NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 3.3: Route Three
Our first steps out of the forest onto route three are marked by the incessant cries of the Pokemon vanishing as if they were never there. I had gotten used to the noise, in the end, but now that it was gone I was relieved. The kid who had ambushed us cracks his knuckles as he steps out onto the side of the road.
“What’s your name anyways, pipsqueak?” Stretching his arms, the boy grabs a greenish pokeball off his bandolier and begins to roll it around in his hand like a baseball.
“Morgan,” I respond in haste, my eyes twitching, “What’s yours, mud boy?”
“I’m Hunter Haraguchi,” He says after grinning at my response, "Shall we get started?"
A quick glance at Eve finds that I don’t even need to check her emotions, as she excitedly taps her feet on the ground, checking the sharpness of her scales before the fight. Sofie, Cappuccino, and Chamomile stand off to the side, quietly watching our preparations.
“Sure, let’s start. No swaps, one on… however many pokemon you have with you sound good?” Me and Eve match our smirks as my partner shifts her stance, her Pressure shooting out around us.
The boy shivers in anticipation, his grin widening as he holds his pokeball up at me, “You sure? Both my pokemon are more than strong enough to take down Viola.”
I rub my hands together, then cross my arms, “More than sure. Maybe it might even be fair.”
“I’ll prove your arrogance wrong! Cerva, show yourself!” Throwing his ball up into the air, it pops in a flash of emerald light, revealing a large deer.
Landing on his hooves, the Stantler clicks his tongue, his horns shaking as he clicks around. A strangely faint ringing resounds with each movement, and I find my vision slowly warping as I stare, before Eve flicks me with the blunt side of her tail. A wave of irritation emerges from her, and I crack my neck. The fascination effect of the Stantler was stronger than I expected from when I read about it; I was going to have to be careful not to focus too hard on them.
“Eve, it’s time,” I mutter, dragging my foot in the dirt, “Don’t hurt them too bad.”
Eve barks as loud as she can in agreement, and as she leaps to match the Stantler, our first real battle in Kalos begins.
“First off, Cerva!” Raising his hand, Hunter points his finger at Eve. “Gauge the waters with a Tackle!”
Eve snorts as her opponent prances forward, leaping a bit with each step. Cerva’s movements zigzag in a strange way as a result, making it’s next movement harder to read then it would normally be. If it were anyone but my partner, it might be tricky to dodge its attacks. As the deer approaches, a wind begins to pick up around Eve, sending loose dirt spiraling around her.
As Cerva’s horns come flying at her, Eve’s eyes flash with white light as she suddenly shoots off to the side, landing ten feet away with a flash. Hunter’s eyes go wide as she flicks her head, a blade of slightly visible wind cutting through the air towards her opponent. It slices into the deer’s hide, and Cerva grunts in pain, yet it doesn’t falter. The Stantler’s horns flash a silver light, and I feel a bit of surprise from Eve as her eyes suddenly shift.
“Heh!” Putting his hands on his hip the boy squeezes the air. “You’re not gonna get away with doing that ranged attack again, with that Disable preventing it. Now, Tackle her again!”
Receiving the order, Cerva grinds its hoof against a rock, then rushes forward, this time mixing a bit of normal running in with the small leaps. Eve, a bit annoyed that her easy way through the fight is taken out of the picture, spreads her feet as she lowers her stance. When the deer reaches within ten feet, her eyes flash as she vanishes, reappearing beside her opponent as it leaps. Cerva’s eyes go wide, but it doesn’t seem to phase it too much.
The deer’s entire body glows purple for a moment as its momentum shifts unnaturally, the Stantler’s feet hitting the ground faster than they should. It swirls, his horns flying to meet Eve’s, who had started to wind a slash. Then, Eve grins as she instead dashes forward, her tail flashing an ominous black as it cuts into the same place that the Stantler had been hurt by the Razor Wind.
Cerva stumbles, barely keeping its footing as it immediately loses all of its momentum. Clicking his tongue, Hunter raises his pokeball and recalls his Stantler, scratching his cheek as he reaches for our next challenger. Eve cheers, running back over to me, her exhilaration filling my whole.
