A beeping sound drew our attention as we came to a stop. It was early morning, and I had gone out along with Lexie for a morning workout. Mewtwo had declined, this time, stating that he wished to spend extra time on meditation.
"Ya know, all I've ever seen you do is walk. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you were able to handle a jog like that." Not to mention all the other exercises.
"Hey, part of being a trainer. Plenty of exercise, every day."
"Yeah, you're right." The incident from yesterday morning had mostly been forgotten, by now. I could still tell it bothered her, but not as much as it had at the time, until I provided a distraction in the form of…the other incident.
I still find it hard to believe, even now, that it happened so early.
"Got anything iced? I might be a Fire type, but drinking water is still nice." I pulled one of the water bottles I kept in my inventory and handed it to her, before taking out another for myself. "Despite the typing, the fur means I still work up a sweat."
"Yeah, probably best to not try and understand how that works." The Pokemon Center's door slid open as we approached, and the scent of breakfast from the cafeteria immediately reached us.
"Think the others are up by now?"
"Probably. Let's go see if they are, then we'll go and clean up." As it turns out, they were up already. They'd already picked out a table to sit at, and had started on breakfast. I simply raised a hand and waved at the group, before Lexie and I started to head upstairs.
Our rooms were on the third floor, don't believe that was previously specified. They weren't too far from the stairs, either, so that was a bonus.
Lexie was the first one in, going into the room that she and Melanie stayed in, while I went into the other. I started on the routine that I've been doing for every day since I started. Several minutes in, it was interrupted by a knock, and someone informing me that they'd brought breakfast up for me, sent by my team.
Once I did finish the routine, I started on packing, and then on breakfast after that. Which is when the rest of my team came up from theirs.
"Good morning, y'all." I greeted them, and received several greetings in return. The side door opened soon after, and Lexie came through. I took a few more minutes to finish breakfast, before cleaning up and grabbing my things.
"You guys ready to head out?"
"I think we all are." Mewtwo spoke for everyone.
"Alrighty. Path is taking us back through Saffron, to Lavender Town. Then, we head for Fuschia." I said.
"Isn't the Safari zone somewhere along our path, as well?" Kaorah asked.
"Yes, I believe so." And now I find myself wondering, if events from banned episodes are taken into account, as well. We'll just have to wait and see, I guess.
"I had overheard the guards talking about some sort of incident, when I was still in… ahem. Something about Trainers and…totally ruining the place." Well, I guess they are taken into account, then.
"Well then, that means we have reason to be careful, just in case anyone's still around there." With everything packed, we began to leave, stopping to drop off the room keys at the front desk.
Some other people who were already out, smiled and waved as we passed. I didn't miss the whispers and even occasional looks of awe from passing children.
"Think you're considered famous yet?" Mewtwo asked.
"Maybe. I'm not sure if I'd like to deal with what comes with it." Certain things, specifically.
"You never were one for crowds." Kaorah said. Even in this second life, that's still true.
"I don't think I ever will be, really. As long as there's something to focus on, like a battle, I should be okay." Don't get me wrong though, the sound of an audience cheering when you win is incredibly satisfying.
We left the city after about an hour, passing through the gate and onto the route between Celadon and Saffron. The air felt much warmer than it had the previous few days, so it's possible there might be a storm in the future. We haven't had a good one in a while.
As it turns out, that might not be far off the mark. Pidgeotto made a motion to the northeast, where dark clouds could be seen in the sky.
"What do you think is going to be in that one?" Mewtwo asked.
"Thunder and lightning, obviously. Might have some decent wind and heavy rain. Can't tell from here if there's a hail core, or anything worse."
"Worse?" Kaorah asked.
"Trust me…you don't want to see what worse looks like." It doesn't look like a wall cloud, at least for right now. It's definitely not one of Kyogre's storms though. And it's also not one caused by the other Weather Trio, from Unova.
"In fact, I'm not even sure if this world can have Tornadoes, or worse, happen naturally." I said.
"We definitely don't want to get caught out in it. Personally, my vote is to stay in Saffron until it passes, even if that means camping tonight when we're traveling again." Solais said.
Her idea was met with several agreements. So it definitely seems like it's settled. We'll stop in Saffron until the storm has passed, then we'll continue onwards.
It seemed like the travel speed wasn't going today, since as we got closer to Saffron, the storm also got closer to us. And it definitely felt longer than the last trip, so I guess it's something that's meant to happen.
As we entered the city, it began to rain. I pulled my coat from my inventory and put it on, pulling the hood up once it was. Mewtwo and Mel both had their own means of staying dry, with their own barriers. Something the rest of the team appreciated. Kaorah was the only one who didn't care, either way.
"Well, with this rain, stopping somewhere for lunch is out." It had gotten close to noon by the time we arrived.
