"Kirlia, the Emotion Pokemon. Kirlia is the evolved form of Ralts. It is highly perceptive of it's trainer's feelings. It dances when it feels happiness."
"So, you finally evolved," Sara said as she put the dex away and smiled at the now Kirlia. She then laughed when Lee looked at his new body and gave a cry of fright and confusion, not seeming to understand why he had a skirt. "Don't worry Lee, I'm sure that you'll-"
Suddenly there came another, much brighter glow. Sara turned around and gasped when she found the source of the glowing; Merric. The light was so bright that even Tony stopped his climbing and looked back. Before everyone's eyes, Merric started to grow and morph, becoming more serpentine and much larger. He just seemed to grow more and more, becoming brighter as well. It took some time before he reached his true height and the glowing dimmed.
Sara couldn't help but to blink. For where Merric the Magikarp was before now stood a very large, almost dragon-like creature. It had a huge mouth and a blue body with some skin colored spots and an under belly. The large creature looked around from his new height before looking down at the tiny people and Pokemon below. When it found the red haired girl, it made a content noise and lowered its huge head towards her. Sara was actually scared when she saw the creature do this and jumped back a bit, making the creature pause. Human and creature stared at each other for a while.
"…Merric?" Sara finally asked and slowly walked over to the large beast. It nodded and once again lowered its head towards her. When its head was close enough, Sara reached a hand up and lightly petted the side of its head, making it give a pleased hum.
Using her other hand, Sara quickly grabbed her Pokedex and took it back out. She aimed it at the beast and scanned it.
"Gyarados, the Atrocious Pokemon. Gyarados is the evolved form of Magikarp. Once it begins to rampage, a Gyarados will burn everything down, even in a harsh storm."
"Gyarados…" Sara muttered, unbelieving. Of course, she had heard all about Gyaradoses and even saw a couple pictures of them, but she had no idea where they came from. She had just assumed that they were non-evolving Pokemon, even Legendaries. To now know that these monsters evolved from Magikarps, the weakest Pokemon known…it suddenly made Sara recheck her values.
Still, when it finally started to sink in that this Gyarados, named Merric, was here before her and under her command…Sara let loose a wide smile.
"I've got a Gyarados…" Sara said, nearly shaking with joy. "I got a Gyarados…I've got a Gyarados!!" Letting out a happy 'whoop', the girl jumped and punched the air happily, then all but danced around in the little bit of land.
Merric didn't understand why his trainer was happy or even what she was doing, but he felt her happiness and did a little wiggle with her. Lee smiled himself, truly feeling what the girl was, and started to dance with her. Of course, he was much more graceful then what Sara could ever hope to do. Destiny, being the Jubilee Pokemon itself, was ecstatic from the good feelings she sensed and flew around her trainer and comrades, crying out happily.
Tony growled from the rocks as he watched the happy human and Pokemon. How was he supposed to know that the stupid fish was going to become a Gyarados! With out a backward glance, he climbed the rock with renewed speed.
The small celebration continued for a few minutes longer before Sara finally stopped. Still a smile on her face, she looked at the three Pokemon she had out at the time, and then back at the bridge that went over the rushing creek. Her smile grew as she looked back at the Atrocious Pokemon.
"Hey Merric, do you think you could lift me up there?" Sara asked playfully.
"Gyara," Merric said with a nod, then laid down so that Sara could climb onto the back of his head. After she did so, he lifted his head once more and slithered into the creek. The rushing water didn't seem to affect the Gyarados at all as he swam over to the bridge. Destiny smiled and flew beside her trainer, while Lee just grunted and teleported to the bridge itself.
When they neared the bridge, Merric turned so that Sara could just hop off of him and onto structure. Sara once more smiled at the very large Pokemon and took his Apri ball out.
"Thanks a lot Merric. How about you rest up a bit? I'm sure going from a Magikarp to a Gyarados," Sara said as she returned Merric. She then took out the green Apri ball and a Pokeball. "The same go for you Lee, and you fought quite a bit Destiny, rest up."
Both Pokemon nodded as they returned to their respective balls. The trainer took one last look around before walking across the bridge. Sara hummed as she walked across the very rocky and uneven terrain. Luckily for her, she didn't run into any other Pokemon that wanted to attack her. So over all, the rest of her trek was very uneventful.
It wasn't until Sara was about to leave that section of the Route that something of importance happened. The girl was looking around at the thinning fog before stopping. Now, standing right in front of her, was a red small-ish house right next to a larger section of the creek. A woman who looked to be in her mid forties sat in the front reading a book. Sara continued to walk and as she neared the house, the woman looked up and smiled at Sara.
