Drakloak. Annihilape.

  Chuck didn’t even realize what he had done, Sam could tell. He had challenged Sam to a battle on short notice, but he had also challenged Sam to a battle in which Sam had no choice for the Pokémon on his team.

  It wasn’t just that he was caught off-guard, it was also that he was utterly unprepared.

  Sam had his strategies. He had taken part in plenty of double battles before. He had his planned team-ups and strategies—like with many things involving Typhlosion. She was a great partner for any Ghost Type thanks to how she could provide smoke and shadows to help them hide.

  But this wasn’t a standalone battle. It was a battle that was part of an ongoing challenge. Sam wasn’t allowed to use a Pokémon more than once, and Typhlosion had already fought. Same as Mismagius. Same as Haunter. And also, same as Trevenant.

  That meant he only had two reasonable choices left: Drakloak and Annihilape. Drakloak would have done well in a single battle, but she had also only just agreed to help Sam fight. Competing in a double battle would be more complex than anything they had planned, and it wasn’t like Annihilape could be much help. While the combination of a strong physical attacker and a speedy special attacker seemed good on paper, Annihilape wouldn’t know which of her moves to look out for, and Drakloak had never practiced preventing another Pokémon from ganging up on her ally.

  While there was the potential for synergy, these two had never practiced together. Chuck wanted this match to happen now to prevent Sam from having time to plan, and he’d truly achieved that, just not at the level he realized.

  I’m screwed.

  Clearing his throat, Sam spoke up, trying to speak with as much confidence as he could.

  “Do you mind if I send out my Pokémon? Not to strategize, but just to fill them in on what’s going on.”

  “Hm... Hm!” Chuck didn’t turn to look at Sam. “Perhaps.”

  Sam waited for Chuck to explain further than that, but the heavy man did nothing but continue down the path through the forest that’d bring them back to his home.

  He wasn’t going to say anything else. Sam wouldn’t be given time.

  Gah. He’ll want us to start the second we get there, but then again, we have to get there, first.

  Hurriedly, Sam dropped a few feet back, beckoning something over from between the trees. Drakloak had been following along in the sparse shadows of the thin canopy, and the moment Sam gestured to her, she sent Chuck a nervous glance and darted over to float at his side.

  “Okay. Okay! Okay.” Sam took a deep breath in, but it barely helped him get his thoughts in order. “Okay, Drakloak. We’ll be fighting in a double battle. That means I’ll be sending out you alongside someone else, and then Chuck will be sending out two Pokémon in exchange.”

  Dreepy let out an excited squeak on her head, but Drakloak looked unconvinced.

  “We don’t have much time, but I trust you. For the battle, I need you to fight alongside Annihilape, who will try to give you as many openings as possible. You have to focus on damage. He’ll only be able to hold off Chuck’s Pokémon for so long, so take advantage of every slight opportunity and try to faint at least one of them as soon as you can.”

  Annihilape would be an easy target to overwhelm in melee, especially since he'd likely be targeted by both of Chuck's ground-based Pokémon. Focusing him down could give Chuck the numbers advantage to turn the match in his favor.

  That was why Sam wanted Drakloak to knock out Chuck's Pokémon as fast as possible. He wanted the numbers advantage for his team, and he didn’t want them to gang up on her.

  This plan was barely a strategy, but it was still a guide to get through the math. Annihilape on defense, and Drakloak on attack. She’d try to use her powerful special moves to take them out, and Sam would hope for the best.

  Thankfully, that little bit of talking, as basic as it was, assuaged Drakloak’s nerves. As new of a concept as a double battle was, she was used to them. After all, she’d been fighting alongside Dreepy for all those years on her own.

  (It also helped that Drakloak tolerated Annihilape more than any other member of the team—save for Trevenant, who had been unintentionally bribing her with berries. Mismagius and Typhlosion were the ones to find and fight her during the hunt in Olivine, so she held a grudge. As for Haunter, she was “fine” with him, but he could get a bit too goofy for her liking.)

