Setting:
•North of Violet City, Johto•
•Late February, Present Day•
•Amber (Wolfe Alias) POV•
Chapter Twenty-Two
Rivals in a Cage
I was carried further into the vast forest made up of those weird tree creatures. I caught sight of Chika, who looked me in the eyes as we were carried deeper in. At some point, another tree relieved me of my bag, which just sucked because I placed all my other Pokémon into there, and my Pokedex was in there as well.
Finally, the tree holding me dropped me, and I landed with a rather painful thump on the short grass, which had been apparently trampled from the "forest". Rubbing my numb arms as it wasn't the most pleasant form of transportation, Chika was dropped down next to me and landed on all fours.
"Chika!" She stamped her foot defiantly while swirling the leaf on her head, challenging the surrounding forest, especially the tree that had held her captive.
"Not now, pal. You're still not fit for battle, and we're clearly outnumbered," I patted my friend on her leafy head.
"Hmph. Figures I'd see you here," replied an all-too familiar voice.
"Oh great, now my life is complete. I'm trapped in a circle of walking trees with my favorite criminal," I retorted snarkily.
"For your information, those aren't walking trees; they're Pokémon." Silver crossed his arms.
That tidbit of information caught my attention, and I dropped the whole "I hate Silver" thing for the present moment. "Pokémon, huh? That makes sense. Must be caught up in a herd of migrating…whatever these are," I replied inquisitively more to myself than to Silver.
"They're called Sudowoodo. They are rock type Pokémon who pretend to be trees to avoid human detection. They're so weak, they apparently travel in packs and still masquerade as trees, anyway." He scoffed.
"Don't take nature as weakness," I chided, not happy with Silver's viewpoint on what was weak and what was not.
"Hmph, don't lecture me. You may be my age, but I'm far more experienced of a trainer than you'll ever be." He said coldly.
"For starters, don't judge me; you don't know me. Second off, if I'm so inexperienced, then how did I beat you in battle the other day?" I replied with fire.
"That was a fluke. And to top things off, you had the type advantage. I could take you down in battle any day." He smirked.
"Oh yeah?! Let's go, then!" I reached for the pokeballs at my belt, which I wore back when I was Amber but had forgone now that I literally became a different person, only to find that there were no pokeballs, and I had no trainer belt.
He smirked at my self-discovery. "What's wrong? Don't feel like taking me on with that Chikorita of yours again? Looks like you don't have any other Pokémon, Wolfie," he taunted.
Wolfie?! He's making fun of me! That ungrateful little… Arrgh I'll show him!
"For your information, I have three other Pokémon. Chika can't battle. She's recovering, and I refuse to let her get injured more. As soon as my bag resurfaces though, it's on!" I growled.
"How weak. Can't fight because it'll get hurt? Pokémon are made for battling. They aren't useful unless they can battle! Just toss worthless Pokémon out; it's about strength, and Pokémon who can't fight have no purpose," he replied rather smugly.
I never taught him that… What on earth is poisoning his mind? I taught just the opposite. Ugh, Silver. What happened to you? What you just said was so immoral.
Chika chimed in, letting Silver's taunts get the best of her. "Chika!!" She swirled the leaf on her head in a battle cry, pointing it at Silver.
Silver then surprised me by addressing my Pokémon. "Seems your trainer is too much of a coward to fight me. Looks like you won't be able to battle, sorry."
"Chika! Chikori!" She cried back at him defiantly.
"Looks like your trainer isn't good enough for you—too much of a weakling to settle things one on one. You look like you have potential, though. If you want, I might consider allowing you to join my ranks. You'll battle plenty. More than that loser there would ever allow you." He offered, and I felt my stomach sour.
And now he's trying to get my Pokémon to join him?! What the hell?
"Chika, don't listen to him! He might make you battle, but he cares nothing for his Pokémon. If you'd ever get hurt, he'd just toss you aside like trash. I'm your friend, Chika. I'm only looking out for you." I tried to explain gently.
"Chik…" She looked at Silver, then back to me, then back to Silver again. Slowly approaching Silver, she stopped midway between the both of us, apparently unsure of what to do.
