Chapter 6- Route 204 South

  Erdd’s walk along Route 204 South is no trouble for the first part of the march as the area leading to and from The Ravaged Path is paved cleanly. When the concrete road ends it leads into a grassy area with trees and lakes on the fringes of vision that makes up half of this section of the route.

  The dirt road through the fields is well trodden during the Gym season but now, before the season starts, the road is faded and encroached on by wild grass. With Sever Walking by Erdd’s side none of the common field pokemon approach or disturb the duo.

  When noon comes and Erdd stops for lunch he is in the grassy fields and as such decides to camp right there on the road because the grass is annoying.

  After the meal, Erdd asks a question to his pokemon “Say, Sever, it hasn't been the longest time since your tribulation. Do you feel well enough for some training?” Sever nods quickly and nods many times while confirming with a “gibgibgibgibgib. Gib”

  Erdd chuckles at his pokemon’s display "Eager to start, then. Just remember taking a break is always on the table if you need it.” Sever snaps his jaw, telling him to get to it

  “Very eager to start, then. Very well. This area is poor for training wide area moves due to the damage that would do to the field, as such we shall hone your Scratch attack on the grass. Come this way”

  Erdd leads Sever to the side of the road and pulls out his camping knife to continue his explanation. “This grass will tell you how well you made your cut. Watch” Erdd swipes the back of his knife through a blade of grass and it folds over where it’s hit before tearing and the knife passes through.

  “Good cut, right?” Sever nods at the torn apart blade of grass. “Wrong.” Sever looks back and forth at the cut parts of the grass in confusion, “The grass split because I applied a lot of force quickly, that’s why it folded before tearing apart. You can also observe the fibers of the grass on the edges of it look frayed.” Sever nods along at the explanation.

  “A good cut looks like this.” Erdd uses the blade and after the knife passes through the grass without any sign of each other touching the cut grass falls like a leaf in the wind. Sever blinks and cries “Gib!” asking Erdd to keep going.

  Erdd gives a scratch behind the horns before continuing. “What happened is my knife was sharp enough to cut the grass before the force even got the chance to spread to the rest of it. This is what you will be practicing. Cut to the least disturbance in the grass from various angles and use the response of it to hone your form and control of the energy in Scratch”

  Trusting Sever to take his move practice seriously, Erdd does his own workout. This time the martial arts practice is less intense due to there being a lack of dummies to hit in the area.

  After two hours spent training, Sever and Erdd have a short break before heading onto the road once more. By the end of this practice Sever is most of the time successful with cutting but sometimes has poor edge alignment or the grass is twisted or bent strangely and doesn't cut well.

  When they make camp for the night they are right at the half way point of Route 204 South, in the middle of the grassy field. The dinner is scrumptious and filling.

  It is a clear night sky as the two travelers lay and appreciate their eternal travel companions, the stars, before bedding down for the night.

  When they wake, camp is packed up and they set off side by side again.

  The paved road is in sight and it is nearly time to stop for lunch when the first disturbance since The Ravaged Path makes itself known. Further along the road and off into the grass Erdd hears a disturbance. A young voice is shouting “Help! Somebody! SAVE ME!!”

  Erdd is quick to react to such calls, sprinting in the direction of the voice and speaking to Sever “Search and rescue. Speed is priority. Pokemon on pokemon and human on human.”

  The scene makes itself clear. A kid, young one, maybe eleven or twelve years old. The boy has short hair and dons sporty apparel with shorts, a tee and a cap slung backwards on his head.

  He is running from a starly chasing him and poking at him with its beak, glowing with a Peck attack, while he calls for help.

  When Erdd gets close the boy changes direction to run towards Erdd but trips and begins to fall.

  Erdd is following through with the plan and doesn’t stop running, he dives to tackle the boy about to be set on by an angry starly before he falls, trusting Sever can handle his part of the deal.

  By the time Erdd rolls to his knees and turns to sever, kid in his arms, the Dragon already has a starly on the ground buried up to its neck in a mound of dirt and sand.

  Now that the immediate situation is dealt with, the inconsistencies become more prevalent.

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  Erdd sets the boy on his feet and stands up before speaking “What intriguing circumstances we find ourselves in. My name is Erdd, and that is Sever, my partner pokemon. What happens to be your name?”

  “Dan.” The boy, Dan, replies while still being befuddled at the progress of events.

  “Are you hurt anywhere, Dan?" Asks Erdd.

  “No, the umm, the starly didn’t hit me before you got here. And thank you for helping!” He responds, gathering his thoughts somewhat while he speaks.

  “Good” Erdd replies. “Now I get to ask how you ended up alone, with no pokemon to defend you and being chased by a wild starly. How did that happen?”

  Dan wilts a tad at Erdd’s harsh words but still combines a string of words in the attempt to answer his savior’s question. “I was trying to catch my first pokemon, but the, the pokeball didn’t work and it got angry and started chasing me and then I was shouting for help and running and then you showed up and saved me!” He rambles.

