Chapter 9: Changes in the Wind
Morf awoke the next morning alone in the tent. Groggily drifting outside, she saw Mari sitting at the table eating a slice of toasted bread.
?Morning, Morf!? she said.
?Morning,? she replied. Making her way to the table, she hovered next to Mari to see what was on the menu. Mari had collected several wild berries and fruits, opened a can of mixed nuts, and made toast over a small, now smoldering fire.
?I double-checked my PPD, Morf, and all of this food is safe for you to eat,? the trainer said.
?Okay, thanks,? she replied and proceeded to eat a light breakfast.
Mari had the egg in its warm carrying case sitting on the table. Stroking its brilliant red-orange shell, she said, ?I kept the egg next to me while I was sleeping last night. I felt it move a lot. I even heard it scratching at the shell a few times!?
?Wow!? Castform said, but paused a moment. ?Does that mean it?ll be mean like its dad??
Mari recalled that the siblings who gave her the egg said that its father had quite the wild side. ?No, I don?t think so, Morf. But, all I really know for sure is that this egg it going to hatch very soon. We?ll just have to wait and see what its personality will be like.?
?Okay,? Morf replied. Both finished with their meals, Mari put away the extra food and with the help of Morf?s Water Gun cleaned the few used dishes.
?Ready for some more training?? Mari asked, but Morf doubted she?d take ?no? for an answer.
Morf frowned. Her body still ached from the day before and some new pains had emerged overnight. ?Well, I guess, but I?m still really sore.?
?Well, that?s understandable. So, to make it fair, I?ll be working out too.?
Morf cocked her head. ?Why??
Mari laughed and put her hand on the back of her head. ?That walk from the Academy to Slateport and then all the walking yesterday made me realize how out of shape I am!?
?Oh,? she giggled.
For two more days Mari trained with Morf in the forest. They ran, swam in the nearby ocean, practiced basic strategies, and honed Morf?s special attacking skills.
*****************************
Meanwhile, in another forest far from Dewford, Stanzi, First Elder of her village, was looking at her reflection in a small pond.
?The time is near,? she silently said to her reflection.
?I can sense it. Danger is here, in the background, ready to manifest itself. The time to reunite with our long-lost brethren is at hand. Finally. But can I do it? Can I lead our people??
?I know that look,? said a gentle, masculine voice behind her.
?Reiki,? she growled. ?How many times have I told you not to sneak up on me like that??
?Sneak?? he laughed. ?How many times have
I told
you that I don?t sneak up on you? I?m just naturally light-footed.?
Stanzi let out a small laughing breath. ?Now is not the time for jokes, Chief Advisor.?
Reiki sat next to her and assumed his professional tone before speaking again. ?The people can also sense the danger. They?re worried.?
?They shouldn?t be,? she replied. ?Whatever evil does come, we have the Savior.?
?Yes, but he has not been a real force for confidence for a long time. They all know the tales of old, but there is a silent, insidious doubt growing within them. They worry that we will all die before finding our brothers.?
?Reiki, we must
never forget this,? Stanzi said. ?Our individual survival is secondary. If we as a group cannot get back to our brethren and help them with their task, the entire world will suffer.?
?I know, Stanzi,? he said. ?But frankly, the people are more worried about themselves right now.?
Stanzi curled a corner of her lips with sadness in her green eyes. ?I worry about them, too.?
*****************************
Morf was beginning to run out of breath from exhaling Powder Snow onto the same boulder for the fifteenth time.
?Good, Morf,? Mari called from a nearby tree stump where she was sitting with the egg in her lap. ?You?re getting better at sustained special attacks. Try to hold it just a few seconds longer!?
Morf frowned at the command, but continued pushing the icy air out of her lungs nonetheless. The intensity of the attack soon dwindled and then stopped. Gasping for more air, Morf gulped several breaths before saying, ?That?s it, Mari! That?s all I can do.?
?I know,? Mari walked over to her and stroked her head. ?But you pushed your limits and that?s the object of training. You?re doing better!?
Morf inwardly doubted that her trainer really understood her limits and that she was actually using mere trial and error, but she kept her mouth shut. She?d gotten mad at Mari the day before for pushing her too hard, but Mari shot back that Morf simply wasn?t used to hard training. The altercation had been a source of tension between them since.
?In fact, Morf,? Mari said, ?You?re doing so good that I think we should spend a few days relaxing in Dewford!?
