Pokemon: Way Of life Chapter 30

Hi all,

This chapter features a section from Jason’s point of view. I will do this occasionally to flesh out certain characters.

Jason’s POV

Jason sat at a nearby bench, waiting for his mother to answer her phone.

Things had been going incredibly well for him as of late. His mother was engaged and seemed to be happy with Vincent. He had a sibling on the way, who he would spoil rotten. Getting used to having another adult figure in his life was hard, but Vincent made it easy by talking to him like an adult. He never tried to parent him or get authoritative. No, he was simply the guy who was easy to talk to whenever you needed advice.

In terms of his own life, he was happy to be out and exploring the world. It had been his dream since he was a kid, but he never imagined that he could follow his goal since he had zero interest in Pokemon battling. They were a requirement if you wanted to venture out into the wild.

He supposed he was a bit of a pacifist who didn’t like fighting so much, which was probably not such an ideology to have in such a dangerous world. He wanted everyone to get along, and he wasn’t above making fun of himself to entertain others.

However, yesterday, he received a message from his mother that cast a shadow over that happiness. His father was back in Pallet Town. He had no doubt it was because his mother and himself were involved with a powerful and wealthy family like the Walkers. He was always an opportunist.

‘Are you okay?’ Sandee patted his knee.

“I’m fine,” Jason smiled. “Just a minor annoyance I have to take care of.”

“Jason?” His mother finally picked up and sounded breathless.

Jason grimaced. He could easily imagine what she had been doing. Since she got involved with Vincent, they had been going at it like rabbits.

“Hi, I got your text.”

“I hate text messaging,” Sarah said. “It’s so impersonal. But since you won’t answer my calls, I guess I have to live with it.”

“Sorry. I don’t know what to say. Why are you even telling me that the loser is back in town? It has nothing to do with me.”

“Despite his many character defects,” Sarah said humorously. “Isaac is still your father. He wants to see you.”

“I’m sure he does,” Jason replied sarcastically. “He’s not going to try and take advantage of you with Vincent around. So, he wants to see his son to see if he can make a connection with the Walkers through Lucas. He will be disappointed, as Lucas will see right through him.”

“I know you have every reason to suspect his motives,” Sarah said. “But some things have changed in his life, and he wants to make amends. It has been seven years since you last saw him.”

“Seven glorious years,” Jason muttered. “It’s kind of hard to meet up at this point. I am not returning to Pallet town to meet him. ”

“When will you be in Viridian City? Issac will stay in the city soon and be there for a few days.”

“In just over a week,” Jason said reluctantly. “We are sticking around in Terracotta Town for a local tournament.”

“Then please go meet him,” Sarah pleaded. “If only to get some closure. If he tries anything, you can walk out the door, and I will never ask it of you again.”

“Fine,” Jason slumped down on the bench. “I hope he is not stressing you out. You’re carrying my little brother in there.”

“Sister,” Sarah corrected, her tone a lot lighter. “No, Vincent would have him thrown out of town if he ever upset me, not that I need his help. Your father is still a wuss.”

Jason chuckled. His father may be a disappointment in many ways, but he wasn’t violent. He was too meek for that.

His Pokemon alerted him to an intruder, and he turned around and noticed a beautiful silver-haired girl standing there with two Pokemon by her side. Had she been eavesdropping?

“I got to go,” Jason said. “Love you.”

“I love you too, honey. Stay safe.”

Jason hung up and turned his attention to the girl. “Well, hello there. Not that I mind getting interrupted by such a beautiful girl, but don’t you think it's rude to eavesdrop on others' conversations?”

“It is?” The girl tilted her head. “Interesting. The social convention, that is, not your conversation. It was utterly boring.”

Bane grabbed his belly and chuckled, and Jason shook his head at his partner's lack of loyalty.

“Well, you sure are blunt,” Jason said, trying to be charming. “The names Jason. May I have yours?”

“Eve. You are friends with Lucas,” she stated.

Great. Not another one of Lucas's fangirls. “Do you want to know where he is? Sorry, I’m not giving away any personal information on my friend.”

“Why would I want to know his whereabouts?” Eve shook her head. “I mentioned him because we have a mutual acquaintance in Nora. We also had a trainer battle yesterday.”

“Oh,” Jason muttered. Lucas hadn’t mentioned the girl to him. His friend had given him copies of his matches, but he hadn’t seen them yet.

