Chapter Fourteen

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

I could barely make out the shape of my Pokémon through the storm, rain plastering my hair to my face, sheets of water blurring my vision.

Mud squelched beneath Ace’s paws as he lunged between me and Arbok, snarling, golden rings gleaming in the dark. The giant serpent’s hood flared wide, venom dripping from its open mouth.

“Stay back!” I gasped, my voice swallowed by the storm, Nidorino’s venom searing through me, my leg throbbing with every painful heartbeat.

Arbok swayed, its eyes locked on Ace, fangs glinting. Umbreon’s golden rings shone in the storm, beacons of defiance against the massive snake. I tried to push myself up, to go to my Pokémon, but my body refused and I slumped back down.

Shit. I think I’m dying.

The snake snapped forward like lightning, but Ace darted aside with impossible speed, mud spraying around them. My chest heaved, my heart in my throat.

“Chloe! Hold still!”

Relief surged through me as hands grabbed my arms, steadying me.

“Ann?” I croaked, trying to speak over the lump in my throat.

“You’re hurt,” she said, pulling a small first aid kit from her bag. “We need to treat you before you pass out.”

My vision blurred, each heavy blink smearing the edges of the world with darkness. Venom burned through my veins, a hot, poisonous fire that made my muscles tremble. Pain throbbed in my leg, my chest burned, and every instinct screamed at me to just curl up and give in. To die.

Ann worked quickly, her hands steady and practiced as she applied an antidote and squirted some kind of sealant into my wound. Her touch was firm yet careful, every motion precise, as if she’d done this countless times before.

I tried to speak, to tell her I could move, that I’d be fine, but no sound passed the lump in my throat. I forced myself to focus on my breathing.

In… out. In… out.

The rhythm was jagged, unsteady, but it was all I could control. Each breath anchored me against the panic building inside me.

Outside, the storm continued, rain and thunder drowning out the clash between Ace and Arbok. I wanted to cry. To scream. But Ann’s calm voice held me back from the edge of panic, a fragile tether against the chaos.

“You’re going to be okay,” she said, firmer than necessary. “Just stay still.”

I nodded, teeth gritted, letting her work while my eyes stayed locked on the battle.

Ace moved with a fluid grace he had lacked before his evolution, weaving around Arbok’s strikes like liquid smoke.

Every time the snake lashed, he was already elsewhere, golden rings glinting through the rain. Mud sprayed as he unleashed a Sand Attack, but I could only watch helplessly as Arbok twisted and countered.

The massive serpent coiled its tail like a spring, striking again, venom spraying from its fangs. Ace let out a low, guttural Snarl that made Arbok flinch.

“You’ve got to hold on, Chloe,” Ann’s voice was low and steady. “Keep breathing. Just like that.”

In… out… in… out.

My vision blurred as the antidote slowly cooled the burn in my leg, though each heartbeat still throbbed painfully.

Ace lunged, fur gleaming through the rain, aiming for Arbok’s exposed flank. The serpent snapped with brutal precision. Ace twisted in midair, barely avoiding Arbok’s fangs, but the blow still sent him skidding across the mud.

Arbok coiled once more, muscles rippling beneath rain-slick scales, and slammed into Ace with brutal force. The impact hurled the newly evolved Umbreon into a tree trunk, cracking bark and splintering wood. Ace shook himself off, pain evident in every movement, eyes blazing as he let out a ragged snarl. He lunged again, teeth bared, claws scraping for traction on the sodden ground.

“Why is this happening?” Ann’s voice cut through the storm, trembling with frustration. “Wyrdeer was supposed to protect us.”

The snake lashed out with its tail, sweeping Ace off his feet and hurling him into a shallow ditch. Mud exploded around him as he hit, rolling to absorb the impact. Arbok lunged immediately, fangs dripping, eyes cold and calculating, striking again and again with lightning-fast precision. Each bite and lash of tail forced Ace backward, claws scraping frantically to avoid venom.

“Wyrdeer made… a mistake,” I gasped, every word ragged. “But… she’ll fix it. She has to!”

My heart hammered, my breaths shallow, venom still searing through me, but I couldn’t look away. Ace was relentless—weaving, snapping, striking—but Arbok’s sheer size and power kept him constantly on the defensive. A single bite, a lucky lash of that tail, could end it all.

