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***
"So, how long do you think crossing Mt. Moon will take us?" Bran brought up after a moment of walking.
"Officially, it should take two days, a day and a half if we push the pace..." I replied, thinking it over. "If you want, we can jog a bit."
"No, no," Bran blurted out immediately. "I was just asking out of curiosity. I was actually thinking about adding a new member to the team. I only have Poliwhirl so far, while you already have three Pokémon. I figure the sooner I get more partners, the better."
"Which ones are you thinking about?" I asked curiously. "The sooner you start training a Pokémon, the sooner it gets stronger, and the sooner you'll beat the Gyms..."
Instead of answering right away, he just ran a hand through his hair. I could see he was thinking intensely. After a few more steps, he spoke again.
"To be honest, I don't want to challenge Gyms," he admitted with a bitter smile. "Everyone expects me to... but Gym battles just don't do anything for me."
"What? Why are you here then?" I blurted out, my eyes widening. "Don't you know you can easily die in the wilderness? The mortality rates for rookie trainers are brutal!"
"I know, I know," he nodded with a heavy smile. "My dad was an elite trainer, and everyone expected the same from me. So, in a way, I didn't have much of a choice. But at the same time... I've always wanted to travel. So I set out as a trainer, even if I don't plan on taking on Gyms."
"That's why you have no problem teaching me the techniques you know," I nodded. His behavior suddenly made perfect sense.
"Yeah. And actually, I was thinking I could travel with you all over Kanto. While you're conquering Gyms, I'll be enjoying new places and building up my team at my own pace. Plus, it makes financial sense—with a trainer's license, we get free food and lodging almost everywhere."
"Whoa, let's not get ahead of ourselves, Bran," I laughed, amused. "We'll see once we reach Cerulean."
Bran could make a great travel companion, especially since he didn't plan on being my rival and just wanted to travel. But I still wasn't entirely sure about his character, determination, and mental toughness. What if he ran off at the first sign of real trouble? Or had a mental breakdown? In a life-or-death battle, he'd be more of a liability than a help.
"Hopefully, I'll convince you by the time we get to Cerulean," he smiled at me hopefully. In that moment, he looked like a Houndour waiting for a treat. "And as for a Pokémon? I'm thinking about something useful for everyday life, something that won't be a pain to take care of."
"Useful for everyday life in what way?"
"When my trainer year is over, I want them to be easily applicable in the real world. Poliwhirl is great for water and protection. Maybe some Pokémon to generate electricity for my house? Like an Electabuzz... Or a Golem to dig and lay down the foundation? Or a Machamp who could raise the walls of an entire house on his own. Or a Venusaur for the garden," he mused aloud. "With a lineup like that, I could realistically build the shell of a house, complete with the electrical wiring. It's an easy business and pure profit."
"You could make great money with that, especially if you did it all on your own as a trainer," I nodded in agreement. "Few people have a whole team put together for such specific work. Usually, you need an entire construction company and a bunch of workers. As an individual, you could easily earn an extremely comfortable living. Well, assuming you do it right."
"Well, we can learn anything in life, can't we, Patrik?" he smiled at me optimistically. "And if nothing else, I'll be a great contact for cheap housing in the future," he winked at me with a smirk.
"Stop winking at me, it creeps me out," I smirked back, a bit sharper. "It makes me feel like I definitely shouldn't turn my back on you."
"Oh, you definitely don't have to worry about that, Patrik," he laughed. "I love women and besides... I'm taken!"
"Oh, really? Aren't you worried someone will steal your girlfriend while you're away traveling?"
Personally, I wouldn't want a long-distance relationship, which was part of the reason nothing serious ever came of me and Lindsay. But the smile wiped right off my face the moment I thought of her, and her death flashed through my mind.
"No, no, we've been together for a few years, so I trust her completely," he admitted with an infatuated, almost overly sweet look.
"You're literally giving me diabetes," I remarked with a half-smirk.
"Diabetes? What's that?" he asked, puzzled.
