trouble at the swamp
it was at night...
this is a bad idea...
we came to route 14 in the night...
before we entered the swamp, the outside is beautiful...
but when we entered the actual swamp...
it just turned eerie...
the reason why we go in the dark...
because we had a competition to see...
who is the most bravest...
that means that everyone is out and walk or hover through this scary swamp...
"ooooo~, this is scary~" Marie sarcastically said in the bright and concentrated light lamp that i have on my hand and Alex spike chest glowing in eerie dim red.
making the surrounding of the swap more creepy...
thanks, Alex...
"why do we need to do this?" Curtana said
"well... Marie wants this" i replied calmly, to show my confidence
"yeah! and it seems fun!" Lucario added happily
"I'm not sure if it's fun... what if we got lost?" Alex joined and said something that scares me
"you don't need to worry about that! I'll just fly up and see the exit!" Marie said as she bumps to Alex on purpose, making him blushed a little.
i smiled at them
"yeah, thanks" i said to Marie,
she smiled back sweetly
...
it turned eerie again when were quite...
huh...
there is a figure standing right across the swamp?
"hey look! there is someone else here!" Marie said happily
"huh... okay then" i mumbled
"Hey!" i yelled to call him
the man stood still...
then the mist is getting thicker
"what the..." i blurted
then the man is gone!
"Hey!" i yelled again
"where did he go?" Alex said as he looks around
we're all looking around the swamp, but Marie came to his last known location
"be careful" Alex said
"oh! I'll be!" Marie yelled in the distant
she came too it and started looking around...
"there's no one here!" she yelled at the distant
"huh?" i mumbled
"well... that's is creepy... cool!" Lucario blurted in excitement
i turned around to head b-
i froze as i see as a black shadow figure stands right in front of me, with shock i quickly jumped back, letting go of my flashlight and stumbling through my friends, then i fell into the muddy swamp.
the splash made me lose vision on the figure
my body was only halfway in! this swamp is Thick!
"Justin!" Alex said as he quickly grabbed my hand and lift me.
i got out with a heavyweight at my back, the backpack was luckily waterproof and easy to clean... but the jacket is permanently stained now, well...
looks like i need a new one...
i looked at the figure again...
but it was gone...
"w-what happened?" Alex said worriedly
i kept looking at the location where the figure disappeared, Alex turned around to see nothing as well. then curtana and Lucario followed
"uh... I'm not sure" i replied with confusion...
what is that thing?
since when did it come behind me?
then i quickly took off my jacket and take a look at it. i am using my normal white shirt... with a picture of also on white color for the style, i sighed at my favorite jacket
"great..." i sarcastically said
Lucario turned around to look at my dirty jacket
"oh... can't you clean that?" Lucario suggested
"well... maybe, but since we're very away from our house... it will be too late" i said giving up
"But what if Alex used teleport!" Lucario added, then Alex perked up and turned around with Curtana as well.
then Marie came to us as well
"well... we should just continue... i am looking forward to a new jacket anyways" i said with no hesitant,
then i grabbed a plastic bag from my bag, put my jacket into it, then closed it. after that, i put it on the muddy but clean backpack. then i put the backpack back to my back...
then i picked up the flashlight
"What happened here?" Marie joined
"Justin fell in the swamp!" Lucario replied
"Huh? how?" Marie questioned
"Something spooked him~" Lucario said with different tones
"hey, i was shocked... i was literally only a centimeter away from that thing" i defended my self
"well... i didn't hear him scream... so i guess it didn't count" Alex supported
"i agree" Curtana joined
then Marie sighed
"well... let's continue then!" she said as she continues to fly on the path
"wait!" Lucario yelled as he runs to follow the Mismagius
"hey! careful!" i yelled as we run after them
//////
for the most of the way... it was getting ominous... even Alex and Curtana agreed, but Marie and Lucario seem to not care...
and it's getting cold without my jacket
"i think we should be more careful" Alex said suddenly
"why? scared~" Marie teased
Alex looked away and blushed a bit
"n-no... just... i feel as if someone is watching us"
"yeah... me too" i joined as well
"maybe it's just some wild pokemon that is looking at us" Marie added
"no... it feels like it was always the same one" said Alex
i nodded in agreement
"hey look! it's that guy again!" Lucario yelled, pointing at what in front of us, i looked at the path and see the same figure again!
