Chapter 5- Ravaged Path: Tribulation

  Erdd awakens from his nap. Uncurling from around Sever he checks his pocket watch to find three hours have passed.

  Gently he says “Sever, it’s time to wake up.” and nudges the young Dragon to rouse him from slumber. A jawbreaking yawn later Sever is staring happily at his trainer.

  “You are in peak physical condition now. Are you ready mentally?” Erdd asks his friend. Sever ponders this question and finds the hunger more under control now than he’s felt in his life. “Gible.” He solemnly agrees.

  A psychic communication cuts through the calm atmosphere “Then consider your tribulation underway."

  The lake begins to thrash chaotically. Erdd’s mind races a mile a minute as he tries to wrap his head around what the lakemother is doing. The thinking takes a backseat, though, as a colossal wave raises from the lake and threatens to engulf the trainer and pokemon.

  “Run! To the cave wall!” Sever darts away from the wave nimbly but Erdd barely escapes being washed away. The two were resting on the north facing side of the lake after the gauntlet battle and the wall with the most open space is past the east side of the lake. They must cross the gap in order to escape the lake.

  Whips of water lash out from the lake and the team scrambles to dodge out of the way or take the least amount of damage while still getting out of their opponent’s territory.

  Just when Erdd believes they can dodge adequately the pattern changes to incorporate water bullets and whips, necessitating more scrambling to stay safe.

  Erdd takes a water bullet to the shoulder while dodging a whip but can only keep running with the pain.

  Sever has taken more hits but has not taken any major wounds. Once the water tried to bind him but he broke out with a timely Dragon Breath.

  Erdd and Sever make it to the cave wall they were aiming for, far enough from the lake that attacks from there were ineffective. Or so they think.

  The shore of the lake recedes from the outsiders, building for something. Receding, returning, receding, receding. RETURNING! When the water rushes back the golduck mother rockets with the momentum of the water, making a beautiful arc in the air and trailing a dizzying amount of water behind her, right in the direction of Erdd and Sever.

  The two stare at the golduck for entirely different reasons, Erdd trying to calculate what gym badge number a team with this pokemon could achieve, and Sever gazes at the majesty and scale of the attack and the power at this pokemon’s fingertips.

  When she is almost upon them the boys regain some sense that this is a battle. Sever gathers energy for Dragon Breath but Erdd throws himself over his pokemon to protect him from the coming impact.

  She lands right in front of them. The dust cloud tossed up by her impact is quickly washed away by the water behind her that continues moving after she lands.

  The wave washes harmlessly over Sever but it carries Erdd with itself. It forms a wall encircling Sever and the mother golduck, but leaving Erdd outside the ring.

  Sever releases the Dragon Breath he had charging. The golduck simply stands and takes it, not even losing the moisture on her scales. She transmits to Sever and Erdd.

  “My turn.”

  “Use Sand Tomb as a shield!” Erdd fervently cries as Sever is beset on all sides by water forming all sorts of attacks. There are jets, whips, bullets, throwing stars, orbs, all aiming for the young Dragon.

  The Sand Tomb lasts a mere moment, but it’s enough for him to jump out of the way and start dodging.

  In this moment something that has never happened before happens. Pushed to the brink of his physical limits and the pressure of danger everywhere, the instincts he usually has to devote effort to restraining, and his rational mind begin to want the same thing.

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  Survival.

  Sever moves like he’s never done before. In split seconds he maps a trajectory for himself, the threat levels of each attack whispered to him by instinct and calculated into his path.

  He feels quicker than he’s ever been and weaves around the most dangerous moves while willingly being hit by the ones he can easily take, even using them to boost his speed and move along his intended course.

  There is simply nothing in his mind other than surviving the continuous stream of attacks.

  Jump out of the way of a Water Pulse and recover faster by being pushed by a Water Gun to avoid Water Shuriken that was inbound to strike where he might have dodged. Endure the searing pain of a water whip to build the momentum to run from a barrage of projectiles. Use Sand Tomb push the dirt under him and launch himself over a part of his encirclement low to the ground. Charge a Dragon Breath on the way down, roll away from another whip when you land and take a water bullet to properly aim at and blast a Water Pulse mid air before it can reach him.