  “Thank you,” Sam said. “And I’m sorry. I know you wanted a one-on-one match to prove yourself, but I promise that this will work, too. Chuck will be using his strongest Pokémon, and I’ll be relying on you for damage, so this will be the chance I promised.”

  Both Drakloak and Dreepy responded with identical nods that all but proved their family connection, and then Drakloak moved back to the trees to follow along.

  Not long after that, everyone stepped out of the woods, having returned to that sandy area behind Chuck’s home.

  Chuck didn’t slow in the slightest, striding right toward the clear area behind his house. At this point in the day, the building was empty. His wife ran a medicine shop in town, so she was currently out managing that.

  Sam wanted to slow down, but showing weakness here would just cost him momentum. He continued on to find a place across from Chuck, positioning himself so that they were approximately a field’s length apart.

  “THERE WE GO!” Chuck’s voice boomed. As he spoke, he released a pair of Machoke that would facilitate the Foresight on Sam’s Pokémon. “PLENTY OF ROOM FOR A BATTLE! THIS IS THE MATCH WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR!”

  His teeth almost seemed to shine in the midday sun, and he retrieved a pair of weathered Pokéballs from his baggy pants. He held them in hand, waiting for Sam to make his choice, but Sam had already been forced to make his choice.

  It wasn’t like he was able to use anyone else.

  “Any special rules?” Sam asked.

  Chuck shook his head.

  “Double battle. No switching, of course. We’ll both use two Pokémon until one side is defeated.”

  Sam nodded once, keeping his gaze even. He sent a glance to where Drakloak was now hiding in the shadows beneath the deck of Chuck’s house. Her yellow eyes glowed in the dark.

  For this fight, they were at a disadvantage, not necessarily in strength, but definitely in experience. Yet, there was still the potential to earn their eighth Gym Badge. Sam might have had little time to plan, but he had already spent hours observing Chuck’s team.

  Drakloak might not have been in any official battles before, but she was undeniably strong. Annihilape’s countless practice sessions and spars against Ursaring meant he was Sam’s best bet at handling physical attackers.

  We haven’t lost yet.

  There was no sense in falling to nerves.

  Finally managing to calm down and feel a bit confident, Sam tossed forward a ball at the same moment Chuck threw two. Drakloak zipped out of her hiding space to join Annihilape's side, and Chuck’s strongest two Pokémon appeared on the field next to each other.

  Immediately, Poliwrath and Primeape posed, flexing in unison the moment they landed.

  But Chuck's eyes were not on them.

  “There! That’s it! That’s really it! You weren't kidding! An evolution of Primeape!” Chuck danced on his feet. “He's big! He’s strong! And he looks mean!”

  Chuck pressed his hands to his chin and leaned forward. Sam was having trouble picturing him as a Gym Leader right now.

  “He’s called Annihilape,” Sam said, making sure to control his reaction. “He’s a Ghost-Fighting Type. Stronger than any Primeape. You’ll see what I mean during our match.”

  Chuck blinked when he realized what he was doing, and then the man leaned back to right himself as he cleared his throat.

  “Of course!” he said, pretending he hadn’t just done that. “The best way to learn about a Pokémon is to face it in a fight!”

  His body bounced alongside his laughter, but when he brought his gaze back down, he no longer looked as jolly as before.

  Chuck stared at the field with a wide, predatory smile.

  Here we go.

  The two Machoke used their Foresight, simultaneously serving as the referees for this match. In a synchronized shout, they shouted their names to mark the start of the match. Sam pointed forward, and Chuck took up a wide fighting stance while letting out a roar.

  “HIT! THAT! POKéMON!”

  Each word was punctuated by a punch.

  Immediately, his Poliwrath and Primeape charged. Chuck’s Primeape charged arm over leg, and his Poliwrath maintained a consistent pace with its fists clenched at its sides. They moved as a pair, their years of shared experience coming into play, and Sam did his best to give his own orders as fast as he could.

  “Annihilape, Bulk Up! As much as you can! Focus on defense, and Drakloak—use Dragon Pulse whenever there’s an opening!”

  Annihilape didn’t run to meet Chuck’s Pokémon. He watched them calmly while breathing out, his adrenaline spiking under his control. His body went tense under the effects of Bulk Up as all aspects of his physical strength increased.

