Long wait, I know x_x
Hey guys. I'm posting this earlier than normal (still writing the follow-up chapter) for a few reasons. A) You're patient and awesome. B) It's still a bit of a bridge towards the upcoming arc so I want you to see it as soon as possible. C) I've been brainstorming for the next few chaps so much it's making my head hurt so I need to get this up ASAP.
Previously:
-Milo and Jake began living on the road
-Milo caught a Magnemite
-Milo bought a Ditto for Jake
-The boys hit the road to Azalea Town, meeting a travelling family along the way.
Show-Off
-XVI-
Sidecar
The leaves were turning golden brown in Ecruteak City. With cool winds swirling across the calm, sleepy city, there was an odd emptiness among the streets. Sisters-turned-superstars The Eevee Sisters had began their journey to be famous entertainers and left the city behind, their theatre now lifeless. Morty stood before the impressive Tin Tower, his hat in his hands. Feeling the wind ruffle his thick hair was comforting.
Closing his eyes, he began concentrating hard. Gengar materialised at his side, causing Morty to open one eye.
“Any luck?” he asked.
Gengar shook his head.
“Karen is avoiding me,” Morty said. “I need to speak to her.”
Gengar shrugged.
“You can phase through solid surfaces,” Morty grumbled. “How can you not find her?”
Narrowing his eyes and crossing his arms, Gengar stared at his trainer. Morty was indifferent, turning back to the huge tower and staring at the ornate carvings going higher and higher up the side. After a few moments of silence, Gengar melted into the atmosphere again, disappearing from the wooded area. Morty turned as his purple companion left him, clicking his tongue.
“I can tell you where Karen is,” came a voice. Morty turned around to see a man addressing him. He was nearing fifty, wearing a sharp pinstripe suit with short, jet black hair.
“Who are you?” Morty asked.
“Michael Mitchelson,” he replied smoothly.
“Milo’s father?” said Morty.
“Correct,” Michael replied.
“What are you doing here?” Morty asked. “You are not allowed in this area. It is sacred.”
“My company helped fund the renovation of the theatre, among other things,” Michael said. “Veronica Grimm awarded me a key to the city, a key which allows me here whenever I please.”
“Is that so,” Morty mused.
“I’m an influential man, Mortimer,” Michael explained. “Milo always spoke very highly of you.”
“Oh?” Morty said, looking surprised. “How is Milo?”
“Wiser, I’m hoping,” Michael said quietly.
“And…you said you knew where Karen is?” Morty asked.
“I do,” Michael replied. “Why do you need to find her?”
“We need to talk,” Morty muttered.
“I do hope there were no hard feelings over Karen taking over the Gym,” Michael said.
“No, no, I’m happy,” Morty said distractedly. “It’s not about owning the gym or anything. We’ve just been made aware of…a change in the air.”
“The leaves take a whole season to fully change colour,” Michael noted, staring at the trees. “I’m sure you can wait until Karen returns.”
“Returns?” Morty asked. “Where is she?”
Michael ignored the question.
“I suggest you come with me to Goldenrod City,” he said.
“For what?” Morty asked.
“Answers,” Michael said raptly. “And purpose.”
“I have a purpose,” Morty replied.
“You might have a nightclub beneath the Burnt Tower,” Michael said, shocking Morty at his knowledge of the building. “But what do you do? Watch others enjoy themselves beneath a heavy drink. Your girlfriend has left the city to become a star…so what do you do with yourself?”
Morty instinctively rolled his sleeves down to his wrists, but knew that in doing so, he had given Michael far too much ammunition.
“Using again, are we?” Michael said, raising his eyebrows.
“It’s not your concern,” Morty snapped.
“I don’t want you pumping poison into your body, Mortimer,” Michael said defiantly.
“Why?” Morty asked.
“Because you have work to do,” Michael replied. Morty stared at the imposing man, standing in the middle of the autumn afternoon. His eyes drifted across the quiet skies, the silent city, and he wondered if he could seek redemption somewhere else. Michael grinned.
*
“How did you sleep?” Jake asked Milo that morning. They were eating leftover stew at the charred remnants of the fire from last night, Milo staring at the ground glumly.
“I had this dream…” Milo murmured. “Someone bursting into flame.”
“I had a dream I was in a musical,” Jake said absently. Sherman and Billy had gone for a walk in the woods to start their day, while Barbara and Sally were folding the camping equipment away.
“That isn’t ominous,” Milo said. “Fire is ominous.”
“Musicals can be ominous,” Jake pointed out. “Les Miserables?”
“I don’t know who that is, but they sound stupid,” Milo said.
“Stop being so misunderstood,” Jake said.
Ditto was out of his Pokeball and morphed into a Machop; using his strong muscles he effortlessly packed the tent away, folding it up and tucking it into the rucksack with ease. Jake smiled as his Pokemon worked away; they had seen a Machop earlier in the day, belonging to a passing trainer, and the fact that Ditto was able to retain its form long after the Machop had left was a sign that Ditto was getting much stronger.
