SURVIVAL PROJECT
chapter 5 ; [KUIORA]
logistics
*
Violet City wasn’t
violet. There were green gardens, brown buildings and white walking paths. Sadly, I didn't know what I had been expecting, but it was certainly more than this. New Bark Town looked similar, except organized in a different manner. A city full of flower houses and purple people would have better, I think.
Senori had a sad expression on his face when we got there. What could he be upset about? He had seen much more than me! I guessed he was upset about saying goodbye to whoever it was he left Sai for, but then he should have been happy. He was no longer being tied down. He was free, just as I was free from Professor Elm and pokémon I couldn't relate to. I told him to cheer up a few times, but he only said to not worry, he'd get over it soon.
Sai was unresponsive to the city at first too. He walked slowly as if in a landmine. That was until we came across a large building he called a school, and another he called a gym. A conversation sparked, then.
“You stopped here?” Senori said. “Normal kids wouldn't be excited about school. Normal kids would complain about how they wasted time there when they could have been raising pokémon. And normal pokémon like us would be dying of hunger or thirst by now...” he finished, holding his stomach.
“What's school?” I chimed in.
“It's where you can learn about a lot of things... especially pokémon-related things,” Sai explained. He looked inside the windows, his cheeks pressed against them.
Senori promptly ran in his direction and pulled at his legs. “Get away from there! You got lucky at the professor's lab, but they'll see you and think you're a freak here!”
“The lab...” I murmured. I hadn't noticed the two of them watching me at all. Senori must have been keeping Sai in line, like he was trying to do now. Sai moved, but not because of Senori's force. He brushed off the pokémon and went back to where he was standing before.
“You don't have to yell at me. I'm going in. I won't stay long, but I think it will help me get better,” he said.
“Get better at what?” I asked.
“Training... Raising pokémon... Getting badges and getting stronger as fast as possible.” He smiled.
“I can help with that! Professor Elm taught us how to train. I trained better than everyone else there.”
“Right. But that's different from real experience. These guys probably have experience...”
“Things generally turn out bad unless you train. And... Senori,” I said, turning to the sentret, “people should just bring food to us. That's how things work.”
“That's true," Sai said, "but I think we need to find our own food. So let's go. Happy now?”
“Yes!” Senori said, almost too loudly. “If you don't remember to sleep or feed everyone, there's going to be issues. Good thing I'm here.”
What were they talking about? Free time was best spent preparing attacks and strategies. Someone out there had a duty to feed us. It seemed they were slacking. “If we just wait here—”
“Shush.” He glared at me. I had never seen so much seriousness packed onto one face. “I know what you're talking about, but we don't need to deal with that anymore, okay? Let's go, Kuiora, Senori.”
He was favoring his true first pokémon over me, though he knew the truth. He knew what had to be done, and yet he chose to do otherwise.
I already didn't like him.
*
Sai took us to the store and bought enough food to last us forever. He also bought an unbelievable amount of pokéballs and a backpack to carry them in. I mentioned that he should buy the entire store since the owners were so willing to give their belongings away, but Senori said that he could only buy so much with pokédollars. That explained why Professor Elm never got a bigger lab for us, even after we grew older.
I wanted to stop thinking about Professor Elm, though. It was time to live my life. I looked at Sai and said, “Are you really planning on catching that many pokémon?” If Sai thought he had to catch several pokémon, then it meant he didn't believe in our strength. I would have to prove him wrong. A couple of teammates wouldn't hurt, as long as everyone contributed enough, but twenty pokéballs or more was overkill.
“What about medicine? Antidotes and stuff like that,” Senori asked, as if this particular topic interested him.
Sai paused. “Medicine has never helped me,” he said softly.
“It could work for pokémon.”
“...Then we'll get it later.”
“But you're already out of money,” Senori pointed out, lifting his hand to show an empty paw.
“We'll get more of that later too,” he replied, his voice stronger again.
That was the end of that. Senori shrugged and made his way over to the entrance, signaling his desire to leave. As we walked out, I noticed that the guy behind the counter was looking at us rather strangely.
*
Next, we visited a place called the Pokémon Center for the very first time. Sai never heard of such a thing, though Professor Elm mentioned it once or twice. The lobby was huge, large enough for other trainers to gather inside. They were conversing and showing off their pokémon to each other. I held on to Sai's ankle to avoid getting lost as we traipsed through the crowd. I didn't see any other totodile, so I wondered if anyone felt fortunate enough to see me with their own eyes.
Sai headed to the front counter and asked the worker what he could do with his pokémon here. The lady had pink hair and a soft but genuine smile. She happily informed him that she could take his pokémon from him to heal them.
“But I don't want to give away my pokémon.” He glowered at her. “I just got them.”
The lady frowned and looked as if Sai had hurt her physically. “O-Oh, we don't keep your pokémon here. You can come back and get them whenever you'd like. Or you could rent a room to sleep in and take your pokémon with you.”
Sai's face almost turned back to normal, but he was frowning. “Okay,” he said. “Well, maybe I'll come back when it's dark. Thank you.”
After turning and moving out of hearing range, Sai bent down and whispered to us, “Now we'll definitely get that medicine later.”