  Nearby, Drakloak slid through the air to position herself off to the back and off the side.

  Then, the Fighting Types met. Two sets of fists were thrown forward. Annihilape snapped up his hands, blocking them with his palms.

  The field was frozen as Annihilape’s eyes met their own.

  And then Chuck’s Pokémon both gained what could only be a malicious grin.

  The Primeape was explosive. It was a menace, fighting as if trying to tear Annihilape apart. For as much control and technique Chuck provided, this Primeape was furious. It used Fury Swipes and Karate Chops, weak moves, to attack as fast as possible to lay claim to all of his attention.

  Meanwhile, the Poliwrath tried to take advantage of that. Whenever Annihilape seemed too focused on the Primeape, it would punch, generally being blocked by a snapped-out arm or a palm. However, where the Primeape was quick and “weak,” this Poliwrath was slow and strong.

  Together, they were a perfect storm of overwhelming chaos and slow, deliberate power. They ganged up on Annihilape—which was what Sam wanted—but they were also simply too much. He was forced to focus on defense even more than expected, and neither Primeape nor Poliwrath were ever opened up to further attacks.

  Drakloak did try to launch a few testing moves, using Dragon Pulse once or twice with Dragon Type energy alone just to see how these Pokémon would react. She was hesitant to send Dreepy close—and she was right to be. Whenever her attacks neared, one of the two Pokémon would take over the assault on Annihilape, and then the other would snap out a punch that never failed to disrupt her attack.

  She did not want to send Dreepy to them.

  Sam could see that Annihilape was already being pushed back. With Bulk-Up, his strength matched theirs, but he simply lacked the trained skill to handle two opponents at once.

  “IS THIS ALL YOU’RE OFFERING ME, SAM? THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A DOUBLE BATTLE! I EXPECTED MORE FROM YOU! YOU’RE MAKING ME FEEL LIKE I’M BULLYING YOUR POKéMON INSTEAD OF COMPETING IN A FIGHT!”

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  A vein throbbed on Annihilape’s head at the taunt, but he had long since mastered his rage. Gracefully, he continued to block and defend against these attacks, but it was also blatantly obvious that each impact was wearing him out.

  We’re running out of time, Sam realized.

  Drakloak looked frustrated. Dreepy was impatient. They wanted to unleash their moves, but Chuck simply wasn’t giving them any way to fight.

  Annihilape was becoming more and more injured, and eventually, Sam just had to call for it.

  “Rage Fist!”

  He had to use this move now before Annihilape became too damaged and risked fainting.

  Right away, Annihilape drew back an arm, and the Primeape jumped to the front, preparing itself for this attack. However, when Annihilape’s fist grew, and grew, and grew, the Poliwrath snapped out a hand to grab Primeape’s fur and yank it far back.

  The two Pokémon jumped away, and Annihilape’s fist smashed into the ground with a cataclysmic effect. Cracks were left in the earth—which was impressive. Sam wasn’t sure how Annihilape managed that given the field was mostly sand.

  “Whew! Almost lost, there! Primeape is used to relying on Counter, but Counter can’t work if you faint before it goes off!”

  With that single attack, Annihilape had somehow forced the match to enter a lull. That continued even as he pulled his arm back with neither opposing Pokémon risking getting close.

  The tension in his body lingered. The threat he carried was clear; though Rage Fist seemed like a finisher, it was just a move.

  Annihilape could use it again any time he wanted.

  For now, both of Chuck’s Pokémon stayed back, far too wary of getting close. Annihilape huffed and puffed out of anger and exhaustion. He had taken a massive amount of damage, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t a threat.

  With both sides unwilling to get close, the silence continued even though there was one Pokémon that should have acted.

  This was the perfect time for Drakloak to attack. Annihilape’s Rage Fist represented a threat that Chuck’s Pokémon would need to avoid, but she did nothing to take advantage of that. The only thing she did was grimace. As much as she wanted to attack, she just didn’t want to risk Dreepy.