Eve sat down, with her Lickatung settling against her legs and Zubat perching on her head.

Was this his chance to chat up a pretty girl? Please don’t mess it up, idiot.

‘You’re totally screwed.’ Bane commented heartlessly.

‘You don’t have to be so honest.’ Sandee complained.

Dammit, his Pokemon were savage.

{0(((..)))0}

After convincing Maggie, they left her alone to start sorting out her business affairs before she left for Cinnabar Island. They had offered to help, but she waved them off, so they headed to their next destination.

Lucas stood outside the store/barn that was called Rhyhorn Ride-Ons, which was such a cool name, in his opinion. He was the authority on good naming sense, so he could make a fair assessment.

Faith looked at him questioningly, wondering why they were standing in front of the store.

“So, it occurred to me that maybe we should hire a Pokemon to use a pack mule and a means to get around faster. We can carry more stuff to make it more comfortable in the wild.”

“What about your self-imposed rules? Don’t you have one about using your own two feet to travel to every Pokemon Gym?’

“Um, this is for you and Jason. I will still be travelling with my own two legs.”

“Right,” Faith rolled her eyes. “I suppose you will run all the way while we sit on a Pokemon and take it easy.”

“Yep,” Lucas said sweetly. “Don’t think about it too deeply. After being stuck in a coma for three years, I get the urge to use my legs as much as possible.”

They stepped inside the store, which was merely a massive barn with stalls filled with huge Rhyhorns. An older gentleman was cleaning a saddle on a table in front of them, and he looked up as they entered.

“Morning, folks,” he greeted. “My name is Simon, the owner of Rhyhorn Ride-Ons. How can I help you today?”

“I’m looking to hire a Rhyhorn to use as a Riding Pokemon and to carry our supplies,” Lucas said. “How much does it cost to hire one?”

“Well, that depends on your needs,” Simon placed the saddle down and motioned them to follow him. “If it’s only going to carry the two of you, then our smallest Rhyhorn will do the trick.”

They stopped at a spacious stall where the Rhyhorn was eating out of a trough. “This girl here is called Shelly. She’s the smallest Rhyhorn I have, but she also has the most endurance. She can keep going all day as long as you feed and water her.”

“You call that small?” Lucas asked incredulously. “She’s the size of a small car.”

Simon smirked. “She is small in comparison to some of my older Pokemon.”

Lucas hummed. “I’m looking to hire a Rhyhorn long-term as I challenge the Junior Circuit. So it will probably hire your services for a year at least. How much would it cost me to hire Shelly? Do you take weekly payments?”

“It will cost you a thousand Pokedollars a week, but you also have to pay for her upkeep. This includes feeding her and taking care of any medical issues on the road.”

Lucas examined the Rhyhorn in front of him, which took half of his Aura to obtain her parameters.

=====

Pokemon: Rhyhorn | Name: Shelly | Age: 2 | Gender: F | Type: Ground, Rock | Potential: C | Affection: -- | Favourite Foods: Beef Stew.

Second Stage: The Pokemon has gone through its second growth.

Description: It is inept at turning because of its four short legs. It can only charge and run in one direction.

Stats

Level: 30 | Next: 56% | HP:410 | Aura: 660 |

Attack: 130 | Defence: 165 | Sp Att: 35 | Sp Def: 55 | Speed: 45 |

Traits

Endurance Runner - Can travel all day without getting tired.

Special Ability

Rock head- Protects the Pokemon from recoil damage.

=====

“How can it be comfortable to ride?” Lucas pointed to the spiky ridge running across her back.

“I fit her with a special saddle,” Simon explained, retrieving one hanging up on the wall and fitting it over Shelly's front. “The two of you would sit in the saddle to the side of each ridge.”

“What about storing out packs and other equipment?” Faith asked.

“I have a special trailer for that,” Simon explained. “Follow me out back.”

At the back of the barn, there were several cylindrical metal contraptions on wheels with two long straps attached at the front.

“These are the trailers I built to carry everything you may need,” Simon said. “It’s not an open trailer, but compartments that can protect your items from rain or other hazardous weather.”

Lucas pulled open a sliding door and inspected the inside, which was surprisingly spacious. He nodded in approval. Their current gear wouldn’t even fill up half the space, which meant they could prepare for longer treks out in the wild without running out of food for the Pokemon or themselves. There was even a small chilled compartment where they could store their perishable foods.

