The Pokémon of Afisia, a Pokémon story, by Silvia Phenora

One of my Pokémon stories. Yes, I am a Pokémon fan. Please enjoy these stories I wrote myself. No one may copy this story without my express written permission.

Chapter one: Home?

Bubble could smell flowers. And hear the wisp of trees. It was a forest, she was certain. And-did she remember it? Was it-could it be-? No, she couldn't remember. Maybe, from long ago. Or was it yesterday? Of one thing she WAS certain: she was safe.

Chapter two: The Meeting

What? What did he say? Was it a he? Wait....what?
"Come on lazy bones! Wake up!"
Oooogg... "Uh?" "What?"
"I SAID wake up! The Meeting is about to start!" Yes, it was a he.
Bubble squinted at the Pokemon in front of her. It was a Squirtle. "Who are you?" she asked, scrambling to her feet.
"Wha? Don't you recognize me-oh! I'm sorry, I thought you were someone I knew. I'm Squirtleto!", Squirtleto said, immediately cheerful again. "You can tell me who you are on the way to the meeting!".
Hmm. Did she recognize this Meeting? Yes, there was something a recollection of....? It slipped out of her grasp. What was the Meeting? "Come on!" called Squirtleto cheerfully as he ran. She would have to find out later.

Chapter three: Fire, Grass, Water, Flying

The clearing was large. It was filled with all types of Poke'mon. "Over here Bubble!" Squirtleto beckoned.
She had told him her name on the way, but had refrained from mentioning her apparent Memory loss.  It was funny. This body didn't feel like hers. She looked down at her Bulbasaur body. It looked like any other Bulbasaur to her, but on the way Squirtleto had said she looked..... Different from the rest of them.
Bubble sat with him. All the Poke'mon were focused on the center of the clearing, where a Beedrill stood.
"Let the Meeting begin", he called, in an indescribeable voice.
On his left stood a Pigeot. On his right, a Scizor.
We gather here today to Honor the Legendary Poke'mon, but especially Virizion and Celebi, Poke'mon of the Forest.
I have no news no share with you, but Chief Pigeot and Soul Scizor may."
An interesting title, thought Bubble.
Soul.
She liked it.
The Scizor stepped forward.
"I wish to inform you the Scyther Swarm have decided the rules of this year's Poke'mon Games", he announced.
"You must take it up with them if you wish to Participate. I have no further news." He bowed and and stepped back.
The Pigeot stepped forward.
The Pigeot Flock has claimed flying rights to Asilia. The Staraptor Clan have agreed to this."
"Remember how that claim almost shattered the Peace?" Squirtleto murmured to Bubble.
She jerked back, then tried to cover it up. Squirtleto obviously thought she lived here, as did the others.
Pigeot dipped his head and stepped back.
"This meeting is at an end. Please pay your respects and share all prayers at the Altar." Scizor nodded respectfully at the rectangle of stone just behind the clearing. The nod was an odd gesture for a Scizor.
As the Poke'mon moved to pay their Respects, Bubble thought hard about what she had heard.
"Come on, let us go when we are done." whispered Squirtleto.
They walked to the Altar.

Chapter 4: Placement

"Hey Bubble", started Squirtleto.
They where at a pool in between a Swampy area and a Spring where Squirtleto lived. As they walked from the meeting place they had passed by the place where Squirtleto had found Bubble. She had pondered how she got there, but Memory-wise she had met only a wall of fuzzy, Memory-less blackness that she couldn't make sense of. She only knew that she couldn't remember...WHAT? And THAT didn't help much.
"I was thinking" said Squirtleto.
"that, well, maybe you could live here with me. We seem to be getting along fine."
 Bubble nodded. Yes, she liked that idea. Should she tell him?
"So...would you like that? Bubble?" Squirtleto looked uncertain.
"Ye-yes", said Bubble hesitantly.
"Yay!" He looked positively delighted.
Happy at his elation, Bubble turned to go sleep in a large crack in some rocks, where Squirtleto said they would sleep together.
"Wait, Bubble",
She turned back toward him.
"I think we'll be great partners. Poke'mon haven't been very nice to each other lately, and I like that we get along." Squirtleto ducked his head shyly.
Yes. Partners. Maybe she and Squirtleto could be a good team. Perhaps he could help her.
"Good night  Bubble."
"Good night", she whispered.

