Pokemon: Fate's Path

Chapter 12

Jay Wolfe

A few days had past since we made it to the city of Vrard and we were already on the road again to Valo. The closer we got though the more anxious I became and it wasn't because of the upcoming gym either... no it was because I would have to face my parents again and by now they would've heard about Valhalla. If I saw them they would want me to stay home and if they knew Valhalla was after us they would lock me up in my room and keep me under a twenty-four seven watch. Sure it was to keep me safe, I knew that, but it irritated me at the same time. I handled myself this far, with the help of the others of course, I didn't need them worrying about me.

I sighed and glanced at Curse as she walked at my side, a new purple scarf around her neck for the journey through the cold. She didn't need it of course but after seeing it Curse hadn't wanted to leave the store without it, so I bought it for her along with the rest of our supplies. At least it would help other trainers know she belonged to someone and wasn't just a rare find in the wild.

"Hey, you still feeling okay?" Soren's voice made me jump slightly, though it wasn't that noticeable thankfully, and I turned to face him.

"Of course. It isn't unbearably hot anymore and we're back to night travelling to keep those Valhalla thugs we heard about from finding us, why wouldn't I be okay?"

"Um, I don't know." He glanced back at the path. "I just wanted to be sure though. You were out for a while after we got to Vrard."

"I know but I just needed some rest and time to cool off. It was nothing. I'm just used to weather more like this." I waved my hand in a circular motion, signaling the cool temperature and whistling wind created by the mountain we were trekking across. "Not to deserts and their heat."

"A desert is a place with little to no precipitation. So cold places can be deserts too." Freya pointed out.

"Whatever." I muttered. I had already been aware of that but I hadn't meant the broad technical term Freya had mentioned, though I felt as though she knew that already.

We continued walking up Howling Pass, the sun fading in the west as the day dragged on and made the shadows lengthen while the cold air grew colder. The latter could've just been the heightening altitude as well though. Not that I minded. It was actually very enjoyable other than the freezing wind... that I could do without. Josef gave a shout and we all turned to see him stand back up as he glared at the rock he'd tripped over before checking his tablet.

"You know, maybe you wouldn't be such a klutz if you watched where you were going." Freya laughed.

I smirked and joined in. "I doubt even that would help. We're just lucky he didn't cause an avalanche or something."

Josef gave a sarcastic laugh before sending a stinging remark back. "At least I'm warmer up here that you. I bet you'd fall off the mountain if the wind wasn't partially blocked by the rock."

"Why don't you fall again and we'll find out? I'll even call timber to make sure anyone else around here got a warning." I shot back.

"Guys wait!" Ivan walked between the three of us and looked up at the next ledge. "I saw something up there."

"Like what?" Soren was instantly on the defensive as he pulled out a pokéball.

"There were two people I think." Ivan shrugged. "It was hard to tell, I just caught a glimpse. It could've just been a pokémon though."

I moved to join them in staring at the ledge before looking at Curse. "Can you hear anything?"

Curse's ears twitched as she listened before looking back up at me, her ears now pinned to her head. "Vee."