Chapter Text
The summer days had stretched to their scorching limits, bringing the full fury of the season to the northern reaches of Hoenn.
Heather preferred the winter. Darker things in general, a preference she carried plainly. Dark clothes and long, ruby-green hair. Rimmed glasses, balanced on the end of her nose and thick heavy boots that trod the dry earth underneath. In weather like this, her look was one she was now paying for dearly. She felt stuffy and suffocated in the parching heat, but sacrifices had to be made. And this was just in the forest; she was not looking forward to her trek through Route 111's infamous desert.
She had places to be. Seven-for-eight badges now, with only Mauville City's left. And after that, the League. She was really going to do it. The little shut-in from Lilycove, going all the way.
She still hardly believed how far she'd come. What started as a roundabout therapy to keep her mind occupied had become a semi-serious goal. If she really did it, she'd be the fist person ever to beat the Hoenn League with only one Pokémon.
Heather looked down to her belt, to the Moon Ball attached to it. A round pokéball of teal and black, with a yellow moon straddled across the top. She reached up, wiping a line of sweat off her brow. "Whew," she huffed. "I think it's about time for a break." She found a nearby tree and walked over into its welcome shade, sitting down her backpack and unfolding her supplies for a midday picnic. When her blanket and food was set, she stepped back and plucked the Moon Ball from her belt, holding it up with a smile. "Up for some fresh air?"
She tossed the ball. It rolled through the air in an arc, trailing towards the ground. A moment before impact it erupted in a burst of light, crescent moons shooting out in a burst of color. A shining shape appeared next to the blanket, large and glowing. The glow vanished, replaced by a shape solid and dark. A coiled Seviper, its black scales and yellow armor shining in the sunlight. Fast asleep, body rising and falling with long, steady breaths.
"Sevvy!" she called.
The Seviper raised its head, eyes opening lazily as it fixed its glance on her. It smacked its lips, just barely awake.
"It's past noon," she chided. "You're still asleep?"
He flicked out his forked tongue.
Heather rolled her eyes. "Well, I made us lunch. Still want that nap?"
The word 'lunch' brought a flash of attention into his serpentine eyes. He craned his head over to the blanket, and the food laying out on top.
She chuckled, walking over. "Yeah, I thought that'd wake you up. C'mon."
Heather sat down, unwrapping her meal as Sevvy watched her closely.
Her ever-stoic, ever-lazy companion. Her best friend. Sevyy. Her Sevvy. Inseparable and unstoppable. But for now, unfed.
Heather bit into her rice ball, watching with a glint of mischief as Sevvy dart his tongue toward it.
"What?" she asked. "Get your own."
He opened his mouth with crimson fangs. "Sehhhh...." he hissed. "Seviper."
"That sounds like a you problem, Sevvy."
"Sev-seviper"
She shrugged. "You sure? I don't wanna waste a good rice ball."
"Sehhhh-viper."
"Well, okay, but you better catch it."
She picked up one of the rice balls, balling it into her hand. She reached back, then threw it as hard as she could over Sevvy's head.
Sevvy struck with liquid speed. He lept up from his coil, jaws flying wide as he snapped the rice ball right out of the air and clamped his jaws shut. He pulled back down, reeling himself back into his coiled state.
He smacked his lips contentedly with half-lidded eyes.
Heather leaned over and brought her hand to the bottom of his mouth and began to scratch it. His eyes fluttered shut, his sharp tail bobbing in delight like a puppy's as she worked her hand around to the side of his head.
"You're a glutton, you know that?"
"Sehhhh...." Sevvy cooed.
She took up another rice ball, bit out the top half as she kept scratching Sevvy's head. When she reached for another, she saw a new shape out of the corner of her eye. She wasn't alone.
Heather turned from her friend, seeing that she wasn't alone.
On the road, was a man. An older gentlemen with a bushy white mustache in a brown suit, a dark cane clasped in one hand. On his head, a matching bowler hat, and a golden chain danging from the pocket of his neatly-pressed pants.
He turned his head, his shoulders rising in a tiny surprise when he spotted her. "Ah!" he declared, lifting his hat in greeting, "good afternoon, ma'am."
"Afternoon."
The man nodded, looking up to the sky. "Beautiful day, isn't it?"
"I guess?"
He shrugged. "Ah, when you're my age, you learn to appreciate days like this. I see you're making good use of it, though."
Heather saw Sevvy lean forward, snatching one of the rice balls off the blanket with his tongue and swallowed it loudly.
"Just taking a break," she answered.
"And out for a walk myself," the gentleman concurred. He fully turned toward her, planting his cane into the dirt. "Say, that's a strong-looking Seviper you have there."
She chuckled, thumbing over to her friend. "That's just Sevvy. We're headed to Mauville to challenge Wattson. I think we have a shot."
Sevvy nodded. "Seviper."
The man tapped his cane once. "In that case, how about a battle? Can't go wrong on a day like this."
Heather leaned back, an easily smile working across her face. She stood and dusted herself off. "You know what? You're speaking my language."