“The suitcases are packed up,” Jake told Milo, who stared into the charred ash of the fire with a miserable look on his face. “We can just go whenever.”
“Well boys it was lovely meeting you both!” Barbara cried excitedly. “We’re just so excited for you, going off to Azalea town! Don’t we wish we could join them, Sally?”
“My clothes smell of vodka,” Sally moaned.
“Kids! Oh they say the funniest things,” Barbara chuckled, hiccupping. “Oh look, Sherman and Billy are back!”
“Top of the morning’ boys!” Sherman called as he walked through the clearing. Milo grumbled an inaudible utterance as Jake gave them a hearty welcome.
“We saw a Stantantler!” Billy said.
“It’s called Stantler,” Milo snapped.
“Stant-tantler!” Billy said. “Yay!”
“We’re sure gonna miss you when we head to the big city!” Sherman said, patting Milo on the back.
“Feelings mutual,” Milo said.
“Milo’s right, we’ll miss you guys, too!” Jake said. His Ditto was reluctant to morph back from a Machop, and when Jake approached him kindly, the DNA Pokemon got him in a sleeper hold and hurled him to the ground.
“Boys, I have a swell idea,” Sherman said, bending down to pull something out from his tent. “Just…something to remember us by when you head on to Azalea.”
He pulled out his guitar, scribbling something on the front in marker pen. Jake looked from beneath his Ditto’s strong grip and even Milo looked up from staring into his stew. It got passed around the family before Barbara handed the guitar to Milo.
“You guys rock…love Billy,” Milo read.
“How sweet!” Jake said.
“I’ll always remember the sad story you made up about the imaginary Graveller - Sally,” Milo said. “Hey, Sal, that was totally re-”
“HEY!” Jake shouted, interrupting Milo. “Sing a song a day - Sherman. I’ll totally do that!”
“You should!” Sherman beamed.
“I will!” Jake said.
“You should!”
“I will!”
“You should!”
“I will!”
“You shou-”
“HE WILL!” Milo snapped.
“And what did you write, Bar?” Jake said, getting up from the floor and examining the guitar. “Wine - wine-not? Oh how funny!”
“Red or white, the joke still works,” Barbara said cleverly, smacking her lips.
“We’ll miss you guys so much,” Jake said, hugging the kids. Ditto had morphed back into its pink, squishy form and was bouncing around the clearing. Milo slung the guitar on his shoulder and heaved his bags up.
“Take care boys, do keep in touch!” Sherman said, patting Milo on the back.
“Later,” Milo said, making his way through the forest.
He set off at a comfortable pace as Sherman led the kids into a roaring sing-a-long. With each note, Milo increased his pace, and soon the voices trailed away on the wind and he walked with Jake towards Azalea town.
“Why are you being such an ass?” Jake hissed.
“I’m not,” Milo mumbled.
“You are! You’re being a total ass!” he cried.
“Maybe I don’t feel like being cheery?” Milo snapped. “Is that a problem?”
“Yes!” Jake yelled.
“I fucking stink. I have no money. All my clothes are getting dirty and ruined, and I’ve just been in the company of the weirdest bunch of idiots ever,” Milo moaned.
“I can’t even be bothered arguing with you,” Jake said. “You sound like a spoilt child.”
“That’s exactly what I am,” Milo admitted. “It’s not nice, but it’s true. I’m a spoilt kid being weaned off money and I can’t get my head around it. That was the worst sleep I’ve ever had.”
“Well we probably have one more night camping before we get to Azalea,” Jake said. “If we can get to Ilex forest today, and get through there quickly, we’ll camp on the outskirts and head to Azalea tomorrow morning.”
“Sorry I’m an ass,” Milo said quietly.
“I’m still here, aren’t I?” Jake said, smirking. They walked along the quiet, roughed dirt track. Milo felt sheepish, especially since Jake was being so nice.
“Why is that?” Milo asked.
“Huh?”
“Why are you still here?” Milo said. “I don’t get it. Even if you only came with me because I was loaded, well that’s gone now.”
“It’s a good laugh,” Jake admitted.
“We smell!” Milo cried incredulously. “That stew has possibly given me tapeworms! My back aches from this huge fuckoff rucksack…what is a laugh?”
“So you think when you had money you had no problems?” Jake asked. Milo nodded instantly but regretted it; Jake’s face lit up as he reeled off his obviously pre-prepared speech.
“First of all, you took a snapshot of Molly doing a line of cocaine. She turned her sisters against you and they attacked us in Ecruteak City. You had your phone stolen by Morty, who hid out in the National Park…then, upon arriving in Goldenrod City, you’ve found out your ex-girlfriend is dating a woman -”
“I get it -
“What I’m trying to say,” Jake continued. “And by the way there is loads more where that came from - is that you’ve had to deal with problems, tribulations, issues, whatever you want to call them, and none of what’s going on in your life is because of your funds! Your money didn’t solve any of your other problems, did it?”
“Not…directly,” Milo muttered. He was flushing red slightly, concentrating on a nearby rock. It somewhat resembled a lemon.
“Not directly?” Jake asked.
“Fine, fine! Fucking fine. None of my problems are about money,” Milo grumbled.
