Mahogany 16 draft
Chapter 1: Birthday
A young man stands in his bedroom. Pink hair falls from the top of his head to his chin; his eyes are razor sharp and cold; his eyebrows are thin and highly arched, while his face is harsh and sharply angled. Altogether, it made him look threatening, as if he was always thinking something nasty as he scowled at you. In contrast, his hands shake as he straightens his kimono in the mirror. He never liked them; they were restrictive, forcing you to take small steps, while his long legs demanded equally long strides. Regardless of his fiddling, today is his birthday, and although it has been five years since his eleventh, it is only today he will receive his very first pokemon.
Regardless of his age, it was expected for anyone to be restless on such an important occasion. But he dreads what comes next more than anything. Clair, a good friend of his since they were both children, or rather, what she would say was his reason for fear. Really, he should have talked to her earlier, but he hadn't been able to work up the courage to tell her.
Once he finishes straightening his kimono, his hands go to tie his hair back into a high ponytail. Once done with that, he breaks away from the mirror to inspect the rest of his room. It is near-spartan, betraying him less so as someone with few interests or a high degree of aestheticism, but someone who makes every effort to hide as much about himself. Outside his window, a festive air permeates–His world–the mansion and Mahogany Town. He had only left a few times, to the Lake of Rage, Ice Path, or Blackthorn City. All overlooked by Mt Mahogany, Blackthorn, Silver, Mortar, and the countless smaller peaks which did not warrant a name. All of which cradled the seemingly endless series of valleys and lakes that peppered the north of Johto. Indeed, at the center of that world, the only thing of note in his room was his prestigious collection of books–the endless collection of study material he had set about devouring in the absence of a pokemon.
He ran a hand across their spines. The books covered many subjects, all related to pokemon: Pokemon Husbandry, Evolution, ecology, natural and artificial selection, the history of Humans and Pokemon, several editions of the Pokedex–illustrated pokemon index–all thoroughly bookmarked, their pages well-worn with special attention paid to the sections on Unown. Then books on Pokemon nutrition, as well as his family's more thorough books on the husbandry of Dark and Ice-types, particularly the modern Johtonian Sneasel, which his family had the distinct honor of being the inventors of, but few on Pokemon Battling.
His mind races, trying to distract itself with thoughts of pokemon regardless, he picks his journal off the shelf and staggers over to his desk, flipping it open. He presses the pencil to page and immediately finds himself at a loss for words. Quickly, a series of black dots appears across the page, the result of his restless tapping. He stops himself just short of stabbing through the paper, turning to a new blank page.
This time, he starts from the top as his pencil meets the page. It is eight in the morning; soon his mother will collect him for the ceremony where he'll receive his first pokemon. He would prefer a mild-mannered breed like a Swinub, both to match his uncle's Mamoswine and because a sort-of-pack pokemon would be better suited for his needs. After that, he has most of the day to acquaint himself with his new Pokemon, but Clair will ambush him. If he can survive that, there will be a banquet later in the day at which he will receive the rest of his presents. After that, the guests–save for Clair–will depart, and tomorrow they will begin their journey.
It all seemed so easy when laid out like that, but again, the thought of Clair and then the gym challenge causes him to distract himself, his pencil moving scratchily across the page.
He goes over the potential pokemon: Eevee, common as always, his family does have some Umbreon and Glaceon. Swinub, as he previously contemplated. A Sneasel to match his father's Weavile. Perhaps an Absol, but after that, the options of Mukrow or Teddiursa seemed unlikely, even though his family kept those pokemon as well. Either way, he had studied them all, and some of the Pokemon his mother's family was known for raising, although the reading he had for them was far less extensive, and he severely doubted he would be presented with a Happiny.
Finally, his pencils slow down, alongside his shallow breathing. His mind goes back to Clair, and the promise they had made those five years ago, one he had since lost interest in. Sure, when he was eleven, the thought of being a professional pokemon trainer was all he could think about, but it had been years since then, and he had since lost interest in the gym challenge. A fact he had only realized this very year. At the same time, he still wanted to explore the world beyond the smallness of it he'd seen.
Not that he had never wanted to, but the combination of his journey being so soon and his own thinking about his future had spurred his imagination. He was already fifteen, and now sixteen, in two years time exactly he'd be eighteen, an adult in the eyes of his parents and family. As the sole heir of the household he wouldn't have much free time, nor would be able to become a pokemon researcher like he wanted. In the first place, his parents had only agreed to him going on a journey and getting his pokemon because Clair was coming with him. Although Rhys knew well enough that only a rare few took their pilgrimages alone, the only people he could think of off the top of his head were Lance and Champion Oak. Even rarer still, some Pokemon went on a pilgrimage in place of their master.
Although he didn't like the idea of being dragged into doing the gym challenges. Despite his explicit promise when he was younger. Rhys shakes his head, a part of him knew this would have been easier if he told Clair earlier, but his own weakness had prevented him from speaking until the last moment.
It is then, as he finally gets his bearings, that a voice intrudes on his silence.
"Rhys, are you ready?" His mother said, her voice calming his nerves already.
"I'll be right out," Rhys said. After putting his journal away, Rhys took a moment to straighten his robe again before exiting his room.
His mother smiles warmly at him, pride radiating from her. Her eyes match her son, blue eyes and razor sharp with a sharper face, although her pink hair is long and curtain-like hair in a traditional Johtonian style.
Rhys nods to her and does his best to suppress the shaking as he follows her. It wasn't just Clair or the general anxiety, but his kimono filled him with restless energy that dragged every moment out into an eternity. That energy dredged back memories of his youth: how he acted as a child, constantly acting out due to how much energy he had and how he and Clair had spent countless days playing in the courtyard or running among the halls of Mahogany or Blackthorn manor.
Regardless of his restlessness, he quickly finds himself approaching the ceremony room. A smile blooms on his face as he, Pryce, and his Mamoswine stand on either side of the large double door. His uncle dressed as casually as ever, unaffected by the scolding of his younger brother, the cold of the mansion, and ignorant of most matters involving the clan.
"Hey, uncle," Rhys says, almost laughing as he speaks.
"It's good to see you, Rhys. Nervous?"
"Very."
"Don't worry, you're a good kid, and I helped pick this one out. She has a bit of spunk in her, but nothing you can't deal with." With that said, he slams a hand against the door. "Open up, the boy's ready!" A moment later, the large double doors open.
Incense wafts out of the room, stinging Rhys' nose. Inside, he can barely see the vague forms of people reduced to silhouettes by the dim candlelight. Only because he had seen the guest list earlier could he put names and faces to those silhouettes. The Blackthorns, their cousins from Kanto, the families who managed the shrines at the Lake of Rage and the Ice Path, and a smattering of close servants. Then his eyes dance to where his father stands, and future pokemon sits, specters behind a curtain, his pokemon's form turned into a boxy silhouette by a palanquin.
His eyes drop to find the cushion before the stage: he takes one step, then two, the next thing he knows, the room has swallowed him up, and the doors are closed behind him. He sits down on the cushion, his eyes glued to the boxy silhouette of the palanquin that hides his future pokemon. Behind the curtain, the specter of his father raises a hand and–
CLANG!
A gong sounds throughout the room, and the curtain is spurred into motion, revealing the Sneasel sitting cross-legged across from him. Incense skim the void, keeping trainer and pokemon apart, as if grazing the edge of a blade, or say, a gray pokeball. The gong from earlier still sounds in Rhys' ear, the familiar note commanding him to reach forward, grabbing that gray pokeball. He arches his arm back to throw the pokeball.
It is Rhys' sixteenth birthday, and unlike all fourteen preceding it, something does not feel missing from his life. Rhys and the pokemon sitting before him are the center of the world, the place where all things meet, as if fate itself had conspired for this moment. It's coarse schemes not filled with mirth, but rather the lack of it: As if the thief-taker itself had put this Pokeball in his hand, payment for five listless years gone by. Rhys extends his hand, throwing the pokeball through the air, his fingers reaching forward like a maw.