*NOTE TO THE READER*
I'm sorry Chapter 4 got romantic. I didn't mean it to be, it was bad wording on my part. I will stick away from the love comments in the rest if the story.

Chapter 5: Ridgail sstsily
(No, that is not a typo.)

Bubble stared. She couldn't help herself. In the mossy forest, she had seen many beautiful beings, nothing as amazing as this. Everything was wonderful. There were Poke'mon who were flying, Poke'mon that were walking, Poke'mon everywhere, and the sceniery, breathtaking, colorful fruits hanging from Tropius necks, the wings of Yanma glinting.. The Scyther were lining up for something, apparently practicing for the Poke'mon games... She still wanted to know what they were.
"Pretty nice, huh?"
Squirtleto's voice made her jump.
'Yeah... But pretty does not even begin to describe it..."
Bubble was more talkative now.
"Come, let's say hello."
"Uh, okay."
What if they mentioned not seeing her before? She had tried to tell him..... But had not found the strength.
"Move it!", a Scyther growled.
"Oh, sorry", she apologized.
"Sorry doesn't CUT it!"
"Sckuintr." Soul Scizor appeared, a warning in his voice. He pronounced the name Schoon-ter.
Sckuintr hissed under his breath, as well as a Scyther could hiss.
He barged ahead, knocking another Scyther over.
"That is enough! You have gone far enough Sckuintr!"
Soul Scizor looked furious now.
"You are constantly misbehaving, a disgrace to the Swarm! I herby banish you to unknown lands!"
Sckuintr did not attack or show dismay. He left, his wings fluttering.
Bubble watched until she could not see him any more.
"That seems a little harsh," muttered Bubble to Squirtleto, keeping an eye on Soul Scizor.
"Why didn't he just warn him, or not let him compete in the games?"
Squirtleto glanced at Soul Scizor, then looked back behind himself at Chief Pigeot, who was looking at them slightly suspiciously.
"It's Chief Pigeot you have to watch out for. His hearing is better than you may think."
They moved themselves out of the way.
"So?" Bubble prompted.
Squirtleto sighed and gazed out.
"Long ago, a treaty was signed. A treaty that proposed eternal Peace. We call it Ridgail sstsily. If you ever need to know about it, talk to Chief Pigeot. He is practically a fan of it."
He continued.
"This Treaty was designed to make sure that no Poke'mon were ever slaughtered in battle again. We aren't really supposed to talk about this, because apparently something really bad happened before the Treaty was signed.
Sckuintr was a constant preacher of the Peace and that treaty. And one day, that changed. We all felt it. Something happened. Something that changed Sckuintr. Ever since, he has been mean. Soul Scizor's main job is to banish people who are offenders of the Peace. He had to banish Sckuintr by law.
We all saw it coming, but no one wanted to say so."
He looked curiously at Bubble.
"Why didn't you know this? You seem like a newcomer."
Bubble took a deep, shaky breath. It was time.
"Because I am. I mean I might be, I don't know." She said all in one breath.

Chapter 6: Confession

"What?" Squirtleto stared at her askance.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I meant to tell you, I just couldn't find the words." said Bubble miserably, struggling to keep her voice down.
"But, Bubble," Squirtleto shook his head.
"that was foolish. I wouldn't have minded."
"But you don't understand. I have no Memory. I try to remember things from my past, but I don't even know where I lived."
Squirtleto stared at her, beginning to get the picture.
"So, you mean.... That when I found you, you didn't know anything?"
Bubble nodded. Would he still be her friend?
"Bubble, I-I- understand why you were silent about it, I think, but still.... I don't know what to make of this.
"Neither do I", she said, still miserable.
"I can't remember, and do you know how annoying that is?!"
At this her voice rose to a wail, and the other Poke'mon began to look curiously at them.
"Come on, Bubble,", Squirtleto said quietly.
"let's go home."
She sniffed and nodded, and they walked in silence back to Squirtleto's home.
It was getting dark now, and Bubble went inside, Squirtleto following her.
"I'm sorry Bubble." He said after they had lain there for some time.
"I didn't mean to freak out. I just don't understand. I still want to be your friend."
Bubble said nothing, staring at the rock.
After what seemed like forever, she fell into sleep without knowing it.