?Really?? Mord perked up. After three days of almost non-stop training, anywhere but this dreadful forest sounded wonderful.
?Yeah!? Mari exclaimed and patted the egg she?d been carrying around. ?Besides, there?s a lot of activity going on in there, and it?ll probably hatch soon. We should be near a Pokemon Center until it hatches.?
?Oh,? Morf said.
?So that?s why she wants to go to Dewford,? she thought.
It took about two hours for them to pack up their camp and walk into the ocean-side town. The Pokemon Center was their first stop.
?Hello, welcome to Dewford!? said the resident Joy in her impossibly joyous tone.
?Hi,? Mari said and lifted the egg case off her shoulder and gently placed it on the counter. ?I?m pretty sure that this egg?ll hatch soon. Could you check up on it for me??
?Sure,? Joy said and nodded. ?Do you know what species it is??
?No.?
?Do you want to know??
Mari smiled. ?No,? she replied.
Joy nodded and handed the egg to a nearby Chansey. ?I?ll call you over the P.A. when you can pick it up. What?s your name??
?Mari Donovan. Thanks, Nurse Joy.? Mari turned to Morf and said, ?You want to get a late lunch??
Morf nodded and followed Mari over to the caf?.
After sitting down at a booth and ordering, Morf addressed Mari. ?I thought you wanted to know what was in the egg??
?Huh?? the trainer replied.
?Well, Nurse Joy said that she could tell you what it was and you said ?no.? I don?t understand why.?
?Oh,? Mari smiled and leaned on her forearms. ?Well, I guess I did make a fuss when Matt and Hannah wouldn?t tell me, but over the last few days, I?ve gotten excited over having the surprise of what it is when it hatches. Besides, aren?t you excited about it hatching??
?Yeah, I guess,? Morf replied. ?But, well, what will it be like when it hatches??
?Oh, are you still nervous about it being mean like its dad?? Mari said and sat back in the booth with a chuckle. ?I don?t think you have to worry about it. I?ll make sure that it doesn?t hurt you or anything.?
Morf had actually meant what would her and Mari?s relationship be like after the egg hatched, but the food then arrived and Morf let it go.
After lunch, Mari still hadn?t been called to pick up the egg, so the two went to do some sight-seeing around Dewford. The day was beautiful and cool as it usually is by the ocean, and the sky above them was fairly clear. After awhile they came to the Gym. The large building was simple, but its glistening white metal walls were still imposing.
?When are we going to challenge the Gym Leader?? Morf asked. Mari had spoken of challenging the Gym often during their training days, but little about when. The only timeframe she gave was, ?when you?re strong enough, Morf.? Fortunately, Mari seemed ready to expand on that.
?Well,? Mari answered, ?I?d like to have at least two Pokemon to challenge the Gym Leader, so probably after the egg hatches and I?ve trained it a little bit.?
?Does that mean my training?s over?? Morf asked with interest.
?Oh, no,? Mari replied. ?You?ll both need more training before we challenge the Gym Leader.?
Morf sighed with frustration. ?Am I not good enough or something??
Mari had time to respond only with raised eyebrows before Morf continued. ?I?ve been working really hard for the last three days, and you still say that I?m not ready! What?s wrong with what I can do now??
?Nothing, Morf!? Mari exclaimed. She appeared utterly shocked at her Pokemon?s outburst. ?I never meant to imply that you?re not good enough or that you?re not improving. You?re doing really well! I?m sorry if I didn?t tell you that enough. In fact, at almost any other Gym I?d say that you?re ready. It?s just that this Gym?s Leader will be using fighting-types, and you?re a normal-type! That?s a serious disadvantage! You?re going to have to be far stronger than the Leader?s Pokemon to have any hope of winning.?
?Oh,? Morf said and looked down.
?But I?m glad you told me? your concerns,? Mari said. ?You have to be able to tell me when something?s wrong or we?ll never be able to co-operate in battles! Okay??
Morf smiled weakly. ?Thanks, Mari.? She thought for a moment and continued. ?But what if I?m not a normal-type during the battle??
?I thought of that, actually. But I haven?t heard about upcoming rainstorms. I even checked the newspaper back the Center.?
?Well, what about Rain Dance??
?I don?t think you?re ready for that,? Mari said as she shook her head. ?All weather changing moves are hard for any Pokemon to learn, and you haven?t been battling that long.?