The pokeball flies through the air, and–
WHACK!
The gray pokeball slams into his face. Across from him, Sneasel raises a claw in the air and chirps.
In the bleachers, he hears Clair explode into laughter.
Rhys considered how the best part about immediately getting into a fight with his first pokemon allowed him to avoid Clair. True, he had been humiliated, and his fancy new kimono was in tatters, but he had decided to focus on the silver lining for now. At the very least, much to the chagrin of his father, he had been able to wrestle Sneasel to his room.
As the situation was now, Rhys and Sneasel were on opposite ends of his room. Rhys was tired and scuffed, his kimono in tatters, while Sneasel looked almost the same as earlier. Sneasel growled, and Rhys braced them himself.
She vanished, reappearing to punch him in the gut. Rhys stumbled back, but as she bounced off, he grabbed her, taking her to the floor with him. Sneasel swiped at Rhys, but his grasp on her leg was firm. After another moment of tussling, he had gotten to his feet, with Sneasel held upside down by the leg. Sneasel swiped at him again, missing. Rhys breathed as he held her at arm's length. He held her there for a moment, looking her in the eye, which she responded to fussily again, ignoring his arm as she swiped at him.
Rhys dropped her. Sneasel self-corrected mid-air, landing on her feet in the next moment. She took a moment to pause as she stared up at Rhys, one of her eyebrows twitching.
Rhys was tired, but more so annoyed. Situations like this are exactly why people bought pure-breds–or used pets–for their starter pokemon, unlike wild ones, they were far less likely to expect you to prove yourself to them physically. Although Rhys knew it well that the average person could only afford the worst of the purebreds, anything more was too valuable for breeding to be carelessly sold. Either way, here she was, this bad-natured Sneasel, determined to be the exception to the rule. Whether it be due to feralness or pride, Sneasels were somewhere between domesticated and wild pokemon despite his family's best efforts: only half aware of the difference between themselves and humans, staring was a sign of aggression in the wild. Rhys mused.
Rhys shook his head and looked away from her, staring out his window at the gray sky. "Look, I'm going to be dealing with at least one other life-or-death situation today. Can you just calm down for now?"
Sneasel disappeared, another Quick Attack incoming.
But when she appeared in a blink, Rhys' fist connected with her face this time.
Sneasel bounced off his fist, thrown across the room like a pillow, before landing against the closet door with a thud. She bounced off that, too, falling to the floor. Like before, she landed on her feet, but when she looked back up at him, she looked at him differently. As she kept eye contact, she ran her tongue along her teeth until she found a loose fang. She played with it, pushing it back and forth once and then twice. The fang fell loose, a trail of blood scattering red petals in its wake.
"Listen to what I have to say, you may not like it, but you're my pokemon and for both of our sakes. We have to get along." Rhys was already a bit annoyed about not getting a pokemon suited to being a research assistant–damn shinobi clan–but at least Sneasel were infamously smart. Even if they had the instincts of a killer they could at least be taught, and even thought he didn't know the exact details of how they raised their Sneasels, he at least knew they were taught how to read.
Sneasel looked up at him defiantly, her hands on her hips as she tried her best to look intimidating. This time, Rhys didn't look away. Her ear twitched, and she broke eye contact, casting her gaze to her missing tooth lying on the floor. Rhys looked at her strangely as she pranced over to it. She opened her mouth wide, putting the tooth into its missing spot. When it fell out again, she pranced back over to Rhys, handing it to him.
"This?" He hesitated, but took the tooth, inspecting it. He shrugged and got to his feet, but when he moved to place the tooth on his nightstand, Sneasel chirped back up at him.
Rhys looked back down at the expectant Sneasel and sighed. He walked to his dresser, retrieving a needle and thread from one of the drawers before sitting down at his desk. Sneasel joined him, watching as he looped a length of string around the tooth again and again, his fingers moving skillfully.
Sneasel looked at her own hands, two-fingered, clawed, and thumbless, and grumbled.
Rhys ignored her as he cut one end of the string, his fingers deftly tying a knot before looping the newly formed necklace around his neck.
"See?" He said, showing Sneasel the tooth. "We're good now?"
Sneasel shifted her head from side to side and shrugged.
"I guess that's good enough." Rhys ran a hand through his head and silently swore that when he had kids, he'd introduce his kids to their pokemon in private before having any sort of ceremony. He didn't care how much of a surprise it was supposed to be; from what he had read about Sneasels, they were one of the easier Dark-types to befriend, but either way, he wasn't looking forward to meeting any more. He wasn't entirely sure what the tooth was about, either; apparently, she wanted him to keep it on but hadn't read about wild tribes of Johtonian Sneasel's having such a tradition. The extinct Hisuian breed was a mystery as ever, but he concluded it was probably some mixture of her rotten personality, something she had picked up from humans, and a natural anxiety found in her species.
Either way, she was a pokemon; she could have hurt him if she actually meant it.
Rhys tossed his pokeball at Sneasel, and in a flash of red. The pokeball rocked back and forth once, twice, thrice, and then she was his. He clicked the button at the center of the pokeball, releasing her.
"Come on, let's–"
Before Rhys could finish, there was a knock at his door. "Rhys." His father said, the man's even voice carrying no emotion.
Sneasel blinked, and Rhys had already opened the door, revealing his father.
Seeing him there, Sneasel's first impression was that he was tall, even compared to Rhys. The second was that he somehow reminded her of a Geodude she had seen once, crossed with a Nosepass, with his blocky stone-like face and prominent nose in contrast to Rhys' sharper features; she figured he had gotten it from his mother. He stood there awkwardly for a second, stiff as a stone with his Weavile standing behind him.
"You'll want this." He said, handing a packet of papers to his son. "A short record of her lineage and the training she's received." Rhys nodded, taking the packet from his father. The two shared a nod, and the man was already gone, walking down the hall with his Weavile in tow.
Rhys closed and turned to see Sneasel, standing there with her arms crossed. Rhys nodded to himself more than to her and walked to his desk, waiving her over. "Let's see what we have to work with."
Sneasel followed, prancing behind him before climbing up his desk.
She had a fairly straightforward purebred lineage, a Glaceon father and a Weavile mother. After that, it was more or less expected, Umbreons, more Glaceons, and a majority Weavile family tree, eggs stored in cold and dark conditions, everything that was expected of a purebred of her type and breed. Part of him considered it a shame that it was illegal to get too adventurous with breeding, nowadays it was mostly about maintaining the health of a breed and ensuring cooperative personalities–something that obviously failed in Sneasel's case–but Rhys could still see the family tree that led to the first Johtonian Sneasel in his mind, turning a Fighting and Poison-type into a Dark and Ice-type was something that had to be studied to be believed. Rhys had gone over the record hundreds of times himself, noting the conditions each egg was stored in, the incense used, the different infusions of type-energy, and the species they were interbred with. After going over Sneasel's family tree from top to bottom two more times, Rhys nodded to himself, packed the papers back in, and put the packet into his desk. Now, all he had to do was avoid Clair for the rest of the day.
"Come on, Sneasel, we need to get some training in without Clair finding out."
Sneasel looked up at him curiously.
"The blue girl."
Sneasel blinked, not understanding.
"She'll be mad at me, and I'm trying to put off talking to her."
Sneasel blinked.
Rhys shook his head. "Right, why am I trying to justify myself to a Pokemon, just follow me."
Sneasel nodded and scampered behind Rhys as he walked out of his room.
"SO! Rhys!"
The aforementioned pink-haired boy jumped back as Lance's voice intruded.
The blonde-haired, golden-eyed Blackthorn was standing right across from Rhys on the other side of the hall, half in shadow as he smiled. "I didn't happen to quite catch what you said in there, but you're looking for Clair, right?"
"Right," Rhys said, smiling, "You wouldn't happen to know where she is?"
"Training yard, she's been looking forward to taking the gym challenge with you. It's been the only thing she'd talk about for weeks." Lance shook his head. "Oh well, I guess it's better you two start your journey here together, but if you want to, you two can come with us to Blackthorn City."