Chapter 7: A Visitor

A tinkle. A soft, yet beautiful sound, and so clear.
What was it?
Not quite conscious of her surroundings, Bubble went toward the noise.
A Poke'mon stood there. Without really seeing, she knew it was a Liepard.
"Welcome", the Liepard purred. "I have brought you here to explain. You must save us."
How? Bubble wondered.
And who are you?
"I am your.... teacher. I suppose you can call me teacher. A teacher of Dreams.
Your destiny is to help us. You will know who we are when the time is right.
And perhaps you shall get your Memory back."
My-my Memory?
"Yes.
Now, you are going to wake up. When you do, do try to remember this."

And Bubble woke with a start.

Chapter 8: Send someone!

"I had a strange dream last night." Bubble began.
"She said something about my-my... Memory loss. And something else too. If I can only remember it!"
Darn, she had been hoping not to breach the Memory subject.
Squirtleto paused and looked at her, hard.
"If I could help Bubble, I would. But I'm still trying to figure out how you could have lost your Memory.
Maybe if I---?"
He broke off.
Bubble waited patiently until she could stand it no longer.
"What?!"
"I..."
Squirtleto shook his head.
"I think I remember Beedrill saying something about Liepards. Once. He said they lived far away, with strange Poke'mon that we had not seen before. I think we should ask him."
Bubble nodded. So her dream did mean something!

Later, Buble and Squirtleto had found Beedrill. He was at the Meeting place, which was odd, since it was not time for a Meeting, and Soul Scizor and Chief Pigeot were with him.
This gave Bubble and Squirtleto pause, Squirtleto fervently asking forgiveness from Celebii for eavesdropping on the caretakers of the Forest. Bubble considered telling him to be quiet, then decided if Celebii was watching over them, all the better.
"No! We cannot!" said Beedrill firmly.
There was that voice again, thought Bubble. It was..... Whiny? No. Thin? Maybe. Screechy? Not quite. At least normally. Now it was bordering on screechy.
"We must! I know as well as you what happened, but we have to send someone."
That was Soul Scizor.
Chief Pigeot cleared his throat.
"I think Soul Sczor is right. Your word is law, Beedrill, but you must listen to what we tell you."
"But who to send?"
Soul Scizor looked nervously around.
"I don't know, but it's not safe to talk here much longer."
Chief Pigeot and Beedrill both nodded.
Bubble and Squirtleto ran for home and didn't look back.

Chapter 9: The chosen are the choosers, but the choosers are not the chosen

The next morning a Meeting had been called.
A Yanma flew up to Squirtleto, exclaiming that he had to come quick, this Meeting was urgent.
And so he called Bubble, and they went to the Meeting place.
The Meeting looked the same as before, exept that there was a buzz of tension in the air. Of course, that could have been the Bug Types, thought Bubble.
Beedrill paced nervously around, while Chief Pigot tried to stay cool, but kept stamping his feet. There was a look of worry on Soul Scizor's face.
Chief Pigeot shot a look at Beedrill.
 "We are gathered here today," began Beedrill.
"because of a very dangerous..quest. A quest to the far reaches of the world."
The Poke'mon murmured amongst themselves.
"Quiet, please. Now, this quest of sorts would have some Poke'mon, preferably two to four, travel to the far reaches."
"The far reaches of what?" called a Poke'mon.
"The world." replied Beedrill.
"The Poke'mon would have to go on foot, for the place is hard to find by air, and be very strong. This is a dangerous mission."
Some Poke'mon shook their heads uneasily, and stepped back.
Others, after considering, walked forward.
Most didn't move or talk.
Bubble looked at Squirtleto, and he looked at her. They each knew what the other was thinking. And they knew that they were thinking the same thing. This had to do with Bubble's dream, it had to.
They nodded at each other, a barely discernable nod.
And together, they walked up. They passed the strong-looking Poke'mon looking at them in disbelief, and stood in front of Beedrill.
"Well, well." Soul Scizor looked-and sounded-suprised.
"Squirtleto....unexpected. And you." he looked at Bubble.
"I believe you were there at the Scyther practices yesterday. Interesting, I don't think I had seen you before that."
Bubble couldn't speak. She didn't trust herself to.
Beedrill coughed. He sounded uncomfortable.
"I don't think-that is-hmmm. These two," he let the last two words hang in the air,
"may not be erm, experienced enough to embark upon this dangerous mission."
Chief Pigeot looked at them with a predator's stare. Bubble tried not to look scared or flinch.
"I believe they are worthy." he announced.
"They look strong, and determined. That alone will get them through this, if they kkeep their faith in themselves and others."
Beedrill still shifted uncomfortably as Soul Scizor looked at him. He knew what that look from Soul Scizor meant. It meant: they walked forward despite not knowing what they were in for, and still are. Make the right decision.
"All right, I suppose if, well, since, they have joined forces and are willing, then they shall go."
The Poke'mon cheered, even though some of them had wanted to go instead. They knew better than to argue with any of the three Poke'mon.
"Tommorow," said Soul Scizor.
"You will get your briefing on what you must do." finished Beedrill.
But I know some of what I must do, thought Bubble.
I must save them. Whoever they are.