Another thing he was interested in getting was a portable shower stall that heated water that was sourced from nearby lakes and rivers. It meant they could stay clean and not wait for a campground or town to shower.

“So how does it work exactly,” Lucas said. “You own the Pokemon, but it essentially has to listen to our orders on the road. Is there going to be any conflict?”

“As long as you use Shelly for what is advertised,” Simon said. “You shouldn’t have a problem. Her main role is transportation, but she will defend herself and her cargo if necessary. However, she will only act if you cannot handle the situation. She understands English so that she can follow orders easily enough. I require you to check in weekly via a video call so I can determine that she is being treated well. If the worst happens to her, then you may be liable for a hefty fee if it is determined that she was killed because of any reckless actions on your part.”

“Sounds straightforward enough,” Lucas murmured. “I will leave town in a week after the local tournament finishes. Can I reserve Shelly until then?”

“Sure,” Simon grinned, happy to get a long-term client. “Let’s go sort out the paperwork.”

Twenty minutes later, they stepped out of the barn with satisfied expressions. Once Faith learned that he was going to get a portable shower, she was a happy camper. But she insisted that all three of them should pay one-third of the cost, and Lucas didn’t argue. However, he insisted on paying for Shelly because it was his idea.

His phone rang, and he answered it after recognising Jason's number. “Have you finished your business?”

“Forget about that,” Jason exclaimed. “That’s no longer important. I met the most beautiful girl and had a long conversation with her. Sure, she’s socially awkward, blunt and far more intelligent than me, but did I mention she was beautiful?”

“Hold up,” Lucas said. “What's the girl's name?”

“Eve,” Jason said brightly. “I believe that the two of you know each other?”

“Eve?” Lucas furrowed his eyebrows. “Are you sure that is wise? She used to be Dr Goldman's apprentice.”

“Yeah, she told me. However, she wasn’t aware of what he was like until she moved to Cinnabar Island to work closer with him.”

“Well, it's your choice if you want to date her,” Lucas replied, still having doubts. “Have you asked her on a date yet?”

An awkward silence. “Not exactly.”

Lucas made a face at Faith, who didn't bother to hide that she was listening to the conversation.

“Are you meeting her again?” Lucas asked.

“I don’t know. Once we had exhausted our conversation, she wandered off. What if she already left town?”

“Something tells me that won’t happen,” Lucas murmured. “She probably wants to contact Nora again, and I’m the easiest solution.”

“That’s a relief,” Jason said. “So, where are you? Let's meet up.”

{0(((..)))0}

Later that night, Lucas sat on his bed while he made his obligatory call home.

“Hello?” His mother answered.

“Hi, it’s me.”

“Lucas, how are you doing? Are you okay?”

His mother asked the same questions every time he called home.

“Fine. No serious injuries, no life-threatening danger.”

“That’s good to hear. What about Faith? Are you treating her well?”

Lucas looked up at the ceiling and grinned, deciding to tease her a little bit. “Do you want the ‘M’ rated version? I have plenty of spicy details I can share.”

“Lucas Walker,” Sophia said sternly. “I hope you are practising safe sex. Now…”

Lucas's eyes bulged out as his teasing backfired on him, and he was treated to a long conversation about the birds and the bees. He almost hit mute a few times as he was so embarrassed. Not about the subject, as he was no prude, but because of the person doing the talking.

“Mother, enough,” Lucas said frantically. “We haven’t even gone all the way yet. Stop embarrassing me.”

“Oh, isn’t that what you were trying to do to me?” He could hear the smugness in her voice.

“Whatever,” Lucas said, changing the subject. "I need your help with drawing up an employee's contract.”

“Who for?”

“I met this woman who does fishing tours in Terracotta Town, but she hasn’t been getting any business lately. So, I hired her as a ferryman for shipping supplies to the island and helping Nora with the habitat.”

“Is there something about this woman I should know about?” Sophia asked.

Lucas gulped. Damn, her intuition was scary. “Well, she was part of a gang years ago before turning her life around and becoming a respectable businesswoman.”

“Right,” Sophia said dryly. “Another stray, perhaps?”

Lucas continued blithely.

“There was also an incident where a client died on one of her tours.”

Lucas pulled the phone from his ear as his mother ranted at him, wincing when she called him a bleeding-heart moron. Thanks for the love, mother.

“Have you finished?” Lucas said dryly after a minute of letting her rant. “I have good instincts about people, so there shouldn’t be a problem. But feel free to investigate the incident if it makes you feel better."