"It's okay," Rhys said, smiling thinly. "I'm fine starting out here. Besides, it's not like we're gonna fight you or Pryce first. It'd be unfair."
Lance shook his head. "Guess you're right, have a good day, and don't be too friendly with Clair." Lance pushed off the wall, denying Rhys an opportunity to interject as he walked away, flourishing his cape behind him.
Rhys nodded, smiling thinly.
Sneasel looked up at him again and chattered something.
"Right, well. I guess I made a promise to her when we were younger. Her parents were fine with her taking the challenge when she was thirteen, but my parents didn't want me to leave home before I was an adult." Rhys shook his head. "The benefits of being the only son. I guess we're both old enough to go on our journeys alone, but it just kind of became a thing, and she expects me to take the gym challenge as well." Rhys sighed. "Honestly, I really don't want to; spending a year away from home is enough, and I want to get some research in."
Sneasel shrugged and followed behind Rhys as they started towards the courtyard opposite the training yard.
As Rhys exited out into the courtyard, memories came flooding back. He and Clair had spent countless days playing near the pond or between the trees. Watched from above by servants or their parents from the second-story balconies or windows that overlooked the courtyard. Rhys shook his head, casting those thoughts away as he refocused on Sneasel.
"Now, Sneasel. I was already on the receiving end of your Quick Attacks. What else can you do?"
She nodded before scampering out into the center of the courtyard. Sneasel began with gathering energy, switching between Normal, Dark, and Ice freely as if the entire process was effortless. Rhys guessed her speed would be faster in combat, but didn't mention anything as she started her demonstration on some of the trees.
Her ability to use Normal-type attacks was basic as he expected, Sneasel calling forth small blades of normal energy, slashing at the trees, before transitioning to a flurry of quick attacks, each one faster than the last as she built up speed using Agile Style. Then she struck the tree with the secret technique of the Shinobi clans, Shadow Style. The built-up speed, combined with Shadow Style, caused the Normal-type energy to explode as she struck the tree next. In an instant, the remaining bark was stripped as her attack tore the tree apart from the inside and outside.
Rhys nodded. Her speed was good, even if her stamina needed some work. "Good, but don't destroy a tree next time. Don't tire yourself out either, this isn't life or death, and I don't want you hurting yourself."
Sneasel huffed and nodded, her breathing heavy as she sat back on her haunches. After she had recovered from her assault, she showed off more of her moves. She was even better at manipulating Dark and Ice-type energy, shooting bullets of ice into the lake and summoning an extra set of black jaws around her mouth, allowing her to bite off a branch.
Even if she was poor-tempered, her good breeding and the training she had already received showed in her strength. Either way, both of them were hungry now, and they couldn't spend all day in the courtyard.
"Okay, Sneasel, let's get back, I want to get something to eat and then do some–"
"RHYS!"
He spun on his heel.
Clair was smiling down at him as she sat on the balcony railing, the sun peaking through the clouds to illuminate her even under the overhanging roof that covered the balcony. Her blue ponytail blowing in the breeze alongside her shoulder cap and her discarded kimono lay on the railing, revealing her absurd bodysuit that wasn't like casual, athletic, or fashion-wear but was, as attested by her, to be some sort of uniform.
"Lance said you'd be here." She said, smiling. The next thing Rhys knew, she had dropped down from the second story–
THUMP
–hitting the ground with a plume of dust sent into the air. Rhys raised an arm to shield his eyes. "You know, I've had some pretty embarrassing moments, but nothing like what happened back there between you two."
The only thing on Rhys's mind at that moment was how much he regretted not having this conversation earlier. But even if they were still leaving home, he'd rather do anything else than take the gym challenge. So as Clair approached him and Sneasel, Rhys took a deep breath and said:
"Clair, I'm not taking the gym challenge."
Clair laughed."I'm sorry, it just sounded like you said you WEREN'T taking the gym challenge. You know the thing we've been waiting for since we were eleven."
"That's because I'm not."
"Right, right, you're NOT not taking the gym challenge, right?" Clair began approaching him, her hand going for one of her pokeballs.
"Clair."
"Rhys."
"Clair?"
"Growlithe!"
"Sneasel!"
In an instant, Sneasel jumped out before him, taking her spot across from Clair's Growlithe. Rhys sweated. He would have preferred Sneasel to fight her Horsea, but it looked like Clair really was mad at him if she brought out her Growlithe first. "Sneasel, hide! Agile Style!"
"Growlithe, find her!"
Clair and Rhys broke out into a run, trying their best to keep up as Growlithe left a trail of fire in his wake. "Sneasel! If you can avoid Growlithe and attack from the shadows, we'll win through attrition."
Growlithe ran into the mess of trees, keeping his nose in the air as he tried to sniff out Sneasel. Sneasel disappeared whenever he got too close, looking for a good angle of attack. Still, she could only keep consistently ahead using Agile Style, allowing her to perform Quick Attack faster and boosting her speed.
The one problem was her stamina; although she was more physically inclined, she was still young, and there was only so much strain and pressure her body could take as she went faster and faster, zipping between trees. Eventually, one way or another, her body would give out.
"Sneasel, Ice Shard!"
Growlithe passed in between the trees, and an ice bullet flew in between the branches. Rhys smiled, but Growlithe spat out a puff of flame to destroy the bullet.
Sneasel's only ranged move was Ice Shard, which would barely scratch Growlithe. No matter if she was fast or not, she needed to get in close to deal any damage. Still, the puff of steam created by the
Rhys jumped over a tree root. "Yes, now! Quick Attack! Shadow Style!"
Sneasel burst forth from the black of the forest, white Normal-type energy coating her claw as it honed in on Growlithe. The technique only known to Shinobi allowed them to transfer stored momentum into a single spark that'd ignite the elemental energy on contact, shredding through any defenses and multiplying the output.
Sneasel already vanished, and her foot impacted Growlithe's face. "Now, smoke ball!" Clair said.
Sneasel's eyes widened as the smoke ball around Growlithe's neck exploded into a plume of smoke that choked the forest.
"Sneasel! Where are you?!" The puff of smoke completely engulfed the forest, preventing either Clair or Rhys from going any further. All the while, she could only struggle in confusion as the thick plume of smoke surrounded her.
"Strength style! Flame Wheel!" Clair said.
Growlithe exploded into flames, sending the smoke in every direction as it reared up. Sneasel reflexively moved a hand to cover her eyes. Either way, she didn't have time to react as Growlithe slammed into her. The flames washed over them both. Her eyes shot open, she yowled in pain, and used Quick Attack on reflex.
When she reappeared in the canopy, she was bruised all over, and her tail feathers were singed. One hit from Growlithe already did so much damage, and even without that, Sneasel was feeling the exhaustion from relying on Quick Attack.
"Sneasel, follow me! I have an idea!" The pond at the edge of the trees was just big enough, and Rhys could remember how its perimeter rose to a small cliff that sat just on the other side of the trees. Years earlier, he hadn't been careful and ended up getting himself hurt when he fell off the edge. Even if Growlithe had the elemental advantage, it wouldn't do him or Clair any good if they were underwater. Rhys and Sneasel could still win this.
"Growlithe! Switch to Agile Style, she's not getting away!"
"Sneasel, Agile Style Quick Attack. Get away!"
Sneasel disappeared again, but Growlithe was older, more experienced, and had better training. Growlithe wasn't as fast as Sneasel, but it was more consistent, not having to rely on using Quick Attack or the exhaustion the move caused.
Rhys and Clair ran through the forest across from each other, with their Pokemon in between. Despite the dire situation, this was the best chance for victory in Rhys' mind, and Clair–unintentionally–was corralling their Pokemon towards the pond.
Sneasel flung another ice shard back at Growlithe as she fled, trying to keep him away as long as she could. But as Growlithe closed in, they were already close enough to the ponds for Rhys. As Sneasel, followed shortly thereafter by Growlithe, exited the patch of woods, he yelled:
"Now! Strong Style Quick Attack! Get Growlithe in the water!"