"huh?" i mumbled
then suddenly...
the figure burst out darkness towards me!
Alex quickly stood right in front of me and use protect, but it went through and everything went dark!
i tried to look around but...
total darkness...
what is this?
"Alex!" i yelled in the darkness...
no response...
i kept looking around...
then i started running...
is there no limit?!
i stopped and try to look around again...
then i see Alex!
he is looking towards the darkness!
"Alex!" i yelled as i run towards him...
but why aren't i getting closer?
this is making me sick...
then suddenly, Alex got swallowed by the darkness!
"Alex!" i distantly yelled...
this doesn't seem real...
i kept looking around...
and fear started to swallow me...
"Hello!?" i screamed at the darkness again
then i closed my eyes as if it was still dark...
i opened it then...
i was back at the path?
i lost my flashlight...
i looked around...
Curtana is right beside me...
but everyone else is gone!
"Alex?" i yelled
"Lucario?"
"Marie?"
i said in the dark...
where are they?
~~~~~
Alex suddenly woke up, he was sitting at a grass, he looked around to see that he was in the middle of the swamp
"what the?" he mumbled, then he stands up. he tries to look around
"Justin?" he said loudly through telepathy...
but i didn't hear it...
"where are you?" he yelled...
no response...
fear started to form...
he walks around to find out where he was...
but he is lost...
after he went near a tree, he jumped and climbed up to the top.
after he pops his head out from the leaves, he sees nothing but more trees, swamps, grass, and darkness
he jumps down and leans in the tree...
he looks down to see an apple that is filled with dirt, he shakes his head to ignore his dark thoughts and with determination...
he walked forward...
to find me...
~~~~~
Lucario woke up sitting by a tree, he looks around to see more trees...
he is in the forest...
"huh? where am i now?" he said without any fear
he stands up and starts to look around.
"Justin! Marie! Alex!" he yelled...
but no one replied
"is this one of that creepy stuff?" he mumbled
"well then... i won't lose!" he said determinedly
but then he heard a rustle of a bush right in front of him
"uh... hello?" he said in the darkness
then a large figure came out from the bush, Lucario wasn't able to know what it was because he was shadowed by the tree,
"you..." the figure said in a dark and emotionless tone...
"uh... me?" Lucario casually replied
"do you know 'heal pulse'" he said in a dark tone
"heal pulse... Oh! i know that!" he replied happily
"Great..."
then the figure walked out of the shadow...
a giant anthropomorphic fox stands tall...
he has a large amount of hair fur, colored in red...
an eye that shines cyan in the night...
and a crimson claw...
it's a Zoroark?
"whoa! who are you?" Lucario asked and surprised
the Zoroark looked at the sky
"i am a Zoroark, you must be a Lucario" the unknown beast replied emotionlessly
"Yup! well... i wish i could have a nickname"
then the Zoroark turned around,
"follow me... i need your aid" he said as he walks into the dark forest
"Aid?" Lucario questioned himself, then he noticed that the Zoroark is walking away
"Hey! wait!"
then Lucario runs after him...
who is that thing?
~~~~~
Alex kept walking and looks around for me...
he can feel despair is about to overwhelm him...
but he ignores and stays determined...
then suddenly he bumps into something, he moved back and see Marie is closing her eyes because of the bump...
"Ma-"
"SCREEEEEE!"
Marie suddenly used Echoed voice!
Alex closed his ears as the screech is still resonating inside his head
"Marie!" he yelled as he was bearing the pain
"EEEEEooh my gosh I'm Sorry!" Marie suddenly changed her tone
Alex stopped pressing his ears after she stopped
"it's okay..." Alex replied...
then they both realized something
"wait... did you ju-"
"NO! i Didn't!" Marie cut Alex off while blushing
"well... that is a fear response" he pointed
"no! it's not!" she yelled in defense
"just give up Marie... you lost," Alex said with sadly... he did want Marie to win.
then Marie sighed...
"Great..."
then they both went silent...