"That's right. Forget the weak. Power's all you need," coaxed Silver. I felt so repulsed he'd stoop so low.
"Chika!" She suddenly unleashed a Vine Whip, hitting Silver squarely in the jaw, which left a red mark. That said, Chika strode confidently back to me with a huge grin on her visage.
I held out my arm allowing my companion to ride on my shoulder, and after jumping up, she snuggled up to my neck, which allowed a pleasant aroma to release from her leaf. "I believe, that, was not just a "no" but a "hell no," right pal?"
"Chika!" She replied defiantly as she stamped her paw on my shoulder and held her nose in the air arrogantly.
I could tell Silver's mood was quickly deteriorating. He always had a bad temper when someone did something to embarrass him, but it would always take a lot to upset him, and luckily I never was the one to do it. I did pity whoever angered him, though; he wasn't the son of Giovanni for nothing. Luckily he'd normally calm down easily enough, too, granted I was around to talk sense into him. I knew this time I wouldn't be so lucky, and Chika had just pissed him off.
"Insolent little wimp! You're weak, anyway. I barely even felt that! Is that the best you've got? I don't need you, then—or your wannabe rocker chick for a trainer. You two best leave me alone…" He seethed.
Good thing he's still not the type to hit girls. If I were a guy, though? A full-scale brawl would be happening right here and now. Wait a sec, he called me a wannabe? Phaahahahah. Oh, that's a good one…
Wait! Do I really look like a wannabe and nothing more? Meh… He's just upset because I used to dress similarly. My disguise is working at least; he doesn't think I'm me.
"Getting angry, are we? Well then, emoboy, I don't care what you think of me; and just for your information, Chika has manners. She isn't going to go full out on a human. That's against her nature." I retorted snarkily.
"Emo? Hah. You make me laugh. You don't know me. You have no right to call me names. I have my reasons, and you're not going to find them out." Silver said in a growl.
"Well, I do believe you started the name-calling first there with that wannabe rocker chick comment. You don't know me, either; stop acting like you do. Now how about we put this whole 'I'm better than you' thing aside for now and find a way to get out of here?" I replied, quickly getting tired of arguing with him.
While I never truly pissed Silver off before—until now—we did have our arguments from time to time in the past, and those really tired me out. I had never met a person as stubborn as me until Silver came along.
"Weak. I'd never team up with you for anything. If I find a way out, you can be sure I won't be telling you," he sneered.
I threw my hands up in the air, realizing it was hopeless—before catching I used to do that when I was Amber, whenever I got frustrated. At that, Silver eyed me strangely, and I glared at him in return.
"You're hopeless," I sighed as I sat down with my Pokémon. Chika jumped down from my shoulder and sat in my lap, where I stroked her leaf, which helped calm me.
"Whatever," he walked off towards the boarder of Sudowoodo that surrounded us.
I lay back in the grass as I watched the clouds float by lazily in the sky. It felt almost like old times at the schoolhouse. The grass was soft in my hands as I rested my head in my arms. Silver was there, too, but that was the only comparison back to those times as far as he was concerned.
He wasn't the same person anymore. I sadly resigned myself to that fact. I knew me "dying" must've been hard on him, but really?
People get over things; they're supposed to. I mean, it's not like he was there for the fire. I made sure he was away training. I made sure the ballistics body I ordered would leave nothing more than a bone—which was real, but NOT mine. It should have given enough evidence to be falsely identified as mine. It's not like Silver had much to mourn over. I made sure of that. Don't leave a body, and there's less for him to hold on to.
Chika decided to lay on me as my thoughts trailed off. First I thought of all I had left behind: my Pokémon friends, my family, my home for most of my life when I wasn't out on the road being a trainer. I destroyed my dream schoolhouse that Silver had built by hand for me. Luckily, I managed to move out a lot of the valuables in his room at least, so none of his important books were burned.
I owed him a new guitar, though. Over the course of the years I had known him, Silver was the one who introduced me to basic music theory, and even with enough patience, he taught me how to be decent on a guitar though my skill could still not compare to his. I would've salvaged that, but he would've noticed it missing, and he would've known something was up. The books and stuff, though, were packed up in our new house somewhere. I needed to give those back some day.
