Desolate [Pokémon Arven x Protagonist]

Not Ready For This

The next few days passed in a similar fashion. I would wake up early every day, have my breakfast, try my best to focus in class and take relevant notes beside my small doodles of Umbreon, then went out to the battlefield to train my team. I knew Umbreon had a lot of work to do if she were to be fit to fight when she was only at a level 19. She struggled to keep up with the others as she had almost half their experience. I could tell she was anxious about letting me down and not being as powerful as the rest of the team, but I kept assuring her she was doing amazing work. Penny often dropped in to see how we were doing and analyzed her levels and move set. She was able to learn Confuse Ray pretty early into the training, as it was only a level 20 move. I didn't think it would be too useful as it only confused the target, and even then, there was only a 33 percent chance it would miss their attack. Additionally, if somehow it worked and the titan hurt itself, I could guarantee it would barely leave a mark on its own health. I wasn't sure if the dominant ghost-type move would still be super effective if it didn't do anything. I didn't tell Umbreon any of this, obviously, but I did start to worry when Friday came. Everyone had gone up at least four levels. I was aiming to have everyone in their 30's, but when I woke up that Friday morning, I had a nervous suspicion that we weren't ready.

I chose not to keep my phone silent, only at a vibrate, in a weird hope that one of my friends had found a stash of the expensive level candies somewhere in the shrubs. Before my last class was over, my phone lit up dimly with my brightness settings at its lowest. I saw Arven's name pop up along with his text message beneath reading:

Asado Desert. Are you ready?

I swallowed. I was afraid I wasn't, but I knew that time was valuable. We still had no idea if the effects of the Herba Mystica would wear off. I hadn't noticed any regression in Koraidon, but I wanted to get him and Mabosstiff back to full health as soon as possible in case something happened. I didn't know what could possibly happen, but my anxiety was beginning to creep in.

I looked up at the teacher who had her back turned to us, writing something on the board. I took this moment to quickly send a reply:

I'll see you there

When class was dismissed, I brushed over my belt to make sure I had everyone. I counted five several times as I made my way downstairs to the entrance of the building before letting Koraidon out. He let me adjust myself on his back before standing up straight. "I really do wish you could fight, buddy," I told him. "I could imagine how strong you really are behind your impairments, whatever happened to you." Koraidon sighed, and I rubbed his snout. "Don't worry, we have two more titans to defeat, and you'll be back to feeling young and healthy." I pulled up the map Arven had texted me with an X at his location and showed Koraidon where to go.

He ran down the stairs, nimbly avoiding everyone in his path, and leapt over the high walls of Mesagoza to start his descent towards the desert. Koraidon remembered the way there, having been there before to find Numel, so he ran and flew more confidently and erratically over the hills and down to the West Province. I held on tight to his whisker reigns and his slim waist as he jumped into the sky and crashed to the ground before rebounding back up. He seemed excited. Every time we were in the air, he threw out his head feathers as if feeling the wind. I could tell he liked being in the air, and it gave me further proof to believe that he was once able to fly. I didn't know how, but if Pokémon like gyarados could do it, I was sure there was a way.

When we arrived at the sandy biome, it was a little windier than when we were there last. Koraidon allowed me to stay on as we walked around, looking for the other Naranja Academy student. His legs were a lot stronger and had no problem traversing the collapsing sand. I zoomed into the picture of my phone to figure out where we needed to go. The red X seemed to be in the middle of the desert at a clearing. I wasn't sure how large the desert was, so I commanded Koraidon to walk straight into it. I had to shield my face as the dusty wind swirled around us, but I still kept a lookout.