"I'll fix us up something later on, if you can get me the ingredients we'll need." Lexie said. She was the one who wanted to stay dry the most, mainly out of habit. She didn't seem to have a problem with the idea of a shower, but rain, especially with a thunderstorm, was a different story.
"That won't be a problem. I'll show you something that's real nice for things like that, in a little bit." As we continued to head for the Pokemon center, Mewtwo said something unexpected.
"Heads up." That was the only warning I got before a weight was suddenly on my right shoulder, causing me to stumble.
"Oof." I grunted, before smiling.
"Hey Pikachu."
"Hey Zeryph. The others are just a little ways behind me." Wonder how he knew we were here.
"Can you take us to them? We were heading for the Pokemon Center."
"Sure thing, right this way." He hopped off of my shoulder, and then began to lead us to the others. It seems they had the same goal in mind, because the Pokemon Center was where we found them.
"Hey guys." I greeted.
"Zeryph, hey." Ash and I fist bumped.
"How have you guys…" Whatever Misty was saying, trailed off.
"Hm, can't say I've seen one like her, before." Brock said.
"One like…huh." Ash finally noticed.
"Oh, that's right. Guys, meet my newest member, Lexie." She looked incredibly relieved to be out of the storm. "She's a Cinderace, usually native to Galar. Her joining us is by random chance." Ash tried to scan her with his Pokedex, but nothing happened, other than a "no data" error.
"Huh? Why is…never mind."
"Yeah. Interesting how that works. I wonder why the National Dex doesn't have any data on Lexie's species." Which seems pretty weird. I guess there's a bug in the system, or something. When I did my scan, at some point during our trip here, mine worked fine. I'll be sure to ask Oak about it, later.
There were several flashes as Ash sent his own team out. Sure enough, he had the whole group of Kanto starters now. And also…
"Ash, where's Butterfree?"
"Released him." Oh, that's right. His Butterfree finds a mate, and is released so that he can go with her. I honestly forgot about that.
"I'm going to be honest, this is actually our second time here." Ash said, once everyone had found places to sit down, for a little bit.
"Is it really? Where did y'all go in between?" I asked.
"We went to Lavender town." Brock answered.
"Yeah. I had befriended a Haunter, but…he seems to have disappeared." Ash said. Which means, he's already done his first battle with Sabrina, by now.
"Trouble with the gym?" I asked.
"Yeah, still don't have anyone with type advantage. I'd ask to borrow Solais, but…"
"They already know how she fights." I said.
"Yeah. Well, anyways…how about that stuff you missed out on?" Ash asked. We spent the next few hours talking over what the group went through in the past several days. And he was right, there was quite a lot. A fair bit of chaos caused by Jessie's group…and apparently, a beach contest of some sort. Which helps point towards what was mentioned earlier.
I also filled them in on some of the stuff that my team and I had experienced, while leaving out certain things that I felt could cause trouble. The two big ones being our fight with Zeraora, and my encounter with the Creation Trio, as well as Arceus.
They weren't meant to know about the latter four, at least Ash and Brock weren't, for quite a lot longer. I believe there's never a point when Misty encounters any of them. But that'll be changing at some point in the future, I'm sure.
They also asked Lexie a few questions about Galar, while I acted as translator. And several members of the team agreed with the idea of getting Ash and the others to try the curry that she made for us. With the bigger things to talk about out of the way, we continued to hang around for a while longer.
And as the storm outside began to clear up, my team and I got up from our spots.
"So, guess we'll be seeing you in Fuschia City, later on?" I asked.
"Yeah, give us a few days at the most." My cousin answered.
"Alrighty. See you guys again in a few days." We said our goodbyes before we set out again. It was early evening by now. And though we could've just stayed for the night, I think it's better to get going now, and settle for camping on the route, either between here and Lavender Town, or between Lavender and Fuchsia City.
Route eight was fairly quiet, and a bit longer than seven, the one between Saffron and Celadon. There was still the noise of Pokemon in the woods around us, and the smell of fresh rainfall. Some small branches had fallen, after the storm shook them loose from trees.
Occasionally, a Pidgey or a Spearow would appear, grabbing some of the fallen sticks, before returning to the trees above.
"So, which do you think is nicer? Before or after a storm?" Kaorah asked.
"I've always been more of a fan of after, though watching them blow in is also kind of nice. Feeling the shift in air after they've blown in, and the cooler weather that follows."
"I can't really answer that. I haven't experienced them like the rest of you have." Mewtwo said.
"It's better to be inside when one blows in, though it's possible to get caught in one, too. It's not great if it happens, but it's easily solved. Just gotta find shelter, and be weary of trees in case of lightning."
"The sound of heavy rainfall, when it's muffled by a roof, is always relaxing." Solais said. Something that I definitely agree with. It's so nice to fall asleep to.
"Any kind of rainfall muffled by a roof overhead is relaxing."
"Personally, I'm not a big fan of rain. Being a fire type isn't the only reason." Lexie said.