“We’ve come a long way,” Jake sighed happily. “Maybe there’s hope for you yet?”
“If you try and make me wear some stupid glittery shoes I’ll drink so much that I forget this irritating life lesson,” Milo said.
“Noted,” Jake replied.
*
They walked on that morning, noticing the air get slightly warmer as they approached midday. A flock of Spearow flew in the skies ahead towards the dark, looming Ilex Forest. The road dipped as they got closer to the woods; it was easy on Milo’s tired, throbbing legs.
It did not walk for long before they got to the route gate. Milo looked at the slightly worn down building, not glamorous like the others he had seen. There was probably not any spare beds here, or any useful facilities. Inside the route gate, they were met by a man standing behind a counter. There were a few tables and chairs, as well as a vending machine, but it looked very grim inside. The man, a bespectacled, nosy looking man, was eyeing them curiously.
“Welcome to the route gate!” he cried.
“Hi,” Jake said
“I am Norman, the Forest Ranger,” he said proudly. “I am in charge of the route gate. Have you got any questions about the forest?”
“How long will it take to get through?” Milo asked.
“That all depends,” Norman replied.
“Oh,” Milo said.
“Are you going to elaborate?” Jake asked.
“I can,” the ranger said. “Most people can get through quite quickly. There are a number of routes through the heart of the forest, and if you can get on the quickest one, you could get to Azalea by tonight.”
“Is it clearly signposted?”
“I don’t know, I rarely go into the forest itself,” Norman said.
“That’s useful,” Jake said sarcastically.
“I’m pleased you’re grasping sarcasm,” Milo said to his friend. “You’ve come a long way.”
“To be honest, after last week, you’re the first people that have come into the forest,” the ranger noticed.
“Really?” Milo asked. “What happened last week?”
“Some…suspicious people came through. They smelled awful,” Norman noted.
“Hey,” Jake said, from across the room. “Your vending machine is out of order!”
“I know,” Norman said, as if Jake was stupid. “Duuuh. People still say that, right?”
“Some people,” Milo mused.
“The machine ate my coins!” Jake snapped. “Damnit.”
“We’ll sort you out,” Milo said. He looked at his team, all still out of their Pokeballs. Totodile ran along towards Jake and head butted the vending machine furiously; coins clattered out of the coin tray, much more than Jake had put in.
“Yay!“ Jake squealed. “You rock,”
He nuzzled Totodile. The energetic alligator smiled at the attention lavished on him, crooning softly. There was a brief glint in his eye; in a flash he chomped down on Jake’s sleeve; Jake gave a scream and flapped his arm wildly, but Totodile had clamped on firm.
“Totodile!” Milo said hotly. He had only bitten through the sleeve of Jake’s top, luckily, but he was clenching tightly and sending icy crystals across Jake’s arm. “GET OFF!”
Totodile’s eye turned to Milo, and he did nothing.
“Medicham get Totodile off Jake,” Milo said firmly. Medicham nodded and held her hand out; she prised the alligator’s jaw’s apart and slowly lifted him away from Jake, who was in tears as his favourite top began crumbling off his body in icy chunks.
“I don’t like you anymore,” Jake muttered.
Totodile, who was now on the ground, looked indifferent, turning to the vending machine and spinning around to unleash a slash attack on the front. He span again, slashing it but leaving no mark. Milo got his polo shirt out his bag and tossed it to Jake.
“Should fit you fine,” he said.
“Thanks,” Jake muttered, chucking the ruined top he wore into the bin.
“Sorry,” Milo said to his friend, who looked on the verge of breaking down.
“I was kind of scared,” Jake admitted. “Totodile’s not really that cute anymore, you know?”
“He’s just reaching that phase,” Milo muttered. “I hope he passes through it okay. I don’t want him evolving if he just bites all the time.”
“May I offer some advice?” Norman said.
“No, fuck off,” Milo snapped.
“I will have you know,” Norman said bossily. “I am the winner of the customer services award six times in a row!”
“YOU’RE THE ONLY PERSON WHO WORKS HERE YOU IDIOT!” Milo screamed.
“How blunt,” Norman muttered.
“Totodile,” Milo said. His Pokemon was spinning around and practicing his slash attack on the vending machine. “Hey. Totodile.”
And still, he did not turn around.
“I’m talking to you!” Milo snapped, just as Totodile’s claws began glowing with a feverish energy. They shimmered with a silvery glow and Totodile’s arms span around even quicker; in a metallic blur, he devastated the vending machine and left thick scraps of metal littering the ground.
"Hey! That was expensive!" Norman cried.
"Lucky for you nobody comes through here," Milo replied.
"Sometimes I like a Cherry Coke," the ranger admitted quietly.
“He just learned metal claw,” Jake said, impressed.
“I don’t care if he learned how to play the piano,” Milo said. “Totodile! Listen to me!”
Totodile turned around.
“You need to start listening. You’re getting cocky and I do not like it. Start showing me and Jake some respect.”