The man grinned, reaching behind into his chained pocket. From it he pulled out a Luxury Ball, its ebony-gold surface gleaming in the sun. He stepped back as Heather approached, giving her the road as their battleground.
He tapped the center of his pokéball and it expanded to its full size. "How about best out of three?"
Heather shrugged as she approached. "Sorry, Sevvy's all I got. But if you want..." She looked back to her friend finishing off the rice balls. "...I'd be fine with Sevvy taking them all on."
The man lifted his brows. "Three versus one? Are you sure?"
Heather nodded. "Positive."
The man tugged on the brim of his hat. "Very well! Ready when you are!"
Heather punched her open palm. "All right! Sevvy!"
Sevvy lazily crawled forward, rolling his neck as he came out next to her.
The old man threw the Luxury Ball into the air. "Let's begin!" Go, Golduck!"
The black ball exploded in golden light. A tall Golduck dropped out from the burst, whistling the air with sharp slashes.
Heather pointed forward. "Get 'em, Sevvy!"
Sevvy crawled forward, smacking his lips. "Sev-iper."
Heather jumped back, the man retreating to his side of the road in turn. The battle had begun.
"Gol-Golduck!"
The Golduck threw its head forward and spewed out a thick geyser. A coiling column of water, thick as a log and barreling towards Sevvy's head in a mad spiral and the sound of deathly flood.
"Move, Sevvy!"
Sevvy simply watched the water approached, smacking his lips. It was on him, the front end of the column's spray touching his face and in that second-splinter he dodged. Ducked with the same liquid agility as the column now soaring over his head, coiling out until it smashed into a tree on the side of the road.
He bounced back up, grinning cockily at the Golduck with its dripping maw. "Seeeeviper."
The Golduck gritted its sharp teeth and bulged its throat for another burst and threw it forward as heavy as the first. It traveled it an arc this time, coming to slam into the side of Sevvy's throat. It threatened him again and went sailing past him again as he corkscrewed out of the way, twisting his long body in knots for the barrage incoming.
The water-type was rapid-firing, a mishmash of careful blasts and potshots as it tried anything to score a hit on the black serpent to no effect. Sevvy was too fast, moving with cocky dodges at every shot. Sticking his tongue out to taunt his opponent, which only served to incense the Golduck even more.
Two more geysers, one high and one low. Sevvy jumped, the first sailing below him as the second high one came screaming towards him. His eyes went wide and his body snapped like a spring, throwing his whole mass into a long coil wrapping around the geyser. It went right through him, pulsing through the hole between his tail. The water went flying into the trees, shattering into a mist that brought a rainbow into the blue sky.
Sevvy spun in the air, landed with a plop, then slithered forward with open jaws.
"Seh-vi-per!"
"Zen Headbutt! Now!" the man shouted.
The Golduck backflipped, bent its knees and soared forward with its head glowing blue.
"Sevvy! Watch out!"
Sevvy leaned his long body out of the way at the last moment, watching the Golduck sail past him with demonic speed and twisted his body to meet the Golduck's legs. He suck his jaws into the Golduck's webbed feet, catching them and whipping his head over. Sevvy undulated his body, rolling his head as he spun the hapless water-type in a circle, wind whooshing with every pass, the Golduck screaming "Gol!" with every loop.
Finally, Sevvy whipped his head upward and opened his jaws. The Golduck went tumbling to the air with a final fwoom, tumbling up like a ragdoll with limp weight.
"Golduck!" the man cried. "Wake up!"
An exhausted "Golduck..." whispered from the air as the Golduck reached the height of his arc, then plummeted to the ground. Everyone's eyes followed the blue target as it fell to the earth. Golduck hit the ground flat. It bounced once, and flipped over on its back as the last of its strength left it.
Its tongue lolled out of its mouth, eyes rolling. "Gol-Golduck..."
Its head fall back and hit the dirt.
The man sighed, and recalled the defeated Pokémon. "That's enough."
The Golduck dissolved into a red mass, retreating back into the safety of the ball. The man shrank the ball, dropping it into his pocket as he took out another Luxury Ball. "Impressive."
Sevvy bounced on his tail. "Seeeehviper."
Heather crossed her arms. "You'll have to do a lot better than that!"
He tugged on his brim. "I'll accept that challenge! Go, Baron!"
The Luxury Ball trilled through the air, then burst in another golden halo of light. A large Marowak formed out out it and dropped to the ground with its bone club spinning. It twirled it through the air, over its shoulder then finally brought it to a dead stop, pointing one end to Sevvy.
"Maro-wak!"
Sevvy tasted the air with his tongue, unimpressed. "Seviper."
The Marowak sucked in a breath of air and lurched its arm back for a throw. "Maro-wak!"
It threw its bone club, the long weapon cutting the air as it spun towards Sevvy with unerring accuracy. Sevvy ducked, then popped back up to stare at the Marowak with a confused tilt of his head.
"Seviper?
The club slowed in the air, then curled back towards Sevvy like a boomering.