  Mm. I can’t forget that this is Drakloak’s first real battle with us. I’ve been trying to give her the chance to attack when it feels right based on her instincts, but I have to remember she doesn’t have the same battle experience as the rest of the Pokémon on my team.

  She wants to be strong and is strong, but she’s only halfway there. When her moves hit, they really hit, but if she never uses them—

  Chuck used this moment to give another command.

  “Water Gun! Rock Slide!”

  If his Pokémon couldn’t get close, they could instead attack from range.

  The Poliwrath pulled its arms in to fire out a stream of water from the center of its belly. Next to it, the Primeape dug its hands into the earth to tear it up, throwing out hardened chunks of the “field” that hurtled toward Annihilape.

  “Dodge!”

  Annihilape leaped to the side, using his enlarged arm to support a full-body flip. Chuck’s Pokémon prepared for another combo, and Sam realized he had to make a decision.

  We don’t have a plan. We don't have time to make one. I can only call for what we already know right now.

  He recognized that this was what Chuck was talking about; he’d been over-reliant on making plans. When faced with the unexpected, all he would do was freeze up.

  To be a great trainer, he needed to fix that.

  I have to trust my gut. We got this far for a reason.

  A new pair of attacks hurtled toward Annihilape. He was just barely able to dodge a second time, but he wouldn't be able to do so again.

  So what’s my gut telling me? Poliwrath is an unknown factor, but Primeape isn’t. That means...

  For all Chuck has done to train his Primeape, I know how it might respond because I’ve trained one myself.

  He knew the species’s weaknesses.

  He recognized that if they were to win, they needed to eliminate Poliwrath from the equation.

  “Annihilape! I’m sorry!” Sam called out. “Remember Typhlosion, and target Poliwrath! Use Curse!”

  They’d never practiced this before. Annihilape only had so much experience with the Ghost Type. However, he had trained Curse in the past, although he’d only ever trained it as an enhancing move.

  But Sam had a gut feeling about this; Annihilape would be able to pull this off. Typhlosion had demonstrated it plenty of times before, and he at least had some understanding of the Ghost Type given he was now that Type as well as his familiarity with Rage Fist.

  There was certainly a pause—a brief one. Annihilape wasn’t sure how to properly use this move. He didn’t know Shadow Ball, Hex, or any other attack that could conjure external energy, but what he could do was cycle it through himself.

  So, in between dodging attacks, the same arm he used for Rage Fist suddenly became wreathed in black. Chuck shouted something, but Sam didn’t hear it.

  He watched as Annihilape took his fingers and dragged them across his chest.

  Chuck’s two Pokémon attempted to race forward to stop him, but they both failed. When Annihilape’s hand dug into his flesh, shadowy flames sparked out and seemed to burn his fur. His expression immediately contorted into a grimace as he fell to one knee.

  He did not have the energy to stay up, but he was at least able to send all of his anger to Poliwrath in a glare.

  Ultimately, he fainted. The self-damage of Curse was simply too much. But he had been successful.

  Poliwrath was now cursed.

  “Now, Drakloak!” Sam shouted as the Poliwrath stumbled. “Take to the skies!”

  She blinked at first as if just realizing she wasn’t just an observer in the match.

  Looking around and realizing everyone’s attention was on her, she hesitated—but only for a single second. A knowing glint entered her eyes as she took to the sky, and she stared down with a predatory grin when it became clear that neither Primeape nor Poliwrath could reach her with their best moves.

  “Good,” Sam sighed. “It worked. Now Poliwrath is on a timer, and we only have to worry about one Pokémon—a Pokémon that I trained for months.”

  Yet, despite this sudden twist, it came at a cost.

  Sam only had one Pokémon on his side of the field. Chuck still had two.

  “BUT THEY’RE NOT FAINTED JUST YET!” Chuck roared. “KEEP UP THE SAME MOVES! PREPARE YOURSELVES! AND USE TAUNT TO BRING THAT DRAGON RIGHT OUT OF THE SKY!”

  Hurriedly, Sam shouted his best counter-command.

  “Damage only, Drakloak! Stay in the sky and only worry about using Dragon Pulse!”