And, to reiterate his point, Milo recalled Totodile into his Pokeball, letting him muse on his last words. Magnemite sped over to the electrical socket which the vending machine was plugged into and pressed against the cable, sending volts rushing into his body. He gave an odd groaning noise as he throbbed with energy.
“Your other Pokemon listen fine,” Jake said.
“Magnemite is still young,” Milo said. “Scyther…well, he was so close to being burnt by Flygon, I think he respects me out of fear.”
He looked at his mantis, who was standing by Norman threateningly, looking around for any possible security breaches. Norman looked petrified.
“Maybe you should get one of your old team members to speak with Totodile,” Jake said. “Set the ground rules.”
“I might,” Milo said. He looked across at Norman. “Is the forest pretty thick?”
“It’s easy enough to navigate,” Norman explained, looking across at the still Scyther. “There’s a family from Azalea who own a charcoal business, so they sometimes cut down the thicker trees to make new ways of getting through.”
“I have an idea,” Milo said. “Jake, get Ditto to transform into Scyther.”
Milo recalled Magnemite and Medicham, while Jake recalled Wingull. Paras scuttled onto his shoulder as Ditto’s squishy, pink form shot up; intricate blades formed from thick rubbery appendages, and thin, delicate wings emerged out the back. In no time, a slightly smaller Scyther was standing by Jake’s side.
“This could prove handy in navigating the forest,” Milo said. “Come on Scyther!”
Scyther got up from the counter, leaving Norman looking very relieved. Milo led the way through the exit of the route gate, with two Scyther’s and a Paras accompanying them.
“Tell everyone about me!“ Norman yelled, as they went.
Instantly they found themselves in a very cool, wooded area. They had entered Ilex Forest. Milo stared around at the thick trees blocking most of the light out from the area; it was very dark. A few chirps from Pokemon in the trees filled the otherwise silent air.
“Okay,” Milo said, looking at a sign. It was a big wooden board with different coloured routes illustrated leading through the woods. The Great Route was blue and looked the most straightforward. The Ultra route was yellow and seemed to go more into the areas where rare Pokemon could be found, while the purple Master Route seemed to span the darker, most dangerous parts of the woods. Glossy images of native Pokemon were adorned around the large map, showing that Spinarak, Ariados and even Ekans could be found here.
“Let’s keep it simple, yes?” Jake said, jabbing the Great route with his finger.
“Easy,” Milo said, as they walked on through the woods.
Some of the trees were painted with the colour corresponding to the route, so that were you to get lost, you could easily see were you were. As they walked, he had never thought about just how liberating it must feel to be a Ditto. Long confined to a pink, squishy body, the DNA Pokemon, after copying Scyther’s form, was flying around the woods like a possessed rocket, screeching to the skies and slashing blades of energy into the trees.
“He’ll be very disappointed to morph back,” Jake mused. “It was hard enough when he turned into Machop. He loved being able to lift heavy things.”
“In the Goldenrod Contest, that little girl’s Ditto got very hostile once it turned into a powerful Lairon,” Milo recalled. “Take things easy with Ditto. Don’t let it get carried away.”
His own Scyther flew through the woods back to them, a dead Rattata in its mouth. Milo looked slightly disgusted as blood dripped onto Scyther’s blades, but his Pokemon clearly relished in the rare treat, usually eating fruit and nuts.
While Ditto-Scyther relished in slashing down trees, cutting grass and terrorising insects, Milo’s Scyther seemed more mature. He was patrolling the area, making sure there were no dangers ahead. Medicham, Totodile and Magnemite all rested.
“So, any thoughts on the next contest?” Jake asked curiously.
“Not really,” Milo said. “The last week or so has been a mixture of angst and diarrhoea.”
“Touché,” Jake muttered.
“I wanna do something with Magnemite to appeal…I thought about Totodile, but he’s just a bit loose at the moment. He’s getting too big for his boots. I guess Magnemite could appeal and Scyther can battle.”
“Medicham ok?” Jake asked.
“Her telekinesis has been a bit off, actually,” Milo mused. “Ever since we fought Alakazam at the office.”
Milo had spent a lot of time deep in thought about this. Medicham seemed to be a lot weaker mentally since the brutal fight. She had truly pushed her abilities to the limit, fighting resolutely against the PSI Solider, Kazaar. After the match, and the subsequent emotional rollercoaster, Medicham seemed unable to tap into her real potential. Perhaps she was suffering migraines, impeding her concentration. Maybe seeing William’s only other Pokemon triggered unsettling memories for her. Either way, she wasn’t good.
“She just needs time,” Jake said.
“I suppose so,” Milo said. “Between her seeming a bit low, and Totodile acting out, I can only rely on Scyther and Magnemite at the moment.”
“Totodile needs brought into line, you can get Golduck or Kingler to reinforce that,” Jake suggested.
“Once we get to Azalea,” Milo said. “I think I’ll do just that.”
As they walked, Jake looked excited at the signs warning that Butterfree inhabited the area. Despite Milo pointing out that Butterfree were known to release deadly spores as a defence mechanism, Jake kept his eyes peeled for any sign of the large creatures.
“I know you think they’re pretty -”
“Shut up!” Jake hissed.