"Well hello there young lady," the woman said with a kind smile. "You look like a trainer, and one that has traveled quite a bit, if that tired look and weathered look is anything to come by."
"Um…yeah, I am," Sara said. "My name is Sara Goodman. What's your name?"
"My name is Wilma Norse," the woman said. "I've been living here since my husband died some years ago."
"I'm sorry ma'am," Sara said.
"Oh no need to be sorry," Wilma said. "That was some years ago and it wasn't your fault. Anyways, you look tired and hungry. It's quite a ways to the next town and, though it's all down hill from here, it'll take you some time and it is getting dark."
"Um, alright," Sara said with a shrug, then followed the woman into her house. Wilma directed her to the living room and then went over to the kitchen. The girl didn't have to wait for too long before Wilma came back with a few sandwiches. As soon as the woman set the food down, Sara immediately grabbed a couple and wolfed them down.
"Yep, I was right, you're hungry," Wilma said with a grin. "Though, would you please try not to get crumbs all over my couch?"
"Oh…sorry," Sara said, then started to each her food slowly.
Wilma chuckled and took a set across from the girl. There was silence between them for a while, then the woman asked, "So, may I ask what Pokemon you have?"
Sara nodded and finished what was in her mouth before saying; "Well, my starter is Angela, my Shuppet. Then I caught Lee who just evolved into a Kirlia. Then I have Destiny, my Togekiss who choose me to be her trainer. There was also this strange boy who just gave me his Vulpix, who is called Flare, and I recently made a trade with a boy for a Magikarp, named Merric. He just evolved into a Gyarados not even half an hour ago!"
"Wow, that's an interesting bunch of Pokemon you got there," Wilma said. "Not to mention rare. A Gyarados you say? And a Togekiss! I haven't seen one of those around in a long time. Not to mention a Kirlia and a Vulpix."
"What about Shuppets?" Sara asked.
"Meh, they're more uncommon. No offense or anything." Wilma said with a playful grin. "Anyways, I wanted to know what Pokemon you had because I happen to be a Move Tutor."
"A move what?" Sara asked, blinking in confusion.
"A Move Tutor," Wilma said with another grin. "I can teach your Pokemon moves that they might not be able to know by leveling up or through TMs."
"Really!?" Sara asked. "Like what?"
"Well, all of the moves I can teach are here," Wilma said, reaching over to grab a piece of paper and handing it to the girl.
Sara spent the next little bit looking over the moves, figuring which of her Pokemon could learn what, and how much they cost. The trainer didn't like the fact that she would be giving up quite a bit of her MooMoo Milk and one of her attack increasing items, but she realized that it was necessary. Especially for Flare, who barely knew enough moves as it was. She agreed with Wilma on giving her a potion and the Silk Scarf to teach the fox Ominous Wind and Energy Ball, but she had trouble deciding who else to teach, since Wilma had made it clear that she could only teach two of her Pokemon moves.
"If I were you," Wilma said, "I would teach that Gyarados of yours. I'm sure he's quite powerful, but I doubt that he would know that many moves. The more he knows, the better he will be."
"But what about my Togekiss," Sara asked. "You said yourself that she won't be able to learn any more moves with out TMs or other Move Tutors."
"That's true, but Togekisses can learn practically anything!" Wilma said with a smile. "Trust me, you'll be surprise at how much they can do. If you really want her to learn another move, I suggest that you teach her that Shock Wave TM. Togekiss are very good when it comes to Special Attacks, and with Metronome, she can do a lot more then you think. Still, I also suggest that the next Move Tutor you meet to teach this Destiny. She'll probably need newer moves by then."
"Right, thanks for letting me know," Sara said with a nod. "Then would you please teach Merric Twister, Icy Wind and Water Pulse?"
"Sure thing," Wilma said with another smile. "That'll be either two more Potions or two MooMoo Milks."
Sara nodded and handed two MooMoo Milks to the woman. She then gave Wilma the Apri balls that held the fox and the dragon and Wilma told the girl to take the spare bedroom and get some sleep. He Pokemon would know the moves by the morning.
-/-/-
Sara woke up late in the morning and, not seeing anyone in the living, went outside. There, standing right next to the creek, was Wilma with Merric and Flare. The Gyarados was the first one to notice his trainer when she neared and quickly slithered out of the water to meet up with the girl. Sara couldn't help but to smile as the very large Pokemon all but ran into her and lowered his head so that she could pet him. Flare, of course, noticed very soon after and ran over to her trainer, crying out happily as she nuzzled against her leg.
"Well, I think a couple Pokemon missed ya," Wilma said with a laugh as she walked to the trainer. "That's always nice to see. Anyways, I taught them the moves we agreed upon. Want to try them out yourself?"
