Pokemon: Advanced Wishes Black or White

Chapter 29: Come and Get It

"So, what's the plan for today?" May rested her hands behind her head.

"Well, we're a day away from the town where your contest will be. If we walk till nightfall, we'll be there by morning," Cilan informed May.

"Perfect, I can't wait; I'm excited for my comeback!" May cheered. Ash and his friends admired her energetic spirit. Suddenly, two kunai landed near Ash and May. The startled couple shrieked when they saw the sharp tips stuck in the dirt. May felt her hair stand up in fear, "Where did that come from?!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu and Axew got around Victini, ready to defend it.

"It looks like it came from the trees," Iris suspected.

"Show yourself!" Ash demanded.

"What brings you to the forest?" a raspy voice asked. Ash and his friends refused to answer the voice. They weren't sure whether it was friend or foe. A man dropped from one of the trees. He wore a blue coat and a black-orange shoulder pad on his left shoulder. The stranger had tan skin, whitish-blond hair, and amber eyes. "I'll ask again. What brings you here?" the man revealed another kunai hidden in his sleeve.

Cilan waved his hands, "We're not looking for any trouble. We were just passing through, so there's no need to harm anyone," the nervous gym leader laughed.

The man lowered his weapon. He analyzed their scared faces and chuckled. Just as Ash and May let their guards down, he threw the small blade in their direction. They shut their eyes and waited for the weapon to strike until they heard a thud; they opened their eyes and found each other in one piece. Ash looked to his right and saw the blade stuck on a tree trunk.

The teens and Pokémon let out a sigh of relief. "Your story seems credible. Besides, you kids don't look like you'd provoke any trouble; I apologize for scaring you like that," the stranger acknowledged. His words alleviated them.

Their attention turned to the sounds of wings flapping. Not far behind, they saw a Honchkrow land on the man's right shoulder. "Honchkrow," the bird squawked.

"Good work, Honchkrow," the stranger grinned at his partner.

"Honch honchkrow!" the bird addressed him.

The light-haired man eyed the friends, "My Honchkrow believes I should apologize again for frightening you, so accept my apologies." The man bowed.

Ash stepped forward, "No worries, but why did you startle us?"

Just as the stranger was about to respond, he spotted Victini peeking behind Pikachu. Victini? The man wondered, then turned back to Ash. "Why don't I explain at my cabin? By the way, my name is Wes."

"Hi, I'm Ash," Ash held his hand out.

"Hi there, I'm May," May got beside Ash. She felt at ease when she saw Ash open up to him.

"I'm Iris," Iris rolled her eyes at the stranger. She was still annoyed by his initial distrust.

"And I'm Cilan, it's a pleasure," Cilan saluted Wes.

"The pleasure is all mine," Wes smiled and shook Ash's hand.

***

"My Pokémon and I reside on this route. We make it our responsibility to protect the local Pokémon. Honchkrow is the scout around these parts. He notifies me if there's any trouble brewing, especially if someone is attempting to take some Pokémon from their homes. I was worried you might be poachers," Wes explained to his guests around his table.