  Erdd is not satisfied, pressing further “And how, pray tell, did you end up trying to catch your first pokemon alone and hours journey from Jubilife? Remember I can imagine a scenario much worse than what contrived circumstances led our fates to cross paths in this manner.”

  After a stunned moment of processing Erdd’s vernacular he takes a seat in the grass, buries his head in his knees before raising his head and starting from the beginning.

  “My school, it was holding a field trip to the outskirts of Route 204 to show off what trainers do before the Gym Circuit begins. My classmates took the chance to show off all the cool pokemon they have that their parents or brothers and sisters let them borrow for the field trip. It was so embarrassing! They never knew how to be nice about anything and kept making fun of me for not having a pokemon. My parents didn’t give me a pokemon to take because they said the teachers would keep me safe… Because of how much each of them was bragging before today I saw it coming though and brought a pokeball so I could prove them wrong!”

  He pauses to take a breath before continuing, “I found a starly resting in the grass and decided to throw my pokeball and catch it, but it just broke out and started attacking me. It turns out they were right. I wasn’t good enough to have a pokemon.” Dan buries his head in his knees again and begins quietly sobbing.

  Erdd signals to Sever with his eyes and the sand shark releases the starly from the Sand Tomb.

  The starly doesn’t immediately fly off though. She hops over to Dan and nudges his side, causing him to look at her in confusion “Starly, I, I, why?” Starly nuzzles Dan and chirps happily. “You, do you want to be my pokemon? After how angry you were with me…” he thinks aloud. “Starly!” Comes a confirmation.

  Starly then takes off, leaving behind a stunned Dan. Just before he thinks he’s been betrayed, Starly returns and she is holding a metallic half red half white sphere. She deposits the pokeball into Dan’s hand. He hesitantly presses the pokeball to Starly’s head and it pops open and absorbs her into itself.

  The capture happens easily. Erdd decides this should be the moment he speaks up again. “This, young Dan, is how you catch a pokemon. Not through strength of arms or brute force. No, such things only breed resentment. A pouring of the heart and the entwining of fates, no force, as it is The Way that brings you together.” He changes the subject. “Did you know starly are usually parts of a flock? I imagine a lone starly might connect with your feelings of isolation.”

  Dan is surprised and curious “You knew this would happen? How?”

  “If there is a way to capture the right pokemon, it is genuine honesty. If, after telling your story, Starly still wanted to leave then you would never be meant for one another.” Erdd replies. “Release Starly and let’s return to your class”

  Dan releases his new pokemon and the bird flaps onto his shoulders to hitch a ride, then the now four make their way along the route.

  It takes no time at all for the procession to stumble onto the paved road on the other side of the grass and for a school bus to come into view. The bus has a group of kids Dan’s age meandering on one side supervised by a male teacher.

  When the teacher’s eyes land on Dan, the man grabs a walkie talkie from his waist and speaks into it “This is Jermy at home base, Dan has returned. Over.” He then blows a pokemon whistle that the humans can’t hear before pacing over to meet his student.

  “Dan, would you please go join your classmates.” Jermy’s tone makes it not a question, but when the boy scampers off he continues, “Sir, thank you for looking after one of my students and helping him back here.”

  “Please, the name is Erdd, and I am but a wandering trainer doing his duty. It is in my best interest to grease the wheels of fate after all.” Erdd answers… humbly?

  “Thank you none the less. Are you headed to Jubilife right now?” Jermy inquires.

  “That is my current destination. I am currently planning to stop here for lunch. Should you be tolerable of it?” Erdd inquires.

  “Oh that should be no problem. I will keep the kids off you for while you eat, they will be sure to want to meet you after what Dan is probably saying right now and the fact a gible follows you.”

  Erdd thanks the man before preparing meals for him and Sever, still happy to use his bowl. After the two finish, they feel a shiver rush down their spine as the whole class of children materialize behind them as soon as they finish eating.

  The barrage of questions such as “Who are you?” “What pokemon is that?” “Can I pet him?” “What are you wearing, mister?” and “Where do you live?” are answered as best Erdd can.

  When Erdd takes his glove off to put it in Sever’s mouth to show it is safe, and that his hand was completely dry afterwards the kids pounce and make Sever the most spoiled Dragon ever with the amounts of pets and scratches they give him.

  When the other teachers return and the kids split off into groups for field trip activities, the last remaining student in front of Erdd is Dan.

  “Thank you for helping me meet Starly. I will watch out for news about you during the Gym Challenge so make sure to do good, Ok?

  It is now Erdd says his goodbyes. “Do not fear, my pokemon will exceed any doubt and lead me to the top. Remember, young one, it is a decree of fate that we should meet today, and it is no doubt that we shall meet again. Once your journey begins you shall find me!” Dan's eyes glint at the idea of his own journey but he only nods solemnly.

  Erdd and Sever one again march into the mid afternoon sun.

  In the late evening of that very day the little man and little monster make it to Jubilife city.