“It feels a bit unfair that you aren’t making any orders, I still don’t know what moves that you are using,” He mutters, tossing his next ball up, to reveal a small bear cub that roars deceptively loud when it enters the battlefield.
“I’d give her advice, not a command,” I say, wetting my lips, “Eve’s better at this than me.”
“Ha!” Huffing a laugh, the boy catches Teddiursa's ball. “That’s a first. Ursin, Fling!”
The small bear rushes to grab a large rock, which glows a dark black as it raises it above his head. Ursin leans its tiny body back, then chucks the rock, which Eve simply side steps away from. The Teddiursa doesn’t cease trying however, continuing over and picking up a second rock, repeating the process in earnest.
Unamused, Eve decides to take the initiative, slowly approaching into her Quick Attack range. Right as she does and her eyes begin to glow, Hunter grins.
“Drop the rock and use Fury Cutter!” Swiping his hand through the air, Hunter’s excitement shows.
Eve, unable to back out of the move now that it had begun, slides her leg right into a downward claw. Screeching, she takes a step back, but her eyes grow wide when a second, stronger swipe comes for her head. Her horn flashes with orange light as her form flickers, and when it seems the attack would hit, she shifts backwards unnaturally, her form splitting into three as the slash cleaves the air where she had just been. Unceasing, Ursin rushes straight towards the far left copy, and Eve clicks her tongue as she is forced to use Quick Attack again to dodge backwards before the cub’s now golden glowing claws rend her.
“Don’t get cocky, Eve,” I murmur, knowing my partner can hear me, “It can smell you better then it can see you, and the next attack is going to be even stronger.”
Eve nods, sending her gratitude, then she starts her new plan. When the bear is almost upon her again, Eve’s eyes lock with Ursin’s, and she smirks as her own claws take on the same hue as the cubs. She rushes forward, swiping out with her paw, knocking the little bear across the field with its own attack.. When the bear gets back up, it roars in rage as it sprints towards her again, only to be met by the same fate, Eve once again knocking the bear back with its own attack.
Ursin just doesn’t go down though, popping up, its frustration apparent in its movements. Grimacing at the situation, Hunter makes his decision and recalls his Pokemon, the cub’s mind lost to its rage making any orders he could make more than useless.
“Fine then,” he mutters with grinding teeth, “You’ve asked for it! Fuet! END THIS!”
Pulling a purple ball out of his pocket, the boy whips his arm to the side as he throws the strange pokeball. It pops open to reveal… something a bit strange.
“The heck?” Walking up a bit closer while craning her neck, Sofie tilts her head in confusion at the Pokemon that Hunter had sent out. “That is the strangest looking Furret I have ever seen.”
“Ha! It’s more than just that,” Hunter proudly boasts, “It’s the strongest Furret in all the world!”
The ferret in question is definitely different, it’s body stumpier than normal. It's typically long, flexible form is reduced to just half the size I would have expected, all four of it’s feet set firmly on the ground. It’s eyes display a profound confidence in itself, and for once I notice that Eve is a bit unsure.
“Dig deep Fuet!” Stomping his feet in unison with the Furret, the boy confidently places his purple ball back onto his bandolier.
Fuet’s body vanishes beneath the ground, a large hole opening nearly instantly as its little feet swipe against the dirt. Eve, not exactly sure if she should be concerned or not, holds her ground. For a moment nothing happens, and then the sky begins to darken. Looking up in unison, Eve and I stare up in awe as the heavens begin to cry down upon us.
As we do, we nearly miss as the ground beneath my Partner begins to shake. Eve tries to step away, but as she tries to move her injured leg, she stumbles. A huge geyser erupts from beneath Eve, heavy embarrassment at the mistake hitting me as the water pressure sends her flying in the air. Fuet, atop the rushing pillar of liquid, grins as her fur begins to spark with electricity. Time seems to slow as a spark shoots up into the sky, the sky rumbling when it hits the clouds. Eve, falling through the air, realizes what is happening a bit too late. Her horn begins to glow orange but before it's done, a gigantic, blindly bright, deafening bolt of lightning slams into her.
