Pokemon SilkWhite: Journey through Johu

Chapter 10: Stay OUT of our business.

Brandon scratched his arms, slowly getting up. The person who had spoken to him was running off into the trees just ahead of him. Should he follow them? Or keep to himself? They were clearly serious, but this was the person who had hurt both of his friends. They needed to be stopped.

Brandon quietly followed them through the forest before Beedrill turned around. Brandon took off out of the forest, and didn't stop until he got back to the hotel, slamming the door behind him, and getting a dirty look from both Kyle and the Hotel Manager.

"Beedrill was chasing me, sorry," Brandon told Kyle, who's eyes widened.

"Damn. I think Charlie is still mad at you. She's talking to Sofie right now."

"Sofie? How the hell did she find us?"

Kyle's face went blood red. "I.. told her."

Brandon chuckled. "Ahh, I get it," he replied with a grin.

"Shut up."

"Okay, ladies man."

Kyle punched Brandon in the arm. "Anyway. Should we head to the next town? Ashbourne City is just through the Ashbourne Grove."

"Oh, for god's sake. The girl with the Beedrill, she went into that grove.."

Kyle nodded. "Ashbourne is apparently a hub for Team Razor activities. We need to find Diglett, so we should go now."

"What about Charlie?"

"Sofie hasn't battled the Gym yet, so they'll probably both do it later," Kyle explained.

"You sure do talk to Sofie a lot," Brandon joked, as they headed deeper into the grove.

The grove was a dark place, with threes leaning in over the path. Brandon turned on the flashlight and started down the path, looking left and right for a break in the woods that could lead to a Razor base. After a while, they spotted a woman at the end of the path.

"Hey!" Kyle called, and the woman ran off.

"Really, dude?" Brandon groaned, as he took off running after the woman, who took a sharp turn out of the grove and into a clearing.

"Route 6, huh? This leads to Ashbourne. Let's go. She must be heading to their hub building," Kyle replied.

Brandon nodded. "You were from Ashbourne, right?" He asked. Kyle nodded.

"Yeah, haven't been back here since then, though. Your dad fucked up a lot of our plans by going missing."

Brandon frowned. "It's not his fault he disappeared!" He argued as they stepped into the city.

Ashbourne City was huge compared to the other cities of the Johu region. Even the small areas surrounding it were more populated than Skoro Town, and it was a weird contrast.

The trees were pretty much all cut down, with an exception of four or five in the centre of the town as a design choice. The houses were of varying colors, mostly brown and white, and were very close together. Most notable, though, were the buildings.

"Damn.. these are huge.." Brandon looked to the top of the department store with awe.

Kyle nodded. "Unlike Penrith, this place has always been huge. Gym Leader is a bit of a knob, though. Last I remember he was a hothead just a few years older than us, and left his gym when he pleased. Still don't understand why they let an 11 year old run a gym."

"Maybe he's mature now? It has been 6 years since you were here."

"Maybe. Doubt it, though." Kyle tossed a Pokeball and let Flaaffy out. "Enjoy the weather. We're finding Diglett soon."

???

"Damnit, Sofie! You were supposed to hinder them, not help them!" A voice grumbled.

"She's a liability. We need to take her out of the picture," a calm female voice replied.

"Then why are you here?! It's as easy as a 'rogue Beedrill' accidentally stinging someone again. This time, make sure you get her good. And I want the two guys here by the end of the day. The girl is useless."

"I can't be seen in Skoro Town again. One of them already saw me. Once they come here I'll deal with Sofie. But I can't do anything now," she answered.

"Well don't screw up. You can just as easily end up on the receiving end of this," the man shouted. "And get Brandon and Kyle. Today."

"You don't need to worry about that," she chuckled, gesturing towards the monitor. "They're already here."