In a flash, Sneasel turned around, appeared behind Growlithe's head, and grabbed onto him. Growlithe struggled, but it was already off balance, flailing as Sneasel wrestled it over the edge. Sneasel tried to Quick Attack away.
"Sneasel!"
"Growlithe!"
SPLASH!
But Growlithe dug its fangs in, causing Sneasel to howl as they fell into the pond.
A splash of water was sent into the air, blinding Clair and Rhys as Growlithe landed headfirst, its head bumping the shallowness of the pond. The water turned to steam as it hit Growlithe, burning the Pokemon. Sneasel tried to escape but flinched as Growlithe bit down. Sneasel flashed her claws out, scratching at Growlithe. But it didn't let go even as its eyes were scratched.
The two were trashed in the water, Sneasel trying to escape as the situation had turned on her, but Growlithe's hold weakened as the water burned it. Now, it is helped by Sneasel's attacks. All the while, Clair and Rhys looked on, neither confident in who was winning the battle.
"Growlithe, get out of the water!"
Growlithe shot out of the water, still holding onto Sneasel.
THUD!
He landed on the hard ground. Sneasel swiped at him again, and finally, Growlithe let go, flinging Sneasel in Rhys' direction. Sneasel skidded across the ground, landing at Rhys' feet.
Rhys clenched his hands, anger and shame crawling underneath his skin. He looked down at Sneasel as she got back up, and their eyes met. Sneasel managed one last huff before collapsing. Rhys' Pokeball activated automatically, recalling Sneasel in a flash of red before she could hit the floor.
"I–huh?!" Clair said her victory cry cut off as the pokeball at her waist activated, recalling Growlithe as it collapsed.
Her face turned to something, half proud, half something else he couldn't place. Rhys guessed embarrassment, but he knew well he could be bad at this sort of thing.
Either way, this was his one chance of explaining himself. He really didn't want to do the gym challenge; it just sounded like so much work he didn't want to do, even if this was all very last-minute. "I want to be a pokemon professor, battling just isn't as interesting to me as researching them, I'm sorry."
Clair's expression solidified, and then broke as she burst out into laughter. Rhys took a step back, but Clair was approaching, the sun peaking out behind the clouds behind her to transform her into a silhouette as it was at her back. "Please, you're just making excuses. Professor Oak is the champion. We're leaving tomorrow," Her voice waivered, starting to sound forced, "and I'm not going to let you worm your way out of this. Okay?"
Clair started walking away immediately, denying Rhys the chance to accept or refuse her as she flourished her cape behind her. Rhys wondered if she and Lance really were that alike, or if she just put a lot of effort into copying him.
Either way, he needed to get Sneasel healed up first.
There wasn't so much a nursery building, as a nursery compound. Rhys found it hard to even include as part of the mansion, both because of how large it was and due to it having its own set of walls that sprouted from the mansion's walls. The guards let him pass and soon enough Rhys was ushered pas the other orderlies and their pokemon to the Head doctor and her Chansey.
As he entered the room, the gentle face of his aunt greeted him, her pink hair tied into a braid. "Ah, Rhys. Lance said you and Clair would be visiting soon."
"Yes." Rhys said, unable to fault Lance as he held out his pokeball, "It's good to see you aunt Joy, can you take a look at Sneasel here?"
She nodded and took the pokeball from him. Unlike his mother, she had the softer, rounder features her family was more famous for. Even Rhys felt as if the woman was more typically 'motherly' than his own mother which he had rarely seen over his sixteen years of life.
"About Clair?
"Yeah, she'll probably come here after me."
She nodded, a thin smile on her face as she looked at Rhys pityingly. "Chansey, can you take care of her?"
The rotund Pokemon obliged, taking the ball from her trainer almost comically and waddling off with her to another room.
As soon as Chansey closed behind herself, Rhys' aunt turned to him. "You know I told them she was a bad choice."
"Anything else?"
"You should have gotten a Pokemon earlier, even if it was just a pet you could have given it some training. But that sister of mine and your father," she shook her head, "it would be rude of me to say anything more. At the very least they're allowing you to go on your journey."
"Is there something wrong with her?"
"Aside from her personality, she's exemplary. Strong for her age, smart too, and talented. Your uncle was right about that." Rhys had a feeling that Pryce had wanted her to inconvenience him, the. "Although, perhaps she's a bit too close to humans, she was a rather weak newborn and was babied because of it. We've always had problems with having enough Weavile's on hand." She said.
Rhys fished the Sneasel tooth necklace from inside his kimono. "Yeah, after I knocked out a tooth she wouldn't let me put it down."
"Rhys, you need to stand up for yourself. Especially when dealing with such wilful Pokemon. You're her trainer, not the other way around."
"So I should get rid of it?"
"It's too late to remove it now. Just make sure to take the lead in the future, at the very least she's listening to your commands. I don't want her growing possessive of you. It's a real problem with Pokemon, mostly more simple and wild ones but Sneasel's aren't entirely tame."
"It will be easier once she evolves but that can have issues as well. Namely Mis-evolution. You don't want her to evolve too early or late, it'll be bad for her growth and separate from that the changes to her brains can cause issues. Nothing as extreme as when a Magikarp evolves into a Gayarados, but there will be changes."
"You can read more about Sneasels later, I got you a book on Sneasel husbandry." Rhys stopped himself from saying the obvious, that she was required to get him one anyway. A gift was still a gift and he loved reading. "There's just one more thing I want to ask."
Rhys nodded, "ask away."
"What are your intentions with Clair."
"Huh? Clair." Rhys raised a hand to his chin. It wasn't like he didn't think about her at all, they had known each other since they were five and she was pretty cute, but it's not like that meant much. In his mind he'd end up with whichever girl his parents would pay the dowry for so who he thought about women didn't really matter. Although he did like to spend time with her, and they were going to spend a lot of time together during their journey. "I guess if I had to say, she's a good friend but an obstacle I'll have to plan around, getting dragged into Gym battles isn't really–"
"I–" His aunt facepalmed, took in a breath, then faced him again. "I don't know if that was better or worse than I was expecting, just–" she hesitated for a moment, trying to not speak out of line, "–just be careful."
"Okay?"
Another awkward moment passed, and then another. Luckily for them both Chansey returned with Sneasel in tow, the smaller pokemon holding her pokeball in one hand.
"You better." His aunt said, before turning away.
"Okay." Rhys nodded again, and turned to Sneasel she hefted her pokeball in one hand. "Well come on then, Sneasel. We have some more training to do and I don't want to hold up Clair."
Sneasel nodded at him before tossing him her pokeball.
When they left the compound, Rhys spotted Clair atop the wall with her back turned to him, trying to act nonchalant about her spying. He kept an eye on her as he left, and chuckled to himself as he heard her land behind him.
Now, he and Sneasel had some training to do.
Sneasel knew wasn't always the most aware, especially now with the soreness over her body, but even she could tell the banquet was awkward with Clair's sour mood and Rhys trying to avoid eye contact, but Sneasel didn't give them any mind as she mingled with the other pokemon, giving Clair's Growlithe a wide berth on the other side of the small terrarium-like feeding area. She didn't trust that mutt, even after giving her a beating down earlier; he was far too friendly.
Especially for a Fire-type, which she hated and distrusted on principle.
Still, the one upside was that her trainer wasn't that bad; he seemed like some sort of wimp, but that was fine. Besides, his pink hair and sharp features were pleasantly masculine to her tastes, unlike his father's ugly squarish face and feminine dark brown hair–really the only thing Rhys was missing were some nice bright feathers, fur, and really being a Sneasel or Weavile–and now that he was wearing that necklace, she was one-hundred percent sure everyone would understand who he belonged to.