Someday. When all of this would be over. Team Rocket would be disbanded for good. I'd make sure that the leaders would be sentenced to jail for life. Then, I could come clean to Silver. That thought in itself scared me now.
I used to think of how great it'd be to see the look on Silver's face when he'd see me for myself again. Now, though, that his personality changed so drastically, I dreaded the thought.
I bet he'd hate me for fooling him…
I sighed without realizing it, causing Silver to glance at me before turning back to his own devices.
Yeah, Silver has no clue I'm Amber. It's for the best. It'd be too risky to tell him with Team Rocket around, anyway. That and I'm under orders to tell no one, and see whom I've already told?
The full truth of the matter: a while before the whole torching of my place and blaming it on Team Rocket thing, a threat came in the mail. Really, at first I thought it was meant for me, but then I noticed that the addressee was not I but Silver.
Team Rocket was looking for him. They wanted to teach Silver the ropes of leading Team Rocket. They wanted Silver to be his father's right-hand man. His "fate" would be sealed. Meaning: join or die.
No way was I going to allow Silver to join Team Rocket. I knew he wouldn't join, anyway. I was almost certain Team Rocket knew about him being chummy with me, too. I bet that didn't bode too well with his father. I got a call later that night from my father, who told me Team Rocket had returned in Kanto. They worked covertly and killed the families of all who got too close to finding out their whereabouts.
One brave officer, though—may he and his family rest in peace—found out about Team Rocket from the inside and relayed his information before he was shot—execution style. Team Rocket was back, but just forming. Giovanni was in hiding. Team Rocket itself was disorganized.
There was a short list of priorities, though; the first was to find and recruit Silver. With Silver in their ranks, surely Giovanni would come out of hiding and reclaim Team Rocket's presence in the Kanto region. The second on the list was me.
I was an ever-present threat to Team Rocket. No one in his or her right mind would dare face me and Charry. With that said, I really was safe. My family, though, I worried about. They were a liability—especially with my dad working in the police force. And, if Team Rocket could get Silver on their side, they'd use him against me as well.
Backed into a wall, I looked at my all too bleak options of what to do. First, I tried hiding my mother. That didn't work. Luckily, Dad was there to stop the home invasion. Dad was then promoted to a lieutenant in the inter-city crimes division. He called me that night, telling me to report to the station in Viridian City. He added NOT to bring Silver with me.
Convincing Silver that I'd be safe was the hardest part of that. He was convinced that Team Rocket was out for blood. My blood. I left Charry at the schoolhouse to watch over Silver, who took my place as teacher as I made my way to the police station on Repede, my Arcanine.
From there, I was allowed to join a special ops branch of the force. The plan to torch my beloved schoolhouse formulated there. The Kanto Ops force was a small, elite branch that few inside the force even knew about—including Kanto's military. It was basically police-military.
Details about the torching were set into place. Strings were pulled. I grimly agreed that it was the only thing I could do. If I were dead, hopefully Team Rocket would no longer focus on my family for the time being at least.
And as for Silver, if Team Rocket were to kill me, he'd have a very specific reason not to join. Of course, protecting him would be tricky. Silver was reckless. But, if I were to "die", this would be the opportune time to do it. Team Rocket was so disorganized, they'd never know that they DIDN'T do it.
With that in mind, more details were set. A ballistics gel body with a real human rib bone from some lab was ordered. The body would be staged to look just like me, though it wouldn't breathe or anything—that'd just be creepy. It would melt in the fire, too, leaving just the rib.
Specialists, AKA people who were in on the hoax, would identify it as mine. Cause of death would be either burns or smoke inhalation. The plan came together pretty nicely. All that was left was to set a date.
The day we decided on a date was quite like today; only it was in the autumn before the snow started. The clouds floated lazily across the sky. I lay by the lake near the schoolhouse, lazing about, happy to take a day off from teaching. I was lost in thought when Silver sat down next to me and chatted away about something or another.