:"You don't have to explain that until you're ready."
"What do you think sleeping in a tent with light rain is like?" Melanie asked.
"Dunno. Problem with camping is that if there's anything more than just rain, it could get risky. Especially if there's strong winds or lightning."
"Yeah, and I don't think I could tank natural cloud-to-ground like I can from Pokemon, or one of Melanie's bolts." Though some Pokemon do summon cloud-to-ground, it relies on how strong that Pokemon is, for how powerful the bolt will be.
It took a couple hours more before we reached Lavender town. The place was eerily quiet, even with its citizens out and about. I could feel the presence of death, even if it was faint. It was from the tower, for sure.
"I don't like this place." Mewtwo said.
"Me neither…I say we pick up what supplies we need, if any, then we continue onwards from here." Melanie gave her opinion. I don't blame either of them, since they've both got a weakness to Ghost Types. Though, Mewtwo has Shadow Ball to cover for that, at least.
"What do the rest of you think?"
"If it bothers them, we don't have to stay." Lexie said. "I must admit, I feel a little off around here, too. There's nowhere like this back home."
"I'm the only one who's not bothered at all, but…I'm also a Dark Type." Solais said.
"I think I agree with the others." Pidgeotto gave his opinion. "Plus, it'll give us a chance to actually use our camping supplies, which we should still have plenty of." Didn't know he actually liked the idea of that.
"I'm fine either way, as always." Kaorah said. "It's all up to you."
"Alright…since this place bothers some of us, I'll agree on continuing on from here. I will say though, we might be required to make a return trip at a later date." I said.
"That's…fine. I guess." Mewtwo said. "Still, let's not wait around any longer than we have to." We still were able to stop at the Poke Mart before they closed for the night, allowing us to get a few extra things for camping, including an extra tent for Lexie to stay in.
"Alright, we'll go until we agree to stop and rest." At least the perks I have, got something built in to keep me from forming a habit of never sleeping at all, as a safety precaution. Because even their immunity to fatigue has its limits, I'm sure.
We entered the south gate just as it was preparing to be shifted over into night mode.
"Hey, picked an odd time to head out." The man who was present, told us. "Not something I would do, personally, but it's your choice. Where are you guys headed so late?"
"Fuschia City." I answered him. "My team's Psychics, and Flying, were bothered by the atmosphere here, so we chose to continue on, even if it's late." I said.
"Alright, can't say I blame them. At least, the Psychics." He said. "Still be careful out there. And make sure you've got plenty of things for the night or two that you're on the routes."
"We've already got plenty of gear. Enjoy your night."
"You as well. Safe travels, guys." He shut the gate behind us as we left. I'm guessing there's also whoever's on night shift, to let people in at night in case a group or a single trainer were to come in. In fact, I've wondered for a while, why in this version of Pokemon, the gates lock down at night. I'm not all that sure I want to find out, if it's something bad.
As we went beyond the range of the gate house's lights, our eyes began to adjust to the dark. It was cloudy, so there wasn't any moonlight. Still, we all had our own means of seeing in the dark. It wasn't until about 2200 hours, that we finally stopped for camp.
As we began to set up, Lexie put a small fire together for us. We were just off the left side of the path, in a small clearing. We set up the tents, and then all sat down around for a little bit.
"Hey Zery, how about some marshmallows?" Melanie asked.
"Sure." I got out what I needed for them. This was going to be a great treat, for those still awake to get one. Pidgeotto had already turned in for the night, a few hours ago. I'll make sure to get him one in the future. It took a little bit to prepare one for everyone, but I handed them around when I did. Everyone dug in, and agreed that they were really, really good. It's the first time in a very long time that I had fire roasted them like this, but it's nice to know I still can.
The first time I ever did, I was taught by my best friend. Got it absolutely perfect- golden- on the first try. It was so, so good.
Following that, we put the fire out as moonlight began to shine from above, once again. One by one, with some assistance where needed, everyone entered their tents until it was just Melanie and myself. I felt her snuggle up to my side, on one of the mats laid out for us to sit on.
The quiet sounds of bugs, and the faint sound of wind rustling the trees was the only noise there was around us.
"So…anything special that can happen out here, at night?" She asked quietly. The last time we camped, there wasn't any time spent to sit and enjoy it.
"I'm not entirely sure." I said. "Other than the sounds of nocturnal wildlife, as well as the wind and the night sky, which…by the way." It was full of stars, tonight, with a full moon to help light it up. "The further away from any light pollution you are, from a town or a city, the better the sky looks."
"I can see that." Melanie's head rested on my right shoulder. "Anything to worry about at night?"
"Out here? It really depends. I know there are small Ranger teams who operate at night, though it's not too often." They usually do night searches, whether for rescue or for capture of someone who's wanted. "Pokemon, depending on which ones, could also cause trouble if you give them a reason to."