  The Primeape hopped between its feet, shouting insults, and the Poliwrath glared with perfect eye contact. Drakloak had definitely fallen to their Taunts with how annoyed she looked, but she didn’t zip down.

  With her decision-making affected by Taunt, Dreepy served as her messenger, instead.

  Suddenly cloaked in Dragon Type energy, Dreepy screamed in delight as he hurtled toward the earth. He aimed himself at Poliwrath, who brought up its arms to defend. It blocked the move, minimizing the damage, but thanks to Curse, it didn’t quite have the energy to attack back, and Dreepy was able to return.

  Quickly, Chuck changed gears. The smile faded from his face.

  “Water Gun. Rock Slide,” he ordered.

  His two Pokémon unleashed their attacks, but it didn’t exactly work.

  Drakloak was fast. Not necessarily as fast as she could be with Agility, but enough that she could move out of the way of these moves. There was a travel time before these attacks could reach her, so she could see their paths to know where she needed to move to dodge.

  Counter to that, when it came to her own moves, she didn’t need to worry about accuracy. Even though she was unable to use Lock-On, Dreepy had enough influence to chase down her foes when launched from her head.

  Rocks were thrown. Water was launched. Drakloak shot around through the air.

  The Primeape grew in anger, and the Poliwrath’s moves became less accurate over time.

  With how painful Curse could become, Poliwrath tried its best to push through but eventually took a knee. Its body was tense, and its lack of offense lessened the pressure on Drakloak. Taunt was supposed to bring her out of the air, but it wasn’t enough given how she could simply send Dreepy down instead.

  Once more, she used Dragon Pulse, staying in the air and grinning to herself at the ease at which she used the move.

  The Poliwrath looked up and saw the knock-out blow coming. Proudly, it took the strike right to its chest.

  And then Chuck shouted for one final command.

  “Grab it!”

  It was the Primeape that acted, causing Drakloak’s eyes to widen. Though her brother was her projectile, she really didn’t want him to get hurt, either.

  Poliwrath fainted, but Primeape was conscious and was still right there. With a single lunge, it easily clapped its hands together around Dreepy, and he disappeared.

  Silence echoed out.

  Dreepy was unable to fly back.

  With a cheeky grin, the Primeape hopped between its feet, and Chuck looked extremely smug.

  “If you want him back, you’ll have to get him,” the Gym Leader taunted.

  The Primeape taunted too, letting out a hollering laugh, but then it froze when Dreepy stuck his head out.

  He phased through its hand, looked around, and then flew back up into the sky.

  In almost a perfect mimicry of Poliwrath before him, Chuck fell to his knees.

  “Two Machoke. Two Pokémon. Foresight was used on Annihilape and Drakloak, but your Dreepy...”

  His voice sounded drained.

  “Dreepy isn’t fighting in this match,” Sam said, unable to suppress his grin. “He’s a projectile, not a combatant. It wouldn’t make sense for Foresight to affect something like a Shadow Ball. Why would he become physical just to deliver Drakloak’s attacks?”

  Back in place, Dreepy nodded, simply agreeing with all of Sam’s words.

  After spending a moment to take that in, Chuck laughed, and laughed, and laughed. His Primeape was certainly stronger than Drakloak, but some Pokémon were vulnerable to perfect counters.

  Sam had Drakloak fly that high for a reason. She had no chance to defeat her opponent on the ground. But up there, she could avoid Primeape’s weak ranged attacks with ease and retaliate with moves that were impossible to dodge thanks to Dreepy’s influence on her aim.

  Maybe if Poliwrath had stuck around, it might have had a special move to make dodging harder. Except, Annihilape’s Curse meant it fainted. There was a reason Sam called for that—he knew his Pokémon’s weaknesses, therefore he knew this Primeape’s weaknesses as well.

  This wasn’t exactly the test of strength Chuck had wanted, but he seemed to acknowledge that he’d lost and returned his Pokémon there. Drakloak was genuinely in an unbeatable position. There was nothing his Primeape could do to her while she was up there.