“I will,” Sophia said. “Regarding the island, you haven’t shared any plans on where you are taking it, but I can guess your intentions. Are you going to turn it into a tourist attraction?”

“It’s pretty obvious, huh,” Lucas said. “It’s long-term, but I want to build a resort with different attractions to attract tourists. It will take a lot of work since Cinnabar Island is remote, and I have to guarantee the tourist's safety. Remember when we saw Moltres on the island? That could be an issue."

“It will take a lot of work," Sophia agreed. "If you are going to start hiring employees, then you need to start your own company. At least something on paper that makes it official, and you avoid running into trouble later down the line.”

“Another thing that I have to do,” Lucas sighed. “So, how is the launch of my product progressing?”

“It’s going smoothly,” Sophia said excitedly. “Or else you would be hearing about it from the CEO. It’s still on track to launch in the first week of November.”

“That’s good.”

In the background, he could hear the excited voice of his little sister demanding to talk to her big brother. “Better let her on before the little monster gets violent.”

Sophia handed the phone over to his little sister.

“Big brother,” Abigail said excitedly.

“Hello, you rascal,” Lucas said affectionately. “How is school?”

“Eh, I’m being home-schooled now,” Abigail said. “Mother has gotten super protective ever since you left.”

Lucas frowned. “I hope that you are still seeing your friends.”

“It's fine,” Abigail said dismissively. “A lot of my friends have joined me in home-schooling together. Haley even joined as well.”

“The bouncy little girl?” Lucas asked, amused.

“I’m going to tell her you said that,” Abigail said impishly.

“Go ahead. I think Haley can’t be offended. She is so much cuter and well-behaved than somebody else I know,” Lucas teased.

Abigail huffed. “I’m divorcing you, big brother. You're a meanie.”

“That’s a big word for a midget your age,” Lucas said. “My little sister is so smart.”

They continued talking for a while before Abigail handed over the phone to Dad.

“So, has anything exciting been happening lately?” David asked.

Lucas blinked. Maybe the phone was distorting his dad's voice, but he could swear he could hear a hint of anger in his tone.

“No, nothing serious,” Lucas said nervously.

“Really? Imagine my surprise when I got a call from Captain Richards from the Terracotta Police Station, thanking me for allowing them to use my robot to help with an investigation into a pirate gang.”

Dammit, Officer Jenny had promised him that it would go no further.

“Really,” Lucas laughed nervously. “How about that?”

“Tell me what happened. Don’t leave any detail out,” David ordered.

Lucas sighed, leaning back on the bed as he recalled the ordeal.

“Well, at least the woman had the sense to send you away,” David said. “However, you shouldn’t have sent Giru away on a rescue mission. It wasn’t your mess to deal with.”

“I judged I was safe enough with Lapras looking after me,” Lucas said calmly. “I’m not going to apologise for the decision I made.”

“Dammit, would you stop playing the hero for one minute,” David demanded.

“I don’t know how to,” Lucas said. “It’s a part of me and not something I can conveniently switch off. If I didn’t have that personality, then maybe Abigail wouldn’t be here today.”

David sucked in a breath, and Lucas felt remorse at his comment. He waited for a reprimand, but nothing came.

“I suppose I should be proud that you are who you are,” David said. “But, try not to give me any grey hairs. I have an image to maintain.”

“You would look good with grey hair,” Lucas teased. “You don’t have to worry that mother will trade you in for a younger model.”

“You little brat,” David laughed.

After talking for a while longer, they said goodbye, and Lucas ended the call. He turned towards his team, huddled on the floor, trying to teach Duke how to read English. For once, they were not bickering at each other and were cooperating peacefully. If only it would last.

Before he went to bed, he wanted to experiment with cutting a piece of quartz and extracting the memory crystal. Lucas took out one that was supposed to be TM05, Roar. It was one of the most common and cheapest TM's, so it didn’t cost him too much if he messed it up.

He tried to examine the memory crystal inside to get an idea of its proportions, but it didn’t work. Next, he tried all of his skills to try and get a result, but it wasn't precise enough. The quartz was surprisingly resistant to Aura, so he first cut some of the quartz away.

Usually, quartz was a tough substance. However, when a Move was stored inside, parts of the mineral became brittle, and it could lead to a crack running through the memory crystal, which made it completely useless.

