The ball stopped moving. Ethan felt like swearing, but he was above that. Though he was fairly certain the ball had not captured his original target, he did not yet know whether what he had caught was anything to swear over. Instinctively he knew if it was good the ball would not have shaken as feebly as it did. But he wasn't going to tell himself that when there was still a chance to be optimistic. He inched forward cautiously and knelt down, taking the wet and muddy ball into his hand. Since it was a water Pokemon he wanted to release it on land to prevent it from escaping. Holding his breath, he pointed the ball at a spot a few feet away from the water and pressed the release button.
A jet of red light materialized into a red-orange fish, gasping and flopping in the grass. Ethan couldn't help but let out an audible groan. Everyone in the world knew what this was; Magikarp were fairly common symbols, and there was a fable he had been told in his youth about a young man who had been swindled into buying a Magikarp with his life's savings. Needless to say, he was not impressed by the infamously weak creature. Even Verde, who knew she wasn't exactly a powerhouse herself, gave him an inquiring look. Her large dark eyes seemed to say 'Really? Is this it?'
There was no need to use his Pokedex on it, as he knew exactly what it was. What it evolved to was no secret, either. Having grown up around the ocean, he'd heard at a young age the horror stories involving Gyarados at sea. With some training this Magikarp could become such a powerful creature, able to break ships in half with the sweep of its tail. He would be a fool to pass up the opportunity to add such a strong ally to his team. But the effort it would take… How could you train a creature that could do no more than flop on you?
Verde chirped softly and crept closer to the Magikarp. It just stared at her with one stupid eye, opening and closing its mouth soundlessly. She seemed to be sniffing it, with the way her antenna was moving. After she determined it was safe she covered the rest of the distance to it and climbed right on top, pinning it effectively even with her negligible weight. Ethan couldn't help but laugh at the pride she emanated at being able to dominate the lesser creature. "Does this mean we're keeping it?" he asked, already knowing the answer. It was confirmed when she crooned and dismounted, allowing him to inspect it closer.
Without much strain Ethan could see that his Magikarp was a male, and a fine specimen at that. The whisker-like organs on either side of its mouth were tan, notifying him of its gender. The scales on its body were a beautiful red-orange instead of the dull orange color of its fellows. And it may be wishful thinking on his part, but he thought its eyes were somewhat less vacuous than others he had seen. Perhaps it would indeed be worth attempting to train the fish. But if he were going to keep it, that would mean he would have to give it a name, and start referring to it by its gender.
He recalled the Magikarp and allowed Verde to climb back onto his right shoulder, which seemed to be her favorite place to perch. Luckily, the path was easily visible from where he stood, so Ethan had no problem going back to it. Still, he resolved to be more observant in the future. If he had been unable to see the path he may have been lost, and ended up wandering until he found his way back. That would not be good here, so he would need to be more careful. For now, however, the day was a pleasant blend of warm air and cool breeze. The sun was bright, dappling the way ahead with emerald light. All things considered, the day was full of opportunity and Ethan wasn't going to let one misguided Pokeball ruin it.
With that thought in mind he began again, submersed in thought. He hardly noticed the eyes peering at him from the bushes on either side, for by now he had learned that most of the wild Pokemon were too frightened of humans to attack without provocation. There were exceptions, he was sure. Surely there were badly tempered, territorial Pokemon who would not want them on their territory. But he doubted that any of them lived in such a civilized area. Likely they would be found out at sea, deeper into the forest, and further into the wilderness. For now, at least, he was safe. That allowed him time to consider where he was, where he was going, and where he'd been.
Speaking of where things had been, when Ethan glanced over his shoulder Flare was nowhere to be found. He glanced around calmly at first, but when she wasn't anywhere within sight he began to get nervous. "Flare?"
Mindful of her master's fears, Verde climbed down Ethan's body and began to make a chirruping sound that was obviously a beacon. When nothing responded, he retracted his steps with his Caterpie close on his heels. Flare wasn't by the pond, but a trail of fox-like paw prints lead ahead of him, toward Oreburgh. His only chance, he reasoned, was to continue on and hope he came upon her. If he didn't he would put up posters, proclaiming that she was his, and he wanted her back. She may not like him, but he hadn't wanted her to run away.
"I'm not a very good trainer so far, am I?" he mused darkly.
*****
In contrast with the terrain Ethan had experienced thus far, there were few trees on the horizon. The stony soil produced some grass, but the patches were few and far between. The trees that did grow were short and thin, due to the bad conditions. Over time water had cut a deep chasm, across which a rope bridge had been built. There was a nerve-wracking wind, making the bridge swing precariously. With wide eyes Ethan watched its progress, thinking how easy it would be for him to lose his footing and slip into the body of water too far down for him to survive the fall.