  “It’s funny,” Chuck said as he returned to his feet. “Poliwrath is better at handling airborne enemies. If he aims his Water Gun, he can take them out, but Primeape can’t do the same with Rock Slide.”

  Sam nodded.

  “That’s why I made the snap decision to have Annihilape use Curse. I knew he’d faint if he was successful, but we needed to take out Poliwrath early. I’ve trained a Primeape. I’ve evolved a Primeape. I’ve seen how that line can’t do much against Pokémon that can fly.”

  Annihilape also knew Rock Slide, but he’d lose to Drakloak just the same.

  With the match having ended, Drakloak finally left the sky to return to the earth. She looked exhausted, but she also simultaneously looked proud. Upon laying her eyes on the Gym Leader, she puffed up her chest. Her eyes sparkled in delight at her victory. It was more than just her being a victorious Dragon Type. With her flight “trick,” she’d also won like a Ghost.

  Chuck just laughed to himself. Despite his defeat, he’d enjoyed the match.

  “Ah, well. Can’t win them all. Here!”

  He reached into his pocket to throw something shiny Sam’s way.

  Sam saw the object hurtle toward him too far to catch, but then Dreepy pushed off of Drakloak’s head to fling himself right at it. He snapped the item out of the air and proceeded to glide. He deposited into Sam’s hand, and then he let out a purr when Sam rubbed his head in thanks.

  “That’s the Storm Badge. You earned it a while ago. This was a good match—a good series of matches! But I imagine that Jasmine was more difficult for you.” Chuck let out a sigh as he walked closer. Sam hadn’t seen him look that disappointed before. “I do have my strengths, but my team is only nine stars at best. Together, Primeape and Poliwrath might be considered ten, but they also have too many easy weaknesses for them to truly be at that level of strength.”

  When he and Chuck met off to the side of the field to shake hands, Chuck’s grip was firm. It honestly hurt somewhat, but Sam wanted to appear confident and didn’t let that show.

  “Now then—business! So, are you willing to teach me how to evolve a Primeape?”

  Excitedly, Chuck leaned in.

  But Sam didn’t speak.

  He knew this could be a bargain. He knew he stood to make quite a bit. But when he thought back to Annihilape’s evolution, he grimaced.

  He couldn’t bring himself to share that information.

  Not yet.

  “I... can’t,” Sam said with a reluctant sigh. “Annihilape is a Ghost Type. His evolution can be dangerous. What we almost went through... I don’t want others to risk the same.

  “I know I’m asking a lot, but are you willing to wait? I’ll show him off in the Conference, and I will share more about his evolution, but only after once we have a better understanding of how it worked.”

  Sam knew there was a lot he stood to learn. There were so many more Ghost Types still out there. And, despite the countless answers he had in his pack, he knew he didn’t have all of them.

  Primeape had evolved into Annihilape by using Rage Fist—so what? There was a risk involved, a risk he didn’t fully understand, and he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he gave Chuck information that caused him to fail.

  “We need more time to think,” Sam ended up saying.

  Once the season was over, he would be able to put more thought into Annihilape’s evolution method.

  He would also be able to put thought into everything else he knew and figure out what to do about that.

  “I understand,” Chuck said, his voice surprisingly serious. “If it’s that dangerous, then it’s right to not rush it. Your Annihilape might look healthy, but that’s not much.

  “So we’ll wait,” he continued. “After all, I can’t say I’m too familiar with the Ghost Type, myself. I’d rather us stay safe, but until then...” He regained his smile. “Call us whenever you’re ready. Once you're willing, we can make a deal.”

  Later, when Sam was set to leave, he found himself suddenly whisked away by Chuck’s wife. She brought him to her kitchen table, where she unrolled a map and sent him a firm yet amiable look that told him they were to have a discussion.

  “My husband tells me you’re leaving tomorrow.” She clicked her tongue. “It’s such a shame. You only just arrived. You’ve barely spent two days in our little town.”

  “Sorry,” Sam said, “but we really need to train for the Conference. Mastering the Ghost Type is our priority, and the Ilex Forest is the best place to do that.”