My heart chills in fear as Eve screams in pain, and I nearly run forward to end the match before I see my now crispy partner stumbling on the ground, an aura of determination covering her. The Furret vanishes into the pillar of water, its refracted form retreating beneath the ground. A shallow pool of water, leftover from the Geyser, obscures the ground, and for once Eve panics. Frantically glancing around, the Absol’s head jerks as she looks for any sign of where the ferret is going to appear.
“Eve!” I yell with my voice trembling, my partner’s fears overwhelming me a bit, “Don’t let your emotions cloud your judgment! Don’t ignore your senses!”
Eve pauses, listening to my words. Taking a deep breath, she regains her typical graceful posture as she closes her eyes. When she opens them a moment later, their typical blood red has shifted into dark shadows. Raising her face to the sky as a whirlwind forms around her, raindrops slamming into her face, she howls into the storm, a challenge for the Furret to just try and hit her with that again. It barely takes time for the Taunt to work, the ground bursting beneath Eve a few seconds later. This time, Eve leaps to dodge the disorienting hit, and at the crux of her momentum, she locks eyes with her opponent. For a frozen second, the two stare at each other, knowing they are worthy opponents.
Then, the spark appears at the end of the Furret’s tail, and my partner smiles when he knows that she has won.
A jolt of electricity streaks from Eve’s tail to the tip of her horn, where it collects for a moment as Fuet’s eyes go wide in terror, its own attack not yet charged. Eve’s horn flashes as the bolt arcs into the dark sky, and then the sky splits. I am forced to cover my eyes, the light too strong to look at, and I nearly fall over when the booming shockwave catches me off guard.
When I lower my hand, I huff in relief at the sight of Eve standing victorious over her opponent, the Furret completely unconscious beneath the falling rain. Running forward in unison with Hunter, we splash our way to our pokemon. Hunter scoops up Fuet with a content smile on his face, whispering something beneath his breath as he presses the purple ball onto its stomach. I practically leap at Eve, tackling her to the ground and frantically checking her leg to see how injured she had actually gotten, but she bashfully brushes me off.
“Well, pipsqueak,” Hunter says from behind me, “I have to say, I’m impressed.”
I turn, finding him holding a hand out towards me, “It was a good battle.”
I don’t hesitate to shake his hand, knowing that this was an undeniably important experience for us.
“Same to you, you caught us off guard there at the end.” I stand up, then pull Eve into a hug. “You did great, Eve.”
My partner looks at me in surprise, then nuzzles me with affection. The localized rain clears to reveal the afternoon sun, a pleasant sight after such a stressful fight. Water splishing around her feet, I turn to see a deep in thought Sofie approach. Chamomile and Cappuccino stare at Eve with newfound appreciation, and the Absol smugly walks over to their trainer. Sofie falls out of her daze when she does, quietly praising my partner for her good work with a head pat.
“That was… intense to say the least,” Sofie murmurs before she finds a small grin, “Clumsy, you’re soaked.”
“I-I…” Unable to find words, I pull at my now soaked hoodie, which drips water onto the quickly draining puddle beneath us. “Yeah, I-I guess so.”
Eve snickers, walking over to me before shaking rapidly, sending water everywhere. I squeal in shock, but I don’t let such a dishonorable blow go unanswered. I reach down, cupping my palm as I swipe my hand upwards in the water. The splash slams right into Eve’s face, and my partner knows that the game has begun. She leaps back a foot, crouching down before leaping at me, knocking me down into the puddle once again. I stick my tongue out as we roll, pushing my foot into the ground to shift our trajectory, I end up on top first as we begin to wrestle, attempting to pin the other down. In the end, she’s way stronger than me, but as she presses my right arm into the ground, her eyes shoot off to the south before she willingly vanishes into her pokeball.
Feeling a deep, sinister deja vu, I scramble to my feet. Not knowing what to do, I feel my heartbeat begin to speed up as I find myself shakily stumbling towards my friend. Sofie catches me as Cappuccino leaps out of her arms, supporting my weight while she looks at my face with worry. High in the sky, a Fletchinder circles, a dread beginning to swirl when I realize which Pokemon it is. Sofie frowns, putting a hand on the back of my head as she glares back at the figures quickly approaching us from the darkness.