A flash of movement—too fast to follow through rain and darkness—and Arbok’s coils snaked around Ace mid-leap. He thrashed, hissing and snapping, golden rings flaring with panic, as he was pinned and slammed to the mud. I swallowed hard, fear clawing at my chest.

No! Not like this!

The ground suddenly shuddered beneath us, the forest trembling with each thunderous step. Through the sheets of rain, a pair of golden antlers pierced the darkness like twin beacons as Wyrdeer charged forward, Joey clinging to her back.

Behind them, like something out of a nightmare, a swarm of Bug-type Pokémon erupted into the clearing: Spinarak, Wurmple, Beedrill, and more, fanning out with deadly precision toward the KLF grunts.

The swarm moved like they shared a single mind, wrapping the nearest grunts in sticky webs and lashing with String Shots before they could react. Muffled screams echoed through the rain, drowned beneath the buzzing, biting, stinging onslaught as the bugs dragged their cocooned prey back into the forest.

Joey slid from Wyrdeer’s back and ran toward me as Wyrdeer’s eyes locked on Arbok, a low, resonant hum vibrating through the storm. The snake froze, hissing, sensing the new threat. Ace twisted, seizing the moment, but it was Wyrdeer’s charge that shifted the battle.

Wyrdeer stomped forward, each hoof striking the mud with the weight of a small earthquake. Arbok hissed, hood flaring, muscles coiling to strike—but Wyrdeer didn’t flinch. It lowered its head, antlers gleaming, and charged straight at the snake.

“Chloe! Are you okay?” Joey shouted, leaping over the broken wall to land at my side. “What happened?”

Wyrdeer slammed its antlers into Arbok. The snake recoiled, fangs snapping in frustration—but it wasn’t finished. It coiled around Wyrdeer’s legs, trying to topple the deer. Sparks of electricity lanced from Wyrdeer’s antlers, and Arbok screeched in pain, forcing it to loosen its grip.

I gritted my teeth, forcing myself not to look away as Ace darted in again, teeth snapping at Arbok’s throat. The snake lashed its tail, hurling Ace across the mud. Growling low, he circled the two combatants, hunting for an opening.

“She’ll be okay,” Ann said to Joey, her voice firm. “She needs to rest.”

The storm pulsed with energy as Wyrdeer stomped, sparks flying from its antlers. It feinted left, then spun, slamming Arbok into the mud with bone-jarring force. Ace lunged at the snake’s exposed side, teeth sinking, claws scraping. Arbok thrashed violently, venom spraying the mud, hissing and striking in blind desperation.

I could barely breathe. Every second stretched into an eternity, adrenaline and fear ripping through me. Ace yipped, rolling away, snarling, dodging strikes that could have ended him. Wyrdeer charged again, antlers slashing, sparks crackling like lightning. The snake hissed and thrashed, its movements slowing—it was losing ground.

“C’mon, Ace!” I growled.

With a final, desperate coil, Arbok lunged at Wyrdeer, fangs aimed for its neck. Wyrdeer reared, hooves crashing down on the snake. Arbok screeched, writhing violently from the impact. Spotting an opening, Ace lunged, teeth flashing, sinking into Arbok’s tail, forcing the serpent to twist and writhe in pain.

The storm raged, but the tide had turned. Arbok’s movements grew sluggish, heavy, and uncoordinated. Ace circled, golden rings flaring brighter than ever, while Wyrdeer advanced, antlers crackling with electricity.

“That’s Ace?” Joey whispered. “He… he got so big… and scary.”

With a final, bone-shaking strike, Wyrdeer slammed Arbok to the ground. The snake thrashed, exhausted, fangs snapping weakly. Ace leapt, sinking his fangs into Arbok’s throat, tearing until it lay still in the mud.

“He’s beautiful,” I breathed.

I sagged against the broken wall, trembling. My body screamed, my leg burned, but relief washed over me in waves. Ace let out a low, victorious growl, ears flat, standing defiant. Wyrdeer lowered its head, amber eyes sweeping over us, a soft hum vibrating through the rain-soaked clearing.

We’d survived.

—

I woke to the smell of tea and toast. Blinking, I found myself back in Ryder’s cabin, sprawled across her fold-out cot. Across the small room, Joey sat at a round table, cradling a steaming mug, while Ryder poured tea into a second cup. King lay nearby, a bandage wrapped snugly around his body.