  She hummed to herself and glanced down at the map. Sam went on to fully explain his plan. He would take a boat to Goldenrod, travel south, and then enter the Ilex Forest from Route 34.

  “Except,” the woman interrupted, her finger tracing the route Sam had just described, “that will take a while. Adding up the time spent on the boat ride, traveling down the route, and then getting through the forest, your potential training time will be cut in half.”

  Sam grimaced. He had a bit over two weeks left until the Conference. He needed to spend as much time as possible in training. He needed to be ready for more than just the newbie trainers competing there.

  But as much as she had a point about how long travel would take, it wasn’t like he had anything else he could do. Cutting back on the number of times he stopped to practice would drastically increase his speed, but the Ilex Forest was still a distance away from Cianwood City.

  “Ah. You’re forgetting something,” she said, gaining a slight smirk. “Look closer. Most maps don’t make this obvious, but there’s more to a region than just cities connected by Routes.”

  Checking the map again, Sam inspected it more closely and tried to pick out all the little details. The mountain ranges were labeled. Small patches of forests were included. It named caves he’d never seen. He could trace the exact shape of all of Johto’s Routes as well as the vehicle paths people used to travel safely between cities.

  But there was more to it than just that. Outside of the main roads and Routes, there were also smaller trails and paths.

  ...Except, no, that wasn't right. That wasn't what she wanted him to see.

  Sam eyed a blue line that marked a river that almost divided the Ilex Forest in half.

  “Closer,” she said.

  Sam squinted his eyes.

  Finally, he found it. He wasn’t sure how he had failed to notice them, but there was a scattering of small, black dots that each represented a small village or settlement not built along the main paths.

  “Hold on, but I traveled off-route? I never saw any of these smaller towns,” Sam said.

  Chuck’s wife huffed out of annoyance.

  “Where did you travel?”

  “From Violet to Blackthorn.”

  “So you’re telling me that you didn’t find any towns in the Blackthorn mountains, where the Blackthorn Clan trains and manages a bunch of wild Dragon Types?”

  “...Good point.”

  Thankfully, she just let out a short laugh at Sam’s mistake before tapping Cianwood City’s location on the western side of the map.

  “So! What I was trying to say is that you have better options to follow. You understand that Cianwood has quite an extensive port, yes?”

  He nodded.

  “Then, instead of taking a boat directly to Goldenrod, consider heading somewhere else,” she said.

  She went on to use her finger to trace a route through the ocean that headed south instead of east toward Johto’s mainland. She proposed a plan that passed by several islands and came to its end right where the Ilex Forest’s river connected to the coast.

  “There,” she said, tapping it once. “The town here, the one just past Alto Mare. The Ilex Forest isn’t just a massive section of untamed wilderness. Plenty of people live within. This town here serves to ship out many of its collected resources, so if you want to cut down on your travel time—”

  “I can take a boat directly there,” Sam concluded, eyes going wide.

  She brought her chin up proudly, sending Sam a slight smile. She then went on to trace the proposed route even further, bringing it all the way up the river to the very center of the forest.

  “You won’t find villages in the forest unless you look for them, but plenty exist along this river, and they need ways to travel, too,” she said. “If you go to that port town I mentioned, you should be able to get a ferry ticket that'll take you where you need.”

  “So you’re saying that I can take a boat to not just the edge of Ilex, but to its deepest parts?” Sam asked.

  “At least, as deep as wherever Arborville is,” she finished, referencing a town that existed just past the river’s end.

  Breathing in, Sam stared at the map. He needed to spend as much time as possible to prepare for the Conference, and travel had been a big worry of his. Now, although the deadline continued to creep closer by the day, he had the chance to take a massive shortcut and effectively double the time he had left.

  This is amazing. We’ll be able to get there so much quicker. With how fast a boat can travel, we might actually get a full two weeks. This is going to help us save so much time.

