Chapter 7: The Fearsome Four Last Time: Festival Comption: “Do you want to enter the contest” Dance of Destiny: “Once the music started me and Mayu had started dancing once our hands clasped it felt like something had taken over my body I couldn’t explain it we just started dancing moving our feet” The last round: “MOM! Shasha had yelled as we looked standing right opposite of Petia was Mrs. Weshia pokeball in hand” Bandits: “Bandits! Bandits!” Mayu, Shasha, Petia and myself had ran to the south entrance to the village. It wasn’t a very long run I didn’t realize how small this village actually was everyone else had fled into there houses. Mrs. Weshia had given Shasha her Swellow to battle with “Take good care and be careful. Here’s a Sling Shot uses it well” Mrs. Weshia said before she fled. As we looked threw the dense greens of the forest we saw four shadows moving througyh the trees. “That must be them,” Petia said “Swordcrad Go!” I shouted as my swordcrad gave out a cry. Mayu called out her Spheal. “Double Water Gun!” Mayu and I shouted in unison. Spheal and Swordcrad shot the water guns with tremendous force at the moving shadows three of th3e shadows plummeted to the ground from the trees soaking wet the other one escaped. “Hey what’s the big idea!” one of them shouted. She was a girl she had long purple hair and bright blue eyes she was real pretty she was wearing a tight fit linen shirt in red she was a little taller than me really slender I couldn’t help but admire her . “Ow!” I shouted both Mayu and Shasha had hit me in the back of the head. The other was a guy he looked a lot like me except his hair was a little longer than mine. He was wearing a dark red cloak with a black undershirt and his pants were black. He was big and muscular he looked kind of like Bruno of the elite 4. Both he and girl were wearing brown shoes. The third was a girl too short red hair unlike the other girl she wore a looser fit blue shirt and brown pants she was wearing socks. “We’re going to ransack this place and then ransack the castle,” the purple haired one said I assumed she was the leader. “Who are you guys?” I asked. “I’m Erin,” the red head said “I’m Boris,” the big one said “And I’m Sabrina were three of the Fearsome Four,” Sabrina said with arrogant tone she cracked her whip at my feet I stumbled. “We’re bandits and we’re going to rob the palace.” Boris said. “Hey isn’t that the princess I bet we can get a big ransom if we kidnap her,” Erin said. She pointed directly at Petia. All three of them crept up slowly on Petia. Mayu, Shasha, and I stood in there way. “If you want Petia your going to have to go through us!” Mayu said protectively. They stepped back they called out there Pokemon. Boris had a Zangoose, Erin had a Macargo, and Sabrina had a Grovyle. “Return, Swordcrad Go! Seviper!” I shouted bringing out seviper. Mayu already had Spheal out. “Go! Swellow” Shasha shouted Swellow came out. We each faced our opponents I was facing Boris who like me had gauntlets. Mayu was facing Sabrina who had a whip and Shasha was facing Erin who had a dagger. The battle started Seviper and Zangoose were fighting each other I didn’t even worry about him Seviper and Zangoose fought each other relentless and wouldn’t listen to me anyway. I focused on Boris who was much stronger than me every time I got hit it felt like I was being hit with a hammer. “Swellow Gust!” Shasha said. She was new at this I could tell her mind was split between Swellow and Erin. “Shasha, works with Swellow don’t act like a regular trainer act like you and Swellow are one!” I shouted trying to encourage her she nodded “Swellow use tackle!” Shasha said as Swellow did Shasha rapidly shot pellets at Erin. She was a natural sharpshooter. “Little brat!” Erin said she ran up and tried to stab her. She was unsuccessful. I had managed to keep Boris at bay for awhile using his obvious balance issues against him he was so muscular if he missed me he lost his balance. Zangoose and Seviper were fighting without our help because it is in there blood. Mayu on the other hand was having a hard time getting to Sabrina. She was flexible enogh to barely dodge Sabrina’s attacks. “Spheal use Ice ball!” Mayu said Sabrina was ruthless she never stopped cracking her whip, Mayu was getting tired she couldn’t take much more. “Take this” I shouted I gave Boris a viscous uppercut he fell unconscious instantly. Then I darted for Sabrina she whipped me I caugt her whip and pulled her up to my face “You know your kind of cute” I heard her say she was knocked out my Mayu, she looked angry I bet her stare at that moment could even scare a Urasing. Erin was already knocked out suddenly Sabrina got up threw something on the ground, it was a smoke bomb, *cough, gag* “They escaped” I said I looked back and Petia was gone. “They got her we have to get her back!” Mayu said the look in her eyes reminded me of my mom when Kat got lost at the market. “They were