Aya and Ladon stood on Lavaridge's lookout for several more minutes, fifteen at least but probably closer to twenty, watching as various flying types flew around the cliffs below the town, but they were dawdling and Aya was eager to move onto Jagged Pass and start her journey. Slowly she and her Axew descended from the tower-like structure, so to give Ladon a longer look, until she reached the bottom of the wooden steps and was on firm ground again.
Soon enough, Aya and Ladon had walked through the small tourist spot that was their home and were proceeding onto the rocky terrain that was Jagged Pass. After walking a ways into the route Aya stopped to survey the area as Ladon frolicked around nearby her doing some surveying of his own. Jagged Pass was beautiful in a strange way it seemed to Aya, it was rocky and lacked a lot of colour save for the odd patches of grass that sprung up and the trees on the route's edges. Despite the rugged landscape, it seemed to possess a certain purity to Aya and it was that which made it stunning to behold. Walking through one of the rarely occurring patches of greenery she progressed, still marvelling at the world around her. Despite its appearance, Jagged Pass was full of life if you looked hard enough. Above the heads of Aya and Ladon flocks of tailow and starly whirled and spiralled in the air, sometimes a rock would roll off a ridge for no good reason – turning out to actually be a geodude and many the spoink or snubbull peered at her from within crevices in the rock or tall patches of grass. It was whilst considering attempting to catch such a snubbull that Aya noticed she wasn't alone in the area. A shorter boy who was probably around her age, maybe a little older, with an outdated haircut and glasses was standing not too far away looking rather lost. In good spirits, Aya decided to be the good citizen and walked across to where he was standing
"Hey, is everything alright? You look a bit lost."
Tact may be something to work on in the future…
Carl Bizarro had his mind focused on the sight of the rocky path ahead. The volcanic ash could not be seen at that part since the hike had just begun, but he could see some Pokémon around. Some of them he had seen for the first time in his life, others, like Machop, Geodude and Snubbull, he had met while travelling with Felicity. He was taking little steps, like a baby learning how to walk, when suddenly, he was startled by someone's voice. He turned and saw a girl there.
"I-I'm g-good, I think..." he said timidly, not very used to wild conversations popping out as if he were walking on tall grass.
He took his eyes off her and took another shaky step forward. He thought about Sting, and what would be of him when they got to the higher part of Jagged Pass.
That's where the volcano's summit is! His eyes turned to look at the girl.
"A-Actually... I-I know it sounds crazy, b-but..." he said and looked at his feet, "W-Would you, um, mind, um, t-tagging along?"
Aya was taken aback by the sudden request for companionship that the boy blurted out, although he had tried to act as though he was fine earlier.
Maybe he's not a trainer? But no, that can't be right he has pokeballs... interesting.
"I don't see why not, I'm heading up to the top anyway. My name's Aya and my Axew here is Ladon. What's your name?"
As she awaited answer Aya looked the boy up and considered his shy mannerisms.
He's really not a very confident trainer by the looks of things. He looks to be a rookie like me... but to be this timid on the first route of your journey? Sure it is a bit more treacherous for us than those who start at Littleroot, but if you can't even get started on your journey how are you meant to finish it? Aya smiled lightly at the boy who was soon to be her temporary travelling companion
"Why the sudden desire for company anyway?"
"W-Well," Carl said nervously, as the girl who introduced herself as Aya continued to ask him questions, "I-I'm not very sure that I can get to the top." He grabbed the Pokéball on his belt and sent out the small Weedle that was inside of it. "You see, I'm just starting out, and this first challenge is t-tricky." Sting began climbing up a nearby tree to feast on some leaves.
"Y-You see, Sting over there is a Bug-type Pokémon," he added talking quite fast, "and this path leads to the volcano's summit, which means it's teeming with Fire-type Pokémon, which means he's very likely to get a burn or faint. which means-"
Then he realized what he was doing. He was rambling on, talking so quickly that the poor girl probably didn't get what he said. He timidly looked away for a moment, and took another small step forward. "S-Sorry about that..." he whispered, "And, by the way, I'm Carl."
Boy, this is so embarrassing!