?That?s true,? Morf said, but pressed on with determination. ?But it?s not like I haven?t been trained at all. Back at the lab, the scientists had been teaching me and the other Castform the basics of weather control. We were about to start actual practice when I asked to be a trainer?s Pokemon. I can do it, Mari! I know I can!?
Mari smiled with pride. ?Okay, then. After the egg hatches, we?ll go back to the forest and teach you Rain Dance!?
The two walked back towards the Center, and soon passed a large park in the middle of town where several trainers were battling.
?Hey, Morf,? Mari said and stopped walking.
?Yeah?? she replied.
?I really don?t think you realize how much you?ve improved. What do you say to battling one of these trainers??
?Okay,? Morf nodded, eager to try out her new skills.
They walked off the cement path into the grassy park. Mari scanned the area for available trainers. Heading towards a fountain at the center of the park, Mari spotted a boy - just old enough to be a trainer by the looks of him. But his striking brown eyes soon caught hers. He was looking for an opponent as well. She nodded, and they walked towards each other.
?Hello,? he said as he brushed his brown hair out of his eyes. ?I?m Ryan.? As an afterthought he extended his hand.
?Hi,? Mari said and shook it. ?My name?s Mari. Up for a battle??
?Yup,? he replied. ?One-on-one??
Mari agreed and they each turned around and put several paces between them.
Ryan released from his Pokeball a Minun, and nodded his readiness to battle. Mari already had Morf out on the field and returned the gesture. Ryan made the first move.
?Tara, Growl,? he commanded and the little yellow and blue mouse made a surprisingly deep-throated growl; the sound waves unnerved Morf and decreased her attack strength.
?Tara, huh?? Mari quickly thought to herself.
?Guess Attract is out of the picture.? ?Morf,? she said aloud, ?Let?s go for the freeze and shatter strategy we practiced! Use Powder Snow!?
Morf sped forward towards Minun, and the mouse tried to escape, but Morf quickly matched her stride and expelled a snowy wind over her. The Minun whimpered, and emerged from the attack covered in crystals of ice.
?Tara, Thunder Wave!? said Ryan.
?Dodge it and keep up the Powder Snow,? Mari told Morf.
The small grey Pokemon was now the chased as Minun, though very cold, kept up to speed and sent a small electric bolt out at Morf. She managed to dodge the first by back flipping in the air, but Minun quickly changed direction and cornered Morf. The Castform squealed and froze on impact, electricity crackling all over her body.
Mari watched as Minun, under Ryan?s orders, leapt up into the air at lightning speed in a Quick Attack, sending the defenseless Morf to the ground. Hard. Morf groaned in the grass, but shook her head and lifted herself back up into the air. Minun went at her again in a Quick Attack and Morf spewed out another Powder Snow at her. The force of her attack stopped Minun in her tracks, and this time her cries were louder and she emerged with a thin skin of ice encasing her body. Minun quickly shook it off, however, and went at Morf with another Quick Attack. Morf, her speed greatly diminished, was hit again but did not fall to the ground. Both were panting, but Minun?s movements were becoming even more strained than Morf?s.
?Morf, douse her with water and freeze her!? Mari commanded.
Morf allowed herself as a small smile as she carried out the order. Minun tried to use her speed to get away, but her limbs were already starting to go numb from the repeated ice attacks. This time Morf doused her with water with relative ease despite her diminishing paralysis, and immediately followed it with the Powder Snow. Minun was given no time to escape, and squealed as she was encased in a tomb of ice.
?Tara!? Ryan screamed as he saw his Pokemon ice cube.
?Tackle!? Mari called out, and Morf backed up a ways from Minun, and dashed towards with as much speed as she could muster. Thankfully, it didn?t take much. Morf shattered the ice around Minun, sending the mouse flying, her skin cut & bruised by the flying ice shards. She landed on the grass, unconscious.
Mari smiled until her cheeks hurt as she ran towards Morf. ?Yes!? she shouted.
?We won!? Morf cried.
?Our
first win!? Mari said.
?Congratulations,? Ryan said, his Pokeball in hand. He wasn?t smiling, but the sentiment appeared genuine.
?Thanks,? Mari said and bowed slightly out of respect. The younger trainer jogged off, doubtless headed for the Pokemon Center.
Mari grinned. ?See, I told you that you?d improved.?
?Yeah,? Morf said. ?But I
still want to take tomorrow off.
Mari giggled. ?Agreed. Let?s go back to the P.C. to get you fixed up and pick up the egg.?
Morf nodded and allowed herself to be carried by Mari.