Sneasel nodded to herself as she picked food off her plate, kicking her feet back and forth against the floor from the short chair she had been provided with. Although the lack of utensils annoyed her, without opposable thumbs, there wasn't anything she could complain about; she couldn't use them anyway. While Growlithe dug into his dog bowl, and Clair's Horsea nibbled at the fish feed it was provided with. The other Pokemon, Glaceon, Weavile, and the various Dragonairs enjoyed their meals as well, while the Chansey and Dragonites mingled outside.
She felt a keen annoyance at that, although Rhys seemed to treat her without any discrimination. She chewed on that as she ate. She supposed he wouldn't be a bad master, even if he had gotten her into a dumb fight she still didn't understand.
Sneasel looked out the window as she ate, ignoring the other pokemon as she looked at the overcast sky. Despite everything, she was a bit curious about the outside world. Even more so than Rhys, she had spent her entire life inside the mansion, while her siblings–weak, annoying competition–had all been sold off, gifted, or otherwise gotten trainers.
Sneasel shrugged, supposing that she'd find out later.
Afterward, presents had been dolled out. Potions, cures, a handful of Revive crystals, other pharmaceuticals, pokeballs, repels, a new edition of the pokedex signed by the champion himself from his uncle, a book on Sneasel husbandry from his parents, and the Blackthorns had gotten him a collection of survival supplies. Rhys only resented them a tiny bit; they were, after all, much richer than his family and could have gotten him more. There were some assorted sour candies, and Clair had given him a badge case and a pokeball engraver without saying anything. The least of the presents, but most appreciated by Rhys, were the half-dozen changes in clothes he'd received.
Clair had immediately retreated to the guest room reserved for her. Rhys didn't feel inclined to follow. They were going to leave together anyway tomorrow. She had already seemed annoyed at having to put her kimono over her bodysuit for the banquet, and after what had happened earlier, Rhys didn't want to worsen her mood.
The first thing Rhys did when he arrived back in his room was retrieve a map of the greater Johto-Kanto region. He follows it up by bringing out a proper atlas and a set of colored pencils. Right away, he gets to marking out cities and towns with Gyms, drawing the matching type symbol over their location. Then he opens up another book, the comprehensive Indigo-Silver League official rule book. Although to him the most important was:
"To enter the Indigo Plateau, you needed any combination of eight badges from the sixteen official pokemon gyms scattered across the Johto and Kanto regions."
Rhys considered his choices. The biggest problem from his point of view was the fact that between the two regions and sixteen gyms, Sneasel was at a type disadvantage against six of them; The Fighting-type Gyms in Cianwood and Saffron City, the Fire-type Gyms in Azalea Town and Cinnabar Island, then the Rock-type Gyms in Olivine and Pewter City.
The only Gyms he had an advantage against were the Flying-type Gym of Violet City, the Ghost-type Gym of Ecruteak City, the Ground-type Gym of Viridian City, the Grass-type Gym of Celadon City, and the Dragon-type Gym of Blackthorn City. Actually, now that he looked at it, the situation was better than he first thought. It'd be a more sequitous route, but that was still five gyms Sneasel had an advantage against and five gyms she was neutral towards.
Although he wasn't planning on going to his uncle's Gym, even then, that was nine total gyms out of eight he needed to win. This was looking more and more possible the longer he thought about it. Rhys began to trace a line on the map. In the best-case scenario, he could get enough gym badges to satisfy Clair without having to battle at all. He hadn't heard of any interesting ruins or sites in Kanto aside from MT Moon.
Although. . .
Rhys looked at the map again and froze as he realized something: the home town of the current champion–the world famous pokemon professor Oak–was in Kanto. Pallet Town, he had overlooked it but it was just across from Newbark Town and south of Viridian City, he could take the fairy and visit the champion himself to see the Professor's ranch, even if only as a visitor and not an aid.
Then he'd have Clair off his back! Well, on his back, hopefully she wouldn't be mad at him.
Still–
Just then, a fluttering of wings summoned their attention as a Murkrow landed in Rhys' window, a roll of paper tied to one of its feet. Sneasel's eyes dilated as she saw it, raising a hand and drawing Ice energy to launch a bullet at the bird.
"Stop, you already ate," Rhys said, walking over to the Murkrow and taking the letter from its leg.
Sneasel grumbled, lowering her hand before she headed towards Rhys bed, as he read the letter.
"It's a letter from Petrel–a friend–he works for the family that manages the shrine outside the Ice Path," he said, retrieving a curled photo from the letter.
Sneasel grabbed onto one of the legs of his bed, shimmying up it.
"Here, Murkrow." He said, taking an Oraan berry from his pocket and handing it to the bird, before tying a small bundle of money to its foot. "And tell Petrel thanks on my behalf." Murkor nodded, flapped its wings, and then it was off into the night again. Its black feathers gleaming in the moonlight.
Meanwhile, Sneasel had gotten on top of Rhys' bed and was bust marching over to his pillow. Rhys ignored her as he went to his desk, opening one of the drawers to reveal a book titled 'Cryptids: From aliens, still living extant pokemon, and illegal pokemon breeding', in Rhys' own scratchy handwriting.
"You know, Sneasel, recently there was a sighting of a Blastoise in the Ice Path."
Upon hearing that, Sneasel nodded, tucking herself into Rhys' bed.
"Not just any Blastoise, a Johtonian one." Rhys opened up the Pokedex, flipping from page to page until he revealed a drawing of a traditional Johtonian Blastoise. In place of the pair of canons on its back, it had a flowing seafoam mane of white. "They went extinct when the last captive Wartortles and Blastoise were unsuccessfully bred to be Steel-types." A smile grew across Rhys face as he thought about that scandal; it was a landmark case in internationally restricting pokemon breeding. He wasn't bored yet, but even reading about it after the fact was electrifying, and not just because his family and their Sneasels were used as an example in the case.
Rhys traced the drawing with his finger, smiling. "The family who manages the shrine didn't find anything, but. . ." Rhys tapped the paper, wondering if he should take Petrel's blurry photo over the word of the family who had managed the shrine for generations. "I suppose if we're going to do at least some of the Gyms, that we may as well get the hardest out of the way first, you have a type advantage anyway, and checking out a rumor on the way there couldn't hurt."
Sneasel turned over in Rhys's bed, waving dismissively to him.
Rhys looked back at her, lying on his bed, only her head visible as the rest of her body was smothered underneath his overs. "Well, I suppose you wouldn't care that much, but you do know that's where we source some of our Sharp Claws from?"
Sneasel shot up from bed, practically throwing the blanket off as she stood at attention.
Rhys smiled. "See, now you're paying attention. If we're going to be looking for this guy, we may as well get a little studying in before bed. Not to mention, we still need to plan our route."
Sneasel scampered over to Rhys as he took out a red pencil and drew their path.
Mahogany Town to Blackthorn City where he'd fight Lance. It was a straight shot down to New Bark Town, then he'd take the Ferry to Kantonian Coast. He could hit up Viridian City, then Pallet Town and the Professor's Ranch. He could take a ship to Celadon City, he'd take a highway to Vermilion, and then to Fuschia. He'd have to go through multiple ships then but he could get to Goldenrod next, then Violet City, and finally Ecruteak.
Then he could return home, eight badges, Clair in toe, having explored some of what he wanted to see and with plenty of time to take detours.
Chapter 2: Departure
Sneasel stretched her legs as she woke, soreness echoing through her bones and sinew as she remembered yesterday, and forced herself up from the softness of her pokebed. She looked around the room, idly scratching her ear as some grogginess left her. Evidently after she had fallen asleep on his desk, Rhys had placed her pokebead underneath her. She got up onto her legs, before looking around her and Rhys' room. Outside the sun was just peeking over the mountains and through the clouds, casting thin and silvery rays of light through Rhys' window, illuminating the pages of his personal book project, journal, and the various research material that laid open on his desk.
As Sneasel looked out the window, she felt a pang in her head. She rubbed her forehead gem, a migraine washing over her from last night. They had spent nearly all night going over Rhys notes and journal, preparing supplies for today, and looking at maps. It was hard but she had barely managed to follow what Rhys was talking about, if only the gist of it. She didn't understand how humans remembered so many characters, reading was hard, let alone how to sound them out. From what she remembered, the Weaville's in the nursery never had any problem with it
It was all the more reason for her to become a Weavile. All the more reason to get to the Ice Path as soon as possible.