Heather's eyes went wide as she called out. "Watch out, Sevvy!"
Sevvy turned his head just as the boomering slammed into the side of his jaw. In a blur of black, his head slammed down to the dirt, kicking up a brown cloud of debris.
"Sevvy!"
The cloud plumed up, obscuring everything but a vague, still black shape. As the dust cleared, Heather could see him clearly: Sevvy's body, coiled up and not moving.
"Sevvy..."
He raised his head towards the Marowak. The club in his jaws, with a confident grin stretched across his face. He'd caught it. "Svvvmhiper," Sevvy goaded with a mouth full of bone, then winked.
A flash of raw fury rose in the Marowak's eyes, its most sacred treasure defiled by Seviper spit. It trumpeted a roar of fury and broke forward in a blind charge, one fist raised to clobber Sevvy into submission.
"Baron, stop!"
The Marowak ignored him, blinded by rage. Sevvy watched its angry stampede upon him with cool, calculating eyes. He waited until the enraged Marowak charge until he was right upon him, then snaked out his sharp tail in swinging jab. It screeched through the air, planting its tip in the neck of Marowak.
The ground-type froze, eyes wide. "Marro?" it stammered.
Sevvy kept the tip dug in for a second, then released. The Marowak stumbled.
He whipped his tail in the air, then sharpened the sabre-like end over to his red fangs.The Marowak took a single step forward, still reeling in shock. Then another. And another. Sevvy actually coiled back in surprise as the Marowak stomped over in step after painful step, grunting out in exhausted effort until he was right in front of Sevvy's face.
It quickly snatched the bone club from Sevvy's mouth, then leered at Sevvy with an accusing glare. "Marowak," it huffed, then collapsed face-first into the dirt.
The gentleman sighed and recalled Marowak. "Return." He deposited the ball into his pocket. "I see now. Your Seviper is quite skilled, young lady."
"He gets the job done!"
"Seviper!"
"Very well. But don't celebrate just yet. I have one more."
He reached into his pocket, pulling out a ruby-red pokéball with indented black sides. Heather's brows raised. A Cherish Ball. Those were expensive. The gentleman lightly tossed it forward. "Showtime, Lucas."
The ball exploded in a haze of red, the mon's shape materializing from the light. A Lucario. A dressed Lucario, with a black half-cape hanging over its shoulder, and one paw held behind its back, looking at Sevvy with a serene glare. It had the air of a gentlemen, complete with fur graying at the tips of its paws and ears.
"Fancy," Heather complimented.
"You're looking at the Ever Grande Grand Champion," the gentleman beamed.
"The what?"
He smiled. "Long time ago, there was no 'League' or 'Elite Four'. There was just regional champions, pitting their all in every city across Hoenn. And back in my day, Lucas and I were unchallenged."
The Lucario tossed its cape over its shoulders and struck a fighting stance. Auras of bright blue plumed around its paws.
"Lucas? Show 'em a thing or two."
The Lucario looked over his shoulder to the gentlemen, nodding firmly, then dug its feet into the dirt. It grunted in effort, voice growing into a hard growl as the auras around its paws flared in radiance. The sapphire haze enveloped its body, shaking with power. The Lucario's growl grew into a long howl and the aura continued to grow in size and magnificence, wind billowing around the steel-type's body until the whole world seemed to have paused to swirl around its body.
Sevvy slithered back a bit, a twinge of nervous worry in his eyes.
Heather stepped back as well. "Uh, Sevvy? You might wanna-"
The Lucario bolted forward. Instantaneous speed that saw its glowing black paw slam into Sevvy's right jaw, sending him flying into the air with a single punch. He sailed as a long, black kite into a nearby tree, hitting the bark with a deafening thud and sending a rain of leaves down on his body.
"Sevvy!"
Sevvy stirred, shaking the leaves off, worming his jaw around the fresh mark on his cheek. He spat out a leaf, leaving a mean glare on the Lucario across the road.
"Sehhhhhhviiiiiperrrrr..." he hissed.
"Get in close!" the gentleman ordered.
The Lucario moved on Sevvy in disturbing agility, trailing afterimages behind it and descended on Sevvy with a wall of punches in every direction. Sevvy dodged the first few with his own quicksilver speed, but even that was not enough. Right hooks and forward jabs blew past Sevvy's defenses, whipping his head in every direction from the raw beating.
He couldn't last. Had to stop it or he was done for! Heather's mind raced, throwing together a strategy on the fly. "Glare, Sevvy!"
Sevvy's eyes pulsed with an evil light. An uppercut met his head. He went sailing through the air again, hitting the center of the road.
The gentleman laughed. "Cheap tricks won't work on Lucas!"
"Noted!" Heather called. "Don't let him get close, Sevvy! Toxic!"
Sevvy lurched back and spewed a stream of noxious purple gunk around him, coasting the road around him in a circle. The Lucario froze its assault, freezing just as the strench of the toxins reached its nose. Sevvy reached up his the slashing end of his tail. Beckoning twice. "Seviper."
