Pokemon: Fate's Path

Chapter 21

Jay Wolfe

The trip hadn't gone as smoothly as we all had planned. Valhalla had attacked the ship, though there were only minor casualties and one or two deaths before they were beaten and retreated. Soren had gotten a riolu, which he had named Foxy, though I wasn't sure how well it would do in battle. The first thing it had seen after hatching was its trainer being murdered. Still, at least it hadn't been killed or taken to be used against others.

"This place is... really run down looking." Freya commented as we passed another building with rusted trash cans in the alleyway . "Or maybe just grungy. I'm surprised considering there's a gym leader here."

"I know." I responded as I looked around as well. "Feels like a place people shouldn't go outside at night unless they want to be shot, stabbed, or robbed."

"I wouldn't trust not getting attacked in the daylight either." Soren muttered as a rattata scurried in front of us before disappearing down another street with a meowth on its tail, though it wasn't long because a squeak was quickly cut off a second later.

"Yeah... guess you're right." I sighed, tensing as a loud clang rang out before seeing it was only a purrloin and snubbull fighting.

Soren pressed closer to me anyway as he looked around. "We should all stick together, it wouldn't be good if we were attacked on our own by some drug dealer or something."

I nodded and took his hand reassuringly, though I doubt it eased his tension that much. "Come on, we should find the gym and Pokémon Center before it gets too late."

"It was supposed to be around here according to the person we asked at the pier." Freya commented as she slowly kept walking and searched for the familiar looking building. "Do you think we passed it?"

"Maybe it was a trick." I didn't want to think about that but considering the sign and bright red roof wasn't visible... maybe the Pokémon Center wasn't around here.

"Eon." Curse flattened her ears against her head at the thought and pressed closer to my shoulder.

We continued traveling in silence as we searched for the Pokémon Center. I was about to give up and suggest heading back to the port where it would at least be cleaner to sleep outside when wild barking and growling came from up ahead. Freya immediately ran ahead and I followed close behind with Soren to see what was going on. I nearly ran into her as she came to a stop and moved to her side to get a better look at the scene in front of us. Three men with various dog like pokémon attacking a single houndour, which was chained to a railing without hope of being able to run away. It was obvious by the fierce, merciless, attacks on the weakened pokémon that those trainers were part of a pokémon fighting ring, which was only backed up by the types of pokémon they were using.

"Think we can take them?" Freya asked as she started pulling out a pokéball.

I nodded. These types of pokémon were tough in a fight but they would never work together like ours would. "Yeah. I'll take the one on the left, you and Soren can get the other two."

Soren pulled me back as I started moving forward. "Wait, I'll go first, they could be armed."

I twisted out of his grip but Freya was the one who spoke up. "I can defend myself against them, we have pokémon for a reason after all, I'm sure we'll be fine unless they notice we're here!"

I sighed in irritation before letting Sköll, Hati, and Torracat from their balls while Curse jumped down from my shoulder to join them on the ground. "Come on then!"

Freya was right at my side, releasing her charmander and pikachu to fight as we ran. I heard Soren give a curse behind us as he followed with Finn, Hoodini, and Slash to take on his own opponent. The three men turned as they heard our approach and their pokémon: mightyena, manectric, growlithe, houndoom, absol, lycanroc, and granbull growled as they awaited the command to attack.