“Oh,” Milo muttered, somewhat shocked. “Okay…”
Jake looked in excitement as a chubby Caterpie crawled up a tree trunk. The hairdresser turned to Milo and beamed; Milo returned it half-heartedly, more concerned with the shooting pain in his arm from dragging his suitcase through the woods.
Jake released Paras, who was practicing his cutting by slashing apart clumps of grass. Milo seemed curious to watch Jake catch a new Pokemon, and smirked as Jake held a glittery Pokeball (the same as the one Totodile was captured in) and walked along quietly.
Milo thought he looked like a thief, the way he delicately crept along the grass. Paras mimicked his trainer, trying to creep along, but not being as graceful. Milo’s Scyther stopped Ditto-Scyther from screeching to the skies. Caterpie was nibbling on a leaf.
“Go on!” Milo hissed. Jake nodded.
“Paras,” he said. “Bullet seed.”
Opening his mouth, Paras spat a flurry of sharp, swift seeds through the air. They peppered the fleshy Caterpie and hurled it from the branch; it collapsed in a heap and let out a particularly unhappy cry. Getting to its feet, the Caterpie stared at Paras coldly.
“It looks mad,” Milo said, smirking.
“Paras, go for a slash!” Jake cried. Paras leapt through the air, but Caterpie spat a thick jet of silk. Paras rolled out of the way to avoid it, only to become victim to a rolling tackle from the green bug.
“Come on Jake, it’s a fucking Caterpie,” Milo moaned. Paras leapt again, raking his pincers across Caterpie’s body and throwing it back.
“Now, go for a stun spore!” Jake said. Pinning the Caterpie down, Paras shook and unleashed a thick cloud of yellow spores. Caterpie began breathing them in and let out a shrill cry, but Paras was relentless, shaking his behind frantically. Once Caterpie was rendered immobile, Paras leapt back to Jake’s side.
“That was amazing!” Jake said happily. Paras jumped up and down happily, Jake fiddling with the Pokeball and readied himself to catch the bug. Suddenly, a huge shriek filled the skies; a Spearow flew down through the air and grabbed the Caterpie in its mouth.
“CATERPIE!” Jake screamed. “Paras…”
Paras looked at him expectantly.
“You can’t fly,” Jake realised. He got a Pokeball off his belt. “Wingull! Give chase!”
“Erm, Jake?” Milo said, pointing to the trees. Spearow was tearing strips out of Caterpie’s stomach and guzzling down on the insides. “I think Caterpie’s gone to a better place.”
“Fucking stupid bird,” Jake said coldly. Milo turned to lead the group on through the woods, where they found the path winding down a steep ridge. Seeing a full, roaring river crash among thick rocks below, Milo felt his headache worsen. Scyther walked ahead, Ditto-Scyther doing likewise, following the real mantis in the way a younger puppy may follow an adult. Jake had Paras on his shoulder. It looked particularly uncomfortable for both.
“Is your head starting to hurt?” Milo asked, finding the sharp pain was beginning to rear its head.
“A little bit,” Jake admitted. “Paras, can you release some spores to sooth our headaches?”
Paras nodded, wiggling and sending out some of the invigorating, peppermint-style clouds. Milo took a deep breath and smiled, feeling somewhat calm. Jake also looked a bit more light-hearted after his desired Pokemon was gulped down by a ravenous bird.
The path was very steep; the two had to walk slowly as it wound further down. In the big, wide river that crashed through the forest they could see Magikarp leaping out and splashing back into the water. The sound of the river was very loud; Milo saw a Raticate washing its whiskers by the waters edge, before scurrying off into the woods.
“Let’s fill our water bottles up,” Milo said.
“Eeew, river water,” Jake said.
“Be brave,” Milo told his friend, scooping up water in his flask.
“Mkay,” Jake muttered, doing likewise. They sat down on the flatter rocks in the area and took a drink, taking in the vast forest around them.
Suddenly, Milo saw a figure on the opposite side of the bank. Someone was moving amongst the bushes, rustling. As Jake recalled his Ditto-Scyther into its Pokeball, Milo saw the person emerge from the overgrowth; dressed in camouflage, with a dirt-smeared face, she looked oddly familiar.
“Do you recognise that woman?” Milo asked.
“Her across the river?” Jake asked. “She looks familiar…”
“I recognise her,” Milo said firmly.
“I know!” Jake said. “It’s the woman from MooMoo farm! The co-owner!”
“Oh my god, it is!” Milo said, standing up. “HEY! JANICE!”
She saw them, shocked, and turned to run through the woods. Milo looked at the roaring water and knew he needed to cross it. Scyther was giving him a look suggesting that he would certainly not carry him over the water. Desperate, Milo turned to Medicham.
“Can you take me to the other side of the river?” he asked softly. Medicham opened one eye, saw the woman running across the other side of the bank and sighed, getting up and dusting her knees. She gripped Milo’s arm (rather tightly, he thought) and in a quick pop, they were gone. Jake looked across to the other side of the river to see them re-appear, but they did not. Looking all across the bank, Jake was curious why Medicham had not re-appeared with Milo.