"Are you with me on this?" he asked Verde. She squeaked nervously, but there was support in her tone none the less. As strange as it may sound, her comfort strengthened him. He took a deep breath and surveyed his surroundings more thoroughly, and discovered they were particularly beautiful. Despite the barren soil, the waterfalls cascaded down in a graceful arc, creating a roar that he was sure he could find relaxing if the bridge didn't frighten him so much.
Procrastination would do him no good, he knew, and there was only so much daylight left, so he approached the bridge cautiously. Ethan's white-sneakered foot came down on the wooden slats and swayed with the movement of the bridge. He would have made a comment to Verde, but he was afraid that his voice would fail him. So he took his second step forward, and found that his uneasiness did not abate the further he went.
He progressed looking straight ahead, one foot in front of the other, and tried to ignore the fog slowly surrounding him. In due course his vision was completely obscured, and he had to keep track of his path by resting both hands on the ropes on either side. So focused was he on the danger that would follow a missing slat in the bridge, he nearly screamed when he stepped onto solid land.
The ridiculous nature of the situation caused him to laugh aloud, almost hysterically. Verde peeped in answer, which only made him laugh harder. Then there was a sensation of wings brushing against his cheek, and Verde's weight was gone from his shoulder. Instantly he was thrown into a panic as his mind produced one word: bird.
"Verde!" he screamed, listening for a response. She began making the same sound she had when he'd left her outside of Jubilife. Though that could easily have been centuries ago, it still sent a shock of guilt through him. That guilt propelled his legs, carrying him toward the sound. He could only hope that whatever had her didn't perch on a cliff too high for him to reach. Though there were few trees, he sincerely hoped there would be one tall enough to interest Verde's avian attacker.
Ethan's pursuit had led him past the fog, giving him a clear view of the offender. What it was, he couldn't yet tell, but it was large and his Verde was clearly visible in its talons. The sight enraged him, helping him to speed up. It was a good thing, too. The bird landed under one of the weedy trees and released its grip on Verde. When she tried to crawl away, however, it placed one large foot on it and lowered its beak. "Hey!" he yelled frantically. He continued to scream as he neared the bird, hoping to catch its attention. It worked; it looked up, allowing him to see the horns above its eyes. But identifying it as a Noctowl would do him no good. The species did not matter. What mattered was the only other Pokemon he had was Maverick. Despite all the careful training he had done with his Magikarp he was still just a Magikarp, but he was his only hope. He pulled his ball out and threw it as quickly as he could. Maverick landed on the ground with a flop and a gasp. His unimpressive appearance did not seem to bother the Noctowl, however. It hooted in interest and fluttered over to him, releasing Verde. The instant the gargantuan bird was away from her Ethan rushed nearer to her until he was close enough to recall her. Her injuries could be serious, but there was no time to find out. He now had to get Maverick back without offending it. Some may call him cruel for substituting Verde for another, but he knew something that they may not: no matter how enticing Magikarp may seem to a Pokemon who preferred fish, it was too tough to even nick a scale. The Noctowl seemed to have realized that, and was making a low angry whirring sound as it pecked incessantly at Maverick's scales. As he inched closer to the bird he remembered the Aron he had recently caught. He could have laughed with relief, but there was no time for that. He produced the Apriball he had used to catch her with and unscrewed the knob on top. She materialized in a jet of light and let out a cry like the sound of metal grating against metal. The first time Ethan had heard it he'd shuddered, but now there was hardly a more welcome sound in the world.
"Get it, girl!" he commanded. "Mud-slap!" She glared at him with her one eye, less than pleased about taking orders from some punk kid who had taken her unceremoniously from her home, but she did as she was told and slapped a wave of mud onto the Noctowl. It shrieked in indignation and turned to face Aron and Ethan. Seizing his chance, Ethan recalled Maverick and withdrew a new Pokeball from his pocket. He didn't know much about Flying types, but Noctowl was a spectacular species, and even if he decided he couldn't stand to keep it he was sure someone would give him a nice trade for it, especially in an area where Noctowl did not live.
The mud from Aron's attack remained in its feathers. It shook violently, but its pattern remained darkened. "Alright, Head Butt it now." Once again she obeyed his command and slammed her hard body into it. Noctowl cried out and tumbled backward, talon over wing. The difference in experience could otherwise have tipped the scales in Noctowl's favor, but the Steel type was barely affected by birds at all, meaning Aron had the advantage. Wondering if it would be enough, Ethan threw the ball in his hand. It struck Noctowl straight in the chest and sucked it in. After several shakes it remained still. Somewhat shocked, he called Aron back and picked up the ball.