Chapter 10: Ayan The Wurmple

Bubble woke the next morning amazed at how fresh she felt. This was it. They were going on a mission, and finally, perhaps her Memory would come back. Up until now, she hadn't allowed herself to think of that possibility, for fear that Liepard was not real. She thought maybe her dream was just wishful thinking.
But now it was certain! Squirtleto and herself......were going on a quest!
"Are you ready?" asked Squirtleto.
She saw his eyes were shining, with barely suppressed excitement, and knew he was feeling the same as herself.
They walked on over to the meeting place, enjoying the sunshine and the smell of flowers.
"Finally." Soul Scizor boomed.
"You must be on your way as soon as possible."
Squirtleto bowed his head, though whether in respect, or trying to hide his barely contained excitement, Bubbe could not tell.
Beedrill spoke,
"You must travel past the mountains, and over lake. Whether you swim, go around, or find a different route, it is up to you, but you must remember that timing is of the utmost importance, next to your own safety. After you reach the edge of the land known to us, you must continue on your own. We cannot accompany you, so we cannot help you. And you may not take any others with you. Is this all clear?"
Squirtleto and Bubble nodded.
"Good." said Beedrill.
"Also, it would burden your journey to bring provisions. We have heard nothing of poisonous plants in the far area, so it is assumable that you will be able to find food.
And most of all, be friendly to whoever you meet on this dangerous journey. We must find out what is going on."
"Beedrill," asked Squirtleto tentatively,
"what is our mission, exactly?"
Bubble hadn't thought about it much, due to all adrenaline rushing through her, but she realized Squirtleto was right. They had no idea what to do.
Worry gnawed at her. What if they just wandered around until they had to go back home, with nothing?
"Well," started Beedrill, seeming weary.
"it has come to our attention-never mind how-that Poke'mon are in trouble. Not just here, but all over the world. You must find out what is going on. Once you have, come back. Do NOT try to handle this on your own. You got it?"
Bubbke and Squirtleto nodded obediently, but Bubble's belly was clenching in anger. So they trusted her and Squirtleto to go on a dangerous journey, but they couldn't help??
Bubble glanced at Squirtleto, and saw her own frustration reflected in his face.
"But", began Squirtleto, seeming to struggle to keep his voice neutral.
"what if we have to help? We can't leave Poke'mon in need. How do you know we should only find out what's going in, but not take action? Were you sent a prophecy? Any of you?" Squirtleto turned, facing each of the Preachers of the Peace in turn.
Beedrill seemed to struggle to remain composed.
"That is none of your business. It should not concern you. Your only job is to go find out how it is."
Bubble saw Chief Pigeot look at Beedrill. He looked...concerned? Worried? Chief Pigeot opens his beak as if to say something, then closed it again with a clack.
The snappy noise seemed to startle Beedrill, and he took a pace back. Soul Scizor stepped forward, seeming to deliberately not look at Beedrill as he did so.
"It is time for the goodbye gifts." he said.
Soul Scizor turned slightly to the side, and took a small parcel from the ground. He offered to Bubble, placing it at her feet. Somehow, Bubble knew, this was a part of a great, formal Ceremony.
Soul Scizor proclaimed,
"This is a great honor. Normally, this would be followed by a solem opening of the gifts, and a dance, but for the sake of time we must have you open these on the road."
Chief Pigeot and Beedrill placed their gifts to Bubble and Squirtleto upon the ground near Squirtleto and Bubble's feet.
"You must go now." said Beedrill. He sounded as if this was something he had long anticipated.
Bubble and Squirtleto nodded, dipping their heads to the Preachers of the Peace. And they then picked up their gifts.