I felt her grab my right hand with hers, and we continued to look at the stars for a bit, in silence. I noticed her getting quieter, until there was soft snoring. I smiled, carefully shifting her into my arms to not wake her up, before putting her in her tent for the night, and tucking her in. I returned to the outside, to enjoy the night a little longer.
As I prepared to go to bed, I noticed something. Two little purple orbs, staring down from a branch. When I moved, they followed me like eyes. When I blinked, there was a very, very creepy giggle, and the eyes had disappeared. I decided at that point it was wise to head to bed, before something even weirder happens.
[07:00 hours]
I was awakened by the smell of breakfast, and the sound of wind, though most of the credit goes to breakfast. Melanie had snuggled up to my side overnight, and had begun to wake up just after I had.
"Good morning. Sorry for falling asleep on you, last night." She said.
"It's alright, you were tired. Everyone needs rest on occasion." I sat up at the same time that she did. "You can go ahead and step out, I'll be out shortly." While she went out to join the others, I got changed into a clean outfit. It wouldn't be too long until I needed to make a laundry stop.
"Hey Zeryph." Solais called in. "What's up with the wind today? Something about it is driving my senses crazy." That…doesn't bode well.
"How bad is it?" I finished up with changing and stepped out. Even with the tent in the way, I could feel it.
"Woo. Hey, Pidgeotto, fly up and take a look at the sky right quick, please." As I sat down with the others and began to fix my own plate, he took off to look and see.
"Uh, wow." I just barely heard him over the wind. "Hey, uh…take a look at the clouds when you can." That…doesn't sound good.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Mewtwo asked.
"That…means we might be in trouble." I finished my own breakfast, as quickly as possible without causing any trouble for myself, before I got up and started to go through packing, with a little assistance.
"Why are we in such a hurry all of a sudden?" Melanie asked.
"You'll see. We'll have good visibility when we're back on the road." When we finished packing, we stepped out onto the road, and I pointed to my right, in the direction we came from. Huge dark clouds in the sky, far more ominous that the day before. I would've thought the storm yesterday would've calmed everything down, but it would seem not.
A huge mothership cloud, with very visible rotation. It's one of the few times in this so far, that I've actually felt afraid of something, and for good reason. If you're into weather, especially if you follow storm chasers or do meteorological stuff, then you know what a mothership cloud formation is. If you don't, to put it simply, it means the storm is a super cell. And a super cell, means it's going to drop a tornado.
"Holy sh…so, that's why you're so worried." Kaorah was the first to say anything.
"Yeah, and that's why we need to get moving, try to stay ahead of it for as long as we can. I can't tell how fast it's moving, unfortunately. But, it's going to be bad when it drops…the main thing I'm worried about. Mewtwo, you've seen the footage in my memories, so you know what's going to happen." I said.
"Yes, you're right…this is what he meant yesterday, when he said we didn't want to see what worse looked like. Let us hope that the speed travel system decides to work with us." I have a feeling that it won't, unfortunately. Solais looked terrified now, and for good reason. Unlike the rest of us, she can directly sense how bad that cell is.
"Alright, we may not be able to stop for lunch with that in the air. Let's move, and keep up the pace. If you feel tired, you might have to be returned for safety reasons. I know none of you like it, but we will if we have to." I did a very quick, final check, to make sure nothing was forgotten. "Alright, we have everything. To Fuchsia, double time."
Without any reason to stop currently, our pace would remain solid. We didn't resort to running, not at first, as conserving our energy was important. Pidgeotto acted as our eyes on the storm, since he was the team's flyer. I brought up something on the left side of my view, remembering some of the system's capabilities, which I had previously explored.
With a thought, a weather radar fixed itself right into the top left of my view. A blink of my left eye would change the vision modes, allowing for me to confirm what I'd seen moments ago, rotation.
About two hours later, the rain had begun, as the storm was closing in. We weren't going to make it on time if we kept running.
"Zeryph, cave, to our right…just a little ways off the route." Pidgeotto alerted me.
"Change of plans, go for that cave, quickly." We broke from the route and ran for the cave, making it in just as the wind began to howl. A barrier flared to life behind us, Mewtwo's, from the color of it.
"My barrier will be more than strong enough to hold against any debris or wind. Because there is definitely going to be both of those things." He said. I took a breath and sat down. For the first time in a long while, my heart was pounding and I was really shaky. I felt Melanie's arms wrap around me from my left, and she snuggled into my side.
I returned the hug with one arm.
"Hey Pidgeotto…do you remember weather ever getting like this, here?"
"No, I…can't say that I do. I know weather can get bad, but never anything like this. I hope the cities have something in place for such an event." He said.
"Usually, buildings have basements or a place within that's sheltered from debris." Mewtwo told him. "There are also sirens, but I'm unsure if Kanto has any like…what was it called in your old world?"
