Pokemon Evolution: A fanfic for older Pokemon Fans

Chapter 9: Rare Bone

Author's Note: Yes, I'm aware it's a dumb joke. Yes, I know it plays into stereotype. But Ryanne is bad at flirting and neither character is great at "romance". Get over it.

The buzz of Bug-type Pokemon whirred like an electric saw as Ryanne waded through grass that reached her chin. The humidity of the Lush Jungle caused sweat to form everywhere; it made her skirt stick to her thighs, the tall brush clung to her arms, and beads snaked from her forehead down her cheek and neck into her cleavage... it was gross!

Mr.Hyde followed closely at her heels. His front paws dragged in the dirt and his tongue panted rapidly. The Trainer took a bottle of water from her bag, taking a long swig before handing the bottle off to her Lycanroc. The cobalt and white canine drenched himself in the remaining contents of the bottle.

Ryanne rolled her eyes and continued to scour the grass. A small pouch in her bag held four Revival Herbs, and she only needed to find one more to complete Lush Jungle's Trial. "Any luck back there Hyde?" she asked, her voice wilting as much as she was. Her Lycanroc shook his head.

They were both exhausted from practically swimming in grass the past two hours. "This is getting ridiculous, Mallow's probably looking for us by now. She probably thinks we're lost!" Parting another bundle of brush, Ryanne stepped through "This would be a lot easier if we had a machete or something... Why couldn't we just woooah!"

The Trainer's espadrille caught on something, causing her to lose her balance. Mr. Hyde reached out to grab her hand, but Ryanne's arms were flailing too wildly. As she fell, Ryanne's muscle memory kicked in, crossing her arms in front of her face. Thud! Dust from the jungle floor kicked up as she fell to the ground. Dirt stuck to her sweat, turning gross into grimy. Mr.Hyde shuffled through to help her up. He carefully retrieved her ovular glasses and the couple items that tumbled from her purse.

"Thanks buddy," she winced as she nursed the scrape on her arm. Stumbling to the spot where she tripped, Ryanne guided the tall blades aside to see what caught her foot. Jutting from the soil was what looked like a tan stick... and tangled around it was the vine of a Revival Herb!

Mr.Hyde excitedly pulled the stick from the loamy soil, passing it to his Trainer. A scratch under the chin was all the thanks he needed. Ryanne took a spare piece of cloth from a pocket and began to remove the dirt and dust from the stick. She sucked in an excited gasp.

"Hyde! Do you know what this is?!?" The Lycanroc tilted his head in curiosity. "It's a Rare Bone! They're special fossils that are worth a couple thousand Poké... at least!" Stuffing the Revival Herb and Rare Bone into her pouch, Ryanne and Mr.Hyde limped out of the deep foliage back to the Lush Jungle trail.

Mallow met them halfway, a worried expression clearly visible on her face. "Hey Sugar! I started to think you got lost." Ryanne playfully gave her Lycanroc an 'I told you so' jab. "But," the Trial Captain observed, "It looks like you just got hot, wet, and dirty." Both girls blushed at the double meaning.

Reaching into her purse, Ryanne extracted the pouch holding the Revival Herbs. "Here are those herbs you wanted."

"Wonderful Babe!" Mallow exclaimed "Normally I'd battle you for the Z-Crystal, but I think you've been through enough. You've earned it... and a bath." The Trial Captain retrieved a verdant green gem from her breast pocket, handing it to Ryanne.

"Awesome! That's the last one we need. Thank you!" She cheered.

The green-haired Trainer nodded in thought. "Sounds like a reason to celebrate to me." The find from earlier crossed Ryanne's mind. She reached into her bag and removed the Rare Bone with care.