Senori nodded, satisfied.
*
Needless to say, Sai didn't want to go back to the Pokémon Center. We slept on the outskirts of town, in the grass. We didn't complain, since us two pokémon were used to it. Sai didn't seem to mind, either, though I couldn't understand why. Professor Elm always cringed at the idea of just sitting in the grass.
In the morning, Sai left his backpack with us and went off to the school, despite Senori's negative comments. He said he'd be gone until dark. We knew where he was, so it wasn't a big deal, but we didn't know what to do. We were practically strangers, and if tried to separate, we risked getting lost. Eventually, though, I had an idea.
“Let's catch a strong pokémon for Sai,” I said. “If he sees how cool we are, then he won't have to use all those pokéballs.”
Senori blinked. “I'm pretty sure he wouldn't like that. He seems a bit... picky,” he replied. He was sitting against a tree, eyes closed now. I glared at him for dismissing my idea in such a nonchalant way, but he didn't care. He continued, “I'm also tired. I haven't slept well since we're in unfamiliar territory.”
“He has to keep whoever we choose. We're his pokémon! He has to listen to what we want.” I went over to Sai's backpack, trying to figure out how to reach its contents. There was no apparent opening. The roadblock, along with Senori's annoying self, irritated me to the point where I ripped a hole into it with my teeth.
“Not following my advice, huh?” Senori quipped. “I bet you don't even know how to catch a pokémon.”
“I bet I could.” I pulled out one of the spheres with my paw. Admittedly, it was difficult to hold, but I managed it. Turning toward Senori I also pushed the button in the middle of the ball. It grew larger and I dropped it afterward, waiting for something else to happen. Senori snickered.
“You're a baby compared to me. You're fun to mess with. It seems natural for someone older like me to do...” he added sadly.
It's true—I was young. But he didn't have to rub it in my face! I picked up the pokéball, this time with two paws. “All I have to do is press the button again. Then I have to throw it at the pokémon I want to catch. Easy. Why don't
you try catching something.”
Senori's eyes were closed again. I didn't warn him. I simply tossed the pokéball in his direction. It didn't occur to me for a moment that, when the ball got close enough to Senori, it would snap open and suck the little brown creature inside. But that's exactly what it did! It fell to the ground then, swaying back and forth every few seconds. Dumbfounded, I stood there, wondering why Sai hadn't already caught him formally. This shouldn't have been possible at all.
I expected Senori to break free and tease me. Instead, the ball stopped wiggling, and I was left alone to wonder what just happened. I had successfully shut him up. Now I had something to use against him whenever he made fun of me. I could also impress Sai this way...
Senori hadn't come out yet. What was it like inside a pokéball, anyway? The question would cause too much embarrassment, so I kept it to myself. I left the pokéball alone, recalling how tired Senori was. Plus, I wasn't a real trainer. Sai should have been there to clarify things himself. He should have been there to say this was an accident, and that I didn't have to feel weird about it.
I picked up the pokéball hesitantly. It didn't feel any heavier, nor was there any sign that a pokémon was inside, as if Senori didn't exist. Again I vaguely thought about releasing him, because if I were him, I wouldn't want to be erased so easily. I had so much to do! I had to get stronger. I had to be deemed worthy of the legends. And Sai made it seem like there wasn't much time...
I decided to put Senori in the backpack so I could train. I didn't need him around, talking about how he could do better just because he was older. I could get more done without him around. This was especially true because it was still daylight, and Sai wouldn't be back for a while.
I trained all day, all night, working on punches and kicks and aiming my water attacks correctly while causing damage. I had been hoping to find new training methods after leaving Professor Elm's lab, but I tried not to dwell on that and worked with what I knew. I trained even after Sai came back. When he came back he didn't ask where Senori was, and I didn't tell him what happened. He actually seemed calm for once, and with the awkward, tense demeanor he had presented earlier, I didn't want to hit a nerve. He slept in the wet grass, against a wet tree trunk, and I trained some more.
*
It was a good thing I didn't catch another pokémon for Sai, since he found one on his own. The new pokémon was a strange, intimidating creature named Atis. He didn't seem to like anyone, his head and feet had spikes on them, and when he battled in the gym, he fought impressively, scarily so. The battle was short, and even with the type disadvantage, he won without much effort. I wanted to be like him! I vowed to be used in the next gym battle.
I was able to see Senori too. That morning, Sai finally asked me where he was. I explained everything to him. Sai smiled slightly, but otherwise didn't react much. He tried every pokéball in his backpack until he found Senori's. He announced to us that we would be going to the gym later that day, and to be prepared. I'm not sure why, as he never intended for us to battle. But that was okay. Atis showed us the gym circuit's routine, and next time, I would know what to do.
“Was there a reason you had to go and catch me like that?” Senori asked when he saw me. We were standing in line, waiting to fight the gym leader.
Smirking, I said, “Yeah. You didn't think I could do it. So I did it.”
“You knew I was joking. At least I'm not tired anymore.” He shook his head and I realized he didn't have the heart to stay angry at anyone.
“Why didn't you break out of the pokéball? You were tired, yeah, but it should have been simple.”