  This dance of absolute focus continues with Sever maneuvering all over the arena, taking some hits and dodging others. It goes on and when Sever has reached his limit and is on the brink of passing out, he feels a rumble in the earth.

  Following the feeling he lands where he felt the rumble and from the whispering he does not understand, charges scratch in both claws and uses them to block the incoming attacks for a brief moment before the disturbance reveals itself.

  The earth opens as a powerful Water Sport engulfs Sever and carries him up into the air. When rising the Dragon does not cease charging his claws, on the contrary, more energy and willpower fill them.

  When he comes down, by some twist of fate or clever prediction, his path will have him land in front of the golduck he is fighting. As he descends his claws reach out in front of him and the energy within them reaches out and combines, forming one broad cutting edge made of white energy that crackles with flashes of black as he uses Slash for the first time.

  The attack never lands, though. Sever is caught in mid air by the golduck’s psychic power and is set gently on the ground. She then disperses the water encircling them and communicates with Erdd.

  “He fainted. He fainted the very moment he created his final attack” Erdd walks forward to Sever and starts applying a Super Potion to several areas on his body, but she continues. “A ferocious one, I pity your enemies when he is fully grown. Your opportunity has been seized and tribulation weathered. Leave this place so I may tend to my own matters in peace.”

  Erdd finishes tending Sever’s wounds, returning him, then looks up and says “You are a wonderful teacher. Thank you.” as he does one last check that nothing is missing and marches back the way he came.

  ***

  Erdd makes it back to The Ravaged Path checkpoint without trouble due to the narrow path being recently cleared. This time he follows the oil lamps through the cave like he was supposed to and marches toward Route 204 South.

  There is an interruption along the way. Another geodude rolls out from a side cavern and lets out a “GEO” of challenge. Erdd fortunately has a way to deal with such troubles without pokemon.

  He reaches into a pocket and reveals a very smooth pebble. The geodude’s eyes lock onto it with interest.

  Erdd moves the pebble left and right, with each motion the geodude’s eyes follow it.

  Erdd then pulls his arm back as far as it will go and pitches the stone into the small tunnel the geodude came in from as hard as he can. The geodude dives to chase after it. With the obstacle removed, Erdd dashes past and only resumes a walking pace after he can no longer hear or see what he left behind him.

  Nothing else interrupts his way out of The Ravaged Path.

  The sun is setting when Erdd exits The Ravaged Path and steps onto the concrete road. This is the more developed side of the cave. There are better demarcated campgrounds and stone fireplaces on account of this being the side close to Jubilife City. The activity when the Gym Challenge is ongoing is immense, but when it’s not, there is little to no activity to speak of.

  Erdd claims one of the fireplaces as his own and sets up a fire and his tent for the night before reheating some starly he kept as treats for Sever over the fire.

  When it’s done cooking, he releases Sever. The pokemon is still waking up and groggy from his fight, but the smell of meat gets him laser focused. Erdd smiles at the little one’s antics and tosses a morsel of starly at his pokemon.

  In defiance of his archived behavior, Sever simply opens his mouth. The food lands in it, he chews and savors the flavor before swallowing. Then he looks with puppy eyes at his trainer, asking for more. “I thought it would take a week of hand feeding to get to this point given your behavior before we set out, but I think now’s the time I give you a bowl to eat from.”

  Sever blinks as he processes his trainers words. Some of the nuances are lost on him but the feelings of trust and pride in him get through clearly, eliciting a happy shout of “Gib!”

  So the sunset wanes on Erdd and Sever as the man talks about how well his pokemon fought and the pokemon is entrusted with a bowl to eat from his finest meal yet. When the food runs out and there is nothing more needing to be said the two retire to their tent to sleep.

  In the morning the camp is packed up and the little man and little monster set out to the next step of their great journey, Route 204 South.