My immediate thought was to wonder if he was an idiot, but in a fraction of a second, reality hit me—diabetes didn't exist in the Pokémon world. The integration of my two minds and memories was accelerating every day, and today, at this very moment, it was finally complete. We were fully merged. And that was exactly why something completely foreign to the inhabitants of this world had slipped out of my mouth.
"Oh... it's just a saying. Like, if you eat too much sweet stuff, you get... a sweet ass," I brushed it off quickly, offering a slightly strained smile.
"Ah, so you're one of those macho guys?" he smirked at me. "No feelings, just tough love?"
"Normal love with a normal woman who's actually worth it..." I shook my head, pausing to think for a moment. "But until she comes along, one-night stands work too," I smiled at him. "At least until I find 'the one'."
He nodded understandingly, and silence fell between us. We kept walking forward. I realized that keeping a conversation going had made us cover a decent chunk of the journey much faster than if we had walked in silence.
"You do know that if we don't head into the side tunnels off the main path, there's barely any chance of you catching a Pokémon, right?" it occurred to me.
"Yeah, a slim chance, but still not zero," he nodded optimistically.
Every now and then, something flickered in the shadows alongside the lit main path. For a while, we could hear the screeching and squeaking of Zubats. Fortunately, we hadn't heard any rumbling rocks or battle noises since lunchtime. Now, though, we were in an area where the air felt heavy with humidity and the smell of damp earth, which tickled my nose. I was sure water was close by—the kind where that old man caught Magikarps to smoothly resell them near the Pokémon Center. And where there's water, there's usually the highest concentration of Pokémon.
While Bran walked along with a smile, I remained slightly on edge. On every journey I'd taken so far, something had gone to shit, so I expected a similar fate here.
The tension clung to me for the next two hours of walking. The only thing that finally broke me out of it was a loud rumble from Bran's stomach. He ran a hand through his hair nervously and suggested, "Should we call it a night? We can grab dinner and maybe do a bit of training. You could show me how you work your chest."
It was already the ideal time to camp for the evening, but because of the artificial lighting, you didn't really feel it inside the cave. I nodded in agreement. "We'll set up camp at the next good spot."
We walked for another half hour until we found a suitable spot, similar to where we stopped at noon. Light from the main path reached quite far into the side tunnel, making it safe enough to ensure nothing would jump us out of nowhere.
As soon as we stepped inside, Bran let out a sigh of relief and started unpacking. I, however, cautiously surveyed the area first.
"Haunter, keep an eye out so nothing catches us by surprise, please," I commanded my shadow. Without a word, he flew out of me and instantly vanished into the surrounding darkness. Only then did I take off my backpack.
Houndour, Squirtle, and Poliwhirl kept one eye on the darkness just in case, while using the other to watch us unpack blankets, pans, and, most importantly, food. After all, the two of us weren't the only hungry ones.
Once I had my tent, blanket, and gear set up, I pulled out a pan and threw in some food for my team. I'd decided to make my own dinner only after my workout. Bran likewise prepped his food in his pan and waited for Houndour. He willingly heated up our portion first and then, at my command, Bran's as well.
Just as I finished dishing out the food for Squirtle and Houndour, I felt it again. That same piercing gaze from the darkness—the exact same stalking sensation I had experienced at lunch. But Haunter was out there in the dark too. I trusted him completely; I knew that if anything happened, he'd handle it, or at least let me know what was going on. So, for now, I ignored the feeling.
Houndour, Squirtle, Poliwhirl, and even Bran dug into their food like they hadn't eaten in a week.
Instead of eating, I started warming up. After lunch, I'd only done some light cardio to get moving, but now I planned to absolutely destroy myself to push my fitness even further. While I was getting warmed up, my Pokémon were still eating, so I seamlessly transitioned into shadowboxing. I bounced on my toes, throwing combinations of punches, kicks, knees, and elbows into the air. I was starting to get a nice sweat going when, suddenly, Haunter flew out of the darkness.
"Haunter! Haunt, haunt!" he announced excitedly, making wild gestures with his hands accompanied by a sharp grin.
"What? Wait, slow down," I cut him off, completely lost in his words and gestures. "Who's coming? What?"
