Journey Through Johto |Discontinued|

Chapter 2.13: A Farfetch'd Situation

"This is a creepy forest." Emmy shuddered as they walked through the thick woods. "You say that about just every forest we're in." Sky rolled her eyes. "No, only the creepy ones." The former denied stubbornly.

"Stop the bickering, I'm trying to concentrate. I'd rather not get lost. Again. We are in the Ilex Forest." Zia said, her nose in the map. "See!? It even has a creepy name!" Emmy exclaimed like she just won the whole argument with that. "Emmy, Ilex is the name of a plant." The Luxray said bluntly.

"Use cutting attack!" A boy's voice close by ordered. "Cutting attack?" Zia asked, confused by the name of the move. "That's what he said." Sky shrugged. "Come on, Farfetch'd, use your cutting attack, please? I don't understand why you won't do what I ask you to, Farfetch'd." They looked over to see a boy in blue clothing with a red sash around his waist. He had a sort of basket strapped to his back, meant to carry sticks and logs of wood. He was standing behind a brown duck-looking Pokémon that was holding a leek.

Farfetch'd: The Wild Duck Pokémon
Lives where reedy plants grow. They are rarely seen, so it's thought their numbers are decreasing.

"Cutting attack! Cutting attack!" The boy ordered when his Pokémon didn't listen to him. When the Farfetch'd just looked away pointedly, the boy put his hands together in front of him, bowing his head, "Pretty please with sugar on it?" He asked pleadingly, only to still be ignored.

"Um, hello." Zia made herself known, stepping closer. "I happened to be passing by and it's obvious what the problem here is." She said. "You were watching me!?" The black haired boy, which was in a short ponytail, panicked. "Then you know that I'm a total failure as a trainer because I can't get my Farfetch'd to do one simple attack." He said more meekly, pushing his index fingers together.

Zia walked up to him with Sky and Emmy following closely. "It helps when you use the correct name of the attack." She pointed out. "I said 'cutting attack'." He muttered as his Pokémon cried in disappointment. "That's the right name, isn't it?" He asked, confused.

"It's called 'cut', or 'cut attack' if you want." Zia answered him, clearing it up. "Not 'cutting'? AH! I always make stupid mistakes like this!" The boy yelled before kneeling next to his normal/flying-type. "I'm sorry, Farfetch'd, let's try a cut attack this time." He tried again, only for it to look away.

"I really appreciate you helping me out. My name's Sylvester. I just started training this Farfetch'd and I'm having a hard time remembering all the attack names." He told the girl after they had all moved to sit down on a couple of fallen logs.

"I understand, it can be hard at first. You'll get used to it eventually, though. So, are you going to try and get into the Johto League?" She asked curiously, knowing it was a dream of a lot of new trainers. "Maybe somebody, but for right now my dream is to make purifying charcoal just like my father does." Sylvester replied.

Zia hummed, having heard about the famous Ilex charcoal made from burnt wood. Good for the environment, too. "I'm still trying to learn the right way to make it. My father's trying to teach me how." The boy admitted sheepishly. "I'm sure you'll get it soon." Zia encouraged him.

"One day I'll become a master charcoal maker! That's why my good buddy Farfetch'd and I are out in the forest today, I was trying to teach him how to cut the trees into perfect blocks." Sylvester explained, petting the bird Pokémon.

"Perfect blocks?" Zia asked, curious of the process. One could never learn enough. "Yeah, every piece of wood has to be cut perfectly. That's why I was trying to get Farfetch'd to use its cut attack, but I messed that up." He told her.

Zia smiled, starting to pet the Luxray lying next to her, "You never lose until you quit. So just keep trying." She urged him on. "You're right. Come on, Farfetch'd, let's give it another try." Sylvester said with determination.