“I didn't want to make Sai mad at me for wasting it.”
After that we were quiet and watched Atis, who was naturally quiet unless coerced into speaking. I have no idea how he accomplished such a feat, but he did.
*
Violet City... The place wasn't violet, but I trained, Senori rested, Atis left his home, and Sai learned an awful lot in the process of earning his first gym badge.
As we were leaving, the lady at the Pokémon Center was outside, unlocking the doors for the day. She shouted to us, saying there was a Pokémon Center in every town, but Sai ignored her. He hadn't even brought Atis there to heal after his debut, but then again, he hadn't sustained many injuries.
When we passed by the school, Atis peered into the windows one last time. I didn't question him. I would have to attract his attention through strength alone, not through mere curiosity.
Unlike the trip to Violet City, we ran into quite a few pokémon trainers and more wild pokémon on the way to the next location. Atis destroyed everything and everyone in one hit. Senori and I had a bit more trouble, which was expected. Sai had problems himself. He didn't know attack names. He gave us general commands and thought we'd comprehend and act on them in a matter of seconds, but sometimes we couldn't do that. How was I supposed to know what “ram your body into it” meant? I told him he must be talking about the body slam attack, which I didn't know. Someday, I'd learn it. Or someday, Sai would learn how to win (or lose) battles like a normal trainer. At the end of the day, I didn't mind which came first.
The hardest part about this trip was the cave we went through. We could tell the cave itself was old. Wild pokémon were afraid to come out since rocks were falling from the ceiling everywhere. Other trainers didn't want to take the time to battle. Senori voiced his concern about getting squished to bits, but Sai wasn't fazed. He walked where he wanted and rested where he wanted, with the team separating to find safe zones. I don't know how long we were in that cave, but it seemed like forever. We were far too paranoid about the rocks and having our lives end too soon before we really got anywhere.
Senori was the only one to be endangered. He had chosen a bad spot to occupy, and a trainer noticed. The rest of us weren't paying attention.
“Watch out!” said an unfamiliar voice, out of nowhere, and Senori's ears perked up. He looked above him and went to move out of the way. No one will ever know if he was too slow or not. The trainer crashed into him and the two went careening away from the rocks, which promptly and carelessly landed on the cave floor. I could hear Senori screaming not from pain, but from surprise.
Sai didn't react to the situation until after the noise of rubble subsided. The trainer got up and helped Senori to his wobbly feet. He dusted Senori off and then himself, then stomped furiously over to Sai.
“You should really watch your pokémon more,” he said. "Return them to their pokéballs or something. I came here not long after you, so I've seen you this entire time. I feel sorry for your pokémon.”
Sai stood up and stepped in front of the other trainer so that their faces were inches apart. “I'm sorry that happened and thanks for saving him. But don't tell me what to do with my pokémon. I have enough orders to follow without you butting in.”
The other trainer backed away and said, “A trainer makes his own rules, but should be careful with the rules he makes.”
“You don’t know anything about me. I’m as careful as I can and want to be.”
“Again, I feel sorry for your pokémon. It was none of my business, but if I hadn't come, your sentret would be dead. Let that sink in.” The other trainer walked away, only stopping to scratch Senori behind the ears for a few moments of reassurance.
Before Sai let him get away, he yelled, “How long have you been following me?”
“I'm not following you. We've all been in here for two and a half weeks now, which means you're even more lucky no one's been killed yet.” He didn't bother to turn around.
“Two and a half weeks,” Sai mumbled, making his way over to Senori. He bent down to see him face-to-face. “I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. Let's just get out of here.”
Senori nodded, confused and shocked and full of dirt.
“Do you any of you want to go in a pokéball?” Sai asked loudly and clearly.
“No,” Senori said quickly. “Who will protect you?”
“...Fine,” Sai said. “And you two?”
Atis agreed, but I wasn't about to give up valuable training time. I was younger, more alert—so I could handle whatever came my way by myself.
When we started to move through the cave again, Sai processed just how much time had passed. He became increasingly agitated. He sacrificed breaks to travel more, muttering about wasted days. If we were hungry, we walked and ate. If we were thirsty, we took a quick drink from the wells and trekked on. If we were tired, we went in our pokéballs (at which point Senori thanked me for catching him). I saw Sai fight some wild pokémon himself, even the rock-types, and I made a mental note to myself so that I could see how strong he was some other time.
It took us three more days to get out of the cave. Somehow, Sai had been keeping track of the hours. It was nighttime when we reached the next town's outskirts, but Sai didn't want to rest there. His excuse said that being close to the cave was too dangerous. Being in the actual town would make him feel better. We slept in the Pokémon Center. Sai made it very obvious that he would be taking his pokémon into the room. The pink-haired lady behind the counter was baffled by his hostility, but agreed and gave him a room key for a certain amount of pokédollars, which we had won through trainer battles. Sai didn't sleep much, but we were fine. And we took every drink and piece of food offered to us by the workers who came by and knocked cheerfully.
We were in Azalea Town. Here, I got to train more, Senori saw how weak he was, Atis learned how to speak and Sai went absolutely crazy...