"We should find Justin" Alex added
"oh uh... yeah!"
then they both kept searching for me...
even though Marie looked from above...
the mist is too thick and many trees blocked the path...
~~~~~
"Alex!" i yelled in the darkness with Curtana in the air, searching for the others as well,
after a bunch of steps are planted in the middle of the forest, Curtana came down with a sad expression
"did you find them?" i asked,
he tilted forward a bit with disappointment
"it's alright... once we got close enough, I'll be able to talk to Alex. we just need to find where they are now," i said to Curtana,
he understands and quickly flies up again...
then i heard a distant screech...
this is creepy...
where is everybody?
~~~~~
Lucario and the Zoroark are walking to...
somewhere...
they've been walking for a while, it was silent... until Lucario made a conversation
"so... where are you taking me?" Lucario politely asked,
the Zoroark replied with silence,
"do you need me to help someone?" Lucario asked again,
"yes" he replied
"who is it?" he questioned
but he kept silent after that question.
then Lucario heard a familiar screech, he looked behind him which where the sound came from, the Zoroark looked at him with a glare while he is looking away, then Lucario went facing forward again, intimidated by the glare...
all he can think is...
Did Marie lose?
~~~~~
"There is no use!" Marie yelled at the sky with anger and disappointment
she flies back down and meets up with Alex while crossing his arms and closed his eyes to think
"How can we find them!" she yelled at the thinking Gallade
"I'm... not sure" he said solemnly as he opened his eyes
"all i could think off is that we need to wait till daylight... or wait for the fog to dissipate," he said heavily
"Ugh!" the Mismagius groaned
then Alex started walking again, then Marie followed him.
it was still dark...
"you know... i want to see you use Hyper beam!" She said suddenly
"Huh?" Alex said with a bit of red
"i was in a ball that time!" she added
Alex looked away getting redder
"but it is very tiring to use" he added
"well... can't you control it?"
"um... kind off" he said unsurely
"can you teach me!"
"uh... maybe"
"can we do it now!" She added excitedly
Alex looked back at her with a glare
"We should find our friends first," he said with a serious tone
"oh uh... sorry" she said, intimidated. then she looked away while blushing.
then Alex too after he realized...
this is hilarious
oh... sorry.
///////
when they are both walking to search for their lost friend, they see something familiar in the distance...
It's Lucario!
they saw him walking into a cave?
"Lucario?" Alex mumbled
"LUCARIO!" Marie suddenly yelled and dashes towards him, Alex quickly followed her
they both ran quietly to the cave, when they are at the entrance, they see Lucario standing. and what seems to be Zoroark picking something up from a grass pile on the stone, it turned around and he was carrying...
A Zorua!?
it looks like it was sleeping...
and it seemed to be hurt...
"Hey!" Marie intrudes.
Lucario turned around to see his lost friends
"Alex? Marie!" Lucario said
the Zoroark Growled...
then suddenly, Vines burst out from the ground and restrain Alex and Marie!
"Urgh!" Alex groaned as the vine tightens
"Hey! get this thing off me!" Marie yelled
Lucario turned around to look at the Zoroark, which is still growling and backing away
"wait! they are my friends!" Lucario said to the Fox
the Zoroark stopped backing away
he glared at the Lucario
"please" Lucario said politely
then the vines shrink and went back in the ground
"what the-"
"it's nice to meet you, we're sorry for our intrude" Alex cut off Marie line
Marie Looked at the Zoroark that is still glaring at them
"did you do that?" Marie added
the Zoroark kept silence
"is she the one that is hurt?" Lucario said to him
the Zoroark stopped glaring and looked at Lucario, then he looks at the Zorua that is still sleeping and breathing kinda heavily
then he nodded sadly
"What happened to her?" Alex joined and concerned
the Zoroark looked from him sadly
"I'll help her" Lucario added, then he walked towards the Zoroark with the Zorua,
the Zoroak only kept looking at the little Zorua...