I always found it funny how you don't pay close attention to something, and you wished you could go back and find out what you missed. I was just happy to be in his presence, really. It hurt me a lot to put on the fake façade around him.
We were good friends after all. Best friends. He was the closest human companion I had; really, he was the closest companion I had, except for Charry, Repede, Speckle, and Blitz: my four furry and scaled best friends. Oh, how I missed them.
As for Silver, I smiled thinking about the "good 'ole days" that had long since passed. My dad used to call him my boyfriend. I found that statement kind of funny, since neither of us even talked about that sort of thing. My dad made up his mind though: "If you are living with him, he's your boyfriend."
It's not like we slept in the same bed or anything—sheesh.
I built Silver's room, myself, with some help and offered him to live there since really it was an upgrade from the shack he had been living in. And to top it off, other trainers came and went from the guest rooms. It's just that Silver was the only permanent resident aside from myself at the schoolhouse. He did attend every one of my classes, and he was a damn good student.
Boyfriend though? That was a bit of a long shot. I did admit to myself that he was physically attractive, but I already resolved myself to the fact long before he came around that I wasn't going to even delve into those matters until my goal was reached: to become the best trainer around.
Some may have said that I had reached that goal and more, but I knew that was false. I had so many more regions to explore, so many more Pokémon I had to train. I wanted to not only be the best, but to be knowledgeable.
I learned quite a bit from my friend, Professor Oak. I used to regularly attend his Pokémon seminars, and I learned a lot about Pokémon from training them for nine years, even when I was a grunt of Team Rocket—though those were years I'd rather not even talk about.
But anyway, back on the ridiculous subject of my dad thinking Silver was my boyfriend… If only Dad could see how he treated me now. True, I was Wolfe, which apparently Silver thought was a funny name since he made fun of it, but still.
As for Silver's own feelings back in the day? He was a hard book to read. Impassive most of the time, it was hard breaking the ice with him. Only later in the time he spent at the schoolhouse did he really open up. He wasn't a bad person—just very distrustful of people. If anything, he was the lone wolf.
I did notice that certain things I'd do would make him look at me in a special way. It was hard to explain. At some point, he said something I did was endearing, whatever that was supposed to mean in Silver-nese.
He did comment on my looks often, though, telling me when an outfit looked good or even the opposite. Silver was always a truthful person, up to a fault, even. Though, even with his truthful side, there was much left unsaid. He was quite secretive, even when he was open and honest with me.
At some point, I suggested that writing in a journal might actually help him with his people problems. He thought I was crazy at first, but he ended up writing in the journal I bought him, which was saved from the fire. I never read his journal; I promised I wouldn't, and I respected him enough not to pry into his business.
We had a mutual trust between us. We knew when to give each other space, and over time, we could read each other to where when one was feeling down and needed encouragement, the other would automatically be there offering the words needed to get over a problem. Thinking back on it all, we might not have been more than friends, but we were close. We were inseparable friends. I had tossed away a really good friendship, and only now was I realizing how much I missed it.
I glance at Silver somewhat longingly, wishing those days would come back just for an hour. He seemed to be lost in thought as well.
At least I still can read him like a book by his body language.
Sighing again, I sat up and addressed Chika. "Well, Chika, what do you say we find a way out of here?"
"Chika!" She nodded, concerned about my tone, which was off a bit. I was still thinking back to those old days.
I grinned at Chika. "I'm fine. Don't worry. Just thinking. I don't see any apparent way out. Fighting our way out, though, seems like a big risk. There's too many of them. Even if Grumpy over there decided to help out, we'd still be outnumbered."
"I heard that," Silver snapped out of his apparent daze and stared at me with a slight glare. He then headed towards me and sat near me but nowhere near enough to signify that he was calling a truce.
"So? Calling a truce until we get out of this mess?" I asked, although I was certain I'd get a sassy remark in return.
"I don't care about you, nor that Chikorita of yours, but I have business to attend to in Azalea Town, and I can't pass the other way without Violet City's badge." He grumbled.
"I thought you were going to challenge the leader yesterday."
"He left on some stupid business about a Pidgeot that was injured. It was a weak Pokémon anyway. I'm glad I let that thing go." He said dismissively.
