The Viterals

Chapter 15: Cycling Road

By the time Bambi reached Cycling Road with her traveling mates, the night was dark. Umbreon hung in her arms asleep. A faint light lined the road below them, tiny orbs of moonlight dangling in their lampposts. One of the lights had gone out, which caused a fracture in the perfect symmetry Bambi found herself mesmerized by it.

"It's all going to be downhill from here," Farore said. She stood next to Bambi, and peered into the vast space. The great road stood above the water.

Zakana and Isaque moved into her periphery. "It's been downhill since I left Pallet," Zakana said.

Bambi sighed in her own heart. She pitied Zakana. Not because he was eighteen and had never really owned Pokémon or fought with them, but because of the way he was acting now. It was the way Bambi had acted five years ago—spoiled and entitled. Was he really 8 years older than her?

Each of the members still held the baby Eevee in their arms. Zakana held his cradled close to him. His sling was finally gone. Farore's was alert and awake, its frizzled brown fur frayed out like toughly handled straw. They were similar in appearance—Farore and the Eevee she held. And Zakana and his too—both sleepy and lethargic.

Bambi thought about the one that was ripped away from her. The bruise on Zakana's leg made her sick to think that thing nailed her baby.

I'll get it back from them. That's my Kappa's baby. They're gonna pay.

"So now what?" Zakana asked.

"Now we travel to Fuchsia City via Cycling Road," Farore said, "this wonderful length of Poke turf below us."

"How long will it take?"

"See that house down there?" Farore pointed long, colorful fingernails at a teeny tiny home with yellow light flooding out of its window. "We can see if there are any bikes to rent. That will be safer. No one has a flyer and if we ride on the backs of a Pokémon." Farore paused and looked to Bambi's sleeping Umbreon. "We risk what happened to us last night."

"No, thanks," Isaque said. "So we're traveling by night?"

"If we can get bikes, it shouldn't take more than a few hours."

Bambi wondered what a few meant here. When her dad said she could have a few minutes to look for Pokémon, it was always way different than her mom's few minutes. Now, she always knew whom to ask. She imagined, in the silence of her heart, what Farore's few was, but quickly realized it didn't really matter. They would get there when they got there, and despite everything that had happened, she felt safe.

Farore led the way down the steep hill, into the great black abyss below. In sure-footed strides, she scaled lower, without fear. Bambi was fascinated with her willingness to lead them. She tore through life in a way that made her seem unstoppable and yet extremely vulnerable. If she wanted to jump in the way of something hurting her Pokémon, she would, and then take the fall. Her Pokémon would live, but she wouldn't. That vision stuck out in Bambi's head the most.

And like Farore, she knew what she wanted. She knew what her line-up would be. She knew that she wanted to be a Pokémon Master, the Elite Four Champion. But before that maybe she could be the youngest Gym Leader to ever live. Even younger than Farore at her meager 14 years. She would have to do it in 3, and half a year had already gone by. If she did that, she could move into the Gym and leave the Academy. Less school was A-Okay with Bambi. She repeated her dream team in her head:

Umbreon, Meganium, Houndoom, Kingdra, Victini (yes it was a Legend, but she wouldn't stop trying until she found one, or the one, depending on what lore was true), and finally, Metagross.