“Did we win?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

“Oh, you’re awake,” Ryder said, turning toward me. “We did—thanks to you and your Pokémon.”

“My Pokémon? Are they… okay?” I rubbed my eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Ryder said, her voice soft with sympathy. “Our IE machine was damaged in the fight. We’ve kept them in stasis for now.”

“How long?” My words came out as a hoarse rasp.

“Two days,” Ryder said gently, setting her cup down. “It’s Friday morning. You were out cold for a while, but everything’s under control now.”

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My chest tightened, panic blooming in the pit of my stomach. “Two days? I have to get back. I need to find a Jewel Orchid and get it to Viridian.”

Joey held something up from the table—white, with twisting yellow columns.

“You didn’t think I’d let you down, did you?” he asked, grinning.

My eyes practically bugged out. “You… what… how?” I sputtered.

“I snatched it while Wyrdeer was distracting the Spinarak,” he said, still grinning like an idiot. “There were heaps of them!”

Ryder’s eyes narrowed, arms folding across her chest as she looked from me to Joey and back.

“This is what you were after in the forest?” she asked. “You risked your lives… for a flower?”

“It’s not like I wanted to,” I said, feeling the need to defend myself. “I was sent to find one and bring it back so I could get my trainer’s license.”

Ryder’s expression darkened.

“Do you know why Spinarak nest around these flowers?” she asked.

I shook my head slowly.

“Spinarak are ambush predators,” Ryder said, her voice low, almost a whisper. “The Jewel Orchid is practically irresistible to Bug-types. They wait for prey to be lured in by its scent… and then they pounce.”

A chill ran down my spine.

“Whoever sent you to find this flower, Chloe,” she continued, “Sent you to die.”

I swallowed hard, trying to breathe past the lump in my throat. My hands shook. The storm outside had passed, but the one inside me was just beginning.

“Of course she did,” I whispered to myself, grimacing.

Joey’s grin faltered, his small shoulders tensing.

“Everything’s… okay now, right, Chloe?” he asked, his voice small, almost childlike. “Now that we have the flower, I mean?”

Ryder leaned back in her chair, eyes narrowing, her expression unreadable.

“You have no idea how lucky you are,” she said to Joey, voice sharp. “One wrong step in that nest, and those Spinarak would have had you—Wyrdeer or no Wyrdeer.”

I sat up, thoughts jumbling as I tried to make sense of it all.

Had Suzie known Spinarak nested near the flower? She was a Bug-type specialist—she had to know. But she was a Gym Leader. She wouldn’t have sent a new trainer to die… just because she didn’t like them, would she?

“What I don’t understand is how this all ties into Wyrdeer and the barrier,” Ryder said, pouring another cup of tea and gently handing it to me.

I stared down at the dark liquid, steam rising like a ghost between us, warming nothing.

“It was my charm,” I said, voice hoarse.

“The one with the psychic imprint?” Ryder asked. “But why drop the barrier? And what about the egg business?”

I shook my head slowly, each movement heavy with fatigue.

“She… Wyrdeer… she thought I was someone she knew,” I said. “Another Psychic-type like herself. It… it triggered her mating cycle.”

“Excuse me?” Ryder’s voice cracked with disbelief.

“You’re a Pokémon Ranger,” I said, swallowing hard. “You know better than anyone that Pokémon aren’t people. They don’t think like us.”

“But the attack? People were hurt,” Ryder said, her voice rising, angry. “People I care about!”

“Bad timing,” I said, the words tasting bitter in my mouth. “The KLF were out here a long time, I think. Searching for this place.”

“And what, they just stumbled upon us?” Ryder demanded. “I find that hard to believe.”

“You’d have to ask them,” I said flatly.

“We can’t,” Ryder said quietly, her voice bitter. “The Spinarak didn’t leave any survivors.”

The memory hit me like a physical blow—the muffled screams, the writhing coccooned bodies. My hands trembled and I clenched them into fists.

“It doesn’t matter,” I whispered, forcing the words out through a lump in my throat. “We’ve got the flower. I… I have to get back to Viridian City before nightfall. I have to…”

“You can’t do anything right now,” Ryder interrupted, her voice firm. “Not until your leg heals. You were poisoned, Chloe. You nearly died. You need to rest.”