“Have you seen them?” Jake asked Scyther. He shook his head. “Hmm.”
Jake got Ditto’s Pokeball out and hurled it into the air. It burst open and revealed the pink, squishy Pokemon, who gave a giggle at seeing his trainer.
“Ditto, can you transform into an Onix?” Jake asked. Ditto shrugged, apparently unsure what one of those was. Seeing a huge tree up ahead, Jake had a better idea. “Okay! Turn into that tree.”
Glowing, Ditto turned white and shot up into the air, forming branches, fine, needle-like pins and a rough exterior. Jake looked impressed at the huge tree that had formed on the side of the river; it wobbled precariously before falling across the width of the river and granting Jake access to the other side. Jake eagerly ran across the trunk, hearing Ditto let out a long, sonorous moan as his feet pressed into the bark, with Scyther assisting him as he crossed.
“This is so fun!” Jake cried. He got to the other side of the river in no time and leapt off, turning to the huge tree. “Transform back!”
Glowing white, Ditto was thrown back into a small, blob-like form on the bank. Jake hugged him tightly and thanked him for his help, running through the overgrowth after Janice.
*
Appearing in a darker area of the forest, Milo fell to his knees and looked around. Medicham was by his side looking thoroughly confused. The trees were taller here, closing in and blocking out the sky. It was very quiet.
“Where are we?” Milo said, the lack of any water rushing across the rocks suggesting they were a long way from Jake. Medicham looked around, bewildered at what she had done. “Think we’re still in the forest?”
Many of the berries growing in the woods looked similar to those they had seen earlier, and the trees seemed of a similar species. Milo believed that they were indeed in the Ilex Forest, but simply further away from Jake.
“Don’t sweat it,” he said to Medicham, putting a hand on her shoulder. She looked so sad, so miserable, turning away from her trainer’s gaze. Milo saw her lip turned. She let out a sigh.
“I know you’ve been mentally exhausted since the battle with Kazaar,” Milo said. “And I know that despite what’s going on in your head, I have used your telekinesis to better aid Jake and I. But I won’t do that anymore, because you’re really not well, and I want to help you mend.”
Medicham gave a bleak nod.
“Should we just walk on through the woods?” Milo asked, noticing the path get lighter up ahead. He got no response from his friend, so took that as a yes. Medicham wandered alongside Milo, who enjoyed the sound of his trainers crunching against crisp leaves.
“I have no idea why that Janice woman was in the middle of the woods,” Milo said. “Or at least…I think it was Janice. She was dressed like those hippies.”
Maybe his eyes had deceived him. Either way, those nature-loving free spirited individuals were apparently roaming the forest, and Milo did not like it one bit. Medicham stopped in her tracks; Milo felt a searing pain in his temple and screwed his eyes shut.
“What is it?” he asked her.
Medicham was staring ahead, lost in the vastness of the thick forest, eyes flicking from left to right. Milo thought she looked as if she was sensing something, but his headache was preventing him from intervening. Sharp pangs moaning in his head…it was very painful.
Milo looked as he saw Medicham leap into the overgrowth, tackling something which let out a long cry. He saw rustling, before Medicham was hurtled out of the bushes and onto the path. Leaping onto the path after her was a Stantler, who raised its front hooves and gave off a cry.
“Medicham rolling kick!” Milo ordered. Tucking in and rolling out of Stantler’s path, Medicham avoided the creature’s hooves as they came thundering down into the earth. Medicham swung her leg and kicked Stantler in the side. As he staggered back, Medicham caused sparks to burst along her palms, wriggling along her fingers as she formed a fist. Stantler looked at her, narrowing its eyes. The black orbs within its antlers glowed softly.
“Stantler?” Milo muttered. Medicham concentrated hard and swung her fist into the creature’s face. Stantler gave another loud cry as its muscles contorted with pain; Medicham flexed her fingers and beckoned Stantler to attack.
Milo looked into the dark orbs of the Stantler and suddenly felt a strong, violent unease in the pit of his stomach. Turning from the fight, Milo felt himself vomit in the bushes; he groaned as the thick bile stirred between his teeth, soaking his tongue and dripping from his lips. Medicham leapt out of the way as Stantler charged, holding her hands forward and unleashing a focus blast to strike the Pokemon in the side.
“It’s Stantler,” Milo murmured. “Giving me headaches.”
Medicham sensed something and concentrated hard. She managed to use an intense psychic attack on something in the vicinity; giving a yelp, a previously hidden figure stumbled into view. Milo looked at the distressed blazer, the rugged boots and the torn jeans.
“I recognize you,” he said. “From MooMoo farm!”
“Holy fuck,” the man said, gathering his ginger hair into a bushy ponytail. “It’s the boy that got away.”
Stantler was weak; it knelt by the man’s side and stared sadly at the ground. Milo wiped his mouth on his sleeve.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Milo asked. “I’ve been feeling nauseous all day!”
“We have business here,” he said. “How did you get this deep into the woods, anyway?”