Wait…a Pidgeot? As in, MY Pidgeot?! He released my Pidgeot?! Why that little…
Seething, I tried to keep my composure and act uninterested. "Oh, I see. What's so important in Azalea Town, anyway?" I pried.
"None of your business. Butt out of it. It's something between my father and me. That's all," he acted indifferent.
Thank you Silver! If I were any other trainer who had no clue who he was, I'd take no interest in that statement. However, I know Silver, and I know who Silver's father is. Team Rocket must be in this "Azalea Town!"
I'm glad I decided to let him go unpunished for now. Looks like I have a lead.
"Mhm," I replied in an uninterested tone. "Whatever. So? The question is, are you going to help me or not?"
He sighed. "I'm not doing this for you, just understand that now. I've wasted enough time as it is. All I want is a way out of here so I can get to Azalea one way or another."
"And all I want is my bag back and to get back to Violet for my gym match, or get to Goldenrod so I can help out Hino," I added suddenly remembering the poor Cyndaquil virtually trapped inside his pokeball.
"So, genius, any suggestions?" He looked at me with a sneer on his face.
Oh, how I want to punch that look right off his smug face!
"I'm thinking. Let me think." I grumbled.
"Hmph. And here I thought you actually had a plan. Guess I gave you too much credit." He sneered.
"Shut up and let me think!" I let my anger show a little in a slip-up. My tone must've startled him because he gave me a really odd look before shutting up and sitting quietly, waiting for me to think of a plan.
I already knew that we were surrounded, out matched, and way out numbered. And to top things off, I needed my bag.
Well wait, if these things are rock types… I know Chika can't battle, but a little Razor Leaf wouldn't hurt too much. And Silver has a Croconaw. A grass type and a water type should be able to take on some rock types—at least enough to cause a diversion.
I hit myself in the head in one of those "duh" moments, which was also an old habit I should have broken by then. Too many slip-ups, idiot.
This one made Silver look at me like I was insane. "That's it! I can't believe I didn't even think of that before," I trailed off.
"What?" He glared.
"Chika is a grass type, your Croconaw is a water type. You said these Sudowoodo are rock types."
"…And?"
"And," I picked up, "we can cause just enough of a diversion to maybe break free and get out of here. I don't think we can take on all the Sudowoodo nor chase them off, but at least we can get free of them."
I could see Silver consider my plan. "Not a bad idea, I guess. I thought your Chikorita isn't supposed to battle, though. Not that I care," he hastily added.
I smirked. Maybe there are remnants of the old Silver left after all; you just have to bring them to the surface.
"We could give it a try. It's not like Chika is getting into a full-scale battle or anything. My only problem is that I need to find my bag. I have my Pokémon in there."
"That's your problem. Not mine. I'm just cooperating until I escape. I could care less what happens to you. Or your Pokémon, for that matter." He said coldly.
"I think the feeling is mutual, then," I retorted, seeing him eye-to-eye. Two could play that game, after all.
"Then it's settled, then. Croconaw, Water Gun." Silver released a much more mature form of Totodile. It was bigger, its fangs were longer, and it had a more menacing look to it.
"Wait, where are you aiming that Water Gun? Do you even know which way is which?" I interrupted his Croconaw just before it sprayed a deluge of water at the rock Pokémon.
"I can guess. I'm aiming it for the Goldenrod side. Either come or stay. I don't care. Now, Croconaw, Water Gun." He pointed to a wall of Sudowoodo, and the Pokémon released a jet stream of water from his mouth.
The reaction to the water was immediate, and the Sudowoodo quickly leapt out of the path of the water, leaving a clearing big enough for Silver to stride through. Unfortunately, Croconaw went with him. As the water receded an area, the Sudowoodo would retake their positions, leaving Chika and me trapped once more.
"Arrgh! That's no good!" I groaned as Silver left me behind.
Suddenly, a blue object in a Sudowoodo's grasp captured my eye. "My bag!" I jumped for the bag, but I was too late as another Sudowoodo blocked my path. Within the brief shuffle, I noted that the orange Charmander egg, which was in the bag's largest compartment—which I didn't fully zip—rolled towards me, and Chika quickly snatched it with a Vine Whip before the Sudowoodo could reclaim it.