He just shook his head from side to side in amusement and flew back into the darkness. Bran, already finished with his food, bolted upright. All of our Pokémon, jolted out of their dinner, snapped into tight battle stances.
Sweat from my boxing session was dripping down my temples. My senses were heightened to a knife-edge. In that sudden, dead silence, where no one moved or made a sound, I heard them. Footsteps. Clear, rhythmic footsteps echoing from the deep darkness of the tunnel, heading straight toward us.
After a few tense moments, a meter tall, grey, humanoid-looking Pokémon stepped out from the darkness into the light.
"Machop!" he greeted us with a small nod, while a grinning Haunter floated alongside him.
"Haunter, Haunter! Haunt, Haunter!" He paused for a moment, seeing that I was following his gestures, and proudly continued: "Haunt, Haunter, Haaaaaunt!"
Our Pokémon immediately relaxed after Haunter's explanation and went back to their food. The tension evaporated from me instantly. But not from Bran.
"What did he say?" he asked warily, though I saw his hand instinctively drifting toward his belt where his empty Pokéballs were ready.
"He said this Machop was watching me train and was apparently impressed. He only planned to shadow me in secret for inspiration. But Haunter explained to him that he himself is the absolute best, greatest, and bravest Pokémon in the world, and talked him into coming over to introduce himself in person," I replied, amused.
"Machop! Mach, Machop!" the grey fighter frowned at Bran. "Machop, mach, mach, Machopp!"
"I don't understand you," Bran laughed, though he remained on guard. "Do you understand him, Patrik?"
Surprisingly, I understood him quite well. Not quite as perfectly as Haunter, who was my starter, but almost on the same level as Squirtle and Houndour.
"He said he has no interest in becoming some ordinary trainer's Pokémon. Apparently, he has other duties," I translated for Bran, then turned directly to our visitor. "So, you just want to watch me train?"
In that moment, I saw pure, unadulterated determination in his eyes. He raised a tight fist into the air and shouted, "Machooooop!"
Bran's shoulders slumped for a moment, but after a second, his optimistic smile returned. "Maybe once you see me train, you'll change your mind!" he spoke to Machop.
The grey fighter gave him a brief, curious look but immediately turned his gaze back to me. I just shrugged in amusement and went back to shadowboxing.
Meanwhile, Bran did a quick, half-hearted stretch just for show, dropped straight to the ground, and started doing push-ups. He was going pretty fast, but his form was terrible. I threw one last explosive combination into the air—a jab, a rear uppercut to the solar plexus, a left hook to the jaw, and a high kick to the temple of an imaginary Team Rocket grunt—and then stopped.
"You're doing those push-ups wrong. Your chest is supposed to touch the floor. Plus, with that narrow grip, you're working your triceps more than your chest. Put your hands wider apart," I advised him.
"Like this?" He widened his hands significantly and did a picture-perfect push-up.
"Yeah, exactly. Better to do it slower; it puts more load on the muscle and breaks it down better," I nodded approvingly.
"Machop? Mach, machop?" our visitor asked as soon as I finished speaking. He wanted me to show him that final combination again, slower.
"Sure, I can do that," I nodded, stepping into a solid stance and starting to explain. "Left foot forward, shoulder-width apart. Your right goes slightly back at an angle so you have a stable stance and perfect balance. Got it?"
"Machop!" the fighting Pokémon nodded and immediately mirrored me with pinpoint accuracy. "Machop, machop?"
"Good," I answered and began slowly demonstrating the combination that had fascinated him. "The jab is fast but weaker. It's mostly used to blind your opponent's vision and maintain distance. The rear body shot then catches them off guard. With a good, hard hit, you can knock the wind right out of them or hit their liver dead-on. The pain usually makes them drop their hands from their face instantly. In that split second, you're in the perfect position to launch a hard left hook to the temple or chin. If you land it right, it's a clean KO. Plus, that hook shifts their head from left to right, leaving them completely exposed and winding you up for the final right high kick, which their head will fly straight into after the punch. Of course, it's a combination designed for human combat... but it might work for you too," I smirked at the end.
