Pokémon Azurite | An Orre Fanfiction

Chapter 51: Autograph

Delphina, Tansy, Fuchsia and Tom didn't return to the house that night. After they all lost at some point in Mt. Battle's Area 3, they pitched Delphina's tent on the volcano's slopes. Their Pokémon cheerfully gathered around the campfire lit by Pignite, other than the Ice-types who, of course, congregated around the cooler.

Tansy was the only one to get as far as the Area Leader, Victoria. She lost, but Skrelp finally evolved into Dragalge. She felt like a proud parent, but also like a nostalgic parent a little sad to see their child all grown-up. They had, after all, been together since Tansy was three.

'Now I know how Skrelp – Dragalge! – felt when she saw me packing my bags to take off to Orre on my own.'

Fuchsia's Froslass enjoyed suddenly appearing behind both its Pokémon and human friends, but even all the Pokémon were used to it. No-one jumped anymore. Froslass was disappointed. It began to freeze marshmallows instead. After Snom enthusiastically nibbled at one of them, it glowed. It only evolved at night after forming a deep bond with its Trainer. Delphina, its original Trainer, was as pleased to see it so happy as Tansy was.

'Wow! Two evolutions in one day! Well done!'

Wings emerged from Snom's cocoon of light. It temporarily swapped with Delphina's Grovyle so she could register Frosmoth in her Pokédex.

Wandering by was a Larvitar. Everyone froze. They knew it was rare. Delphina silently stood to creep after it. An engine gurgled on the highway. Startled, Larvitar dived into the nearest burrow.

The perpetrator was a familiar pink motorbike. Amaryllis' hazel eyes glowed with an unnerving mix of rage and determination. Tom threw a gas station Poké Puff. It landed near the burrow. When the noise faded, Larvitar emerged to sniff at it. Delphina hastily gestured to Dustox. It fluttered over to shake Poison Powder. Larvitar hesitated. It almost retreated, but it was angry.

'Dustox, come back! Go! Grovyle!'

After Grovyle's long day at Mt. Battle, Larvitar's weak Bite didn't do much damage. It gradually wore Larvitar down with False Swipe. All six Poké Balls that Delphina threw shattered. After catching Numel, Fletching, Geodude and Gligar while they sat around the campfire, she had no more left. Tansy passed her a Great Ball. It shattered. The poison sapped the last of Larvitar's energy. Delphina backed off when a wild Numel approached to carry it back to its burrow. Picking up the remnants of the shattered Poké Balls, she felt deflated.

'It happens,' Tom assured her, 'When I caught Sableye and Piloswine...'

His Swinub and Fletchling evolved into Piloswine and Fletchinder at Mt. Battle.

'A Bagon took out all of my Pokémon except Espeon – and ate my only Revive. I didn't have a Meowth in hell's chance of catching it.'

The distant whir of scooters echoed in the distance.

'I was never this hard on myself at the Ranger School... I don't know why I am now.'

'It's 'cause the stakes are higher,' Tansy said, 'I'm not saying training to become a Ranger was easy – I couldn't bloody do it – but it was easy in the sense that it was familiar. It was what you expected to do. This is totally new to you.'

'In a way, my Ranger training was much harder... but yes, it was easier because it was familiar. Because I was raised by Rangers, expecting to be a Ranger.'

Fuchsia quietly stroked Sylveon. 'We could do with Rangers here. Maybe that'd put Cipher off coming back for the 200th time.'

'There are Rangers who are also Trainers in other regions... but I don't think those Rangers, or the ones we have in Fiore, are enough to scare away an evil team like Cipher. And, I would worry that when there's no trouble, the public would become too relient on them, like in Fiore. They would need a truly great leader... someone like my grandpa, but who is also a passionate Trainer, as strong as Jamie.'