast that forced the Cherrygrove native back a step.
"Ty'!"
Delibrid bore down on the fire starter, his body spinning, and his beak fully extended. Typhlosion rose up on his hindlegs to avoid the assault but the enemy's Drill Peck found his exposed torso. As he began to topple backward, golden fire overtook the back of his neck. The explosive force of the flames propelled the Volcano Pokémon back to all fours and staggered Delibird.
"Flame Wheel!"
It only took one spin for Typhlosion to completely encase himself in the fiery golden vortex. Delibird tried to take to the air but the fire starter met him before he could jump. The explosive tackle propelled Delibird several feet back, where he landed unceremoniously. He lay there for a few seconds before slowly sitting back up.
I didn't think this species had this kind of stamina, Chris thought. He eyed Delibird closely as he made it back to his feet. Despite looking like he could still battle, the Delivery Pokémon kept his wings at his side.
"Would you like to keep going?" the trainer asked.
Delibird's eyes flashed between Typhlosion, Ampharos, and Crobat before finally settling on Chris. He gave a small but noticeable shake.
"Well then, thank you for a terrific battle." And with just the faintest hint of caution in his step, the trainer approached Delibird. He cast a thumbs up to quiet the concerned voices of his teammates. The Ice/Flying-type's eyes followed him the entire way. The creature remained motionless until Chris dropped to a knee in front of him and extended his hand. The trainer didn't drop his stare, even as Delibird leaned back and slid a wing below his line of sight.
"Watch out!"
The warning snapped both Chris and Delibird's attention toward a cluster of pines on his right. Infernape had moved out of the tree line and was on his way toward them. Looking past the Flame Pokémon revealed Sarah half hidden behind a tree. She motioned toward the Ice/Flying-type.
Chris turned back and found Delibird's extended wing inside of his pouch-like tail. Fighting off the growing tightness in his shoulders, the trainer waved Infernape to a halt, threw on a smile, and turned his extended palm upward.
"I should have apologized to you from the beginning. We've caused quite a fuss haven't we?" When Delibird didn't move, he continued. "I'm sorry for the pain we repeatedly brought to you and your friends. But," Chris's stare hardened, "you did force us in the end to defend ourselves. I don't apologize for the battle we just had. After our skirmishes you could have let us exit Ice Path and not risk any further harm to your companions. At a certain point I think a leader has to be willing to adapt their response."
Delibird's eyes widened and his lower beak dropped a fraction of an inch. He tilted his head back to look over the trainer's shoulder. After a long moment, his focus returned to Chris.
"Are you staying with your initial approach?"
The Pokémon's face contorted as he shifted his feet. He dropped his head and Chris followed his gaze back to his tail. The creature slowly removed his wing to reveal a brilliant orb of light. Chris dropped his free hand to the ground to steady himself as Delibird placed the energy orb onto his open palm. The white light slowly faded, revealing a trio of berries.
Thank Arceus, Chris's mind screamed. Visibly, the trainer allowed a long sigh. "Thank you."
"Del'," the creature calmly replied. He swung his tail over his shoulder in one fluid motion and set off toward Ice Path's entrance. Chris's teammates parted to let the Delivery Pokémon waddle by. The shorter creature paid them no mind and soon had vanished back into the icy darkness.
"There's a fine line between bravery and stupidity," Sarah said from close by.
"Are you saying I didn't walk it very carefully?"
"You fell over it a couple of times."
Chris held back a laugh and waited for his teammates to join him. He gave them a quick look over to make sure no one was seriously hurt before turning back to his fellow trainer.
"It was nice of you to leave us during that swarm battle by the way," he said.
Sarah's eyes narrowed. "Kind of like how you left those two brothers?"
"They have each other. And honestly, I think one of them might be enough to get past all those wild Pokémon anyway."
"You should have dragged one of them with you. The way they argued, I could see those two sacrificing their lives to ensure the other brother doesn't make it out."
"It's possible," Chris replied, glancing back at the cave's entrance, "but I doubt it. They wouldn't compromise the safety of their Pokémon."
"Don't you think that might be why I got out of there so quickly?"
Chris shrugged. "Maybe. Or maybe you just panicked."
Infernape took a quick step to come between the two trainers. He slowly brought a simmering fist to Chris's face but it never got close; one of Crobat's wings batted it down before the Flame Pokémon could even register his presence. Typhlosion appeared between them a moment later, having risen onto his hindlegs and reignited the flames around his neck.
"Do we have an issue?" Sarah asked.
"Not at all," Chris answered. "Typhlosion just remembers your promise."
"My…" Sarah's eyes widened and her mouth quickly shut.
"We're ready whenever you are."
The Sinnoh native eyed the Volcano Pokémon closely. "Your Typhlosion looks pretty beat up," Pausing to give Chris a chance to reevaluate his teammate, she then added, "His Blaze ability kicked in during that battle with Delibird after all."