“Oh! It’s Sofie and Morgan! Heeey!” Waving her hand rapidly, Blaine casually walks towards us flanked by two people.
Evangeline Blanchet’s sheer presence makes me want to puke, and I feel myself trembling as I push my head into Sofie’s shoulder. This was really bad, really really bad. There was nowhere to hide, and Eve was hurt, I had no way out. My breaths grow shallow, and I find myself clenching my friends shirt as I try my best to stay upright.
“I’ll take care of this, Clumsy.” Stroking my hair, Sofie reaches up and plucks a leaf from Chamomile’s head, then places it into my mouth. It’s incredibly bitter. “You don’t need to say anything, okay?”
I quietly nod, doing my best to take deep breaths. Though it was bitter, I found that the leaf actually did calm me down a bit. My heartbeat continued to slam, but I was actually able to fill my lungs a bit. I peek up to see the rangers only a couple feet away, and a clear, confident feminine voice soon follows. Its familiar timbre makes my skin crawl.
“Greetings trainers, Miss Meier.” Rolling her shoulder, Evangeline waves her hand up, her Fletchinder diving down immediately as she does. Flapping to slow its speed, it lands upon her shoulder, its sharp talons seemingly not a care to the girl. “It’s a wonderful day, isn’t it?”
“Can we help you, miss ranger?” I catch only the edge of the cold look on Sofie’s face, but the sheer difference from normal makes my stomach flip.
“Perhaps, but first…” Evangeline’s eyes drag over us, pausing on me for a moment before continuing to Hunter, who stands off to the side doing his best to squinch the water out of his shirt. “Maybe I can help you?”
That gets the soaked boy's attention, and he runs up enthusiastically at the offer.
“That’d be a big help, miss… uh…” Untwisting his shirt, Hunter tugs it on as he approaches. “Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention, what’s your name?”
“Top Ranger Evangeline Blanchet, at your service.” After giving a haughty little bow, Evangeline taps her partner’s talon once she straightens her back. “Now, Updraft, if you’d kindly.”
Flame energy gathers in the Fletchinder’s wings, before a single flap sends a choking gust of warm wind against us. I struggle to stay standing, only managing thanks to Sofie’s support, but my clothes dry nearly instantly. It doesn’t reassure me in the slightest.
“Whew, that’s strong stuff,” Hunter mutters, lifting the hem of his shirt in wonder, “Any chance you’d want to battle, uh, after I heal my friends at the center?”
“Your Pokemon are hurt?” Evangeline blatantly feigns a gasp, holding her hand to her mouth. “Did you perhaps run into a strong wild pokemon?”
I clench Sofie’s shirt, knowing exactly where this was going.
“Nah,” Hunter blurts, pointing his thumb at me as he speaks, “We just battled, she’s pretty good.”
Evangeline smiles, tilting her head innocently; she had won this exchange. I bury my face in Sofie’s shoulder, doing my best to hide it.
“Is that so?” I hear the ranger slowly step towards us, her voice getting more curious when she looks closer at me. “Miss Meier, is this perhaps the friend you described as vanishing after the Absol incident in Aquacorde? Is she okay?”
My legs trembling, my breathing hitches again. Sofie starts rubbing my head again, noticing my distress.
“Yeah, she’s fine,” Sofie calmly responds, “She’s a bit shaken, as you can see. Her pokemon got hurt during the fight, and she’s incredibly worried about its condition.”
“That’s interesting,” Evangeline hums, her next words making my stomach lurch, “A circuit member? May I see her trainer card?”
“That’s up to her.” I feel Sofie shift to look down at me, to which I respond with a vigorous shaking of my head. “That’s a no. Sorry Evangeline, guess you’re outta luck.”
Tapping her foot obnoxiously loud, the ranger dramatically sighs.
“Well, that’s no good,” she says breathily, “I do need to see at least one of your cards, so that I can have someone vouch that the battle was official.”
“Ah, here,” Hunter says, barely even taking a moment, “You can use mine, I was the one who challenged her after all, not like my strategy worked.”
“Oh?” Taking the card, Evangeline’s foot stops its incessant movement. “Care to share?”