"Sure," Sara said, then pointed to a few rocks not too far from where they where. "Flare, use Ominous Wind, then Energy Ball on those rocks!"
"Vulpix!" Flare said with a nod, then glared at the rocks. Soon enough, a very evil feeling wind rushed past them and over to the rocks, knocking a few of them over and chipping the rest. The fox then opened her mouth and green energy began to gather. When it was big enough, the ball shoot forward and crashed into the rocks, causing a nice sized explosion.
"Nice," Sara said with a grin, then turned to Merric. "Okay Merric, on the same rocks, use Twister, Icy Wind and then Water Pulse!"
Merric nodded, then also looked to the rocks. He spun around and, right after he did, a small twister appeared, wiping a few of the rocks around. The Atrocious Pokemon then breathed in deeply before exhaling, letting out a very cold breath that froze some of the rocks. Lastly, Merric then gathered some water around his mouth before shooting it at the ground. When the water hit, a kind of pulse came and washed over the rocks, getting rid of the many that were once there.
"Wow, this is great!" Sara said happily, then turned to the woman. "Thanks a lot Wilma, these moves are great!"
"I'm glad you agree," Wilma said with a grin. "Now, how about you get going before it becomes late again, huh?"
"Yeah," Sara said as she returned Merric, but not Flare. "Again, thanks a lot See you around!"
"The same to you girl!" Wilma said with a grin as she watched the trainer and her Vulpix walk away.
Sara once again took up a hum as she walked downward across the now flat field. The fox kept up with her trainer and for a while, things were quiet. Then, out of nowhere, Sara said, "You know Flare, now that you have those new moves, I should really be training you more."
"Vul?" Flare asked, tilting her head.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to have you fight by yourself yet," Sara continued to say. "But you really do need to catch up with the others. Now, where are the Pokemon?"
It wasn't too long after she said that the trainer spotted a couple of Pokemon she had not seen before. One looked like a clown while the other looked like a sapling. As quietly as she could, Sara got closer to the Pokemon and scanned them with her Pokedex. She soon found out that the two Pokemon were Mime Jr. and Bonsly.
"A Psychic and Rock type, huh?" Sara muttered, then grinned slightly and took out an Apri ball. "I think I know who can help you out with this, Flare." She threw the ball up and, in a flash, Angela appeared. She floated over to her trainer and awaited orders.
"Right, Angela, you're going to be fighting those two Pokemon over there with Flare," Sara said. "Though try to let Flare do as much of the fighting as she can. I'll be ordering her, but not you as much. Do what you think you can do to help her, but don't take over the fight."
"Shup," Angela said with a nod, then floated over to where the Mime Jr. and Bonsly was. Flare looked up at her trainer before following the ghost. When the fox reached her, Angela let out a low growl, getting the two Pokemon's attention.
"Right, Flare, lets start this off with an Ominous Wind!" Sara called out. "Angela, use a Screech attack!"
Both Pokemon nodded and Angela was the first to use her attack. She opened her mouth to let out the familiar sound, making both Pokemon flinch. Then Flare concentrated and an evil wind went pass the two wild Pokemon, nearly making the Mime Jr. fall while the Bonsly just stumbled a bit.
Mime Jr. glared at the fox and ghost before sending a psychic blast at Angela, knocking her back a bit. The Bonsly also glared before it's eyes started to water, making Flare relax her guard.
"Flare, use Energy Ball on the Bonsly!" Sara shouted. "Angela, use Spite on the Mime Jr.!"
Again, both Pokemon nodded. This time, Flare was the one who attacked first, gathering the energy around her open mouth before shooting it at the tree-like Pokemon. The Bonsly cried out in pain as the attack hit it and was knocked back. Angela then launched a shadow imp at the Mime Jr., making it gasp as it lost its Confusion attack.
Both Pokemon seemed stunned so Sara quickly shouted, "Flare, use Ominous Wind again!"
"Vul!" Flare said with a nod, then closed her eyes as she concentrated again. Once more, the wind came and raced through the two Pokemon. This knocked the Bonsly right out and knocked the Mime Jr. down. Flare saw that the Mime Jr. was weakened and quickly used an Ember attack on it, finishing it off.
"Nice going you two," Sara said with a smile as she took an Apri ball out and returned the Shuppet. "Now, lets see what other Pokemon there are out here."
"Vulpix!" Flare called out happily and followed her trainer as they walked down the route.
The two didn't have that long to wait before a couple more Pokemon suddenly appeared before them. Sara grinned slightly and took her 'dex out quickly. She soon found that these two were a Nuzleaf and a Ledian. The trainer looked over their information before nodding and taking a green Apri ball out as Flare stood in front of her trainer.