"Nice going, Chika!" I praised as she handed me the egg. It appeared undamaged, though the incubator was slightly cracked.
Turning my attention back to Chika, I addressed her. "If Silver can get out, so can we! Let's go Chika! Razor Leaf!"
She complied, and sharp leaves were thrown at the tree Pokémon, hitting them squarely. After a few moments, she fired off another volley with the same lack of results. "Why aren't they fleeing like they did with Water Gun?" I asked dismayed. "Ugh, this isn't our day."
I sat down again; Chika rushed to me and used her Aromatherapy to calm me. "Thanks, Chika."
I then turned to my precious egg, picked it up, and placed it in the incubator on my lap. Charry had trusted me with this. It was of utmost importance that I made sure the new life inside would be safe. Knowing this, I opened the incubator, and I placed the egg on my lap while inspecting it for damage.
To my dismay, I felt my heart beat faster as I saw a hairline fracture in the shell. "No…" I replied hoping beyond all hope that the Pokémon inside was all right.
I placed my ear to the shell hoping to hear signs of life. I strained to hear anything. Really, I had no true experience with Pokémon eggs despite hatching Mud the other day, so I didn't know exactly what I was listening for, but still, I wished I could hear anything to signify the life inside was okay.
My wish was granted shortly after as the egg turned extremely hot, and the hairline fracture in the shell split open. Fire licked from the crack as the shell was consumed inside out. Replacing the egg was a very curious, very healthy baby Charmander.
Curious, Chika ran up to meet the new Pokémon, who was sitting in my lap and keeping its tail away from me, so as not to burn me. The Pokémon looked at Chika, who blinked back in surprise when it offered its clawed hand out asking for a handshake.
I smiled. "Hey, little guy, glad to finally meet you!" I looked at the small lizard in my lap, who then looked up at me with his big, blue eyes.
"Char?" He blinked before offering me his hand, which I took in greeting.
"I'm your trainer, Wolfe," I lied about my name. Someday I admitted to myself that I needed to tell my Pokémon the truth. They deserved to know. "I raised your mother when she was just a Charmander like you."
"Char?" He responded, interested to hear that his mother was also a Charmander, and my Charmander no less.
"Yep. She and I became best friends though it took a lot of time. Charry is my strongest Pokémon, though she's in the Charicific Valley right now doing training on her own against other Charizard, such as your father."
"Char?"
"Someday, if you ever grow up to be a Charizard, we can fly there. What do you say?"
"Char Char!" He responded happily.
Meanwhile, Chika investigated his fiery tail, which he swung a little too close to her leaf for her comfort by accident. Realizing that I was giving Charmander all the attention, she butted in and tried to push the new Pokémon off my lap. "Chika!" She replied indignantly.
"And this here is Chika, my new companion here in Johto," I added, to Chika's delight.
"Char!" Replied my little orange lizard in greeting, extending his paw once more for a handshake, which Chika obliged to this time.
"You sure are a friendly little guy. You must've inherited that from your father—which I don't think is a bad thing at all," I chuckled.
"Char?"
I patted the little guy on the head. "Don't worry about it. I know! You need a nickname. I've been thinking about this one for a while, if I'd ever get another Charmander. How about Lizardus? It's a big name, but I think you'll grow into it soon enough."
"Charmander!" He happily replied.
Good thing my Pokémon like their nicknames. I grinned.
"Okay, Lizardus, here's the situation. See those trees surrounding us?"
"Char," he nodded.
"Those are actually rock type Pokémon called Sudowoodo. They won't let us out, and we need to find a way to get out. I also need to get my bag back. I don't know what moves you know. Do you think you can show me what you know? Maybe you can help us get out of here." I asked.
"Char!" Nodded the Pokémon as he stepped out of my lap.
I got up as well, ready to see what this little guy could do. Suddenly, a large flame erupted from his mouth and was aimed for the Sudowoodo; it hit some, burning them slightly. They didn't seem to mind too much, though, since they winced but remain there.