I nodded for him to try, and with a nod of his own, he went right to it.
His jab, rear body shot, and left hook were textbook—pure talent and beautiful technique. He messed up the high kick, though. He put way too much power into it, spinning too far on his toe and losing his balance. But instead of falling, he impressively held himself up on one leg and, with a snort, went right back to training with absolute determination.
"I don't think I'm going to impress this one," Bran admitted with a smile during a break between sets.
"Probably not," I conceded. Bran was no fighter, and it was obvious at first glance that this Pokémon wanted to fight and improve way too much. A massive fire burned in his eyes.
My Pokémon were finished eating too, so I walked over to a distant rock wall. I tapped it lightly with my fist, but it didn't sound hollow. It was solid, so I didn't have to worry about bringing half the mountain down on us. I quickly grabbed my knife, carved another X into the rock, and called out, "Houndour, Squirtle, Haunter!"
"You know what to do, guys. Aim at the X," I ordered them. "Haunter, Acid Spray right in the center. Houndour, Ember from the left, and Squirtle, Water Gun from the right, closer to the dark. Got it?" Three different nods answered me.
"If you happen to catch anything in the darkness, Squirtle, watch out and quickly withdraw into your shell when attacking. You're the toughest of us," I added as a tactical order.
I stepped back a bit and watched their drill for a moment. Haunter started first with a two-second Acid Spray, and the others matched his timing perfectly. For a moment, poison, fire, and water techniques clashed on the carved X, creating an interesting, rumbling-hissing backdrop. Once I was sure they had it completely under control, I went back to my own training.
I went back to supersets. Thanks to great genetics and recovery, I was just too strong, and my lungs had no trouble handling explosive, full-body sets. I picked up the pace: thirty push-ups, thirty crunches, thirty jump squats, a break, and then repeat until I hit my limit. Nearby, Machop kept drilling the one combination I had shown him over and over.
"I'm done!" Bran announced after half an hour of training.
"What?"
"I said I'm done. My chest is burning like crazy," he laughed enthusiastically. "I'm going to sleep like a baby tonight!"
"But you only worked your chest and arms," I blurted out, stopping completely mid-set. "What about legs, abs, and core?"
He ran a hand through his hair, looked off to the side, shrugged, and walked over to crash on his blanket without a word. Frowning, I shook my head and calmly went back to my own workout.
Bran surprised me, sure, but if he didn't mind having legs like a Torchic, it was none of my business.
Once I'd really had enough, I greedily drank some water and pulled out some pre-made sandwiches with veggies and pieces of smoked Magikarp. They were packed with protein, and honestly, I was too lazy to cook a steak right now. From the comfort of my blanket, I kept watching my team and our visitor. Poliwhirl was training too, though he was sort of mimicking Bran's crappy push-ups... But again, none of my business.
I was firmly resolved that I wouldn't have a serious talk with him until we reached Cerulean—assuming I even decided to keep traveling with him. And if I didn't, I couldn't care less whether he grew stronger or not.
***
Author's note:
We finally find out who the stalker in the dark is, and by complete coincidence, he ends up joining us for a workout... and all because Haunter is the most perfect Pokémon in the world, at least according to his own bragging. Isn't he just precious?
Please, don't forget to train your legs, so you don't end up with legs like a Torchic/Chicken.
Minor Spoiler: I actually managed to talk Bran into it in real life later on... all it took was a woman he worked with squatting more than him for a bit :D.
***
Step into the Restricted Section
The shadows are shifting, and the story goes much deeper... If you can't wait for the next update, Advanced Chapters are already waiting for you.
Enter the Restricted Section here: you-know-what/PatrikWriter
Upcoming Chapters – Already Written(12):
29. Echoes of Mt. Moon
30. Heavy Metal and Sudden Growth
31. A Clash of Auras
32. Houndour: The Strength of the Pack
33. Above Average
34. Of Eggs and Iron
35. The Road to Cerulean
36. Boiled Lobsters and Double Beds
37. Cerulean After Hours
38. Shadows, Sparks, and the Bro Code – 18+
39. The Cost of Power
40. Of Iron and Fists
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