headed towards Mt.Chimney!” Mrs. Weshia said she ran up the hill. “Good luck kids” She said she handed us each some form of potion or at least that’s what I thought it was it was green and bubbling. “What is it?” Mayu asked I was wondering the same thing. “It’s a potion silly” Mrs. Weshia said “That’s what I thought” I said looking at it curiously “For us or for Pokemon?” I asked I could just imange drinking a Pokemon potion and then end up dead on the floor or at least extremely ill it wasn’t a pretty picture. “For Pokemon, this is a human’s potion” she said she held up a bottle of red colored liquid. I took a pen out of my pocket and drew a pokeball on each of the blue bottles. We headed for the lush green forest we I noticed how fast we were it was surprising how fast a person could run if they were trying to save someone. I saw in a blur the purple leaves of the berry trees but I just ran past them the forest was really tricky to maneuver threw at such a fast pace we each fell multiple times tripping over exposed tree roots that we would of noticed but we weren’t in a hurry t save Petia. I could tell that we were not going to make it before sundown so I stopped the girls we searched for a safe spot to camp when a sudden down poor started. We ran threw the rain and found an extremely large hollowed out tree we leapt into the opening the tree was actually a tunnel to a Ninetails den. We landed in one end of the cave on the other end we saw two Ninetails one was light purple with red eyes we also saw six tiny vulpix. “They must still be babies they’re so cute” Mayu whispered girlishly in my ear I noticed that 2 of the vulpix were bright yellow. The Purple ninetails started growling “Get out intruding humans” he said “You can talk!” Shasha said in amazement “yeah it’s a curse I hear your kind walk by so much me and my wife can understand and talk human now leave!” he said still growling angry with us for intruding. “Sorry for intruding on your home Ninetails we were just trying to get out of the rain” Mayu said he still growled and was approaching I felt Mayu cling to my arm in fright. The female ninetails walked up and sniffed each of us. “Honey I do not think they are going to do anything they are just getting out of the rain” the female ninetails said we all sighed a breath of relief. “My name is Cira and that is my mate Orion” Cira said as a good gesture I grabbed every ones pokeballs and weapons and threw them outside. “You see now we are defenseless” I said trying to reassure them. “You may stay in here the night if you like” Cira said she let us pet her as a sign of friendship “You must forgive my husband ever since those awful humans tried to steal our baby he is cautious around humans” she said. “By any chance did either of you see a human girl she has hair same color as your fur and dark skin” I asked them. “Why yes a girl like that was being carried by one of the humans who tried to steal our baby” Cira said “Which way where they headed” I asked “They went into a cave at the base of Mt. Chimney” Orion said. “Thank you, those people kidnapped her and we are going to rescue her.” I said “Well then allow me to help I know the quickest route from here to Mt. Chimney” Cira said. “Thank you very much” Mayu said petting Cira kindly “It is not a problem” Cira said we talked to Cira until late into the night occasionally Orion butted in with a comment but Cira shushed him. Who would have guessed Pokemon had such life it was so much fun talking to her I enjoyed it very much. Once we got tired we all fell asleep Cira and her children Miya, Frey, Furio, Kam, Mist, and Risa all cuddled sleep near us in an effort to keep us warm Orion was all alone. There were 5 girls and two boy vulpixes must be hard to have only one brother and 4 sisters. The next morning we got up it was a very comfy sleep, there was no pillows and no room for our sleeping bags but the dirt inside the den was very soft and Cira and her kids kept us very warm. Cira led us into the forest and we started walking again until we stopped near a large tree. “Are you hungry” Cira asked we all nodded we hadn’t eaten since we left weepinbell village we were all starving. Cira leaped into the large tree and brought down lots of Sitrus berries she also got Pomegs, Orans, and Cherries we put most of them in our knapsacks we had 3 berries they were delicious. “Thank you” the three of us said she led us deeper into the forbidding woods until again we stopped near a dead tree. “Follow, but be careful Mirsha’s, inhabit the deadwood of these forest” Cira said. “Mirsha’s I thought those are mushroom Pokemon that have an extremely poisonous sting those are extinct. Well I guess they weren’t during this age.” I thought. We walked slowly up the log every once in awhile a little thorn would pop up which were Mirsha’s trying to poison us so they could eat our flesh. Seeing the Mishra’s made me nervous but the walk wasn’t a long one we leapt