Chapter 12- Route 203 1

  Route 203 is the Route connecting Jubilife City to Oreburgh City, along with Oreburgh Gate.

  There are three main sections to this route.

  The western side is a paved road connected to Jubilife. North of this road is rolling plains and fields, with a few sparse trees and tall grass, suitable for finding wild Pokemon and having battles. Often this section of the Route is used by the citizens of Jubilife to practice with newly met Pokemon, and is usually overcrowded at the start of the Gym Challenge. Even now there are a few Trainers looking for battle on the hills or in the grass. The long road comes to an abrupt halt at a set of stairs carved into a steep cliff denoting the next part of the route.

  The middle section of Route 203 is shorter than the other sections but much more dense in foliage. No longer does concrete dominate the path but grass and trees stake their claim. In addition to the more vibrant wildlife there is a prominent lake north of the rough path to the next staircase in the ever escalating cliff face.

  The eastern end of the Route is much higher up than any portion before it. The path starts out easy enough with a simple dirt road before hitting a dense grassy field. North the dirt path, should you scale some steep hills, is an expanse of wild habitat going all the way to the trees off Route. After following the dirt road and striding one’s way through the overgrowth eventually another well walked dirt path winds into the entrance to Oreburgh Gate, a short stretch of cave flowing directly into Oreburgh City proper.

  Many trainers have taken to the Routes in anticipation of the Gyms opening. Some to train with their new partners, and others with a pokeball and a dream, stalking the field for a lifetime friend.

  It is calming for Erdd to be back on the road. The battles with Rowan’s proteges worked him up immensely, there is nothing like facing a respectable opponent to him. While he walks he takes the time to reflect on their battle, and most importantly his new rivals. He shivers in anticipation of their next battle, hopefully less one-sided than their first.

  Once or twice a trainer passes him, curious about a Gible trainer, but Erdd simply breezes by them silently. He feels something in the air, a string of fate, ineffable but undeniable. The next important step on Erdd’s Way is ahead of him.

  Walking with as fast a pace as Sever can follow the duo makes it to the staircase up the cliff by lunchtime. They remain at the base of the stairs and make their way to the side and the cliff face itself to set up temporary camp and have lunch.

  After lunch Erdd centers himself with deep, meditative breaths before focusing on Sever. “Time for daily training. We will be using the cliff here to practice Dig. Dig is a Ground move so it is natural to use it in areas with gravel, sand or dirt. Now you will be practicing on a cliff, more attuned to Rock, thus it will be more difficult, though not impossible to Dig through.”

  He checks to see if Sever is following and the Sand Shark is listening intently, so he continues, “The key to overcoming this is force. Break the outermost rock into sand and use that Ground as a spearhead to break through the Rock wall. Remember Sever, this is following the principles of the world, Ground trumps Rock.”

  Sever takes a few moments to process Erdd’s teachings before nodding and making his way to the small cliff face. Following his instruction, Sever breaks down the outermost rocks into a sand-like powder and uses Dig.

  When Dig is used in the dirt it is no different then swimming through water, as the dirt parts around Sever. Through rock it is a much more labor intensive process as he is making a tunnel, breaking down the rock in front of him then reforming it behind him, to eventually be turned back to stone once the Ground energy stops influencing it.

  More than difficult it is slow, and after making sure something will not go wrong with his partner’s training, Erdd moves on to his own exercises.

  It is hard to focus on his work with The Strings speaking to him so loudly.

  He tries to conquer the song playing in the back of his mind, egging him to advance faster through the Route to find the source of this fate. But he cannot advance so recklessly. The Way Erdd follows demands he never cut corners or skip steps along the way.

  After their usual training period is over, and not a second before, they take a break. Erdd congratulates Sever for the consistent progress being made. The camp is gathered up and the two make their way up the stairs to the middle ring.

  Though a little obscured by trees, in the distance Erdd makes out the lake and the few small streams lending to and from it. Mind focused, Erdd leaves the regular trail to veer toward the lake.

  Sever takes this as his Shiver Leader looking for a fight and eagerly follows along. Though no trouble finds them as small time threats are wary of the apex predator.

  After some walking the two come across a shallow stream, making muddy ground along its bank. There seems to be an object of interest here, prints in the mud of what seems like several pointed legs. Curious that is, given that no native species would leave such prints.

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  Speaking of Pokemon, the local fauna seem to have gone quiet. Usually a shuffle or sound of Pokemon trying to hide or run in the grass is audible, but here in this living forest, is silence.

  When Erdd just begins to raise his attentiveness, it strikes! Descending from a treetop is a Pokemon, claws out and aimed at Erdd’s head!

  Erdd whips around and just in time his hand wraps around the purple blur’s tail, stopping the claws from going deep as they nick his jaw! Erdd quickly flicks the Pokemon past him and Sever, interposing the Pokemon between him and the threat.