Another round of golden fire burst to life from Typhlosion's neck. The Volcano Pokémon snarled and bore his fangs.
He's turning up the intimidation factor, Chris noted. It was an unusual display from his normally calculative teammate. One of the only other times he'd shown this level of aggression had come during their battle with Kamon. And he was nearly unconscious at that point, Chris reminded himself. As much as he hated to admit it...
"We don't care to wait," Chris said. Before Typhlosion could wheel around to object, the trainer added, "We'd like to battle your Infernape at his full strength anyway."
Sarah's retort died on her lips at the sight of her fire starter. Multiple uses of Flare Blitz had taken their toll and the side effect of Close Combat left the Flame Pokémon looking more feeble than Chris had ever seen him. A battle now between the two Fire-types would be a brief, sad affair.
Chris turned to examine the path ahead. The snow laden path wound between a pair of mountains, with a bountiful amount of pines scattered throughout. The roofs of several buildings could be seen over a distant rise.
"How about we get our Pokémon healed up?" he suggested.
Though more expansive than any of the towns Chris had visited, Blackthorn City felt no more crowded. Natural buffers like yards and dirt separated the one-story homes and businesses from the brick sidewalks lining the wide streets. Almost all of these structures, even the businesses, looked to be made from natural materials. Stone foundations and walls as well as straw-lined windows gave these suburban locations a minimal, almost tribal feel.
"And here I thought Ecruteak was old fashioned," Sarah muttered.
"I kinda like it," Chris replied. He motioned toward some homes built into the side of a cliff face. "It's a great example of coexisting with nature."
"I don't dislike it. I just bet it sucks to live here this time of year."
"It would be tough to get supplies up through the mountains."
"And Arceus only knows how they keep from freezing during blizzards."
Their intrigue only grew as they drew close to downtown. These buildings stood several stories tall and were built in a more modern style. The newer style and general layout actually reminded Chris of Cherrygrove. Despite the aesthetic change, one aspect of their surroundings remained the same.
Sarah came to an abrupt stop. "Where is everyone?"
"It does seem a bit… lacking in the people department."
"I thought this was supposed to be a city. There were more people out and about in Mahogany Town. Any ideas, Johto-man?"
Chris scratched the back of his head. "There's not a ton of information about Blackthorn." He ignored Sarah's incredulous expression and turned to study the grey clouds as they topped the mountains. "Ya know, that kinda applies to all the locales outside of central Johto. Cianwood, Mahogany, and Blackthorn all kinda do their own things."
Sarah's gaping mouth twisted into a scowl. "Don't even get me started on Cianwood. They stared me and Seth down from the moment we arrived. And it only got worse after they heard us speak."
"Maybe they sensed trouble."
Sarah's eyebrows rose. "Are you condoning that kind of behavior?"
"No, of course not. But Johto is an amazing region. Don't let some small, isolated groups distract you from that."
"I respect your pride for Johto," Sarah said, her stare softening, "but don't forget that no region—no place—is perfect."
Chris dropped his gaze as his thoughts turned to a different city. It is perfect.
They hadn't traveled much further when a red and white building came into view.
That drew an audible sigh from Sarah. "I was beginning to think they didn't have a functioning center."
Unsurprisingly, they found no line inside. A dark skinned man tinkered with a machine behind the counter. He didn't turn around or even acknowledge them. As the fumbled with the cylindrical device, he let a string of curses and indiscernible words spill from his mouth. After a few more seconds of this, Sarah finally let out a loud cough.
"Holy Shit!" He spun around, knocking over the waist high device he'd been working on. The arriving trainers exchanged a quick look while the man attempted to compose himself. When he did finally look at them, Chris thought he looked much younger than any other nurse he'd dealt with. "I am so sorry about that. I heard the door open but I assumed it was the wind."
"I'm guessing you haven't had many visitors today," Chris said.
The young man let out a short laugh. "You two are actually my first."
Sarah placed a hand on the counter and leaned forward. "What the heck is going on here?"
"I'm sorry?"
"What I think she's getting at," Chris said, tapping Sarah's shoulder, "is how empty this city feels."
The nurse let loose another round of laughter. As he wiped tears from his brown eyes, he asked, "You two haven't been here before, have you?"
Sarah's deadpan reply didn't miss a beat. "It's been a few months since my last hidden mountain village retreat."
"Understandable," he said. His smile never left as he cleared his throat. "When founded, we were the second largest settlement in the region. But all these decades later and our population has barely grown. Being isolated up in the mountains makes it tough to import goods and even tougher to expand our living space. And with the rough stretch of winters we've had, our leaders finally decided to make a change."
"So everyone just leaves town now?" Sarah interjected.
"Well, sort of. During this cold stretch of the year most of our families head south to work along Routes 45, 46, and 29. The land is a lot more manageable and they have better access to cities like Cherrygrove."
Chris's eyes lit up. "Now that you mention it, I have seen camps of people show up around Route 29. That was the first time I'd ever seen a Dragon-type in person. I almost rode my sled right into their camp to get a better look."