After he stowed it in his pocket, Ethan realized that he was alone. For the first time since he had received Verde, he was completely alone. He didn't much like the thought, so he released Verde again in order to check her wounds. Despite her ordeal she climbed up his leg as always, though this time she settled into his arms. Responding to her need to feel protected, he held her like a baby, belly up so he could see the claw marks. They weren't deep; it seemed that Noctowl used their toes to hold prey more than their talons. For that he was grateful. "They don't look too bad, dear heart," he said in his most soothing tone. "Would you like me to bandage them now, or wait until we get to the Center?" Verde crooned softly, nuzzled his chest, and climbed out of his arms and over his shoulder. Before he could protest she attached herself to his pack and began to spit a silky thread, somewhat like her String Shot. The thread coated her body so that by the time Ethan had carefully removed his pack and turned it to face him she was half covered. For a moment he was afraid she was dying, but the thread began to solidify and turn a light green, and he realized that this could easily be her chrysalis form. When she had finished spinning her shell he was certain. Two eyes opened up on either side and despite the less expressive quality, they were obviously hers.
"Is this for regeneration?" he asked curiously. She blinked once; he took that as an affirmative. "Well, as long as you're alright." She blinked again. It seemed that conversation was going to be even more one sided than ever. But that was alright, if this was something Verde needed to do. He hoisted his bag back up, though unusually he faced it forward. He may look asinine, but he could keep better track of Verde this way. She was particularly vulnerable, and he intended to make sure nothing happened to her.
*****
Celestic loomed before Ethan in all of its small-town splendor. Verde blinked noncommittally at the cluster of buildings, her shell glistening slightly in the light cast by the various rides and tents put up for the Celestic Fair. Over the last few days she had grown more responsive, blinking at things and wiggling in her shell. He hoped that meant she would be coming out soon, because he very much missed Verde's conversational qualities.
Though he wanted to go see what was happening at the fair, it was necessary for him to go to the Center first. He wanted to have his Pokemon assessed and take a short rest, himself. That was why his steps led him to the red roofed building at the eastern side of the town. A sign of the wealth of the town, the Center did not have automatic doors. He pulled them open and entered into the now-familiar bright cleanliness. The red haired nurse at the counter asked for the same information as always, and he wrote down the same answers: Verde, Medapod, F; Maverick, Magikarp, M; Kodora, Aron, F; Yoruna, Noctowl, F. He then handed over his pack with Verde attached, causing the nurse to give him a strange look. "She cocooned to it," he explained lamely.
About an hour later the balls containing his team and his pack were returned to him. Kodora had received a shell buff and Yoruna had her feathers and talons cleaned. For the first time he was greeted by the same large eyes from Maverick and Verde. The likeness didn't much bother him, as he knew it would be gone soon. But he sincerely hoped the both of them would evolve soon.
He recalled all but Verde, who remained attached to the bag. She blinked at him a few times, which he took to mean she was pleased to be back with him. Now that his team was back with him, he could go on to the fair. The moon had risen by the time he got back outside. It wasn't full, but the light it cast was enough to bathe all it could reach in a pale glow. He couldn't help but smile faintly. The sight was rather beautiful. Apparently Verde thought so too; she began to twitch rhythmically and emit a soft cooing sound, similar to the sound she used to make when she was a Caterpie. At first Ethan thought it was just another of her moods, but then she didn't stop. She began to shudder while she twitched, and the shell dented in several places. Was she evolving, Ethan wondered? Excited, he knelt down and removed the pack. It set firm on the ground while Verde wriggled and jerked. Eventually a rip appeared down the front of her shell. A pair of beautiful black and white wings emerged first, followed by a soft purple body. Verde unfurled her new form gracefully, revealing multi-faceted ruby eyes, long thin antennae, short blue hand-like parts, large wings, and four light purple scars on her left side in the shape of Yoruna's talons. He felt instant anger towards the Noctowl for causing his girl to be marred in such a way, but she didn't seem to mind, and he knew he couldn't blame Yoruna. She'd only been doing what was natural to her. But his mind was made up. Though she was innocent, he was officially looking to trade her.
Verde looked up at him with her jewel-bright eyes and purred softly. "Hey there, beautiful," he said softly. He pet her fur gently, astounded by how soft it was. He was truly glad that he had gone back for her. Then just a cute little bug, now she was a beautiful fully evolved Butterfree, capable of some impressive feats in battle. Ethan began to feel like a Sarvais again for the first time since he had realized his starter was a Caterpie. For the first time, he felt like he could face up to his father. His starter was fully evolved, he had a Steel Pokemon, Maverick was close to evolving, and he was looking to trade a Noctowl for something larger. Things were looking up for him.