Sneasel looked down at the map which they had spent all night going over, too many cities and silly gym badges for her. Even now she had a hard time counting them, numbers were even harder then words, she had even seen some of the Weaviles struggle with them. She looked at the map again. There were... a lot of badges. She squinted her eyes at the map before looking down at her hands. There was the one in Mahogany town, then the one in Blackthorn city, which made one hand worth of badges. Then one in violet and Ecruteak city, which made two hands. She searched her memory looking for what came next.
One hand was called 'two', while a finger was 'one', one hand and a finger was 'three', then two full hands was 'four'. She shook her head, so there were at least four gyms. She repeated that to herself, three times, trying to keep them number in time.
She looked back at the map and counted again, but this time ignoring the cities she had already covered and counted four again. So, there were two sets of four gyms in Johto. Sneasel looked at her hand again, she had trouble with the names of the numbers in between, but she was pretty sure two sets of four was 'eight'.
So, that was all the gyms in Johto and since Kanto had the same number of gyms as Johto that meant there was one hands worth–two–of eight. She looked down at her hands, imaging each of them as the elusive number, before pressing them together.
So that meant that there were eight gyms twice, which was...
Sneasel sat down as she raked her brain again and growled, feeling her migraine intensifying.
Sixteen! Yes, Sneasel chirped in victory, and got to her feet, before the sudden movement combined with the migraine and noise caused her to fall over. Nearby Rhys woke with a groan, pushing himself up in bed with one hand.
Sneasel chirped at him and the groggy pink-haired shinobi waved an arms at her before forcing himself out of bed. Sneasel waved at Rhys as he walked over to her, his sleep wearing hanging loosely on his body and his pink hair a mess.
Sneasel pointed to the map, following the same pattern she had earlier. The two closest gyms, then the next two. The four that were farther away, then all of them in order, before doing the same with Kanto.
Rhys blinked. "Right, uh. That's nice." Rhys said groggily. He turned his attention to his dresser, retrieving a set of clothes and a towel. "Look, I'm going to freshen up. I'll brush you after and then we have to pack."
Sneasel nodded. Regardless of her migraine or how tired Rhys was, she smiled with some pride, there were sixteen gyms and they needed eight badges. Now she fully understood everything. Actually...
She looked down on the desk, over to where Rhys' pencil laid. She walked over to it as she heard the shower spring to life, delicately she tried to hold the pencil in between her two fingers. The Pencils wandered back and forth for a moment. Sneasel narrowed her eyes, trying to get it to hold still before dropping it back down to the desk.
She repeated the process, trying to get it to hold still. She was going to be a Weavile soon anyways, which meant she'd be getting a thumb and being able to write, but she still wanted a head start. After all she had always had one over those useless littermates of hers, why shouldn't she have it now?
When Rhys emerged from the shower, Sneasel dropped the pencil before turning to him.
"Come on Sneasel, let's get to work. I don't want to make Clair wait." He said, tying his hair back into a high ponytail.
Rhys kept an eye on the sun outside, it was still relatively early in the morning but he knew full well Clair was an earlier riser than he was. She was definitely awake right now, probably ready as well, the only reason she hadn't woken him up had probably meant she was still angry with him. Either way he had to pack.
Potions, pokeballs, repels, some ninja tools. Most of which he had just received yesterday. Not to mention all his books and study materials which he had to be selective about, he couldn't take everything after all. After that he still had a little space left for various things, but it was only going to be two days until they reached Blackthorn city, assuming of course they went down the path he charted, but he took the fact that Clair would follow him for granted.
Rather, he was going to take the path he wanted anyways and Clair could follow him if she liked. Her wanting him to get gym badges did complicate his plans, but not by much. His reasons for embarking on a journey stayed the same: research. And studying. As he figured with how old he already was, that his parents, serious as they were and considering his position as soul heir, that he past eighteen he wouldn't have much if any time to himself.
Rhys nodded to himself and slung his backpack over his shoulders, but that was when Sneasel chirped at him from his desk. She rubbed her forehead gem, before making a pained sound and gesturing to her head.
"Right, well I guess it makes sense your head hurts. Let's get you a Lum Berry first."
Sneasel nodded, before jumping up onto his back pack, curling herself atop it and laying down.
Rhys sighed, but he lets her lay there. Rhys exits his room, and starts down the hall, gray streaks of light illuminating motes of dust on the well aged wood, servants passing him by, the distant sounds of the nursery pokemon scurrying about to deal with their charges and the ever familiar hum drum sounds of the early morning mansion. The business picks up as Rhys approaches the kitchen, but he slides past it. He won't need to bother the staff, just access one of the side rooms where all of the berries were stored.
The walk in pantry could hardly be called spacious, although it did have a bit of counter space inside. But as Rhys opens the doors, a familiar blue haired comes into view.
"Ah, Clair."
Standing right in front of a collection of berries jars was Clair with an Oran berry shoved into her mouth and her kimono loosely draped around the ridiculously body suit she always wore. Not that Rhys minded that, after all it did highlight some of her charm. She bit down and swallowed, the juices running down her face like blood. Rhys wasn't sure why that was the first thing his mind jumped to.
"Rhys." She crossed her arms, her gaze ice cold, as she stepped back to make room for him.
Rhys hesitates, but the princeling embarrassment from the kitchen staff behind him forces him inside. Sneasel closes the door behind him as he gives Clair a polite berth, reaching up to a jar of preserved Lum berries. An awkward moment passes as he hands a pair to Sneasel. Clair and Growlithe were on alert the entire time.
"Clair, I–"
She didn't wait for him to speak. "Even if you don't want to become a trainer, I'll become the number one dragon master." She said, pointing to herself with a thumb before extending a hand towards Rhys.
He hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to make of her change in attitude. Before realizing Lance probably had something to do with it.
Rhys reached forward and shook her hand. He envied that sort of determination, despite her brattyness, Clair could really come across as someone steadfast and almost as indomitable as that cousin of hers. Either way, Rhys had accepted his lot in life. He'd succeeded his father, get married, and have kids. Sure in his downtime as family head he could continue his research, but it wasn't like being the next clan head was something he could walk away from. Although he did really want to go on this journey, he did so half heartedly, at least compared to Clair.
"Good.." Clair folded her arms. "Follow me." She didn't give him the choice as she took him by the arm and dragged him out the opposite door of the pantry. Sneasel seemed humored by whole affair but refrained from chirping.
Then, defying Rhys' expectations, Clair didn't lead him and Sneasel to the training yard or the courtyard, instead they ascended into one of the living rooms. Clair took her equipment off before taking a seat on a cushion, and released Growlithe from his pokeball while Rhys went for the tv remote. Sneasel took her spot on top of the table, taking a series of blocks out from a basket on it.
The news was mostly dull, a documentary of Bastoises, a piece on the new Gym Leader in Viridian City. Although something did catch Rhys' eye for a moment, apparently there was an issue with wild pokemon in Lavender town, something about someone being buried alive? Either way, when Rhys switched to the Trainer channel Clair didn't let him switch it back. Rhys still wasn't comfortable watching trainer battles, not after he had seen a Gyarados die during the Champions League last year. It reminded Rhys of the handful of Revives he had gotten. Sneasel kept her focus on the blocks, stacking them in various ways and chattering to herself, but no one gave it any mind. Eventually a servant arrived to summon them and their pokemon were put back in their pokeballs.
It was a short affair then, Rhys and Clair handed their supplies off to some servants, they dressed properly, Clair throwing off her kimono and replacing it with some outdoors clothes over her bodysuit, presented themselves to Rhys parents and received the same warning they both had heard a dozen times by now. Beware of wild pokemon, never let your guard down, and take wellworn paths. The advice slid over Rhys. Then it was time for the pair to be shown off. Clair and Rhys both took their spots in their respective palanquins and were paraded to the mansion's exit. Rhys closed his eyes and bore with the ceremony as they exited into the old town. Clair opened the window of hers and waved to the crowd.