"Come out, Destiny!" Sara called out and, in another flash of light, the Togekiss appeared. The girl then quickly searched through her pack and found the Shock Wave TM. Getting the Togekiss near to her, she placed the disk onto the Jubilee Pokemon's head and watched as the machine did its work. Soon, the TM lost all color and Sara returned it to her pack.
"Okay Destiny, you now know Shock Wave," Sara said. "I need your help in training Flare here. She just learned some new moves, so she will be more useful then she was before, but she'll probably need some help. Do what you can, but don't take over for her."
"Togekiss!" Destiny said with a nod before flying to her comrade's side.
"Right; Flare, use Ember on the Nuzleaf!" Sara called out. "Destiny, Sweet Kiss on the Ledian!"
Both Pokemon nodded at their orders. Flare opened her mouth and sent a bunch of little fire balls at the Wily Pokemon, making it cry out in pain. Destiny quickly flew over to the lady bug and kissed it, making it blush and wobble in the air. Nuzleaf glared at the Vulpix before spinning it's head and sending many leaves at her, knocking the fox back a bit.
"Flare, use another Ember on the Nuzleaf!" Sara called out. "Destiny, just hang back for a bit."
Flare glared back at the Nuzleaf before once again sending the little fire balls at it. This knocked the Grass type down where it remained limp. The Ledian just continued to wobble in the air, unaware of what was around it.
"Okay Flare, now use Ember on that Ledian!" Sara called out.
"Vulpix!" Flare said with a nod and launched the attack at the Five Star Pokemon. This knocked the lady bug right out of the air and made it hit the ground. When it got back up, it turned to glare at the Vulpix. Suddenly, it moved in a blur and slammed one of it's fist into the fox, making her cry out
"Quick, Flare, use another Ember!" Sara called out. "Destiny, use Charm!"
Both Pokemon nodded again once more. Destiny then winked at the Ledian and smiled at it. This made the Ledian blush and lower it's guard once more. Flare took this time to use her Ember attack on the bug once more, making it faint.
"Nice going again!" Sara said with a smile and returned the Togekiss. She then had Flare come over to her and gave the fox one of her remaining MooMoo Milks. "Don't want you fainting on me any time soon."
"Vul!" Flare said happily, then followed her trainer once more as they continued to walk downhill.
Things were quite for a while but, of course, it didn't last for too long. Before they knew what was happening, two more Bonslys appeared in front of the trainer and Pokemon. Sara couldn't help but sigh at the two Pokemon, but took out the blue Apri ball.
"Merric, come out again," Sara said as she threw the ball up and, in a very bright flash of light, the Gyarados suddenly appeared. He seemed happy to be out but before he could get much closer to his trainer, she quickly explained the situation and what he should do. The Atrocious Pokemon grumbled at not being able to do much, but looked at the two small Rock types and was ready for battle.
"Okay Flare, use Energy ball on the Bonsly to the left!" Sara called out. "Merric, use Icy Wind!"
Flare gathered the energy in her mouth before launching it at the Bonsly, making it cry out in pain as it was knocked back. Merric then unleashed his Icy Wind attack on the two Bonsai Pokemon, knocking the one that had been attacked before out while doing a bit of damage to the other. The second Bonsly glared at both of the Pokemon before grabbed a piece of the ground with its branches and threw the chunk of earth at the Vulpix.
"Merric! Protect Flare!" Sara shouted.
The Gyarados placed himself in front of the fox with out a second thought. When the rock hit him, he couldn't help but to roar in pain. Sure, the attack hadn't done all that much to his very large body, it was well thrown and was super effective against him. With out, thinking, Merric launched a Twister attack at the Bonsly, raising it up a bit and knocking it against a tree.
"Merric, calm down!" Sara shouted, then said, "Flare, use Energy Ball on the Bonsly!"
Flare nodded and once again shot the green ball of energy at the Bonsly, making it fait. The trainer nodded at the, then turned to the still angry looking Gyarados.
"Hey, Merric, calm down," Sara said. "It's okay, that Pokemon is knocked out right now. It's not going to hurt you."
Merric looked over at his trainer and, after staring at her for a bit, grunted and relaxed slightly. He was still angry, but he wasn't going to raze any mountains soon. Still, not wanting to take any chances, Sara quickly returned him to his ball. The girl then looked to Flare and sighed.
"Why do I always get the violent ones?" Sara asked the Vulpix.
"Vul," Flare said with a shrug of her shoulders.
Sara just sighed once more before picking the fox up and, for about the forth time that day, continued her journey down the Route.