*****
Considering the options, Ethan determined that he would rather take the route connected by bridges than the grassy winding path filled with aggressive wild Pokemon. Though Verde was well rested and his team was ready to go, he wanted to go the way with trainers. He wanted to challenge his girls-and his boy-by facing them with Pokemon raised by trainers. It wasn't as though they had never done it before, but the majority of their battles were against wild Pokemon, and that simply did not yield as much of a challenge.
In due course Ethan was traversing the bridges connecting various mesa-like plots of earth, keeping his eyes open for any young trainer who looked like they might have time for a fight. He didn't have to look long; a girl no older than himself sat on one of the grassy mesas, legs stretched out before her with a Wurmple in her life. He chuckled softly, reminded of himself with a younger Verde. "You want to take this one?" he asked her from where she clung to his back, close to the same shoulder that she had always adored. She cooed a negative, indicating that another of the team could lead. "Alright, dear heart. Maverick can have it. Maybe he'll finally go up a tier." He approached the girl at a leisurely pace, radiating confidence. It was a pattern he'd discovered, that if he went into a battle with confidence the opponent would be partially disarmed. "Are you too busy for a quick scrap?"
The girl whipped a long blonde ponytail behind her back and stood up. "Not at all," she answered in a tone just as calm as Ethan's. "To get the formalities out of the way, my name is Willow and I train mixed types."
"Ethan, same. Would you like to lay down the rules?"
Willow seemed to consider for a moment before deciding. "Untimed. Healing agents may not be used until after the battle. Best two of three."
Ethan nodded in agreement. "That'll be alright. Would you like to go first?"
"It would be my pleasure," she said with a smirk. Using only hand signals she directed the Wurmple from her lap out in front of her. Although he was impressed with the level of discipline the larval Pokemon showed, he was far from intimidated. The faintest smile curled the corners of his lips as he threw the ball containing Maverick out onto the field. The red-orange fish gaped blankly at his opponent, making the trainer laugh aloud. "Really? A Magikarp?"
Ethan didn't respond. As far as he was concerned, there was no need to. Maverick would do the talking for him. As protocol dictated, since she'd chosen first and set the rules, it was his move. "Splash, Mav." Maverick flopped uselessly in the grass. Willow laughed again and directed the Wurmple to tackle him. It smacked into him like a bug against a windshield and fell back, confused. While Maverick may be a virtually useless creature, his scales were hard and he was growing more experienced by the day. From the sheer ineffectiveness of the move Ethan determined that Wurmple was likely freshly caught. That was good for Ethan and Maverick, and bad for Willow and Wurmple.
"Splash again. Don't hold back." Maverick let out a gasp and flopped against the Wurmple, effectively pinning it against the ground and grating his hard scales against it. Wurmple grumbled in a way reminiscent of Verde as a Caterpie, but he didn't feel guilty. This was an entirely different situation. Willow stared in shock; she obviously hadn't realized with some creativity and training, Splash could become a useful move. As much as Wurmple struggled to get out from under Maverick, it had been fully immobilized. Ethan hadn't expected this to be so easy, but the spines on the insect could not pierce Maverick's scales and it was completely immobile from getting away. After a few minutes Willow relented and returned Wurmple, declaring Maverick the winner.
"That was impressive," she admitted as she returned her Pokemon. "I'd never known Magikarp could be useful."
Ethan grinned in response. "All it takes is some practice."
Maverick gasped again, then lay perfectly still. Both Willow and Ethan stared at him, confused by the sudden quiet. Verde, on the other hand, did not seem baffled. She seemed invigorated, vibrating her wings to create a soft hum. Maverick responded by exploding into a bright white light and beginning to grow rapidly. His body lengthened at a frightening speed, growing in girth as well. Ethan stared open mouthed, hardly able to believe what he was witnessing despite having planned for it since he caught him. After the light faded the terror of the sea lay coiled in the place where a Magikarp had been only moments before. "Mav?" he asked stupidly, his voice almost failing him. His Gyarados roared in response and for a moment he was forcibly reminded of the dream he'd had the morning before he received Verde, where he'd been eaten by a Lugia. Then Maverick dipped his massive head and allowed Ethan to glimpse the potential ferocity, yet docile quality of his eyes.
Tentatively Ethan reached out and touched Maverick's scales. If he thought about it, he could tell that Maverick was a lighter blue than most others of his species. It was a beautiful color. So focused was he on Maverick that he didn't even remember Willow until she spoke. "That was amazing."
