Feeling like spending any more time stating that it was time to go rather than actually going would have been quite pointless, Rai merely nodded at the others' statements and took up climbing the actual slope like Zachary did, carefully at first as he searched for footing, but then taking up a brisk walking pace. He didn't spend too much time staring at the peak anymore, concentrating on the path in front of him instead, it was like Ashura had said; the more you focus on the magnitude of your task the harder it becomes.
{No complainings...} Kaika commented at Tania's exclamation, {At least you bes gettings to fly. Poor Kaika must be walkings...} the Vulpix cringed slightly at the thought, but a determined expression soon appeared on his face, {That bes okay, though.} the fox pok?mon said firmly, {If Rai bes climbings the big mountain then Kaika bes climbings with him.} with that, the fox pok?mon trotted after what he already considered his new trainer with considerable determination, although with the curled furr on the top of his head, the Vulpix still failed to look anything but cute.
Rai gave the fox pok?mon a grateful, if slightly confused smile as he felt him nudge his ankle, stopping for a moment to stroke the fire type before picking up the pace as well. In a way it had perhaps been fortunate for them that they had started out the treck so late as the worst of the heat, both that from the sun and that gathered within the rocks themselves, seemed to have dissipated, leaving a somewhat easier path for them to tread. Still, the boy couldn't help having the feeling that he'd need another shower and change of clothes by the time they got back.
Pondering this, the boy wasn't paying much attention to anything in his surroundings except for the path in front of him, although he was still vaguely aware that his friends were still quite close, probably quite focused on their walking as well. Or was that just him? Rai sighed in his mind, it was precisely in situations like these that he wished having been born into a more practical family. No doubt Zachary and Maxie would have no problem with something as simple as climbing up this slope, Silver would probably do fine too...Kayley and Jena, though...well, Kayley was from a pretty wealthy upbringing too, so Rai imagined that they were probably facing more or less the same problems, not to mention that the girl was still carrying a rather heavy trumpet case too, and Jena...well, the boy wasn't sure how she had been brought up exactly, although he was quite sure that it had nothing to do with rearing Mareep, and she seemed so...well, frail. Rai found himself wishing that there was some way he could help the coordinator, but seeing as how he was having his hands full just taking care of himself there wasn't really much he could do.
{Stoppings!}
Kaika's sudden exclamation caused the boy to look up from his thoughts and take a better look at his surroundings instead. The first of the steep slopes seemed to have been passed without him taking proper notice of it, as the group was now located on one of the plateaus, a few thin but very hardy looking trees snaking their way up from cracks in the ground, their long, thin branches stretching and twisting upwards as far as they could get in pursuit of sunlight for the small, green leaves that they bore, while to the left, there was nothing but a sudden change to sheer cliff face which Rai, possessing the common sense that he did, decided not to peek over, focusing on the Kaika instead. The fox pok?mon had suddenly halted his march, taking a few skipping steps forward in order to get in front of Rai and now standing there at full alert, his eyes peering suspiciously at their surroundings and his ears at full attention.
"Kaika, wha-?" Rai began, but before he could finish his sentence he noticed something too; a sudden rush of wind right behind him. Whipping around to spot the source, the boy was shocked to find absolutely nothing, suddenly feeling another rush of wind, this one heading upwards. Now thoroughly confused, the boy looked up there instead, even more surprised by the sight.
Perched on a thin plateau jutting out of the cliff face a good bit above sat a solitary boy with short, light purple hair, donning what looked like a bathrobe, this one dark red in colour with black around the edges of his sleeves, held together by a black belt. He was perched there in lotus position, eyes shut and an expression of concentration on his face, although his eyes opened as he noticed that Rai was looking at him, a smirk spreading across his face.
"It seems that I have been spotted after all." the boy commented in a nonchalant tone, causing Rai to take a step back in shock as the boy suddenly leapt down from above, performing an elegant sommersault in the air before he suddenly just vanished, appearing in the middle of the path that led forward instead, looking as calm as ever, although he was definitely amused by the reaction.
"How-how did you do that?" Rai managed to ask, staring in disbelief at the boy whom he had, by now, determined to be none other than a psychic.
"Yes...you simians do tend to ask that quite a lot, don't you?" the boy replied in a bored voice, seemingly adressing his fingernails, "Suffice to say that I've spent two years on top of a forsaken mountain in the middle of nowhere learning how to do so and am not quite about to share it with every plebian who asks. Now could you please refrain from asking any more foolish and pointless questions so that we might get down to bussiness?"
"What kind of bussiness?" Rai asked in a slightly cold voice, not approving of this person at all. Kaika seemed to share his sentiments, backing down a bit so that he could lean against Rai's leg as he glared at the boy, tails puffed up in the most treathening pose he could muster.
"What part of 'foolish and pointless' questions don't you understand?" the psychic replied, scoffing before he shut his eyes for a moment, a pok?ball suddenly floating out from somewhere beneath his robes and landing in his hand, a light purple nimbus encasing during the flight but dispelling as the object had reached its destination. "Allow me to make this simple for you so that you won't be left furrowing your puny little mind in a vague attempt to understand; anyone wishing to challenge the gym leader of this pissant town must first prove his worth by climbing this mountain and defeating all who would seek to steal his glory, and you, as it so happens, seem to be here for precisely that reason." the psychic's eyes narrowed, "And I, Melwind Spiro, psychic of the first house, do not tollerate competition, not even from ones as cerebrally challenged as yourselves, so quite simply, none of you are getting further unless..." he gave a mocking little laugh, "...one of you would somehow defeat me. Not that that would ever happen."
Rai's manner towards this Melwind Spiro had now shifted from slightly cold to nearly Isabel-glacial, his eyes firmly focused on the boy and his face bearing a blank but still somehow dangerous expression.
"Is that so?" he asked in an equally cold, even voice, "Then I, Raistlin, champion of the Kingsfield regional tournament accept your challenge."
For a split-second, Melwind actually seemed to snap out of his cocky manner, taking a precautionary step back out of pure survival instinct, although he soon regained his old manner, "How very simian of you to think that I'd be impressed by something as futil as a tournament victory." he said in as bold a voice as he could muster, "Very well then, let's start."
Regaining his previous smirk, the psychic took up a lotus position once again, hovering a bit backwards from their coming battlefield before he lifted up the pok?ball from his hand, the light purple energy field appearing once again as the object flew towards the ground at its own accord.
"Meditite." the psychic said simply, "I choose you."
With its distinctive call, the fighting pok?mon appeared, wearing an expression quite similar to its trainer's as it sat down on the ground in precisely the same position, obviously attuning its senses in preparation for the battle.
If Rai thought anything particular about this opponent he certainly didn't show it, merely reaching for one of the pok?balls on his belt as well.
"Chupon, go."
In a far less gracefull manner, the little gecko appeared on his side of the battlefield, blinking in confusion for a moment before realizing what was going on, a slightly displeased but still determined expression spreading across his face as he took up a better fighting stance.
{Bes careful...} Kaika warned the Treecko, eyeing Melwind's Meditite suspiciously, {Kaika thinkings that Meditite bes stronger than it lookings.}