The Lucario took a tactical step back. Thinking.
Sevvy seized the moment, belching forward another glob of venom. Lucas weaved out of the way, right into Sevvy's tail slamming into his head. Now it was the Lucario that went flying, spiraling through the air in clockwise spin.
Lucas landed on his feed, paws behind his back. He cracked his neck once, and brought out his arms to flare his aura to greater heights. He cupped his paws and threw them to his side, growling in a growing roar as a ball of energy grew between them.
Another ball of poison rolled up Sevvy's throat. He hurled it towards Lucas, the gooey purple ball trailing a noxious cloud.
Lucas stood his ground, every moment spend concentrating on his attack then released it all at once. He threw his paws forward, blasting out the winding ball of pure energy that shot through the poison ball and vaporized it in a flash. It weaved through the air, taking strange turns in a path to Sevvy, now retreating under the threat of the blast.
No dodging this one. Even Sevvy wasn't that fast.
Heather's mind raced. She called an order on instinct.
"Stockpile!"
Sevvy slithered forward to meet the blast head-on. His jaw unhinged, opening wide as the blast fell into his waiting maw and crashed down into his throat. He snapped his mouth shut, blue wisps pouring out from his lips. He swallowed. A glowing lump traveled down his throat, merging into the flesh of his scaled body.
The Seviper was still for a second. Then, a low, dull thud thundered from inside Sevvy's body. He jerked, mouth opening on reflex as a glittering blue cloud pushed out from his mouth.
The Lucario's arms went limp, eyes wide with disbelief. The gentlemen shared his expression, mouth agape in awe.
"He-" the man stammered, "he ate an Aura Sphere. How?"
Sevvy burped.
"No matter. Lucas! Finish him off!"
The Lucario nodded, and threw its paws behind its back a second time. Growing its power even more, the Aura Sphere swelling in size until it was as big as Lucas himself, swirling with supernatural energy that sizzled the air.
Sevvy, still wobbling in place from his unwanted meal, one eye half-closed. Out of it and completely helpless.
"Sevvy! Wait!"
"Sehviper..."
Lucas threw the Aura Sphere. It launched with a howling scream, pushing forward in a surge of light that blew away dirt and leaves in a wide sphere in aura's path. It sparked along the ground, casting the whole road in a fey prominence and bathing Sevvy in its final dying glow.
Contact. The sphere struck, erupting in a glorious blue fire. It deafened everything, consumed everything until there was nothing left and the ball retreated into itself. It shrunk, imploding inwards until it winked out of existence, leaving nothing but a blackened star of soot in the center of the road.
Lucas lowered its arms, breathing heavily, sweat beading on its head. When it saw the star, a flash of concern reached its soulful eyes.
The man stepped back. "Oh dear."
Heather covered her mouth.
And behind it, grinned.
"Wrap, Sevvy!"
Lucas spun around, but it was too late. A thick, black tail coiled itself around the Lucario's neck.
Sevvy looked down on his prey, fangs dripping venom. "Seeehviper!"
"Lucas! Get him off!"
The Lucario's eyes went shut, sharp teeth gritting as his paws wrapped around the length of Sevvy's tail. Aura wisps surged along his limbs, body glowing with power as he tried to wrench the Seviper off his throat. The aura grew until his whole became aglow, and slowly Sevvy's tail began to lift from Lucas's neck.
Heather pointed. "Don't let go, Sevvy! No matter what!"
Lucas opened his eyes, pupils glowing with energy. A second wind entered his body, and he slammed the sharp steel spines of his paw into Sevvy's body. Sevvy screeched in pain, but stood to his orders and redoubled his squeezing wrath. The tail lifting from the Lucario's neck came crushing back down, squeezing it in every direction.
Lucas stabbed, then kicked, then finally resorted to punches as his eyes grew heavy. Every punch grew weaker, sadder. Until they were nothing more than taps against Sevvy's body, barely pushing into his scales.
Finally, Lucas sagged. He fell to his knees, Sevvy's whole body weight down on his shoulders.
"Lu-"
"-cario..."
He fell forward, Sevvy's tail still on his neck.
Sevvy bobbed his head three times, then released his grip and coiled up next to his defeated opponent.
Heather looked up to the gentlemen. He was still as stone, looking down on the defeated Lucas.
He nodded, and held up the Cherish Ball. When Lucas was returned, he held it up with a smile. "You fought well, Lucas." He put away the ball, then looked back to Heather. He held out both his hands, then clasped then together.
"Bravo!" he cheered with a clap. "Very, very well done!"
Heather rubbed the back of her head with a grin.
"I haven't had a battle like that in ages! Not to mention I can't even remember the last time someone thrashed Lucas like that! Bravo, young lady! Bravo!"
She chuckled. "Yeah, you were pretty good too."
He exhaled. "Oh, believe me, I feel like I could run a mile now. I must say, that's the most fearsome Seviper I've ever seen."
Sevvy beamed with a cocky pride. "Seviper."
"And you said you were going to Mauville?"