  Finally, with a moment to breathe, Erdd identifies this Pokemon. Small size class, round face, small claws and a scorpion tail covered in a purple carapace can only be a Skorupi. What one is doing here is anyone’s guess, though.

  “It seems the fortune I seek has found me instead.” Erdd speaks to no one in particular.

  As if Erdd’s words were a signal the Skorupi launches itself forward again with claws glowing a sickly purple.

  “Sever!” Erdd barks, telling his Pokemon to do what he does best.

  The Gible is quick in conjuring his Slash attack, just in time to swing it at the incoming scorpion. Skorupi fights against Sever’s Slash with his own double Poison Sting. The attacks clash with force, each Pokemon pushing on one another back and forth in a struggle.

  Just as Sever channels energy into the ground to break the stalemate, his foe beats him to it. A barrage of green spikes shoot from Skorupi’s tail in with a Pin Missile at point blank range!

  A few hit Sever as he quickly backs off and switches to Dragon Breath to burn the rest of the Pin Missiles before they land on him.

  Just as quickly as the Pin Missile is consumed, Skorupi launches another attack. This time, instead of infusing his claws, the Poison Sting snoots out like darts, cutting through the Dragon Breath defense. It begins to inflict more wounds and builds up a poison that could potentially end the fight.

  “Sever, use Slash to cut his attacks!” Erdd finally gives another command. Quickly the barrage of Poison Sting stops hitting as Sever cuts them down before they can touch him.

  Still probing at a distance, Skorupi fires another Pin Missile. As Sever deflects the incoming projectiles, Erdd speaks one again, but not towards his own pokemon.

  “Skorupi! You are a rare species around here. Your kind are known only to appear in any quantity in the Great Marsh. Why do I find you in such a plac-” Before Erdd can continue, Skorupi completely stops attacking Sever. Instead, from his flanking position Skorupi makes a mad charge at the human, this time with claws glowing with a deep, loathing Dark.

  “Take Down, please and thank you.” Erdd orders before sighing slightly.

  Mid route to Erdd, Sever blindsides the Poison type with a body cackling with Normal power and sending Skorupi flying away! Sever takes a few steps to steady himself and handle the recoil as the Skorupi is much worse off, but slowly rising back into a fighting stance.

  “I find our meeting here improbable, but your hostility more so. You do not yet have to contend with the emotions of a Dark type but still you attack me with such unearned hate.” A fierce, chittering cry puts an end to Erdd’s words once again as Skorupi, bruised from a direct hit, charges Sever once again with Dark imbued claws.

  Once again the two clash. Slash meets claws and instead of Pin Missile, Skorupi immediately uses Poison Sting with his tail’s claw. Sever steps back to parry the attack with his Slash but is relentlessly pursued by claws, teeth and tail. Though not losing, Sever is on the back foot. Having to deal with two attacks at a time instead of one and being pushed around in the process.

  “We mean you no harm, fierce warrior. Parlay with us and it will go well with you.” like the times before, Erdd’s words are not received well.

  This time, instead of a shriek or blind rage, Skorupi funnels hate into his claws. Powering the Dark contained within them and catching Sever flat footed.

  The Gible tries to restrain the opponent’s offence by using a Growl but the impact of the hits he takes in return is hardly worth the stamina saved by the support move.

  With the space created when Sever was hit, Skorupi uses his own status move, Leer. Lowering Sever’s defense and returning the two to square one. Both tired from their exchanged blows and with Sever getting close to poisoning, the two clash once more.

  Sever is holding on but it will be anyone's guess at who will fall first at this rate.

  Erdd decides enough is enough and this fight needs to end before Skorupi will listen to reason.

  “Dragon Breath, Dig” he reluctantly orders

  Sever intrinsically knows what his leader’s orders entail and lets out a quick burst of flame, forcing Skorupi to dart back briefly. But when he darts back into the frey, Sever is no longer there. Quickly and violently does Skorupi learn the position of his foe, below.

  Sever erupts from the ground as he uses Dig to deal a massive hit to the off guard Poison type! Being thrown to the floor once again, Skorupi makes a struggle to get up.

  But before he makes it to his feet, Erdd damns him. “Sand Tomb. Let him out when he has calmed down.”

  Skorupi is consumed by the sand erupting around him. After that fight he just doesn’t have the blasting power to break free of Sever’s tempered grip. Eventually, fury recedes and cold unconsciousness takes Skorupi.

  And just like that the fierce, savage slugfest is over. All it took was one command and Sever’s effectiveness was multiplied enough to turn an even fight into an absolute stomp at a moment’s notice.

  “Good job, Sever. We will wait here until he wakes up. Our business is not finished.” Erdd murmurs while applying Potion and Antidote to Sever’s wounds.

  Together the little man and little monster wait for their prey to awake.