"Tornado Alley? Yeah…that's the area you're thinking of. Theirs always got…real bad." I rested my head on Melanie's right shoulder. "We'll be fine here, but I hope the cities and all that do have a means of warning for one of these." And hopefully radar caught it too, way in advance.
"When we get to Fuchsia, we might have to help out with whatever happened there." This definitely did not happen in the series, at any point. It's a major curve ball, to be sure. "For now, everyone get some rest if you can. We don't have to set up camp or anything, just wait it out. Mewtwo, if any Pokemon run up, let them in with us. Better here than out in that mess."
I took out something I haven't used in forever…my old phone. It's a wonder the thing even works, still. I was able to call the Pokemon Center in Saffron.
"Hi Zeryph." Nurse Joy said as the screen abruptly changed to video call.
"Hey. Is there any way you can get my cousin on the line, if he's still there?" I asked.
"Ash? Sure. I'll see what I can do. How did you manage to call in, anyways?"
"Just an old relic of mine that actually happens to still work." Planning to get a Rotom Phone as soon as I can. This old thing still works, and I don't think I even mentioned that I had it, still. I'm even surprised it's able to connect to the video call things the Pokemon Centers have.
There was a few minutes of silence, before Ash appeared on screen.
"Zeryph, hey. What's going on? Why is it so dark on your side?" Ash asked me.
"Hey kiddo. My team and I are in a bit of trouble right now." I said. Melanie lifted a hand to wave, and Ash waved back at her.
"Really? What happened?"
"The weather happened." I got up and walked over to the barrier. It was almost as dark as night out there, now. I turned the phone around so he could see.
"Wow…I've never, uh…seen a storm like that." Ash said.
"I have. It's one of the worst possible storms to get stuck in." I said. "It's probably dropped a tornado by now, the wind is really going out there." I could feel the ground rumbling, and there was the sound of howling wind and the roar of rainfall, mixed with the occasional thunder.
"Oh, thank goodness you're both okay." I guess Ash called Delia as well. I turned my phone back around so she could see me.
"I'm perfectly fine, Zeryph's the one that almost got caught in it." Ash said.
"Zeryph? Where are you right now?"
"We're in a cave just off of Route 12. The storm is part of what woke us up this morning. I heard the wind, but I didn't know for sure what was going on until I saw it. Storm was driving Solais crazy." She looks to have mostly calmed down now, at least.
The rain, very suddenly, stopped. The only sound outside now was the wind and whatever else I could hear. That…that's not good.
"Zeryph? What's wrong?"
"Trouble. Mewtwo, get ready, just in case." I felt Solais snuggle up to my right side, and set her head in my lap after I sat back down. I started to gently rub her back, poor girl seemed terrified. Gotta understand though, her disaster senses are likely going haywire right now.
"It'll be alright…" I signaled with my other hand that I had to go, before disconnecting and putting my phone away. "We'll be fine…don't worry." I continued to mumble…I've never seen her scared quite like this. And a Dark Type being scared of something is strange enough. But for her, I can totally understand.
The sound of the wind turned from a continuous howl to a muffled roar as the ground began to shake slightly. Everyone winced as, at about the same time, our ears popped…and then the noise really started.
"What's going on?" Kaorah asked.
"That's the twister…either going by just outside, or going right over us, right now." I had to speak up, to be heard over the noise.
"You didn't mention that it would be this loud." Melanie said. She had joined in on what I was doing, and Solais began to calm down.
"It is. I only hope it ropes out and dissolves before it hits any of the towns. It's headed the direction we were going in, and I don't know how far we are from Fuchsia." Some wild Pokemon had managed to get through the barrier that Mewtwo had set up, and they were even more scared then Solais had been. But as they calmed down, they thanked us for providing shelter from the storm outside.
Eventually, the noise subsided, until all we could hear was rain and thunder once again, and things began to light up once more. There was a sound as the barrier collapsed, and Mewtwo let out a sigh.
"I think we're all clear, for now. It should be safe to venture back outside, just mind your step. Could be wood splinters scattered around." We all got up, and slowly exited the cave.
"Whoa…" One of the Pokemon that ran in with us, pointed to our right. And in the distance, we could see it. The very monster that just rumbled by.
"So…that's…"
"Yeah, Mel. That's a tornado, alright." Something I'd never thought I'd see happen naturally…in Pokemon anyway.
"They can last for a while. We'll follow its trail, slow pace. It'll cut a path straight to the Fuchsia, and there might be others who could use our help on the way." If any of them survived. This isn't a Pokemon move, this is a purely natural force. It won't hold back like a Pokemon would.
"We'll be along shortly, go on ahead." While the others started to follow the path of devastation, I took a knee. "Hey, girl…feeling alright?" Solais seemed much calmer, but I wanted to be sure.
"Yes…I think, I'll be fine." She put a paw on one of my hands. "That…was the scariest thing I've ever experienced. Sometimes…disaster sense isn't worth it."