     *********=*****]<\*<****<*********#<****<********************>>********>**>+*******^*****~<>**+**

Ayan was a Wurmple. And a very good one. He was a bit on the smallish side, but that couldn't really be helped, and he was very funny and friendly, so most Poke'mon liked him just fine. Auan was a bit of a chatterbox, but not a gossiper. And so, when Ayan saw his good old friend Squirtleto, he crawled over to see what was the matter.
"Hey Ayan," Squirtleto greeted him.
"Whatcha up to?"
Ayan looked a bit critically at his friend. Squirtleto was making an effort to have a happy face, he could see that.
"Oh, fine, fine." said Ayan.
"I could ask you the same thing though."
"Ah. Yeah." Squirtleto made a grimacing smile.
"Well, you know..the usual thing." he locked eyes with Ayan. The little Wurmple knew what was going on with Squirtleto now. Bubble looked from one to the other. She could not tell what had passed between the two of them, but it wasn't good.
"Soo..." began Ayan, trying to change the subject.
"Where are you off to? And who is this?"
"Oh, this is Bubble." said Squirtleto earnestly.
"She is coming on the quest with me. You know, we have to go see what is going on."
"Oh, yes, I heard about that! I wasn't at the meeting, I'm sorry, I couldn't come fast enough."
Ayan looked down at his little legs. They could go fast, he knew, but the message about the abruptly called meeting had come a little late.
"Mmhmm." Squirtleto nodded. He looked at the sky.
"Well, we should be off. It's nearing noon."
"Good Luck!" called Ayan.
"You too!" they shouted in return.
And so, in high spirits, Squirtleto and Bubble walked in the direction Squirtleto had told Bubble was fastest.
Ayan watched them go until they were dots, his mind whirling. This was crazy, just a crazy thought. But one that might actually work. He had always wanted to go on an adventure, after all.