The people here wore kimonos, and dressed properly, pokemon accompanied them in their respectability and giving polite cheers to himself and Clair. Altogether it was far too familiar for Rhys to give any though to.
Then came the second pair of gates, the entrance to the new city. The sounds of people, smell of food, sweat, and things he didn't want to mention mixed with the smell of distant pines, and stale, cold air intermixed as a larger crowd greeted them. He could hear Clair calling out and imagined her bright smile. The new town here wasn't as nearly large as the new town of Blackthorn city, it was more so a collection of houses and businesses that had gathered around the Old Town, squeezing themselves. Against the high walls and elevated grounds of the old town. Rhys cracked his eyes open, seeing the poorer people who lived there, they were accompanied by pokemon as well, although far more of them seemed to of the 'pack' or 'beast of burden' variety of normal types instead of the Ice and Dark-types that called the Old Town home. Eventually the crowd died down as they approached the gates. It was a small festival really, nothing nearly as large as he'd seen in Blackthorn city.
When they reached the gates they were called out of their Palinquins for the crowd to see. There was polite clapping, good cheers. Clair turned back to wave at the crowd, but all Rhys could manage was an anxious shy, then they were off, then their gear was presented to them and the yawing maw of the town gate opened.
The rolling hills, imposing mountains, and gray sky Before them. Intermittent lakes and forests dotted the landscape and just to the west a waterfall flowed down from the plateau where the Lake of Rage rested upstream, its waters feeding into lakes around Mt. Moon, Bellsprout lake, before conjoining with several other lakes and feeding out into the sandy shores of Olivine bay, before being swallowed up by the Whirl Islands.
Rhys took the first step, leaving from underneath the shadow of the gate, and Clair followed behind. The gates closed behind them as the shadow of the town walls greeted them in turn with the bitter air that nipped at them..
They could still feel the stares of the guards on top of the walls, but when they had finally gotten far enough away and reached the forked road, they each deployed their pokemon.
Sneasel burst onto the scene with a chirp, surveying their surroundings before scampering behind Rhys. While Growlithe barked and immediately cuddled up to Clair's leg. The forked road before them split into east and west.
The west pest led down hill, down to the plains that rested south of Mt. Moon and north Violet City, although from his maps, Rhys knew the road split into four separate paths, two of which leading to villages near Mt. Moon and set up against the river that flowed down from the Lake of Rage, then the well worn road to Violet City, and the south road that led to a small nameless village north of Cherrygrove. Although he was already set on his current path neither he or Clair would be at a disadvantage if they went west to catch a ferry across the river, or south towards Violet City.
Clair had walked ahead of him, but Rhys stopped her with a hand. "I want to go east, to Blackthorn City."
Clair brushed his hand off, turning to face him with her back to the incline, her hair flowing in the wind behind her. "You're not just trying to make this easy by taking out Lance first, are you." The sun hit her face front on, shining like the Lake of Rage.
Rhys sighed, lying now would just make things worse. "Not entirely, there's something I want to check out in the Ice Path."
Clair crossed her arms. "Are you gonna tell me why?"
Rhys cringed. He knew full well he should tell her, but talking about his interests was really embarrassing. It wasn't that researching pokemon was anything shameful, but Rhys knew enough about field research to know he didn't know nearly enough to do much substantial research. It was embarrassing, knowing he was just playing at being a researcher, but if he didn't take the opportunity a journey provided him to both learn and make contacts, then he'd never have another chance. Stuck back at home with his parents learning how to be a proper clan head, his interests merely interests he'd have to justify to his parents. No one but him really took it seriously anyways. "Do I have to?"
Clair held Rhys' gaze. It was cold now, and would be colder come night, Rhys eyes were as unreadable as ever, bitter cold, jet black, sharp. Yet those sharp eyes couldn't stop his hands from shaking. Clair. "Fine, I'll come along with you, but we're going to a fire gym. I'm not gonna let you wimp out."
"I won't, but we can figure out the rest of the route after we get to Blackthorn city." Although Rhys knew full well that this was a very out of the way route, after getting to Blackthorn city they could either stumble in the dark through caves to get close to Violet City, or they could take the long way around.
By that point they may as well head to New Bark town and take a Ferry over to Kanto, or a ship from Cherrygrove. They could also take a detour south of Cherrygrove, from the research material he had looked at beforehand, the coast there had some good beaches. Although they didn't exactly pack any beach supplies, well Clair was still wearing that ridiculous outfit underneath her coat.
Either way he still wanted to check out the Professor's ranch, and the next Gyms in either direction, Johto or Kanto-ward, he had an advantage against, unless Clair wanted to go to Cinnabar Island. Rhys considered that might be a viable option, the first two badges were never two gyms were never difficult from what he heard.
Across from him, Clair had grown annoyed at his silence. "If we're gonna go, then let's go." She said, dragging Rhys back to reality as she took him by the hand, forcing him to follow behind her. "And stop staring."
As they ventured forward, they eventually came to a fork in the road. One leading to a thin forest path cutting through the woods to the north, and a well worn path leading down into a valley, it was cozy looking with spores woodlands, a homestead, and several carts pulled by Tauros. Of course they took the northern path, the scent of while greeting them as they entered the thicket, hard earth beneath their feet on the seldom used trail. The trees bent inwards towards the trail like arms reaching foot from the ground to smother, Sneasel's eyes darted, looking at every shadow and flicker in the forest while Rhys and Clair continued on, Growlithe at their heels. The deeper they went the denser the branches became, the thinner the sunlight became, until the path had become cave-like with only thin strands of light breaking their way through the path.
The forest was strangely quiet, nary a Sentret or Furret in sight while the Pidgey high above seemed a world away. They could only catch glimpses of Spinarak and Weepingbell distantly in the woods, giving the path a wide berth. The bitter cold air didn't help, although the forest provided protection from the wind. Its earthy smells, dampened by the dry cold.
Branches rustled in the distance as leaves and twigs broke underneath their feet. Rhys felt goosebumps creep up his back, but Clair walked as if she was undaunted.
Sneasel narrowed her eyes as she saw something in the distance. She tugged on Rhys' sleave, bringing his attention to a small alcove farther down the path. Standing at the side of the path in the distance was a stone shrine, although they couldn't make it out clearly at first, as they approached the form of a Sneasel sitting inside a house, with a single spire rising from the roof of the stone shrine. came into view. Sneasel narrowed her eyes at it, muttering to herself but Rhys approached it anyways, leaning down slightly to get a closer look.
The features were rather fine, if exaggerated. Large closed eyes, a large smile with a single fang hanging out forming a serene expression. When combined with a single raised hand and its lotus sitting position, the statue was cute in a sort of contrasting way, Rhys usually didn't see Sneasel's presentation so benevolently. Rhys smiled at it, before retrieving a small handful of trail mix and depositing it at the shrine.
Rhys looked down at his companion as she tapped her foot against the road. "It's polite to pay your respects. Come on Sneasel."
She rolled her eyes, before jumping up to retrieve an oran berry from Rhys backpack and depositing it at the shrine.
Rhys nodded and they began walking away, behind them Clair lingered at the shrine for a moment, her eyes meeting closed lids of the stone Sneasel. Growlithe whined from beside her, and Clair then she shook her head, casting away an errant thought before turning to follow Rhys.
She had only taken a step when–
WHACK
Rhys turned on his heel as he heard Clair and Growlithe yelp. His eyes strained in the darkness but the shrine was gone and Clair was sprawled face first onto the path, dirt coating her face and Growlithe laying her back, his bruised side facing the sky.
Rhys has moved before he realized it, moving to check on them both.
He flinched as a gray blur emerged from the forest, speeding its way towards him.