"Yeah," Heather said. "We're only one badge away from the League. I'm gonna make a real shot at it."
The man pointed his cane to Sevvy. "With a Seviper like that, you may just do it."
"Seeehviper."
"Yes, you are quite something. And you too, young lady. If I may ask, why are you so interested in the League?"
She shrugged. "Well, I dunno. I just kind of..." The words jumbled in her head. Mixed with memories she didn't care to recall. "I, uh. I did it to kind of...get away from it all? You know? And then me and Sevvy got way further than we ever thought. And now, well. It's sort of the only thing to do at the point. Not a lot left for me in Lilycove."
"I see."
She winced. "Bad answer, I know."
"No no, I didn't mean to pry." He reached into his pocket. "In any case, I think I owe you something for your victory, hm?"
She raised her hands. "That's not really-"
He took out a small pokéball, shining ruby-red. A Cherish Ball. He tossed it into the arc into Heather's grasp. She cupped it in her hands, staring at the treasure in dumbfounded awe.
"I can't take-"
"I insist."
She frowned. "Okay, if you're sure..."
"After a battle like that? You've earned it."
She clasped the shrunken ball in her palm. "Thanks!"
He lifted his hat. "The pleasure was all mine, ma'am. Good day." And with that, he turned to the road and continued down the path, whistling a cheery tune.
She watched him leave, until his whistling was but a whisper on the wind. When he was gone, she turned to Sevvy. He was in the middle of the road, licking the fresh wounds on his tail.
"Sevvy! Don't lick those!"
"Seviper."
She walked over to her pack and dug out a Super Potion. With a bit of coaxing, she convinced Sevvy to stay still while she sprayed him down with the concoction, healing him well enough until they made it to the nearest Pokémon Center.
"You alright?"
"Seviper."
She scratched his chin. "You were great back there, Sevvy."
He closed his eyes, basking in her attention with a twisting tail. "Seh...
She smiled. Her Sevvy.
A gentle breeze pushed against her. It pulled her attention away from her friend, forcing it up to the road ahead. Something new had appeared on the horizon. A great billowing cloud of dust, peeking over the mountaintops. A sandstorm, raging in Route 111's small but angry desert.
"Oof," she muttered. "Don't like the looks of that."
There were other ways around, but the desert was the shortest way to Mauville. And...it'd been a while since they'd crashed at her Secret Base to the south. Be nice to sleep in an actual bed for once. She looked down to Sevvy. "You're lucky, you know? I have to go through that and you get to stay all nice and cozy in your ball."
He grinned. "Seviper."
She took out his pokéball. "Yeah, don't rub it in."
Sevvy dissolved into a red glowing mass back inside the ball. She shrank it, placed it back on her belt, and looked up to the sandstorm raging beyond.
"Hoo," she huffed, and pulled out her Go-Goggles, fitting them snug against her eyes. "This'll be fun."
It wasn't.
The dusty air sizzled her skin, wind howling in a gaze that sent ever-constant blasts of sand buffeting against her. Her clothes billowed in the dark brown storm, one hand in front of her head as she tried to navigate the dry blizzard. She'd come into the desert with a spring in her step, a spring she'd lost about a mile back along with any hope of clean clothes. The sandstorm that had seemed imposing from far off had only gotten worse halfway through her desert journey and now it seemed like it was out to get her, specifically.
A large grain dinked against the glasses of her goggles, the only thing keeping her bearings straight.
"What gives?!" she shouted through the storm, "never seen it this bad!"
Only the wind and sand answered. She trod forward. No sense in slowing down now. The quicker she got out of the storm, the quicker it'd be over.
"Just keep going, Heather," she spoke to herself. "Just gotta-woah!"
A rock jumped out of the dry blizzard ahead, sailing towards her head. She ducked as it went whistling overhead and vanished into the sandy darkness behind her.
Heather blinked, heart pounding against her chest. "Wow. Okay." She turned, a new goal set in her mind. "Yeah, we need to get out of this."
With a bit of squinting, she was able to just barely make out a shape ahead. A small mound of rock, jutting out from the desert floor. She nodded, changing course and trudging through it, arms in front of her head in case another rock tried a pass at her.
Step after slow, grinding step until she pushed her way to the mound. As she approached, she saw a dark shape against its stony walls. An indent.
No, a cave! Shelter!
"Yes!" she declared. "Just need to augh!"
Her boot stopped suddenly, sending her tumbling forward. Her shin struck something hard, a bolt of pain jumping up her leg as the rest of her sunk into the sand. She cried out in a surprised yelp, hands bolting to her injured leg to sooth its pain.
"Auuuuugh! What did I-"
She looked down, expecting to see a rock. Instead, it was something else. Something artificial. She sat up, ignoring the pain and shrieking wind.
"What the..."
She leaned over, pushing the sand aside. It was...a box. Smooth and gray, with strange symbols etched into its side. The carving of eyes staring back at her, wide and judging. They looked...familiar.