“Ha, I guess,” Hunter mutters, shifting his position, “My strongest Pokemon uses rain to make her thunder super accurate.”
Without missing a beat, Evangeline snaps, and her partner runs forward, grabbing Hunter.
“Wha- What is this?!” Struggling against the larger man, Hunter ends up thumping to the ground.
“Ranger Verran,” says Evangeline, her voice now monotone and commanding, “Please state the contents of the Kalos Pokemon League-Ranger Accord, article 22.B.”
“Ma’am!” Cloth shuffles as the ranger takes out handcuffs, clicking them around Hunter’s wrist. “All weather-modifying moves and abilities are only allowed to be used within pre-designated areas, unless special permission is granted by a two/thirds majority within the special council!”
“And there you have it.” Slipping the card into her pocket, I feel Evangeline’s gaze on me once again. “I hope your friend’s pokemon heals well, Miss Meier. Have a good day.”
“Wait, I didn’t know! I want a lawyer!” Hunter is picked up from the ground, and I hear the rangers walk away while talking into their stylers.
I wait until they’re gone, then after reluctantly separating myself from Sofie, I rush over to a bush next to a small pond, and begin to empty my stomach. A hand rubs against my back as I puke, letting me know that I am not alone. I habitually brush my fingers on Eve’s pokeball, finding her just as anxious as I am. Stepping backwards, I fall onto the grass, my legs refusing to budge. Cappuccino runs up to me, lightly brushing my face with her tail.
“That,” I mutter, peeking back to see the confusion on Blaine’s face, “Sucked.”
“Um… Did I miss something?” Blaine asks, her eyes moving between me and Sofie.
“Nah, not really.” Sofie takes a few steps towards the other girl, sending me a quick worried look before she puts a hand on her hip and glares at Blaine. “Wanna explain the forest thing in more detail now?”
“Um…” Blaine looks at me, wringing her hands. “Only if Morgan tells me why she is so scared of Rangers.”
I bite my lip, wondering if the trade is worth it. Blaine seemed sweet, but I didn’t exactly trust her with something like that. I’d probably be okay telling Sofie at this point, considering how she lied to protect me just now, but…
“No deal then,” Sofie growls, stepping to stand between me and her, “You keep your secrets. We’ll keep ours.”
"Suit yourselves," Blaine sighs, shrugging before she starts heading towards the city, "See you at the center!"
After we watch her walk off, Sofie moves over to me and kneels down beside me, softly smiling as puts Chamomile onto my head. Cappuccino, having finished cleaning me, leaps up and climbs onto her trainer’s shoulder. I pull Eve’s pokeball up to my forehead, letting my love for her flow inside of it. Eve returns it twofold, but mixed within is a boatload of uneasy concern over my condition.
“Sofie,” I whisper as I pull my legs to my chest, “Sorry, and thanks.”
“No problem.” Sofie plops to the ground beside me, glancing at the quiet waters of the pond in front of us. A Surskit lightly glides over its surface, leaving a small trail of ripples behind it. Running along the opposite edge of us, a Bidoof plays tag with a small group of Azurill, nearly falling into the water when one bounces over its head.
We sit in silence for a while, just watching the wildlife do their thing. A Masquerain gets a little too close once, but a timely intervention by Cappuccino sends it in the opposite direction. Chamomile, to my surprise, never seems to mind being on my head. The weight is strangely reassuring, and though I eventually notice my legs are fine again, I don’t say anything.
Eventually, Sofie reaches into her bag, pulling out a camping stove, setting it up a few feet away. Cappuccino rushes over to her trainer’s bag as she sets up a small metal table, pulling out some Pokemon food and taking it to Sofie. She quietly laughs, pulling the container open and handing it back to her.
Cappuccino fills two bowls, then runs up to me and prods me with her tail. I look at her in surprise, then feel myself tear up when she points to Eve’s ball. I nod, and the little Pokemon slaps the button on the pokeball. Eve looks around in confusion at her sudden release, then limps over and sits down beside me. Cappuccinos skips over, places both bowls beside each other, and begins to eat as Eve looks down at her with appreciation.
“Hey, Sofie,” ever so quietly I whisper, “Do you mind, if I talk a bit about my past?”