  Chapter 11: Grey Gifts

"So, you want to open those gifts yet?" Squirtleto finally asked.
He and Bubble had been trudging along for a while. The bird Poke'mon were singing, and the day seemed a nice one, especially for traveling. The sky was fairly clear, the Sun bright.
A good day, except for one fact. Bubble and Squirtleto were walking to an known place for an unknown time, and an awkward silence was between them. So two facts, really.
"Bubble? You seem kinda out of there."
Bubble sighed and glanced at Squirtleto. She kept walking.
"I think we should soon, but after we walk a little more." Bubble knew Squirtleto would pick up on her thoughts.
He looked like he really didn't want to talk about it.
He kept silent a little longer, and Bubble pushed.
“What was that with Ayan?” she gave him another look as she asked.
“I really don’t want to talk about it.” He sighed.
“You seemed upset.”
“Not now, please.”
Bubble tried to find a way to convince him to tell her, but eventually she had to concede it was easier and nicer to respect his privacy.
After walking for a bit, the trees began to get..darker. The lush green slowly went away and was replaced by dark green-leaved trees that looked poisonous. Bubble noticed a tree that was different from the other and pointed it out to Squirtleto.
“Those are Chestnuts on that.” he said, staring slightly hungrily at it.
Bubble’s stomach rumbled slightly and she realized she had not eaten for quite a while, but by unspoken agreement they didn’t dare take one of the delicious Chestnuts. Something was wrong.
As they trudged on, Bubble noticed the beam of light up ahead, just as Squirtleto said “There. We are almost to the lake.” But he said it quietly, like they weren’t alone in the forest. Bubble felt it too. A presence.
A Heracross appeared in front of them, and Bubble frowned, wondering how he had jumped in front of them without noticing. Perhaps it was just the shadows hiding him until they were closer.
“Hi. Excuse me, but are we almost to the lake?” Squirtleto asked politely.
The Heracross’s antennae twitched nervously, and it turned to the tree beside them. There were a large group of Mankey there, and Bubble and Squirtleto jumped slightly.
“This isn’t good.” Squirtleto said softly to Bubble.
One of the Mankey hissed and made itself taller, like it had heard and was preparing for a fight.
“You are trespassers. Stop, do not go farther. Or you will have to deal with US.” One of them on the left said.
“Please, we are traveling-”
“Shush!” cried one of them, in the front.
In a foreign, strongly accented dialect so harsh Bubble could barely understand it, the Mankey said,
“Here, we do not allow trespassers.” It surveyed them for a moment.
“Go after them.”
“Whaa?! Run!” Bubble wasn’t sure if she had yelled that or Squirtleto, but then she was running.
“Mankey are very easy to upset!” Panted Squirtleto in her ear.
“Don’t talk!” she panted back.
For the first time, Bubble wished her body was made to run, like Squirtleto’s, rather than hop or leap.
They ran for what seemed like hours but was only minutes, and came to a tree in the middle of the path.
We’re going the wrong way! Bubbles realized in dismay.
They’ve chased us back nearly a mile!
She glanced back. Squirtleto was lagging farther behind..
She looked forward again and saw red on top of the lowest tree branch.
Wurmple registered in her mind before it beckoned her, then she ran and leaped for the branch.
She missed, her brain going faster than her body. She thought she would have to  hit the ground and immediately scramble up the trunk, but there was no need. The Wurmple’s tail wrapped around her arm and helped haul her up as she scrambled to grab the branch. Once up, she turned to watch Squirtleto, and without her noticing the Wurmple quietly scrunched higher, into the darker part of the leaves.
The Mankey were right at Squirtleto’s heels, and as he neared the tree a realization flashed in her.
“Oh, Arceus, they can climb!” She shrieked.
Higher up and out of sight, Ayan the Wurmple softly cursed himself for making this grave error.
Squirtleto hesitated for a split second, and darted to his right. The Mankey began to close in, and he swerved left to a bush and jumped in. There was a lot of rustling as the Mankey followed him, and Bubble held her breath. There was some more rustling and some squirming sounds and Squirtleto burst out again, and the Mankey followed him in a chase around the trunk of the tree that would have looked comical in a different situation. After two runs around it, Squirtleto jumped up and scrambled up the tree like mad.
The Mankey came up fast and cornered them, surrounding them. Bubble and Squirtleto backed up until they nearly slid backwards off the branch, and Bubble got an idea.
“Squirtleto.” she whispered to get his attention.
“What?”
“I have an idea. We’ll swing.”
“What?!”
“Shh! We’ll swing on the vines hanging off the branches.”
Squirtleto looked at her in horror.
“But we can’t! I’m scared of heights, and you..you can’t hold onto them!”
Looking at her feet, Bubble knew he was right. She couldn’t hang on, her feet weren’t made for climbing at all.
“We’ll have to try, it’s our only hope!” She hoped she sounded brave.
“If worst comes to worst, we’ll run through the trees. We’ll probably be caught, but we must try, Squirtleto!”
He looked at her, and, putting on a brave face, nodded.
“It’s our only chance.” he agreed.
One of the more impatiant Mankey snarled and leaped, and Squirtleto ducked into his shell and shot water out of the holes. It hit and the Mankey went flying.
“It was instinct!” cried a horrified Squirtleto, who had never had the need to fight.
“Let’s-”
Bubbele was cut off by Squirtleto.
“Go!”
They turned and jumped to the tree next to the one they were in, aiming a little higher than the vine hanging from it. Bubble and Squirtleto grasped the vine as they hit it and swung to the next, heading for the lake. Bubble could do it!
The Mankey screamed and went after them.
“Duck!” Yelled Squirtleto and Bubble did, narrowly avoiding a branch, but how narrow she did not know, she only went ahead.
Thump went the ominous sound and feel of a Mankey landing on the branch behind them, and the tree itself seemed to fear it.
Bubble abandoned her vine tactic and hit the branch in front, Squirtleto following.
They crashed through the trees, half the time unable to see or think. Squirtleto cried out as something crashed through the leaves next to him, and two seconds later Bubble collided with him as she jumped from the sight of a Spinarak clicking its mouth at her in its web.
They went on, and a Pachirisu squealed and leaped over them as they ran towards it, and a moment later it joined them in their frenzied run after seeing the furious Mankey horde.
They were going to be caught, there was no denying it. The lake was in sight, frustratingly so, but the Mankey were nearly upon them and Bubble thought she could feel their hot breath. The noise was deafening, but one sound managed to pierce through. A screech. A blur dove towards them and swooped under, and before they knew it Squirtleto and Bubble were on its back. A Wingull.
He hovered for a moment to allow the Pachirisu to clasp onto his tail, and then they were off to the sky.
She thought the Wingull said something, but whatever it was she didn’t catch it.
The Mankey’s anger now was unbearable to the ears, and Bubble buried her head in the Wingull’s feathers to stop the noise from reaching her. It didn’t work.

Later, they were at the lake’s beach and on the sand, and Bubble fainted for a moment, from exhaustion and fright.