"Well, you still handled it very well. What's important is that even scared, you never once let yourself panic." Even though the effects of Gamer's Mind is shared, it still looked like she was going to.
"Shouldn't you call your family back? They'll be worried." I smiled.
"They know we're okay, they saw the barrier. I told them that I had to go, even. But, you're right. When we get to the city, I'll call them." I gave her a kiss on the forehead, causing her to smile and blush lightly. "Come on, let's not keep the others waiting." It didn't take us long to catch up with the others. Mewtwo had his eyes closed, likely looking for any Pokemon who may have gotten caught in that mess.
"Sense anything?" I asked quietly as we approached.
"No, it's almost like the forest is deserted." He frowned, then blinked his eyes open. "I hope everyone was able to find some sort of shelter."
"I, have never…seen anything like that." Lexie said. She adjusted the hood that covered her head. I had gotten her a coat, for the rain. Though it was awkward with her ears, she still figured out how to manage.
"Yeah, it's…something else. Seeing it on screen as a picture or video is one thing, but in person…"
"At least we're all OK." Pidgeotto said.
"Yeah. It's better to see one out somewhere, where it's not damaging anything or hurting anyone, than to go through what we just did. It's also bad…if you're there to see it hit a city. That said, just in case…Mewtwo, keep your senses up for any debris, and warn us if you sense any headed our way." Mewtwo responded with a nod, before closing his eyes again.
[Break]
After about an hour, we decided to get back onto Route Twelve, itself, mostly so we could catch anyone heading towards Fuchsia and inform them of what had happened. However, in the hours of walking, nobody was there to encounter. And soon, the light faded as the sun began to set, still behind the clouds in the sky, left in the wake of the storm. I'm sure we didn't see anyone, because of the storm itself, and people, hopefully, taking shelter.
Those in its path, especially. I can only hope everyone's alright.
"Alrighty, everyone. We stop and camp for tonight, but be ready just in case. It's likely Rangers might come through tonight, to search for any…bodies…that might be there to be found." My parents always said that was one of the hard parts of being a Ranger…search and rescue…although, sometimes, it was search and recover.
"Understood. Should we have a watch shift, just in case?" Mewtwo asked.
"We shouldn't need to. I know how to set up markers so they'll know we're in the area, and we're okay." I got out a kit that I kept just for that reason. While the others began to set up camp, I went out a ways, by the side of the route, and set one of the markers, before going to other spots to do the same.
These markers were mostly used in cases where a visible trail needed to be left, especially when snow was concerned, definitely if blizzards were an issue. But they have their uses in many other cases, too. Such as now, to tell any Rangers who find them, that we're okay and that no help is needed. But it'll also point towards our camp, so they'll definitely know where we are.
Which, while kind of risky given certain…reasons, still helps after what had just come through. I can't imagine it's going to be the worst thing that happens during my time here…because Cinnabar hasn't erupted yet, either. I'm honestly not looking forward to when that volcano goes boom.
"I'll take first watch, anyone else can volunteer. We'll rotate on three hours each." I said.
"I'll take second." Mewtwo volunteered first.
"And I'll handle third." Lexie was second to volunteer.
"Alright. If anyone turns up after my shift, let me know. Mewtwo has a much larger range he can watch for, and Lexie,"
"I'll get up in a tree, it's fine." She said.
"Fine by me." I unpacked what we would need in order to fix something to eat. "Alrighty, let's get our supper, then settle down for the night." Lexie and I started on preparing everything, which didn't take too long. Lexie did most of it, really. Spaghetti, another recipe that I wasn't aware that she knew.
Everyone seemed to think it was delicious though. If there's ever a competition between her and Brock, just to see who's better…yeah I'd definitely hang around for that. It would be the most delicious battle ever. And I've been told my own cooking is good, but Lexie's is definitely better.
And yeah, I'll admit that I think her being a fire type gives her a unique advantage. Though she doesn't have the same control over her flames like a Braixen or a Delphox would, with the mage theme that they have going for them.
Much like the previous night, we all sat around for a little bit, after we ate. The air had cooled off, and the clouds had cleared up, giving way to the stars once again. The scent of fresh rain was still in the air, mostly covered by the scent of supper, though that eventually faded.
"Glad you're on first shift." Kaorah sat down next to me. The others went to bed, one by one, with Lexie and Mewtwo being the first ones, since they had watch shifts later in the night.
"Why's that?"
"Oh, just because…a little something I've wanted to do while camping, has been…to this point, consistently denied by whatever lets us travel so much faster between places than others."
"Is that so?" She nuzzled my cheek.
"You know what I want. Let's get a little distance from the camp, first. No soundproofing tonight." I did grab the only necessity though, just in case we'd need it. Even though I've never used it with Kaorah, it's still better to have along, and not need it with whoever my partner was at the time.