up onto a narrow ridge above all the trees it was wide enogh to place our feet but narrow enogh where we had to be careful. “Wow I never even knew this cliff was up here” Shasha said “Not many do the tall thick trees that are in the forest hide its existence but it is the fastest route to Mt. Chimney once we round this next corner the path widens but wild Machop and Machoke and Graveler live ahead also there is said to be a very old Pokemon long since thought dead who is said to live in the cave at the highest part of the cliff” Cira said we walked the narrow path until it became large we saw many Pokemon on the narrow paths lined with caves Machop and Machoke even Tyrouge and Hitmontop we sometimes had to stop as the occasional red dust kicked up by sandslash would be very disorienting and earthquakes caused by rolling graveler would slow us down. When we arrived at a wide clearing where the path meandered to an open plain of red dust with the looming volcano in blocking the sunlight at the present time it looked like some strange planet. “We just need to get past the Fire Plains and we will be there” Cira said “Why is it called the Fire plains” Mayu asked with a timid tone “Because wild Charizard roam there along with Charmelon, Charmander, and Salamence” Cira said “Ch-ch-Charizard” I said I was scared it wasn’t hard imaginings a wild Charizard in the present but after seeing the Arbok and how large it was I have to admit I was completely terrified. We started walking I saw as the Charizard flew overhead they were huge almost the size of a Wailord I was almost ready to keel over just imagining what would happen if we were attacked by one. “Do not be afraid, these charizard don’t attack unless provoked I have talked to them many times on trips to the mountain they are actually quite friendly” Cira said reassuringly it was a little less scary but salamence is not as smart as charizard. We continued walking It was getting darker the sun was setting. We set up camp Cira lit a fire “Kaden isn’t it romantic out tonight with all the stars out” Shasha said she nudged up under my arm Mayu had already fallen asleep Shasha had been nudging closer against me like a Persian getting comfy. Her breathing sounded like a Persian purring as well “I’m getting tired I’m going to sleep” I said I moved out from Shasha’s grip. My arm had gone numb I unfurled my sleeping bag and went to sleep on a rock. The next morning we started off again after eating the remaining berries we had saved up we were almost there we were waiting for Cira who had gone to get some Tamato berries, when something strange happened “Does anyone else feel strange” I said my vision was beginning to blur I could only see the others a little they were staggering around like me then just like that everything went black. I arrived back caring 3 Tamato berries when I saw Kaden, Mayu, and Shasha lying on the ground “Someone help” I cried I could smell something strange as Kaden, Mayu, I looked up, something was different I noticed something clinging to the leg of Kaden it was a thorn of some kind. I looked around and saw something it was moving very slowing towards us I ran up to it “Vetris” It cried “Oh no they were stung by a Vetris!” I cried Vetris was the evolved form of Mishra. It was a plant Pokemon with a large blue head with red petals and large green vines that it moved with and it could shoot its thorns from 10 feet away but it wasn’t a good shot it shot at whatever its keen nose caught its poison caused its enemies to black out for hours to give its slow moving body time to catch it “Oh dear, I’m no match for it what will I do” I said in a panic sure it was a grass type but Mishra evolve when they are very powerful. I ran back over to the others I had about an hour before the Vetris would arrive. “Why did it only shoot them why not me” I thought then the thought struck me. “The magic of course if it ate me then it would have died a horrible death the curse of the ninetails.” I said it was true all carnivores avoid eating us for the curse whoever kills a ninetails will die a horrible death in my panic I had forgotten. But I still had no idea what to do. “Is there a problem” I heard a great Charizard was behind me it didn’t speak human like me but it I could understand it “Yes those humans are my friends and they were stung by a Vetris” I said “Oh dear, I will help” the charizard said it flapped its mighty wings over to the approaching Vetris I heard the fierce battle as the charizard let lose a large flamethrower the Vetris let out a horrible shriek and then I saw it as it retreated the charizard returned with a look of pride on his face “The creature is gone now just let the poison wear off” it said it went up and hovered around so no Fearow came to pick the remains as I stayed a fended off attacks from Trapinch. “Oh, my head” I said dizzily “What happened?” I said in a daze “You were stung by a Vetris but this charizard