She reached forward, digging the rest of it out of the sand. About the size of a badge case, worn by the elements but still in one piece. She held it up, shaking it. Something inside rattled with pleasant thumps.
Kwooooosh!
Heather jumped, lifting the box up into the air in shock as Sevvy's ball activated on its own. Sevvy materialized next to a her, a look of concern plainly plastered on his scaly face.
"Seviper?"
"I'm fine!" she yelled back, "I'm just-"
The box landed back on her leg to an explosion of pain. She howled, clasping it again as it rolled off her leg. "I just-it's this box Sevvy! I tripped on it!"
"Seviper Seviper?"
"I'm fine!" she yelled, "Just...help me get to the cave, okay?"
He nodded and scooped up the box into his jaws. She weakly rose to her knees, Sevvy tucking his head under her armpit. She limped the rest of the way to the cave, the sharp pain falling to dull ache as she worked her way over.
Finally, they reached the mouth. The wind died a little, then ceased as they stepped inside the cavern's maw. The wind that seemed to press in every direction was suddenly muffled, a lonely echo that whistled from the mouth of the cave as they pressed deeper inside.
"Okay," she muttered. "I think we're good."
Sevvy ducked out from under her arm, watching her as she pressed her back against the cave wall and slid down.
She breathed out in an exhausted heap. "Whew. I don't think I've ever seen 111 this bad. How about you, Sevvy?"
He spit out the box. "Seh. Seh-viper."
"Thought so." She picked up the box, turning it right-side up. "Let's see what I almost destroyed my leg for."
A rusty latch on the side gave her access. With a bit of strained effort, she finally flicked it upward, a small drift sucking into the box's gaps.
"Huh. Airtight."
The top came loose. She carefully pulled it away, looking down into the contents of the box. Crammed along the smooth walls of the inner walls, figurines. Tiny, stylized figurines of Pokémon, polished surfaces gleaming even in the darkness of the caves.
"It's little statues."
She plucked one of them out, balancing it between her fingers. A small, metal depiction of a Lucario, one of its hands raised like a saint's blessing.
"Hey look, it's Lucas."
Sevvy tasted the air. "Seviper?"
The figures clinked together as she ran her fingers through the mass of them, admiring their handiwork. "Huh. They're all Pokémon. Look, here's a Bronzong, a Growlithe..."
A heavy at the bottom of the pile met her fingers. She plucked it out with a little more effort than the rest, a metal Snorlax coming up as her reward. "Huh. This one even feels heavy."
Sevvy leaned in towards the metal figurine and sniffed it.
She put it back. "Seems like something an old person would have in their home."
"Seviper."
"Hmmm. Yeah, looks even older than that. Think it's from the ruins?"
"Sehhhhviper?"
Heather shrugged and looked out to the sandstorm. "Well, not like we can go check at the moment." She turned her attention back to the figures, digging through until she found one that stood out among the rest. A figurine with zigzag patterns and sharp claws to its side, a mean glare staring back at her. She held it up in front of Sevvy with a sly grin. "Hey look, a little Zangoose."
Sevvy glared at it. A low hiss poured from his mouth.
She pushed it closer to him. "C'mon, don't wanna be friends with your eternal enemy?"
He turned his head away. "Seviper."
"You sure?"
He spit on the ground in contempt.
She pulled back with a chuckle, dropping the metal figure back into the box. "Well, it was worth a shot."
Of course, she'd expected that reaction. There were many Pokémon that naturally didn't get along, but for Seviper and Zangoose, it was inborn. Hardwired. They didn't have battles. They had fights to the death. Claw and tooth meeting until one lay lifeless on the ground. The Blood Feud, stretching back since time began. An eternal cycle of violence. She always wondered if Sevvy had ever fought a Zangoose. If he had blood on his own fangs, another victim of the feud that showed no signs of stopping.
A yawn worked its way up her mouth, and she found a new priority washing over her body. She clapped the box shut, fastening the hatch and set the box down to the side. "Storm's still going," she sighed. "Guess we're stuck here, Sevvy. At least until it dies down a bit."
Her words sent Sevvy to coil up next to her. "Seviper."
She took his meaning with a smile, leaning over and resting her head against his thick tail. She closed her eyes, serenaded to sleep by the sounds of the raging sands beyond.
When Heather woke, the sandstorm had died down to something passing safe. She gathered her belongings, including her new find, and journeyed out back into the sands. With the better visibility, it wasn't long until she found herself at the other end of the desert.
She breathed in the clear-ish air. "Whew. Glad to be out of that."
Ahead, South 111, thick forests lined the road. Still as hot as the north, the road ahead shimmering in the haze of summer heat.
Still a ways to go. Her secret base was still pretty far ahead, and Mauville beyond that. While going straight to the Center was tempting, she was set on spending at least one night in the base. A bit of a tradition any time she was on her way to Mauville. Just her and Sevvy, alone together and watching awful movies on that ancient television she had inside.
Her hand went to her belt, picking up Sevvy's ball from her belt. "Just a bit more," she assured.