Lucario knows the pain that Zorua is going through.
after he went close enough, he raised one of his paws and close to the Zorua.
then suddenly... the entire cave is lit up with blue aura? Lucario entire fur is glowing with cyan, Alex and Marie are surprised to see this, they could see that there is some sort of pulse that is going into the Zorua from Lucario paw.
after a while, Lucario stopped glowing and backed a bit
"is that heal pulse?" Marie added
"I'm not sure" Alex replied,
then the Zorua wake up and her eyes are shining, she jumped off the Zoroark paws then jump around Lucario with happiness
"thank you thank you!" she said with happiness around the Lucario, the Zoroark sighed in relief and smiled
"wait... why did she get sick in the first place?" Marie added
the Zoroark looked at her normally
"... the story is..." Zoroark started talking...
~~~~~
wow...
this is bad...
i haven't seen any of my friends...
this is bad...
is it just me or that they already find them...
but not me...
"Rustle"
i heard a distant bush rustling from the distance... it must be one-off my friends!
i quickly run towards is with Curtana following,
after i looked over a tree...
it's a person!
he has a long bag, wears a... trapper hat?
Does the hat have red fur?
"excuse me mister" i politely ask the man, he turned around. his face has a scar on his right eye and an intimidating appearance.
"what are you doing here kid?" he said to me roughly
"I'm kinda lost... do you know the exit to lumiose city?" i lied to him
"well it's that way" he pointed towards the south, where the city is
i am having this threatened feeling...
what is this man doing?
"thank you" i thanked the man, then i went where he was pointing and hid behind a tree with Curtana planted behind me, the man then grunted and continue his walk... I'll be following him for a while
///////
it's been a while...
well, it feels like it...
the man is looking for something...
but i am still not sure...
"where is this thing?" he grunted again
what is he talking about?
then he looked at a device...
it suddenly beeped with rhythm this time,
"hah... found you" then he run towards the trees,
i quickly run and followed him while still hiding my presence...
luckily...
this guy is not self-aware...
~~~~~
"When we are living in Unova, we lived peacefully. my mate and i have tried to escape from that place because of a Hunter" Zoroark continued
"what's the matter with this hunter?" Marie asked
the Zorua jumps to Lucario and catches him.
Lucario and Zorua smiled
"this one...
likes to hunt our kind...
he eventually caught my mate...
i hope she is still out there" he replied sadly
"How could this be a thing" Alex grunted
"I've met some hunters... but this one is messed up!" Marie added
"where is he now?" Lucario said as Zorua is nibbling his paw
"I'm not sure... he might be here" he said as he looks around
"When did Zorua get sick?" Alex ask
"We are finding some foods... but when she ate one that is placed on the ground on a field...
she got poisoned" He tells them
"wait... where was it placed again?" Marie added
"It was at a grass field"
"is it only one fruit, also did it tasted more delicious?" she said as she asks the Zorua as well,
the Zorua nodded as well
"oh... that is bad" she said to her self
"why Marie?" Lucario added
"well, the last time i ate something like that. the hunters would always find me, i would also feel sick! it was over until i..." she stopped talking and started blushing
"i know where this is going" Alex continued
"can you tell us how you get to Kalos in the first place?" Alex added
"we turned to humans... then we ride a big boat to get here, it was dark and people rarely came here... so we lived here"
"there you are!" a voice of a man was heard outside the cave, Zoroark quickly growled and shows an aggressive face, the rest turned around to see a man with a trapper hat...
"Mom?" the Zorua said to the hat
"I've finally found you," he said to the Zoroark
"is that... You Monster!" Alex yelled at the end, then he changed his stance to fight
"oh... you are gonna regret coming here!" Marie blurted
"Time to end this" the man said, then he opened his bag and brings out a weapon, with a barrel at the end
then he points the end of the barrel towards the Zoroark, right in between all of them
Lucario quickly step right in front of Zoroark
"Wait!" Lucario yelled with his arm spread out, the rest looks at him with shock
"What th-"
"BONK!"
the man suddenly stopped...
then he fell to the ground unconscious...
and i was standing right behind him...
i bashed this guy head with Aegislash shield!
"Justin?" Lucario suddenly said
"hi g-"
"JUSTIN!" Alex quickly yelled and hugged me.
oof the spike!
"A-Alex! s-spike!" i yelp in pain
"ah! sorry!" he quickly steps back, then i pressed my chest to kinda ease the pain,
ouch...