Chapter 12
The Ayan Decision


Bubble raised her head from the sand, and saw Squirtleto. For a moment, she had a flashback to the day he found her, and then the memory was gone. But she couldn’t shake the distinct feeling that she had remembered something from before that.
“Ah, you’re awake.” said the Wingull, preening his feathers.
“Good!” squeaked the Pachirisu, bounding over to her.
“Squirtleto just woke up and was explaining what happened.”
Bubble looked at her partner in mild curiousity. So he had passed out as well. She remembered him saying he was scared of heights.
“So, anyway, we accidentally angered the Mankey, who knows why, and they chased us and we ran.” Squirtleto continued.
The Wingull looked up.
“So you are on a quest of sorts?”
Bubble flinched. They weren’t supposed to tell anyone that! But they were supposed to find out what was going on..maybe the other Pokemon could help.
The Pachirisu turned around in a twirl, leaving tracks on the sand that looked like..well, a fight or dancing, some kind of scuffling had taken place.
“You can just call me Pachirisu, by the way.”
She bent slightly and drew a map in the sand.
“You are here. We came from over there, and now you’ve got to get to...around here, I suppose?”
Squirtleto peered at the map.
“That does seem to be the only easy route away from the lake.”
“Oh, no, it’s not easy.” Pachirisu and the Wingull spoke at the same time.
“Don’t you realize?” Asked Pachirisu.
“You’ll be exploring new lands! New, exciting sights to see! But also danger, plenty of it.”
“How do you know?” Asked Squirtleto.
“Ah, well you see, other Pokemon have tried to get there. But all failed.” The Wingull said. He seemed to shrug.
“We don’t know what happened to them.”
“Or if they’re OK.” Said Pachirisu softly.
If they’re ok..
“AH!” Bubble cried out. Squirtleto looked at her as if she were crazy.
“Ayan! We don’t know if he’s OK!”
Squirtleto looked horrified. Wingull glanced up.
“Ayan?”
“He’s a friend.” Bubble and Squirtleto blurted out.
“We accidentally left him behind, after he helped me up the tree..”
“AYAN was there?!” Squirtleto cried.
“We have to go back for him!”
“No.” Wingull spoke up.
“If you left a Pokemon there...I will convince my friends to help search for him. They have sharp eyes and are caring. You continue on your mission, and we will help him.”
Squirtleto didn’t look completely reassured.
“But what if he’s not OK? What then?” He asked.
“He lives where?”
“In the forest next to Asilia. In a different part from where the Mankey live.” Squirtleto answered.
“I know that area. We can bring him back there, if he is injured.” Wingull assured him.
“But we won’t know how he is..” Squirtleto murmured. Bubble wasn’t even sure if he meant for Wingull to hear.
“We have to focus on the mission.” She said, surprising herself.
“We can’t turn back, not now.”
“Wingull,” She addressed him.
“Please..take care of Ayan.”
Wingull nodded.
“We will. Oh. And my name is Jakie.”
“Hey, what about me?” Pachirisu spoke up excitedly.
“I can’t come on the mission, can I?”
Squirtleto reluctantly shook his head.
 “But I can help out! I know a place you can rest tonight.” Pachirisu said brightly.
“But it’s not yet dark.” Squirtleto glanced up.
“I was hoping we could travel more. And eat.” He added as his stomach rumbled.
Bubble’s belly felt cramped, too, but she wasn’t going to mention it.
“It’s a fair hike from here, and there are Apple trees around the area.” Pachirisu said.
“Then it’s settled, I guess.” Said Squirtleto with a glance towards Bubble.
She nodded, considering telling him that he was the leader of the expedition. But she didn’t. Maybe, he wanted to take the journey as partners, not leader and follower.

Ayan panted as he ran through the forest. Or rather, he trotted, but this was max speed for a Wurmple.. The screeches the Mankey let loose as they pursued him were worryingly close, but Ayan was an expert at using tree cover, blending in with th bright red Berrys as he inched his way through tangled bushes and vines attached to the trees. 

He'd been forced to break from his cover when they smelled him, and was now running for his life.

Finally breaking the tree cover into warm sunlight, Ayan allowed himself to slow to a stop. He controlled his breathing, looked every way to check his direction, and started off again, this time at a diagonal angle, towards where he suspected Squirtleto and Bubble would have gone. Hopefully, the Mankey would give up their pursuit, or go the wrong way before realizing his change of direction.   

Ayan's stomach rumbled and he realized he hadn't eaten since that morning. It was late afternoon by now.   

Maybe he could find some Apples around here.

 

Chapter 13 coming soon.