I followed behind her as we went off on our own, making sure that we didn't go too far. At least, far enough to not disturb the others. Mewtwo's senses had already been adjusted so that he could ignore those he chose to, at any given time.
"Now then…" Kaorah backed up against a tree, minding the fin on her back. "Bathrooms and such just don't give us the space,and beds aren't strong enough, for us to really enjoy ourselves." She's actually right, but we still make the somewhat limited space work, usually. "I'm amazed we even manage to make the small space that is those showers work. Not tonight though, tonight…there's plenty of room." I stripped down, and found myself pulled close before there was much chance to react, though I didn't mind. "Start with that trailing thing you did with Melanie."
"She told you about that?"
"Of course. You really think our nights with you wouldn't be discussed? You try something with one of us, and the other's going to want it too, eventually." Which definitely implies Melanie's going to want a night when we're out camping, in the future. "I don't remember if you've done this with me before, but I don't care."
Still, I started to do what Kaorah wanted, starting from the sides of her neck much like I had with Melanie. I felt her arms release me, mindful of the scales along their outer edges. I trailed down the red scales of her chest and abdomen, and I could feel the soft rumble of a purr, or at least her own equivalent, as I moved.
I saw her relax, and the faint smile on her face. She was enjoying this, for sure. I felt her ever so carefully rub the back of my head, something her claws made difficult. She leaned back into the tree, and I felt her shift positions ever so slightly.
"Don't go to the point of oral." That was a surprise. "Save that, for when we're in more limited space. It's easier to do if I've got something to actually sit down on. That said, it's a wonder that the counters even handle the weight I put on them."
"If you want to wait for that, sure. I seem to recall you really enjoyed it, last time."
"You didn't go to the point that I finished either, I believe." She pulled me up to my feet. "Still, I think that tonight…" She turned around before bending forward against the tree. She wrapped her left arm around it, while reaching back with her right to lift her tail up, and out of the way. "We'll more than make up for that." I couldn't help using that screenshot thing I discovered a while back.
With the little space we have in a Pokemon center, I doubt I'll see her in a position like this again, for a while. She looked back at me with a smile, and gave a low growl and a twitch of her head.
"You know…your position is perfect for more than one thing." I raised my hand, and then a sound filled the clearing as I brought it down on her rear.
"Ah! Why you little…" There was no hostility in her tone, despite her trying to make it seem like there was.
"Hey, you're the one that bent herself over in front of me. If anything you asked for it."
"And here I was thinking you weren't the type to-" She hissed as I gave her another. "Do that."
"Hey, for once in a while, we're alone, and we've got plenty of space to ourselves, like you said." I teased her entrance. "Hm…something tells me you're into that, too."
"If you tell Melanie about this, I'll--" She hissed as I gave her another, but on the other side this time
"You'll what? You groped her, first. I think I'd love to see her do this to you." I saw her give a weak glare. "I think she'd enjoy it, for more than just having type advantage."
"I think I'd find it more…enjoyable to…be the dominant one…in that situation." I had taken hold of her hips, and shifted to teasing her entrance, only pushing against it but never enough to actually penetrate.
"Quit…your teasing." Kaorah growled out.
"Fine, fine. Hope you're ready for this." And with the position she was in, how could I not at least try it. "Just remember to relax." I put some lubricant on, in preparation for something that was probably, pretty crazy.
"Ready for--eek!" That's a sound she'd definitely deny ever making. Her eyes went wide and her expression shifted into one of shock. That wasn't her vagina that I had gone for.
"You're a bad little dragon, putting yourself in such a position. I think you earned a special punishment, tonight." I took hold of her tail in my left arm, holding it against my chest, while I held her right arm to her back, in such a way that wouldn't get uncomfortable. And then I started to move my hips, slow at first.
This was something new, and extremely unexpected for both of us, but at least…it would provide some practice for…later. I must admit I never thought I'd go for anal, but someone just happened to put herself in the exact right position.
Any resistance Kaorah tried to put up, failed when I began to move. Her eyes slowly shut and a low, pleased growl escaped from her maw. I had sprung this on her, sure, but it's good to see her enjoy it.
"Harder, you fool. You want to make it seem like punishment? Well, this isn't the way to do it." I grinned, and gave into her orders. She let out another low growl. I happened to notice something else. If not for the moonlight, and also having night vision, apparently, I wouldn't have seen it.
"Oh, is that…a blush, I see?" I asked.
"Sh-shut up…you don't…see anything."
"Now is that any way to talk to the one who's in control?" I lifted my right hand, smiling when her right arm went around the tree she was up against, without a second thought.
"Ah~!" Another smack echoed through the clearing. Her response fit into her moans, nicely. I saw and felt the signs before her voice caught up. The twitch of her legs, and her tail.
"I've…never felt so…close, not…this fast."
"Well, that just means you're enjoying it." I decided to help her along, reaching for her slit with my right hand, and slipping a pair of fingers inside, easily. Of course, it didn't take much before I felt her clamp down, releasing a particularly loud moan as she reached climax.