"thank goodness you're here" Aegislash said to them
"And you came right on time!" Marie added
"actually... we followed him, i knew he was going to do something..." i stopped talking when i see the Zoroark glaring at me...
I'll need to talk now.
///////
"... so i knew about the hunter and the fact that someone smuggled here by the news... so i know the fact that i came here at night to find you... also the reason why i accept the challenge by Marie" i ended my explanation
"oh... Hey!" Marie somehow take this as an offense
"hehe... anyways... about that hat... is i-"
"my mate" the Zoroark said suddenly, i looked at him and he was facing away
"oh... I'm sorry..." i said sadly...
...
wait...
how did we even get separated?
"uh... excuse me... Zoroak" i asked him
"did you... separate us?" i questioned him
"yes... i did... i apologized for my actions" he said quite nicely
"oh... but how?"
"i used my illusion to let you see pitch black, and a trick to make you moved away from your friends," he explain
"oh! like how i chased Alex"
he nodded back
"then i use an illusion for the rest to see pitch black as well, then put them to sleep with sleep talk"
"oh! so that's the boring sound!" Marie joined
"but... why separated us? can't you just come to us and talk?" Alex joined as well
looked down
"i was only after Lucario aid. after he was done. i would lead you all back to together" he said honestly
"oh..." i said to myself
then a thought went in my mind
"wait... since this hunter won't be following you anymore... do you want to go back to Unova?" i asked
"Unova! nice!" the Zorua added joyfully, then she looked back to her father
"pap! can we go back home" she said to the pap
he smiled at the cub
"yes"
"yay!" then she jumped to her father in which he catches her, we all smiled
"But... how?" he asked me
"it's alright, i got that covered!" i said to them
////////
a familiar Fletchender came from the skies carrying two paper that is like a ticket, he saw me waving at him outside the cave, he dived down and gave me the ticket's
"thank you sender!" i called his name, he chirped happily and flies back to vaniville happily, i turned around with the ticket in my hands and went in the cave.
i see a lot of Zorua's playing and running around Lucario with Marie watching and tries to follow on of them, in which they are very happy and confused, even i was. when one of them sees me, the rest suddenly poof out and leaving only the one that is looking at me, Lucario and Marie were jumped to see this, then Zorua cutely hops his way to his father. he is talking to and Aegislash.
he noticed me and came to me, with the rest following as well
"here, have this" i said, showing him the ticket. Zorua stood beside him
Zoroark face was surprised, he takes it and looks at it
"is this..." he cuts off
"yeah... it's your way home" i said to him happily
then i could see that his eyes are getting watery, then he hugged me gently...
gotta be honest...
his fur is very nice...
what am i thinking!
i step back gently to get out from the hug.
"okay, so first. you want to disguise as the person in the information on the ticket. then just ride the cruise on the scheduled time, which is in two days. it may take a while on the travel so you can have some fun on the cruise, a friend of mine will help you on the talking. he will be looking for you with a big Z sign on the entrance, he already knew that you are a Pokemon. so no need to be careful around him" i ended the directions,
"thank you... thank you soo much" he said as he bowed down, wow! i do not expect a pokemon with this huge manner
"Okay-okay! no need to do that! i can pay it easily anyways!" i said with hurriedly
then he stopped bowing
"oh anyways!" i grabbed the trapper hat from the hunter that is already tied up and handed it to him
"you might want to bury this, it might have been the only part of your mate" i said as he takes it.
then a tear dropped from his face
"thank you" he said as he closes his eyes.
we all smiled and feel satisfied...
this is a very nice day...
////////////
we're all walking on the path again, with smiles on our face
"that was wholesome" Ageislash said right beside me
"yeah... what's wholesome?" Lucario asked
"well it's something li-" i stopped as i look at what in front of us, the rest looked as well.
were at a hill...
and the sun is rising right in front of us...
with a pink and vintage-looking city shines right in front of us...
and the warm sun soothes through my body...
it was a beautiful sight...
"is the challenge done?" Lucario asked as we stare at the sunrise
"who cares when we have this" i said to him
"huh... yeah... who cares!" he said loudly...
this was a wholesome day...