helped vanquish it” Cira said the charizard was about the size of a Walrien he gave a puff of smoke we all patted him on the head. “He also says we can ride him all the way to Mt. Chimney” we all were excited yet we couldn’t show it because we all were still a little woozy. We mounted the Charizard and fit which was surprising. “I’ve never ridden a Charizard before” Mayu said she looked oddly excited I was on the other hand very scared. The ride was short but very enjoyable we were safe from threats and we got to see the vast beauty of the Fire plains. “Well we’re here” Cira said we slowly entered the cavern. We walked into the cave we heard laughing and celebrating “We did it boss once the carrier pidgey delivers the message to the queen we will be rich” the sound of Boris’s voice echoed down the halls of the cave. “Oh no” Mayu cried “Shasha you go and stop that pidgey we’ll handle these guys” I said Shasha nodded and headed outside of the cave as me and Mayu crept in further a dim light from a fire made it easier to see we saw the 3 of them eating roasted pidgey Petia sat in a cage sleeping “Hand over Petia now!” I shouted I had pokeball in hand ready for a fight Mayu was right beside me. “Why should we” Boris said standing up ready to fight “That girl is our ticket to easy street” Erin said also prepared to fight. I charged at Boris and tackled him hard. Erin had attacked Mayu but her daggered was always ended up notched in Mayu’s staff mayu gave a hard thwack to Erin and she landed on top of Boris “Why you little – Oh Felix please kill that boy why I handle that girl” Sabrina said suddenly a man about my height shapeless concealed by a large cloak stepped from the shadows a large sword sheathed on his back “Why” he said I looked into his dark blue eyes they were like bottomless pits “Because I said so!” Sabrina shouted Felix unsheathed his sword. “Very well” he sighed as he charged towards me with tremendous speed I led him out of the cave so I could more easily dodge his swift attacks the sun was bright in the sky but the it lit up the plains Cira was standing watch incase any of the bandits tried to escape “Cira! Help Mayu by getting Petia out of the cage while I handle this guy” I shouted Cira darted into the cave as I dodged another one of his strikes. I could see as Cira darted past me “I’ll rescue you” I heard her say as she ran towards Petia “Well if it isn’t the talking ninetails whose kid we wanted to steal” Sabrina said Cira hissed at her. She torched the bars of the cage and took the sleeping Petia onto her back “Get her out of here Cira” I shouted as she darted past me. The battle was one-sided I tried very hard to defeat Felix but he was to tough he knocked me to the ground and held his sword at my neck “Prepare to die” he said as I closed my eyes suddenly I felt his sword retreat “huh, I’m alive” I said I opened my eyes and saw Shasha and her swallow dive- bombing Felix I quickly got up and knocked the sword from his hand “Uh...” he said as I tackled him down and held his own sword at his neck. But then I handed him the sword “Here, take it I can’t kill you” I said “But I could kill you now without regret” he said “No, you have a sense of honor I can tell maybe some day in the future you and me can spar again” I said as I walked into the cave and rejoined Mayu “What the how did you survive Felix” Sabrina said with a look of amazement on her face “Because he defeated me but unlike you he has a sense of honor so he let me go even if I could have killed him” Felix said coming into the light of the cave “I quit, the only reason I joined you is because I loved you but now I see that, and that love was misplaced” he said he helped Erin and Boris and get up too “I quit too, same here” Erin and Boris said me and Felix looked at Sabrina “Now what to do with you” Felix said A little later… “ok so I guess this is where we spilt up huh” I said as I shook Felix’s hand as the three of them walked towards the palace Sabrina in the cage as they said they were going to turn themselves in. “Well I guess this is where we say goodbye Cira” I said as I petted her head as the sun was setting over Mt.Chimney “I guess” Cira said licked my fingers “Ma-ma” I could here from behind me “What” Mayu said as the sound came from her bag a little yellow head popped out sleepily opening amber eyes “Miya! You can talk” Cira said shaking her head in amazement “She must have snuck into Mayu’s bag when we slept at Cira’s den” Shasha said Cira grabbed Miya in a mouthful but she wriggled out back into Mayu’s bag “I guess she likes it there take good care of her” Cira said as she ran off down the mountain “Uh ok” Mayu said as she petted the vulpix “I guess this is where we saw goodbye to Shasha” Kaden said “I guess I best get home, mom must be worried sick” Shasha said as she mounted swellow “Bye” she said as the swellow took off “Well Mayu lets set up camp for tonight” I said as we started to unpack.