Little Pokèmon, Big Dreams

Chapter Three: Nobody's Fool

Now certain that Shinx, Eevee, Pancham, Buizel, and Scraggy wouldn't be able to catch up to them today Red and Bolt settled down to rest. They weren't quite far enough away to camp but they had traveled a fair distance from the river.  Red was starting to feel discouraged now that the only plan they had had in mind was done- they had crossed the river, but where did they go from there? Should they continue in a straight direction ahead?

"Where do we go from here Bolt," Red asked.

"Well if we keep going straight in the same direction we'll be pretty easy to track, after we make camp tonight I think that tomorrow we should pick a new direction to travel in. I still doubt that Shinx or any of his friends will be following us, but if he's as influential on other Pokémon as I estimate he could actually have convinced bigger, stronger Pokémon to come after us instead," Bolt admitted. Red gasped.

"You never said anything about other Pokémon following us!"

Bolt frowned and shook her head.

"I hadn't thought of it until now. Tell me Red, you know more about Shinx than I do, just how many Pokémon listen to what he says? I never socialized with many Pokémon in that part of the forest so I had never met him until that fight. If four Pokémon follow him like lackeys then just how many other Pokemon do what he tells them to do?"

Red sighed and looked in the direction they'd come from. Memories of Shinx swirled around his head, none of them too pleasant.

"Buizel, Pancham, Eevee, and Scraggy are the only Pokemon who ever did what he said because they're the only Pokémon he ever bossed around. He didn't really run the territory per say, he more of enforced his own set of rules on the place. Any Pokemon that couldn't really fend and provide for themselves were targeted and either chased off or became reclusive and mean from being beaten up- the only exception being me. Ever since I wandered into the territory I've had problems with Shinx because I never fought back or left."

"Why did you stay so long if they bothered you all the time?"

"Well I just really liked the place, it felt like a sort of home. The scenery was beautiful, food was plentiful, most of the other Pokémon were kind and didn't bother me, it was pretty peaceful. Shinx and those other Pokémon were the only ones who really caused any trouble, so I figured if I could just move around the area and avoid them then I could stay. They always found me eventually though, and Shinx just became angrier and angrier with each time that he ran me off. I never really left like any of the others did because I didn't want anywhere else, I was tired of wandering and having nothing when everything I needed was here and being guarded by a bully."

Bolt tilted her head and frowned.

"Weren't there any stronger Pokémon who could stand up to them?  None of them can be that strong."

"Any who tried were hit when they were distracted and suffered endless annoyance. I remember hearing about a Noctowl who had stood up to Shinx several times to defend a few smaller Pokémon who lived in his tree with him, but one day while he was sleeping in the daytime Shinx hit him with a Thundershock. When he fell to the ground the others all ganged up on him and left him knocked out cold, the other Pokemon living in the tree couldn't do a thing and watched in fear that they were next. Noctowl was eventually revived, but he never talked back to Shinx again; he and the other tree dwelling Pokémon left whenever Shinx entered an area. Some of those Pokémon even moved to different trees."

Bolt grimaced.

"Of all the nasty Pokémon out there this Shinx is probably by far the worst I've ever met, and I've been to alot of places and met alot of Pokémon. The more I learn about him the more I'm actually worried that he's going to follow us. Worst yet, just as I feared, he's not stupid. He's cunning and willing to be devious. Come on, we should travel a bit farther then find a good place to rest for the night. We'll also need to find some food and water."