"Wow, that's too strong to be just a regular Ember. You know Flamethrower?!"
"Char," nodded the Pokémon.
"Not bad at all. You think you can try one more time?" I asked, completely impressed but not too surprised—he was Charry's son, after all.
"Charr!" He again spewed fire from his mouth, which burned the same tree Pokémon even more, causing them to move, being replaced with more Sudowoodo, and more importantly, the Sudowoodo holding my bag.
"My bag!" I cried, as Chika was already on to getting it back, using Vine Whip to wrap around my bag and pull. This quickly turned into a tug of war match as the Sudowoodo holding the bag pulled back.
Lizardus chimed in, pulling on Chika's vines to hopefully gain the upper hand. Another Sudowoodo joined in as well, making it even ground. I then join in and helped pull my Pokémon's vine as we tried to get the bag back. Luckily, my added force was just what was needed, and the bag flew towards us, where Liz soundly caught it.
I rummage through my bag to make certain everything was there. I found my pokeballs, to my own joy, and took a mental note to check and see if the rest of my team was okay later. I did note that, to my own annoyance, Mudflaps' pokeball had been tampered with, and the release catch was soundly stuck.
That's not good.
The Pokémon inside the ball looked at me desperately, and I just shook my head, signifying there was nothing I could do to fix his pokeball at the present moment.
I bet the Sudowoodo did this knowing he's a water type. Man, things just aren't working out well today.
I next rummaged through my medical pocket to find that a potion or two was missing, as well as an antidote. Strange that they'd steal that.
I next located my berry pocket to find that all my berries, aside from the apricorns, were gone. Well that just about figures…
Luckily my Pokedex was still there, and I took it out, ready to scan my new little Pokémon.
Skipping the stuff I already knew—after all, I owned a Charmander before—I went straight to his personal stats. I found out he had a modest nature, which explained why he was so calm, and apparently was highly curious—I found that out already.
His stats were relatively nice for being level one, too. His endurance was 2/5, Attack 3/5, Defense 2/5, Special Attack already 4/5, Special Defense 3/5, and Speed 4/5.
His move set simply astounded me. I already knew his mother was an amazing Pokémon, but I quickly learned that his father must have been quite interesting, too, as he knew some moves that I was certain Charry didn't know, and I knew for a fact weren't moves your run of the mill Charmander knew from the get-go.
Looking at my Pokémon, I replied, "So you know Flamethrower, Dragon Claw, Crunch, and Dig, huh?" Rather impressed.
"Char," replied the Pokémon happily, happy to see this tidbit of info made me happy.
"I've got an idea then, Lizardus. You think you can dig us out of here?" I asked.
"Char?"
"I know it'll be a lot of digging, but trust me, these trees don't have roots. It should be easy enough. Wanna give it a shot?"
"Char!" Replied my Pokémon as he quickly dug a hole and disappeared underground.
I then turned to Chika, who looked at the hole astonished. "I'll put you back into your pokeball for now." With that, I recalled Chika.
Several minutes later, Lizardus returned to the surface, panting but smiling. "Charman!"
I lowered myself into the hole as Lizardus took the lead, using his tail as a light for our path. The tunnel he makeshift dug was pretty nice work, especially for a Pokémon of his level. I could see potential already in this little guy. It was just large enough for me to crawl through holding my bag to my chest.
Finally, I saw a light at the end of the tunnel—in a good way—and we both made it to the surface right in front of Gold, who looked at us astonished. We were both covered in dirt, but neither of us cared as I picked up my new Pokémon and proudly presented him to Gold.
"Gold, meet our new teammate, Lizardus, who just so happened to know Dig," I beamed proudly as I started to brush the dirt from my clothes.
"Wow, another egg hatched already?!" Was the first thing he could think of to say I guessed.
"Yep," I grinned while patting my Pokémon on the head.
"That's crazy!"
I laughed. "Let's get out of here, and I'll tell you all about it."
With that, we left back to Violet City, the problem with Hino still ever present but with no easy way to get to Goldenrod to cure the situation.