She journeyed onward, doing her best to ignore the heat. A fog of warmth that seemed to suck the energy right out of her bones, and barely an hour after her departure from the desert, she found herself with no more energy to continue on.
Not without a break.
As luck had it, she'd come across a nearby river. Small but coursing, white water pouring over the rocks.
A Feebas jumped up from river, body flailing. Halfway through its arc, a Magikarp also jumped up into the water and collided with the Feebas midair. They both barked out surprised cries, then plummeted into the river together.
Yep. Time for a break.
She walked over to the river's edge, sitting down and releasing her pack from her shoulders. She brought it over onto her knees, rooting around until she felt the hard surface of the strange box. She pulled it out, sitting it down in front of her. With it secure, she took out Sevvy's ball, tossing it next to her. It spun in the air, then exploded into its kaleidoscope of crescent moons. The Seviper appeared in a coil next to her, his eyes half-lidded.
He raised his head, arching a brow at her. "Seviper?"
She waved at him. "Hey, Sevvy. Just taking five."
He retreated back into his coiled position and closed his eyes. "Sev."
She rolled her eyes. "Can always count on you to be productive."
He didn't reply. She shrugged, bringing her attention back to the box. Out of the storm and into the summer light, she could see the contents much more clearly now. She took out of the figurines out of the box, admiring the handiwork in the sun's glow.
"Wow," she awed. "These things look...old?" Not old. Ancient. Like something she'd see in a museum, behind glass, and with a serious-looking Machoke guard watching her every move. She looked over to her companion, wiggling the figurine at his probably-unconscious body. "These might be worth something, Sevvy."
He snored.
She decided to inspect them all. One a time, she picked out each figurine from the box, arranging them in neat lines on the ground next to her. Golurk. Xatu. Growlithe. Meowth. Koffing.
Snorlax. Lugia. Milotic. Pikachu.
Lucario. Inteleon...
Zangoose.
Heather held up the last from the box, its little eyes staring back at her with all the intense ferocity of a real Zangoose.
"Wonder who made these," she said. "When we get to Mauville, might have to track down an archaeologist or something. Wonder how long they were buried there."
On the back, strange glyphs. A clue to its origins, if a useless one. She leaned over to Sevvy, holding the Zangoose figurine in front of him once again. "Don't suppose you can read Ancient Mysterious Writing, can you?"
Sevvy opened one eye, slit pupil landing on the visage of his natural nemesis. He stuck out his long tongue at it with a grumble.
She grinned. "You know, maybe I should keep this one." She pressed it towards him, causing him to lazily lean away. "What do you think?"
"Seviper..."
"Yeah, you'd just toss it when I'm not looking." She turned it back over, rubbing the figure's head with her thumb. "You know, I've always wondered. Is the plural Zangeese, Zangooses or just Zangoose? Because I've-"
The figure pulsed with light. Heather jumped in place, a jolt of pain racing up her arm as the metal Zangoos flared with an orange glow, bathing her face in a light that drew her in.
"What the-!"
Her palm opened in reflex. Tried to drop it, but the pain remained. She scrambled back, waving her arm in a blind panic as the searing, itching pain wormed its way up, like lava pouring into her skin. The figurine was glowing brighter now, attached to her palm like a glue.
Sevvy bolted up, eyes wide as he looked down on Heather struggled in pain.
"Seviper?!"
Heather sunk to her knees. "Sevvy!" she screamed. "I-I can't-!"
The heat blasted through her arm again, blowing her mind to pieces as liquid agony poured into her palm. She worked her eyes open to the figurine stuck into her hand, and watched with horror as it began to move.
Began to sink. It dug into her open hand like a sinking ship, disappearing in a gradual glide down into her flesh.
"Sevvy! Help!"
Sevvy's tail whipped in wild alarm. He bolted his face forward to the Zangoose's head, clamping down and pulling back.
The agony doubled. Heather screeched in pain.
"N-No! Not that!"
A new glow met the corner of her eye. As Sevvy ignored her and tried to pull the figure back out, she turned her head and looked on horrified awe as the other figurines had matched the other's glow. Shining, glowing, beaming with that same orange light that...
That...
It burned into her eyes. She turned away, closing them as the figurine sunk ever deeper into her hand.
With a final tug, Sevvy's mouth plopped off the figurine, and he went tumbling backwards to the ground. He scrambled back up in an instant, looking down on Heather with a horrified expression. He couldn't save her. Couldn't do anything but watch, and...
His eyes fell to the other figurines. With a huff, rage built in his eyes and he slammed the bulk of his tail against them in a single swipe, knocking out the box and the glowing figures into the air. They tumbled up, then down and into the river in a constellation of splashes, steam pouring out from their impact.
And the pain kept onward. Pulsing, furious radiant suffering now, the very tip of the figure's head sticking out of her hand.
It sunk, lower. Its pointed ears just barely emerging from her skin.
With a final pulse, its body disappeared into hers, leaving a circle of orange light.
The pain...
Subsided.