"How do they make it back?" Sarah asked.
Chris jumped in. "I bet they fly back on dragons."
The nurse's grin grew. "You got it.
"Everybody has one?" Sarah asked.
"We send the local dragons to help anybody that doesn't."
And with that an awkward silence fell over the trio. The nurse's gaze bounced between the two trainers for what felt like an eternity before he finally spoke again.
"Are you two physically alright? Looks like you've got some cuts and bruises."
"I think so," Chris answered. "Let's just say we could have used some dragons of our own to get here."
"Ice Path can be tough this time of year."
"Yeah."
Sarah took charge before another uncomfortable silence could settle in. "We'll leave our teams with you if that's alright."
The young man's eyes went wide. "Oh, shit. Yeah, of course!"
He snatched the twelve Poké Balls but froze when he turned to his equipment. He surveyed in complete silence the device he'd previously knocked over. A guilty smile appeared on his face as he placed the capture devices back on the counter. "Would one of you care to help me stand this back up?"
"Not at all," Chris answered, hopping the counter. He peeled off the winter coat Kamon had given him, rolled up his long sleeves, and slid his hands under the box shaped device. It's heavy weight was undeniable, only amplified by the stinging pain from his cut arm. But with a last, swift motion, Chris had the device back on its base once more. All seemed fine until he caught the nurse's surprised expression. "Everything alright?"
"I didn't help you."
"What?"
The nurse pointed at the machine. "You lifted that without my help. I was tying my shoes."
Chris looked from the device to his exposed forearms. "How much does it weigh?"
"A fuck ton."
"Huh."
Sarah cut in. "How long do you think it'll take to heal our teams?"
"Oh, uh..." The young man quickly placed their Poké Balls into the machine and started it up. "Maybe twenty minutes. I'm not real sure to be honest."
"Are you new to this?" Chris asked as he hopped back over the counter.
The young man lifted the bottom of his jacket to reveal a belt laced with Poké Balls. "I'm actually a trainer. I just volunteer here during the lull period."
Sarah took a step back and returned to the counter a couple seconds later with a familiar look in eye. "That's very kind of you to help. Has it cut into your training time?"
"It has a bit," he admitted, patting one of his capture devices, "but guys like Pitch understand."
"Cool to finally meet somebody that nicknames their Pokémon," Chris said.
The nurse shrugged. "It's a bit old fashioned, I'll admit."
"It's always interesting to hear the meaning behind the name," Sarah added. "Why'd you go with Pitch?"
"You might find out if you ever battle him."
"How about your name?" Chris asked.
"Cody."
Chris and Sarah exchanged names and handshakes with the dark skinned trainer. Sarah seemed to give up very quickly on discerning any information from him. And once Cody revealed he had no intention of competing in the Johto League, Sarah left the conversation entirely. She stretched out on a nearby couch while the other trainers continued to chat.
When pressed about his plans, the Blackthorn native remained vague, opting instead to turn the focus back on Chris. It seemed much too soon when the healing jingle sounded.
Sarah had made it back to the counter before Cody had even withdrawn their Poké Balls. As she tucked away her Pokétch, Chris caught sight of a long message on its screen.
"Did you get a nice power nap in?" he asked.
"Just had to catch up on some messages. It's amazing how little service one can get in a cave."
Sarah accepted her team with a quick note of gratitude and made a beeline for the nearby PC. Cody watched her with an amused look in his eye but soon turned his focus back to Chris.
"Will you two be hitting up the gym soon?"
"Probably not," Chris answered, nodding at the Sinnoh native. "Hey, Sarah?"
"What?"
"When are we gonna have our one-on-one showdown?"
A short silence followed that saw Sarah never lift her face from the PC. "Not before I get some sleep," she finally answered.
"How does noon tomorrow sound?"
A half hearted thumbs up gave him his answer.
Cody scratched his hairless chin. "There's only one place to go if you're going to have a battle." He jabbed a finger at the window behind him. "There's a flat, open area just below Blackthorn Gym. You'll just need to head north from here."
Chris looked back at Sarah. "Sound good to you?" Upon receiving the same response as before, he stifled a laugh and turned back to Cody. "Thanks again, man. Do you care if I ask you one more thing?"
"By all means."
"Do you have a shower… and maybe a bed too?"
Cody laughed. "I'm sorry. We're packed to mass capacity."
Well... that could have gone a bit smoother. Despite their best efforts to fail, Chris and Sarah managed to make it through Ice Path and now find themselves in a sparsely populated city! But before Chris can challenge the Blackthorn Gym for his final badge, he wants some payback for his Winter Classic defeat. Typhlosion vs. Infernape is on the menu next time! And will we find out what happened to Prinny and Waz? Could there be another familiar face land on the scene? We're gonna find out in the next action packed installment of Heart and Soul! I'll see you then! Please Review and Subscribe!