“Because I’m great,” Milo replied. He didn’t like to admit it was due to accidental teleportation.
“The Stantler are emitting their hypnotic waves,” the man said. “Making people sick. Keeping them away. It won’t work on us, though. Cannabis counteracts the drug that Stantler produce.”
Milo could now see how out of focus (and large) the hippie’s eyes were.
“Medicham karate chop the messy fucker,” he hissed. Medicham leapt at the hippie and cracked her hand across the back of his neck; the man collapsed instantly, crumpling to the ground. Stantler looked shocked and bounded away into the vast overgrowth, leaving Milo to check the man for any important items on him.
“I thought he might at least have a radio,” Milo mused. He found a map of the forest, which could have been picked up from the Route Gate, and a sheet of tracing paper with a grid drawn onto it. Placing the tracing paper over the map, Milo could see that names scribbled onto the paper showed where various members of the Friends of Pokemon were patrolling; some had arrows drawn around a specific perimeter.
“By the looks of things, they’re spread out so that the Stantler’s mojo powers spread out across the entire forest,” Milo said. “If the hippies crossed paths with each other…they’d probably trip out.”
He paused.
“They’d probably get a kick out of that,” he mused.
He saw an area with an X marked on it. It was in the bottom-left quadrant of the forest, near to the Azalea Route Gate but still quite isolated. A lot more people were patrolling the area.
“I wonder if we can make our way over there,” Milo said. “We’re kinda going that way anyway…from the looks of things, Jake is a long way away from us - you can see the river there, look - we’ll have to try and find him later.”
Medicham nodded.
“Come on,” Milo said, looking at the map. “Let’s kick the shit out of some hippies.”
*
Back in Goldenrod City, Jasmine walked purposefully through the dark streets. She was on her way to the Lucky Carp Casino to meet with the organisation, though it was purely for her employer, Mr Mitchelson.. Jasmine was quickly reminded of the sheltered life she no longer had, and the dangers of the work she was doing. Soon, however, it would all be worthwhile. She had began to earn the trust of these criminals, and was penetrating its layered hierarchy further and further.
Down the darkened alleyway she went, a swarm of her Magnemite and Magneton littering the skies. She could see the steel door that Largo had access to. He would meet her here.
“I’m here,” she whispered into the earpiece.
“Confirmed,” Bill replied. “Remember, threaten. Their defences are weak since agents are raiding The Coco Lounge tonight.”
It pained Jasmine to know that more raids were occurring; she couldn’t be everywhere at once. Standing in the shadows of the alleyway, she kept her eye on the door. Soon, Largo would emerge and she could step out to greet him. Soon she could get answers, peel back the layers and expose the organisation. As she waited, noticing her breath leave her lips in cool coils, she wondered when Largo would be here.
The huge thick silver door slowly opened. Jasmine looked to see who it was leaving the casino, her heart leaping with joy as she saw the fat, disgusting man Largo. Wearing a tattered jacket, his dirty, scraggled hair hung from his face. He lit up a cigarette and spat to the ground. Jasmine watched him for a few moments, eyes pressed into his large frame as he skulked around.
“Calm, collected and commanding,” came a rapt voice.
Jasmine looked to see a slim figure emerge from the well-lit Goldenrod street. This man was named Carlos Robinson; Jasmine had been doing the odd job for him as she worked higher within the organisation. Robinson was dressed in a full three-piece suit, with a subtle striped tie and his hair combed smartly, looking every bit the secret agent. He had striking blonde hair and youth in his blue eyes.
“What are you doing here?” Largo asked.
“Everything is going accordingly at The Coco Lounge,” Carlos replied, walking towards Largo. “I have some people working fine without my supervision.”
“Right,” Largo replied.
“Still guarding the door?” Carlos said, raising his eyebrows and letting his thin lips curl into a smile.
“I do a lot of things; one of them is to manage those entering the building,” Largo replied.
“You’re the company’s own little Cerberus, aren’t you?” Carlos said, smirking. “Blocking the entrance like a smelly dog.”
Largo looked angered at the comment but did not react; evidently Carlos was higher up than he was. Jasmine stayed pressed in the shadows as she watched the two men talk.
“How is Jasmine doing?” Largo asked.
“Very well,” Carlos replied. “Seems to be taking to the missions well.”
Jasmine felt bile bubble in her stomach; to know she was doing well at the job made her feel sick. She saw her magnets crackling in the sky, creating a riotous thunderstorm.
“But an ex-gym leader joining our ranks?” Carlos asked. “Really?”
“She’s not doing it publicly,” Largo replied.
“None of us are,” Carlos muttered. “I have my suspicions she is working for someone. Gaining information. On her assignments with me she has seen a lot, taken a lot in. Were she to be working against us, she would certainly hold a lot of crucial information.”
“You really think Jasmine’s a spy?” Largo asked. With each sound from the two men, Jasmine felt her heart lurch as she pressed even tighter into the wall. The cool shadows did not cloak her enough; she was petrified at being found out, but needed to hear more for Michael and Bill.
“I’m sending her on an assignment tonight,” Carlos said. “To the shipping yard in East Goldenrod. See how she copes there.”