Lucas retrieved a metal clamp from his inventory that he had purchased today. Setting it on the table with a sturdy cloth in between, he clamped the quartz. Next, he held up his finger and imagined a circular diamond-tipped saw appearing. It took him a few minutes to get it, but soon, one of his fingers had been transformed into a circular saw.

It looked funny, but he used it rather than an ordinary tool because it gave him better control and stability. Lucas sharpened his Sight until he could see the quartz in precise detail. Spinning the blade, he brought it down on the quartz and began cutting carefully.

Ten minutes later, he held up the quartz that had shrunk in size. The memory crystal was closer to the surface, and his Aura Sense got a more detailed look at the dimensions. Nodding in satisfaction, he continued but went slower as he tried to avoid cutting into the memory crystal.

Fifteen minutes later, he got the result he wanted.

=====

Congratulations!

You have unearthed the TM05 - Roar from the quartz.

=====

The Diamond Tipped circular Saw has been saved as one of the Multi-Tools. Five tool slots remain.

=====

He didn’t learn a skill, but it wasn't that hard. The shape of the memory crystal for Roar was basic, so it had been easy to chip away the excess. He might get more complex shapes as he tried cutting more later on.

“Alright, guys, it's time for bed. We have a big day tomorrow,” Lucas called.

The Pokemon stored their drawing pads on the table and jumped onto the bed. Lucas turned off the lights and lay down. Tomorrow, he will join Ron in exploring the underground cave. What will he discover?

{0(((..)))0}

Lucas followed Ron as he led them through the overgrown path towards the entrance to the cave system. His relatives and the other team members were already waiting for them, so they made their way quickly through the forest, although Lucas kept a close eye on the surroundings.

He had debated whether to bring Duke since he was so new to the team and still wasn’t experienced enough to fight effectively in battle, but decided, in the end, it would do more harm than good, leaving him behind. Lucas carried the little rascal in his arms after he started complaining of becoming tired from floating for an extended period.

“Dammit. How long till we get there,” Jason said after stumbling over another hidden root in the ground. He wasn’t the most coordinated teenager at the best of times.

“Not much further,” Ron grinned. He had been even more cheerful after discovering the potential wealth beneath their feet. After finding some valuable ore when he first tumbled into the opening, he was sure there were more resources down there to be plundered.

Lucas grabbed Faith’s waist as she almost twisted her ankle in a small concealed hole in the ground. “Careful. The two of you follow my footsteps exactly to avoid any obstacles.”

Jason slapped a low-hanging branch out of the way. “Did I say that I was looking for adventure? Somebody punch me now for my stupid comment.”

They continued for the next ten minutes before reaching an area surrounded by an abundance of overgrown foliage. It would have been easy to fall into a concealed opening because the ground was completely obscured. Since the last time Ron had been here, a path had been created leading up to the cave's entrance, and people were standing around with equipment spread out on the ground.

“Ron,” an older man called, waving at the teenager. He looked like an older version of him, but with thinning red hair. An assortment of redheads surrounded him; a portly middle-aged woman, two men in their twenties, a teenager with a superior expression, two twins who looked very naughty, and a pretty girl about a year younger than them.

To the side were a few teenagers, the team Ron went with to explore the forest and capture Pokemon. They watched as the teenagers approached, their expressions showing they were unhappy.

“Hello dear,” the middle-aged woman stepped forward. “My name is Molly Weasley. I hear you travelled with my son here. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Wow, look, Mum,” one of the twins pointed at Faith. “I think we have a long-lost relative that we knew nothing about.”

“I think you're right, Fred,” the other nodded, examining Faith with an interested eye. “Just how closely related, though? She is certainly a beauty.”

“Hands off, boys,” Lucas said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. ”I wouldn’t want to rearrange your faces so you will never be mistaken for twins again.”

“Oh, my,” the first twin waved a hand in front of his face, pretending to swoon. “I think I’m going to change my target to the guy. He is so handsome.”

“Utterly mesmerising,” the other twin agreed.

“So fierce and…..”

“Masculine. I just want to….”

“Take his hand and…..”

“Order me to…..”

“Enough, you two,” Molly glared at them before turning towards the trio. “Let's make the introductions so you can explore the cave.”

They met the rest of the family. The oldest, Bill, looked like he belonged in a rock band, with long hair bound in a ponytail and a pair of fangs for earrings.

“What Pokemon do those fangs belong to?”

“It was from a preserved Pinsir horn. I discovered this while exploring an old architectural site.