"Yes it was," he agreed. Reluctantly he recalled Maverick the Gyarados, marveling at the new addition to his team. Although he had been planning on Magikarp turning into Gyarados, it had simply not been a reality until now.
*****
Gray clouds slithered lethargically into the sky, partially obscuring the sun. As a result few people were out on route 216, due to the fear of rain. There was no such aversion in Ethan's mind, however. If it truly started to come down there was always a tree to duck under, and the presence of a mountain suggested that there would be caves. At first he had feared for Verde, thinking perhaps the water would damage the dust on her wings and render her unable to fly. But common sense dictated that the dust must be waterproof, for Butterfree and other winged Pokemon engaged in battle with Water types often and were able to fly afterward. Therefore he'd checked out of the hotel he'd stayed at in Veilstone and left early, while there was still a morning chill in the air. Life as a trainer had conditioned him to get up early, go to bed late, and do it all over again for weeks, even months at a time. At first his muscles almost constantly ached from exertion and tiredness almost always clung to his limbs. But over time his body had grown accustomed to the abuse and he was the better for it. He'd begun to grow into his lanky limbs, and his muscles were no longer stringy and adolescent in appearance. As of yet, he had not noticed the difference, as one rarely does notice such change in himself.
After some debate Ethan decided to take the path outlined by white fences on the ground. It was a maze, to be sure, but that would only make it more fun. Besides, he had two air-ready Pokemon to guide him if he got lost. As a precaution against the potential rain Ethan had donned a pair of long, thick jeans, a trench coat, and combat boots. He looked strange in the apparel, but if he got caught in the rain he wouldn't be soaked through. The new belt he had bought at the apartment store was wrapped around his waist and held onto the four apriballs he had also purchased. They were each artfully--and expensively--painted with shiny colors. An artist in Veilstone had been seeking a new challenge, and Ethan presented it to him gladly. The first was the same purple as Verde's fur, with silver swirls and ruby red spots. Directly after it was finished he'd transferred Verde into it instead of her Pokeball. The second was a lovely hue of turquoise, with yellow spots lining the top half. The third was completely silver, with black spots placed in the same pattern as the ones on Kodora's armor. The fourth was decorated with tawny feather patterns and was the most basic of the four.
The lush grass was pleasantly soft under his feet, Ethan discovered. He let out a sigh and tilted his head skyward as he walked, enjoying the cool air and the slight humidity. This was his favorite weather, without question. For as long as he could remember he'd been most able to relax in a setting like this. Verde's amiable presence only aided the fact. She clung to his back in the same place, making the soft humming sound he had become accustomed to. It lulled him into an autopilot state where he followed the path ahead of him without considering it, drawn completely into himself. The time for introspection was well needed, and he enjoyed it.
Then a white shape hopped the fence and stood in front of him. Ethan blinked and was able to focus on a stocky four-legged white Pokemon with red scar-like markings. It hissed angrily at him, making him back up a step. Verde climbed up onto his shoulder and extended her wings with a shrill screech. It was an obvious attempt to ward the Pokemon off and protect him. As warmed as he was, he withdrew his Pokedox from within his pocket and pointed it. "Zangoose, the Cat Ferret Pokemon," it read. "When it battles, it stands on its hind legs and attacks with sharply clawed forelegs."
The information did nothing to decrease its intimidation factor. It stood and bristled its fur, ears plastered against the back of its head, claws extended from its muscular paws. What had made it so angry, Ethan didn't know, but now wasn't the time to ask questions. "Down, Verde," he murmured. "You don't want to get your wings ripped." When she obeyed he detached Kodora's apriball from his belt and unscrewed the top. She sprang forth, poised for battle. Immediately the Zangoose responded with a chattering battle cry and charged.
Ethan didn't have time to direct Kodora, but she took action on her own. She met Zangoose halfway with a Headbutt, knocking it back several feet. It was, however, unperturbed. It sprang back to its feet and lunged again. However, every time it did Kodora met it with a Headbutt or a Tackle. Ethan watched with pride, amazed that such a small heavy creature could move so quickly. Despite his awe, however, he knew he had to stop this before Kodora really hurt it. His first instinct was to return Kodora and run, but he reconsidered. Perhaps the Zangoose was occupied enough to allow itself to be caught?
Though the apriball was fresh and unpainted, that could be taken care of later. He extracted it from his pack and unscrewed the top before throwing it at the feral Zangoose. It landed in the grass and shook repeatedly, while Ethan held his breath and Kodora stared at it aggressively.