Heather caught her breath in a single gasp, body relaxing all at once. She rolled over, grasping her aching palm with her other hand.
"Gah!" she huffed. "I-!"
No longer was pure pain coursing through her hand, but it still hurt like all hell. Her hand had been slammed in every door in Hoenn, and a Machamp had done the slamming.
"Gods-!" she hissed through gritted teeth, "that-!"
Sevvy snaked up next to her, mouth open in serious concern. "Seviper Seviper!"
The pain lessened a bit. A bit.
She opened her eyes, bringing up the pained palm and holding it in front of her face. A tiny orange glow was still in the center, but even that was fading with the pain that felt almost manageable. Almost. She flexed her fingers, wincing as a fresh roll of dull hurt rolled through.
"What the..."
She willed herself to stand, her knees buckling under her exhausted body. She didn't just hurt, she felt like she'd run a mile or twenty. Fresh sweat rolled down her face, muscles like jelly and bones like mud.
"That was..."
She breathed out, letting her lungs deflate in a long, dragging breath. The pain in her palm now was almost gone, fading away like a dream. She looked down to Sevvy, still watching her with obvious, intimate concern.
"Seh...viper?
"I'm fine, Sevvy. I just...what was that?"
He looked out to the river, flicking his tongue. "Seviper."
"Yeah. Pain seemed to go down when you kicked it in the river, but...still. Did that just...happen? You saw that, right? Zangoose figurine just dug into my hand?"
Sevvy shook his head. "Yes, unless we hallucinated the same thing."
Heather froze. What. "What."
"Just had to be the Zangoose one..."
He was...talking. Not her language. Talking in his own tongue, but she understood him with perfect clarity.
"Sevvy?" she breathed.
He frowned at the river. "Not the Snorlax or the Meowth..."
"Sevvy."
He looked back to her. "Hm?"
"Sevvy...I can hear you."
"And?"
"Sevvy...I can understand you. Actually understand you."
He was still for a moment, then flicked his tongue. "Beg your pardon?"
She stepped forward, hands shaking. "Sevvy. Say something. Say something random that I couldn't guess."
"I...what?"
"Just do it!"
He rolled his eyes, waving the tip of his tail in the air with a cocky grin. "I, am Sevvy. And I hate naps and I loooooooove Zangooses."
"...You hate naps, and you love Zangooses."
Sevvy's grin shattered into a flabbergasted gawp. "Oh." He quirked a brow. "Now how long has this been going on?"
Heather threw out her arms. "Just now, Sevvy!"
"Huh." He moved the tip of his tail over to the his chin, using it to scratch the underside in contemplation. "Hmm...must have something to do with that infernal Zangoose statue your body swallowed."
"That wasn't exactly intentional! Also, you're taking this pretty well!"
He pulled his tail away. "So are you."
Her voice fell into a disorganized babble as she tried to come up with a rational reply. But nothing about this was rational. Not the statues, not the Zangoose, certainly not Sevvy...
"You!" she started. "You..." Her limbs fell to her side.
Sevvy looked back to the river. "Come now, you can't say this is that unusual."
"This is pretty unusual, Sevvy."
"Other Pokémon can talk with their trainers. What makes this so odd?"
"Because those are psychic types, Sevvy."
"Oh. Well. That's cheating."
She sighed. "Have you always been talking like this?"
"Oh, no ma'am. I've been saying 'Seviper Seviper Seviper' the whole time, until just now."
"...You're mocking me."
"Wouldn't dream of it, Master."
Him calling her 'Master' sent a sharp pang of epiphany through her heart. She could really, truly understand him. She stepped back, holding out her hands. "Okay, we have to test this."
Looking up, she spotted a Noctowl roosting in a hole in the tree above, sleeping the day away. She held up her arms, waving out as she called the Pokémon's name. "Hey! You! The Noctowl!"
The Noctowl stirred, and opened one annoyed eye down on the noisy human below. "What? What do you want, human?"
"'What do you want, human?'" she repeated.
The Noctowl recoiled. It stood up straight in its roost, then pushed itself out in a surprised hoot, taking off a flurry of shed feathers.
Heather watched it retreat into the sky, then slowly looked down to Sevvy. "By the gods, I can understand Pokémon."
"I noticed," Sevvy replied.
"You're not helping."
He yawned. "Should I?"
"This is serious, Sevvy."
"You were pretty good at guessing the gist of what I was saying before."
"I don't think you're grasping the gravity of the situation! I! Can! Talk! To! Pokémon!"
"Believe me, most of us aren't worth listening to."
"You excluded, of course?"
"Of course."
She dragged a hand down her face. "I think this is a situation."
"I suppose it is," he affirmed. "So, what now?"
She walked over to her pack and picked it up. "Going to our secret base."
"And...what will we be doing there?"
"We're going to watch a bad movie, I'm going to go to bed, and I'm going to wake up and realize this was all a bad dream. And in the morning when I wake up, everything will be back to normal."
"As you wish."
She hefted the backpack on her shoulders. "Come on. Before I try to wake myself up some other way."