"Bill's an archaeologist," Molly said proudly.

Charlie was the next youngest and was shorter and stockier than his older brother. As he shook the man's hand, Lucas’s arm felt like it would be torn off.

Percy was a twit, and Lucas didn’t feel shame in calling him that rude comment he made.

"Are you looking for handouts?" Percy sniffed. "My little brother was always naive to who he hangs out with."

"Percy!" Arthur Weasley shouted in embarrassment.

Lucas decided to put the little shit in his place. He put his haughtiest expression on and drew back his shoulders.

"Do you know who I am? I am a Walker, the wealthiest family in Pallet Town. My grandfather is the Minister of Defence. I don't need to sponge off anybody. I will happily pay Ron for anything I discover in the caves."

Percy paled before apologising profusely. The twins, Fred and George, each slung an arm around his shoulders.

"Well, that certainly shut the twit up," Fred chirped. "Well, done, sir. You certainly put his haughtiness to shame."

"If only we captured the moment when he was so humbled," George sighed. "I couldn't get my phone out fast enough. Next time you are going to give him a verbal beating, then let us know first, please."

"I'll keep that in mind," Lucas said dryly before turning to the youngest Weasley. "Hello, it's nice to meet you."

"Hello," Ginny replied. Thankfully, she didn't seem enamoured with him like other girls meeting for the first time.

"She's got this huge crush on this boy, Harry," Ron helpfully supplied. "Too bad he is too oblivious to girls at the moment."

Ginny kicked the boy in the shin, causing the boy to cry out and hop around on one foot.

"You deserve it," Molly said sternly. "Alright, Bill will be in charge of the exploration since he has the most experience. Ginny and I will stay here to monitor the situation and help anyone who needs to come back up."

"Alright, listen up," Bill ordered, the casual look disappearing. "Refrain from battling any Pokemon we encounter in the cave. Cause enough damage, and it may bring the entire ceiling collapsing down on us. If you need to, try to knock them out as quickly as possible."

The others nodded. The small group that had been unhappy with their presence had loosened up somewhat; now they knew that Lucas and the other two weren't here to mooch off Ron. After all, each would receive a share of the remaining profits.

Bill turned to Lucas. "Ron tells me that you are an Aura User?"

Ron looked guilty. "Sorry, Lucas. Bill wanted to know your capabilities to lead effectively in the caves."

"I wasn't hiding it." Lucas shrugged before looking at Bill. "Both Faith and I are Aura Users."

"Interesting," Bill looked around at the group of people as if calculating something. "Can you both create a shield? How effective is it?"

"Mine would probably stop an initial attack from a Pokemon below level twenty," Faith explained. "Lucas could potentially stop something stronger. He can also use Aura Sense to find Pokemon in the surroundings."

The teenager looked proud as she talked about his abilities, and Lucas wanted to kiss her right then and there.

"That changes things a bit," Bill said. "We can split the group in two if you two can be on separate teams. The cave system looks extensive from my initial survey, so it will take a long time to finish exploring it. The longer we are in there, the more likely something will go wrong, in my experience."

Arthur, Fred, Charlie, Ron and Lucas will be part of one team, with Tyler and Joshua from Ron's group joining them. The rest of them would be on the other team.

They all put on helmets with lights and grabbed a pickaxe and a backpack. They scaled down the rope into the depths. It was surprisingly deep, and Ron had been lucky not to get seriously injured.

Once they hit the bottom, they switched on their lights and looked around curiously. It revealed a natural corridor with rocky walls that lead in opposite directions.

"Here is what I have explored so far," Bill handed them a map. "Can you fill in the map as you explore? It would help keep us from getting lost and wasting time on areas we have already explored. If you get into trouble, send one of your Pokemon for help. Any questions?"

"Our team will be heading in this direction," Bill pointed to the east. "Good luck."

Arthur released a Marowak from his Pokeball and led their team to the west. Lucas opened his Map and was happy to realise that it worked underground.

'I don't like this place.' Duke complained.

'For once, I agree with the midget.' Imara looked around in wariness.

'Keep your wits about you. Our partner has the uncanny ability to get into danger too often for my liking.' Dante said.

'There are going to be plenty of baddies to destroy.' Max was. undeterred.

Lucas wanted to protest his innocence at Dante's words, but it would sound hollow. Everything would be okay. Nothing was going to happen.

So what do you think? Next chapter, Lucas eats his words.

Thanks for reading.