  Sam’s Team:

  Badges Earned: 8 (Mineral, Fog, Plain, Hive, Zephyr, Rising, Glacier, Storm)

  Approximate Team Strength: 8 Stars

  (Fire / Ghost Type, Female, Timid Nature +Spe/-Atk)

  Abilities: Blaze

  Held Item: Charcoal

  Moves: Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen, Ember, Flame Wheel, Curse, Will-O-Wisp, Incinerate, Detect, Quick Attack, Swift, Flame Charge, Flamethrower, Double Team, Infernal Parade, Confuse Ray, Hex, Shadow Ball, Night Shade, Shadow Claw, Agility, Blast Burn

  (Fighting / Ghost Type, Male, Impish Nature +Def/-SpA)

  Abilities: Vital Spirit

  Moves: Scratch, Leer, Low Kick, Karate Chop, Fury Swipes, Assurance, Ice Punch, Fire Punch, Cross Chop, Curse, Brick Break, Rock Smash, Rock Slide, Bulk Up, Rage, Rage Fist, Close Combat

  Haunter (Ghost / Poison Type, Male, Naive Nature +Spe/-SpD)

  Abilities: Levitate

  Moves: Hypnosis, Lick, Confuse Ray, Spite, Mean Look, Hex, Shadow Punch, Night Shade, Acid Spray, Ominous Wind, Shadow Ball, Dream Eater, Nightmare, Curse

  Mismagius (Ghost Type, Female, Hasty Nature +Spe/-Def)

  Pokéball: Friend Ball

  Abilities: Levitate

  Moves: Growl, Psywave, Astonish, Confusion, Confuse Ray, Mean Look, Night Shade, Shadow Sneak, Shadow Ball, Nasty Plot, Psybeam, Will-O-Wisp, Psychic, Hex, Power Gem, Pain Split

  Trevenant (Ghost / Grass Type, Male, Quiet Nature +SpA/-Spe)

  Pokéball: Moon Ball

  Abilities: Harvest, Frisk (Developing)

  Held Item: Sitrus Berry

  Moves: Horn Leech, Tackle, Confuse Ray, Astonish, Growth, Ingrain, Leech Seed, Forest’s Curse, Shadow Claw, Phantom Force

  Drakloak (Dragon / Ghost Type, Female, Serious Nature, +-n/a)

  Pokéball: n/a

  Abilities: Infiltrator (Developing)

  Moves: Astonish, Infestation, Quick Attack, Bite, Lock-On, Agility, Double Hit, U-Turn, Phantom Force, Take Down, Dragon Pulse

  Dreepy (Dragon / Ghost Type, Male, Rash Nature, +SpA/-SpD) [Partnered with Drakloak]

  Pokéball: n/a

  Abilities: Clear Body (Developing)

  Moves: Astonish, Infestation, Quick Attack, Bite

  Auxiliary Pokémon: A decent number of wild (only increasing)

  At Home (non-battlers): ,

  At Carl’s Ranch: (more than twenty), (Annihilape’s brother)

  Redi’s Team (outdated):

  Badges Earned: 7 (Mineral, Plain, Hive, Zephyr, Rising, Glacier, Fog)

  Approximate Team Strength: 6 Stars

  (Normal Type, Male, Adamant Nature +Atk/-SpA)

  Abilities: Guts, Quick Feet

  Moves: Scratch, Fury Swipes, Fire Punch, Baby-Doll Eyes, Slash, Ice Punch, Focus Energy, Thunder Punch, Hyper Beam, Rock Slide, Swords Dance, Giga Impact, Shadow Claw, Sleep Talk

  Porygon2 (Normal Type, Genderless, Quirky Nature +-n/a)

  Abilities: n/a

  Moves: Tackle, Sharpen, Conversion, Psybeam, Thunder Shock, Charge Beam, Discharge, Tri-Attack, Charge, Teleport, Recover, Thunder Wave, Magnet Rise, Lock-On, Zap Cannon

  (Dragon Type, Female, Rash Nature +SpA/-SpD)

  Abilities: Shed Skin

  Moves: Wrap, Leer, Thunder Wave, Twister, Slam, Agility, Aqua Tail, Dragon Rush

  Auxiliary Pokémon: x2 (Tibia and Fibula)

  Pokémon (and people) included in this chapter:

  Machoke

  Chuck

  huge thank you to everyone reading! Your support keeps this story going.