I kept going, gradually slowing my pace as she rode it out, until she had settled down again.
"Fuuuck…" She growled. "Definitely…doing that, again." Well, I definitely have Kaorah's approval. Slowly, I pulled out of her and helped her to stand back up.
"I figured you'd enjoy that."
"You definitely got me off guard with it." She stood up. "But also…we're not done tonight." I let out a grunt as I fell to the ground, after being shoved. A twitch of my hand caused a flash of light, then a weight settled down on top of me. Two clawed hands pressed into the ground on either side of my head.
"You had your turn in control, and as amazing as that felt…" She positioned herself before lowering her body, and I felt her taking me in. She let out a low hiss as we joined once more. "You, still haven't released yet. So now, you're the one relaxing, and I'm the one in control." She started to move her hips, taking the same pace that I had been at, moments ago.
"Just enjoy it." I see no reason why I can't. We kept going for a little while longer before we finally stopped. We walked back with our arms around the other, tired but satisfied. I had partially redressed, but chose to leave my shirt and boots off for the night.
When we got back, Solais was lying outside, with her head on her forelegs. She looked at us as we approached.
"You two have fun?" She mumbled.
"Yeah, we did." I sat down by the fire pit, and she moved over next to me. "Here, make yourself comfortable." I moved her so she was laying in my lap.
"I'm turning in for the night." Kaorah nuzzled my left cheek. "Good night."
"G'night." I helped her get into the tent we would be sharing. "So, what's wrong? We didn't keep you up did we?"
"Mm…no." Solais purred as I started to rub her back. "Just…can't sleep."
"Is what happened earlier bothering you?"
"No…just…a little trouble is all." She pushed up into my hands as I scratched between her shoulders.
"Well, if you feel like it is something you need to talk about, I'll be glad to listen."
"Thaaanks…mmm…you humans and your…magic fingers." I guess I found a spot.
"You like that? I've had…plenty of practice, I suppose."
"It's…real nice when…you can't…reach. Especially when…someone does it…without needing…to be asked." Her claws lightly dug into the dirt, and she pushed up more. I'd imagine it's definitely hard for her to reach her back, and she doesn't seem the type to roll in order to get it.
"Oh, you'll like this then." I reached up to the left side of her neck and began to scratch, quickly but gently. Solais purred, leaning over hard into my left hand. Her eyes slowly closed and she smiled. I think I gave her one of these before but I don't remember.
Rustling to the east drew my attention. I heard them before they appeared, an Arcanine and his trainer, a man in a black suit, with a red coat and boots on. He had equipment on his belt, and a beret on.
"Everything alright, out here?" He asked quietly, figuring that there were others asleep. I switched to giving Solais a soft back rub.
"Yessir, we're all fine here. Guess you saw the markers?" I offered the Arcanine a berry, which was accepted without hesitation. I reached out and gave him a pat on the head.
"We did, decided to come and check on your camp anyways, just to be sure. How is everyone else?"
"Apart from this lady, all asleep. She couldn't sleep, so she's out here with me while I'm on watch. I've got two hours left, yet."
"Alrighty. Well, we've got work to do, so we'll leave you be. I'll put a word in so the others know that you're all OK. Have a good night guys." I saw that knowing look from the Arcanine, not surprised at all he could smell Kaorah on me, among with another thing. It's always surprising that Pokemon seem totally unwilling to report such a relationship when it's not forced in any way. Solais being snuggled into my lap was a good indication, I guess.
"You too." I said to the Ranger. He and his Arcanine left without another word. I couldn't tell if he recognized me or not, though it's likely the latter case. He didn't look like he was part of the group my parents worked with, when they were still…I shook my head.
A soft snore drew my attention, and I smiled. It seems that Solais had finally given in and fallen asleep, with a soft smile on her face. The next two hours seemed to pass quickly, before it was time to rotate. I carefully moved Solais into the tent that she was staying in, and tucked her into bed, before moving to gently shake Mewtwo awake.
"Hey bud…it's time for your shift." I said quietly.
"Alright. Did anyone come up during yours?"
"Yeah actually, just before I brought her back in," I nodded towards Solais, "and woke you up, a Ranger came to check on us."
"Did they need anything other than that?"
"No, just making sure we were OK. He'll be in contact with the others, so they know to look for the markers. They'll know we're OK." I gave him a kiss on the cheek, causing his face to redden slightly. I flashed him a smile. "Well, I'm going to get some sleep, myself. G'night bud." I turned and left the tent, quietly.
"Good night." I heard him, just as I stepped outside. I had left our tent unzipped enough for me to squeeze in, but not for the flap to fall out of the way. After I zipped the tent up, I laid down. Kaorah had an arm around me as soon as I did, and I fell asleep soon after, snuggled up to her side.