“Tonight?” Largo asked, sounding confused.
“I know there are no shipments tonight,” Carlos said coldly. “But it’s far away…quiet…”
Jasmine gasped.
“You’re not -” Largo began.
“I might,” Carlos said insistently. Jasmine knew she had been rumbled. It wasn’t safe for her anymore.
“I’ve been discovered,” she hissed down her earpiece. Largo’s eyes widened at Carlos’ comment and he felt for something in his pocket, Carlos looking around the area cautiously. Jasmine quietly tried to leave the area, ensuring her footsteps did not echo off the walls. Just then, she heard a loud bang and a splatter; shocked, she turned around and saw Carlos Robinson’s body lying on the ground. He was alive, clutching his shoulder and roaring in pain. Fearful, Jasmine could not help herself watch the scene from afar.
“Are you okay?” came Bill’s hiss.
“Largo has just shot Carlos Robinson,” Jasmine muttered. On Largo’s order, a Muk slowly moved across the dirty alleyway towards Carlos, who seemed to have been shot with a pellet. Largo tucked his gun away, staring at his superior coldly.
“You will not hurt Jasmine,” Largo said. “She belongs to me.”
Muk’s thick, warm fingers clenched around Carlos’ leg. Carlos looked as the creature slowly crept over him, its heat pressing upon his body and making him wheeze. Its large, ominous eyes stared into his own as its gaping mouth widened, fingers moving up and gripping his neck. Largo watched greedily, eyes focused as Muk slowly engulfed the suited man.
“Mine to have. Mine to kill, if I wanted to,” Largo continued, eyes glazed over. Jasmine gave a soft gasp and turned to run down the alleyway, but she collided into a large trash can. As it rattled against the ground, Largo heard the commotion and walked towards the alleyway.
“Help me!” Jasmine cried.
However, a hand gripped her arm. She looked to see a familiar man around her age. He wore a baggy sweater, had a headband covering his wild, messy blonde hair and wore loose jeans. “Morty!”
“Mr Mitchelson sent me to pick you up,” he said quietly. Gengar materialised at his side, smirking.
“You work…?”
“I do now,” Morty said firmly.
"But...how?" Jasmine asked.
"It's the right thing to do," Morty told her. "We're the good guys."
"Have you been -
"Jasmine," Morty said insistently. "We need to go."
"How are we going to escape?" Jasmine asked. She saw Gengar's fat, clawed hand grip Morty's arm, before the same happened to her. The big purple spectre grinned at the two, before the floor beneath them slowly bubbled and they sank into the earth.
"Gengar can phase through solid objects," Morty explained. "And when he touches something, he can take it with him."
Jasmine felt one of her heels dangle from her foot as her legs sank into the ground; a clatter told her the expensive shoe hit something underground. In the distance, she could see Largo emerging at the end of the alleyway, looking around. The next minute, Jasmine slipped right past the solid ground and fell to the floor of an underground passageway.
"It feels weird the first time," Morty said, looking fine. Jasmine shakily put her shoe back on her foot. "Come on."
Jasmine nodded and ran through the tunnel with Morty, away from Largo, the organisation, and towards sanctuary.
Next Chapter
Milo and Jake, seperated in Ilex Forest, fight off the Friends of Pokemon and their hypnotic Stantler. But why are Peaceful Smith and the hippies patrolling the woods? As Milo and Medicham mend their broken relationship, Jake teams up with Bugsy and tackles the mysterious, free-spirited organisation. However, the Azalea Gym Leader seems to have a secret agenda....
Notes
-Oookay. Originally Ch16 was another on-the-road-to-Ilex-Forest chapter but it was getting a bit stodgy, so I cut a lot out. It's all slotted in somewhere else, so content wise, not a lot has changed in the grand scheme of things.
-Something that was taken out of Ch15, though, was a scene where Jasmine visited her parents, who own the daycare center outside Goldenrod. Jasmine had bought them MooMoo Farm, as it has been abandoned for four weeks now.
-The day care is also where Jasmine sends any Pokemon she can intercept from the organisation. Might this include Jake's Pichu?
-I also took out a doubles battle Milo and Jake had that's going in a future chapter. It's a good 'un, just quite lengthly.
-The Jasmine storyline involving Mr Mitchelson, the organisation, and Bill/Morty etc, has been wrapped up in terms of the main story. Since it's quite irritating having it nestled alongside Milo & Jake (I don't like storylines that detract from Milo and Jake), they will be posted between chapters, in what I will call The Golden Arc.
-The idea is that obviously these plot points are all hugely relevant to the fic, but not until much later on. So small snippets of what the characters are doing (and introducing new characters) will keep the momentum up with these people until the main story catches up with them.
-Does that make sense!?
-Has anyone picked up on Will being the E4 guy yet, cos you should have got that impression by like, Ch4. :p
Hope you like guys
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Originally Posted by shazza
Thanks for reading! Yea, the Golden Arc is just a way for me to address plot points that won't get answered as quickly, or ones that will look odd being answered in the middle of Milo and Jake's storyline. 