Aya kept a calm, pleasant smile on her face. She figured it would probably not do well to let on that she actually felt pity for the boy. He was clearly quite nervous, although he definitely new he was at a disadvantage.
I guess, I approve of his brain power but not how he uses it.
Carl nodded, in response to what Aya said last, and it was hard for him to hold back another of his brainiac ramblings. He had to think of a Pokémon that could balance Sting's typing.
Probably a Water-type... Or a Ground-type... Or a Rock-type... A tock-type could handle his other weakness, Flying, so that would be like taking down two birds down with one stone... He chuckled at his non-intended
bad pun that he had made, then forced a normal face as both of them went up the mountains. He looked back at Sting, who was staring at the Axew somewhat confused, and the Weedle snapped out of it and crawled up Carl's body, finally settling on his right shoulder.
Aya, Ladon and Carl, who carried Sting on his shoulder, progressed fairly quickly up the pass from their passing the odd trainer or two and plenty of wild pokemon despite the craggy landscape they were travelling upon. The group would often find themselves having to physically pull themselves up and over steep ledges that jutted up from the slope the walked up. Sometimes they'd make small talk, but a lot of the time they simply enjoyed the walk in silence – save for Ladon's consistent exclamations at anything he found interesting.
I wonder if he'll outgrow that the young trainer thought to herself seeing Sting eyeing Ladon wearily from his place upon Carl's shoulder. Keeping an eye on her overly curious Axew Aya looked at Carl through the corner of her eye and found herself asking about his goals
"So, what are you looking to achieve through your journey? I'm in it to become as skilled and knowledgeable a trainer as I can, I figure the gyms are the best start to that goal so I'll be taking them on."
"W-Well, I'm looking to become stronger." he replied shyly, "Strong enough to become an Elite Four trainer. It's a long story, but-"
The conversation was soon lost due to a loud exclamation of not excitement, but pain, from Ladon. Snapping to attention Aya assessed the situation before her, it seemed that he, in another burst of excited curiosity, had disturbed a teddiursa that was peacefully enjoying a honey lunch. That teddiura was now launching a barrage of scratch attacks at Aya's tiny dragon-type.
"Hey!" Aya was talking to both her own pokemon and the wild one, her own for being disruptive and the teddiursa for attacking Ladon, but even as she scolded the combatants and idea formed in her head.
Teddiursa evolve into a pretty powerful pokemon in Ursaring. This would be a good catch for me…
"Ladon, stop taking hits so easily. Throw it off with a Leer!" Lado instantly obeyed, replacing his look of shock with a fierce glare that took the attacking Teddiursa aback and lowering its defensive abilities.
"Take advantage of its lowered defence and hit it with Dual Chop!" A pale blue light encased Ladon's tiny clawed hands which he slammed into the stomach of his opponent twice in succession with a chopping potion. The teddiursa was knocked to its feet but caught Ladon of guard by immediately swinging a branch it hand caught on its fall upward having it collide with Ladon's head and knocking him sidewards. The clever normal-type then proceeded to attack with a barrage of quick slashes with its claws using its fury swiped attack.
I have never seen a pokemon other than Farfetch'd do anything like that… and now Ladon's going to take more hits. I need stop the excessive fury swiping…
"Ladon, use scratch! Straight up through its attack." Aya's stroke of genius paid off, Ladon sliced upwards with one of his clawed hands breaking the streak of scratches from the Teddiursa
"Now use Dual Chop!" Ladon followed through again, hitting once in the normal-types stomach causing it to double over and then once on the back bringing it to the ground. Almost instinctively Aya tossed a pokeball at the fallen pokemon drawing it within in a flash of red light.
I hope this is a success… if it were to fail after such a narrow win it would be infuriating.
Carl meanwhile watched the battle as if he was taking notes inside his head. He wasn't really paying attention to his Weedle, who continued to stare at Ladon as it battled.
Wow, she and Felicity make catching Pokémon look like a cakewalk... Perhaps I should give it a shot sometime soon... he thought, watching the Pokéball shake. Once again, he got aboard another train of thought, and it looked like someone would have to make him snap out of it.