An ice shard slammed into the gray blur, forcing it to retreat back into the shadows as Rhys tumbled towards Clair.This time Rhys saw it, the stone shrine disappearing into the forest, tearing branches before it retreated far back enough and drilled into the soul. Rhys' mind raced, mentally sorting through every pokemon he could think of. Sneasel tossed a few more Ice bullets its way, most shattering on trees while a few hit dead center, spreading ice over the surface of the shrine.
Losshrine, a species of Pokemon that disguised itself as a roadside shrine and preyed on rural travelers. He cursed his bad luck and absentmindedness. "Sneasel, freeze the ground."
Sneasel nodded, concentrating for a second and then going on all fours, her hands flat against the ground as a thin layer of Ice spread across it.
"Clair, is–"
"Growlithe's okay."
"Good. Sneasel, Agile Style. Keep an eye on our surroundings." The pokemon nodded than disappeared in a flash
Clair struggled to her feet beside him, she had already gone for Horsea's pokeball in her offhand but had yet to throw it. There wasn't a comfortable spot for the water-bound pokemon to land, meaning they were effectively stuck with two pokemon.
"Rare pokemon. Rock and Ghost-type." Rhys said. There was a part of Rhys that was actually happy about this turn of events, not much was known about Losshrines due to how rare they were. If he could catch it and donate it to the pokemon association, or even Oak personally, it'd do wonders.
Beside him, Clair nodded. That was a pretty bad type matchup for both of them, but at least it was a wild pokemon.
They pressed their backs up against each other as they steadied themselves on the frozen ground. Rhys kept his eyes on the side of the forest where the shrine had been, while Clair covered the opposite direction. Sneasel and Growlithe covered the west and east side of the paths respectively.
The scattered rays of light and thick foliage restricted the visibility of the humans, but Growlithe and especially Sneasel kept their eyes sharp as they peered through the gloom. They waited for a second, then a second more.
Rhys felt a creeping feeling on his back, causing his body to tense.
"Dodge!"
They moved in sync, him and Sneasel to the west as Clair and Growlithe rolled east on the path.
As soon as each stopped, the ground where they had been shattered, sending a plume of dust into the air blocking them from seeing each other. Sneasel and Growlithe took their place against their Trainer's backs as Clair and Rhys kept eyes on the clearing dust, revealing a set of pointed rocks stabbing into the earth where they had been moments before.
Rhys exhaled just as a blur of grey appeared from behind.
Sneasel jumped back, pushing Rhys down as she slashed through the air with Dark-type energy as the Losshrine's club flew towards her. They struck simultaneously but Sneasel was thrown into the small clearing where the Shrine had been.
Pain lanced through Rhys as he hit the ground, followed by an errant swipe from the Losshrine's claws. When he had finally raised his head again the pokemon, a mass of black wielding a shrine-shaped club in one hand, had already passed him and was making its way towards Sneasel.
Rhys' hands went towards his pockets as the Losshrine raised a tendril, summoning a rock above Sneasel that slammed into her.
Sneasel yowled in pain as she hit the ground, the ice covering the forest floor cracking beneath her as the rock started against her back. A smile bloomed on the Losshrine's face as it gathered energy around its club and approached, rising high into the right as it readied to split Sneasel's skull open.
"Over here!" Rhys retrieved a kunai from his pockets, and had flung it at the Losshrine before he knew it.
Growlithe leaped from behind, biting down into the body of the Losshrine with a flash of Dark-type energy.
The Losshrine reeled back, shuffling away from Rhys as it moved to a one handed grip, trying to Growlithe off of it.
The pair wrestled, moving in Clair's direction. . Rhys was moving towards Sneasel, narrowly avoiding a wild swing of Losshrine's club in the narrow confines of the path.
Rhys scooped up Sneasel into his arms as the Losshrine finally threw Growlithe to the floor, it's back to Clair as it faced Rhys. He threw another kunai at it but that didn't stop its club from descending onto Growlithe, knocking the pokemon out cold. Clair had already gone for second pokeball
"Horsea!"
The diminutive pokemon sprang from her ball. Before flopping onto its side, the water-bound pokemon no fit for a long fight.
Losshrine paused for a moment as looked at the small pokemon and cackled. Rhys took the opportunity to wrench open his backpack, looking forthe pharmaceuticals he had been gifted.
"Bubblebeam!" Horsea narrowed its eyes as it attacked the Losshrine feebly.
Cracks spread along its club, silencing its cackles. Despite the cracking of Its, the Losshrine ignored Horsea, swatting the pokemon away with its free hand. Clair glared at it, but that didn't stop the pokemon from winding up to swing its club
She jumped, Rhys threw a smoke ball. But even as the burst of smoke exploded into the clearing–
THUD
The Losshrine's club hit true, a pained grunt echoing through, as it slammed into her stomach. Followed by and sending Clair flying into a tree with a thud and the violent rustling of the branches above, scattering sunlight that stabbed through the smoke, turning the path way into a silver cave.
Rhys could see its silhouette as it approached Clair, throwing himself in its wouldn't do anyone any good. Growlithe was still out for the count, lying fainted further down the path. Sneasel was still getting up, her eyes. Rhys scrambled for one a Revive crystal in one hand and a Dire Hit in the other
Sneasel eyes slammed open and she gagged as he shattered the potent crystal in front of her face, energy flowing into her system as the smell of ammonia and burnt toast turned the air. She didn't have any time to breathe as Rhys popped open the dire hit, dumping the tiny capsules into her mouth. "Swallow."
The Lossshrine heaved its club up and turned towards Clair, ignoring the unconscious Growlithe, and ineffectual Horsea.
"Sneasel! Ice Shard!" The pokemon sprung into action, releasing the built up energy in a flash of white and cold. The Losshrine was too slow to react, and the bullet of ice found its mark. Ice exploded out in every direction, coating the Losshrinet, its Jizo, and the ground beneath it in a thick layer of ice, freezing it solid.
Clair and Rhys waited for a moment, as if not believing the Losshrine had been stopped, as if it's break out the ice in the next moment and continue its assault.
Sneasel chattered up at Rhys, pulling at his pant leg and pulling him from his stupor.
Rhys reached for his pokeballs. "Right, let's–"
"What are you doing?!"
Rhys froze mid throw. "Ah, well, there aren't a lot; if any Losshrines in captivity."
Clair grimaced at him. "You're not training that thing."
"I wasn't planning to," Rhys said, raising his hands. "I'll sell it to the Pokemon Association or some research lab."
Clair had a half-sour look on her face as she looked between Rhys and the frozen Losshrine. "Fine."
Rhys tossed a pokeball, and when it finally stopped wiggling, he breathed a sigh of relief. He held down the release button until the ring around it flashed red and the pokeball locked, before handing it to Sneasel so she could put it in his pack.
Growlithe picked himself up as well, shaking rocks from his coat as he plopped over to his master.
Nearby, Clair was picking herself up from where she landed against the three, her legs shaking until, "Ah!" She slipped and fell. Growlithe yipped in surprise, running over to his master.
"Are you okay?" Rhys said, walking over to her and extending a hand.
Clair swatted it away. "Yeah, yeah, my–" she winced as she stood, "My back just hurts."
Rhys hesitated as he saw Clair rise slowly. Beside her, Growlithe and Horsea seemed worried as well, but she was standing up straight the next moment and recalled Horsea. "Come on, let's go."
Rhys looked at Growlithe as if for confirmation. The little pooch held his head highly despite his bruises. He motioned for Sneasel to follow as Clair took the lead. This time they stayed closer together, Rhys never two steps behind Clair and Sneasel keeping her eyes on the forest and the trail behind them. Eventually more pokemon appeared among the trees in the distance, Sentrent, Pidgey Sneasel eyed hungrily, Bellsprout and Tangela closer to the trail but keeping a polite distance. Rhys raised the subject of perhaps hunting one, but Clair rebuffed him. Farther on the road then there was another shrine, nearly identical to the last one. Save for the Sneasel being replaced by a happy Sentret.
They gave it a wide berth. They had to nurse their wounds and make camp before getting into anymore trouble.