I exhaled sharply, frustration gnawing at me. I wanted to argue, to leap up and run back to Viridian City, but my muscles were too weak, my leg still throbbing.

“You’re hurt, Chloe. Badly,” Ryder went on. “And not just you. Your Pokémon too. They won’t be able to protect you.”

Joey set the flower gently on the table between us.

“It’s safe,” he said. “You don’t have to risk anything more. Not today.”

I stared at it, every instinct screaming to grab it and run, to finish the mission no matter what. My fingers traced the edge of the cot, lingering on the Jewel Orchid as if it might give me answers, my mind racing while my body stayed stubbornly still.

I let out a ragged breath, the weight of everything crashing down on me. Two days unconscious, poisoned. Two days lost. Wasted.

I didn’t speak, just stared at the flower and the two people beside me. Relief mingled with lingering fear, but beneath it all, a spark of determination flickered. I still had my mission. I still had a test to pass.

“We need to leave,” I said, pushing myself up slightly, wincing as pain stabbed through my leg. “If I don’t get this to Viridian today, it’s worthless. Everything we survived will have been for nothing.”

Ryder stood, pushing her teacup aside. “I can’t allow this. You’re too weak, Chloe,” she argued. “At least wait until King is healed enough to guide you out of the forest.”

“I’ll manage,” I snapped, cutting her off. Urgency burned hotter than the pain. “We don’t have time for rest.”

“But you’re hurt! You can barely walk!” Joey jumped up, eyes wide.

“I said we’re leaving,” I repeated, sharper this time. “Even if I have to crawl out of here.”

A THUMP came at the cabin door, and it swung open. Wyrdeer’s head peeked inside.

“It’s Wyrdeer!” Joey exclaimed, running over and pressing a hand to its neck.

From beneath the Pokémon, glowing with a faint purple outline, a splotched, cream-colored egg floated gently into Joey’s arms.

“Is that—?” Ryder began.

“Wyrdeer’s egg,” I said, pain temporarily forgotten in the wonder of the moment.

Wyrdeer’s voice echoed in my mind—and judging by Ryder’s and Joey’s expressions, theirs too.

“What? You’re saying the kid’s more pure than me, you overstuffed fireplace decoration?” I demanded. “I’m the one who held off the KLF while you two ran for reinforcements!”

Ryder coughed pointedly.

“We held the KLF off,” I corrected myself.

“You’re offering me a ride?” I asked. “Back to Viridian City?”

“Wyrdeer won’t go further than the edge of the forest,” Ryder clarified for the Pokémon. “If you’re determined to do this, you’ll be on your own from there.”

I exhaled shakily, awe and relief tangled together.

“Alright. Thank you. Thank you, Wyrdeer.”

“I’m coming too!” Joey declared. “You promised to get me home.”

Before I could argue, he scrambled onto Wyrdeer’s back, clutching the egg carefully.

“I still have questions!” Ryder shouted. “Who did Wyrdeer think you were? Why did it drop the barrier?”

“I thought you’d have worked it out by now, Ranger,” I said, pushing myself up from the cot and shakily gathering my gear, propping against the wall as I went. “She’s a Pokémon, not a human. She felt my charm, thought an old fling was around and went into heat.”

Wyrdeer snorted and lowered its head in embarrassed apology.

“She was horny,” I said, stuffing the flower into my pack and climbing up behind Joey on Wyrdeer’s back. “She fucked up.”

—

Wyrdeer moved through the forest at a breakneck pace, weaving around fallen logs and hidden roots with uncanny ease. Each jolt sent fresh pain through my leg, but I forced myself to focus on the goal ahead.

“How long do you think it’ll take to reach the city?” Joey shouted, leaning forward to be heard over the rush of wind around us.

“With how fast we’re moving, we should reach Viridian Forest Town soon,” I yelled back. “After that, it’s about five hours on foot to the city.”

“But you can’t walk!” Joey protested.

“Don’t worry,” I told him, grimacing through the pain. “I’ve got a plan.”

Eventually, Wyrdeer slowed to a trot as the trees thinned. A nearby bug-catcher shouted in surprise as we passed, and I knew we were close.

“Come on, kiddo,” I said, sliding off Wyrdeer’s back, leaning heavily on my hiking pole.

Joey followed suit, carefully cradling the egg. Wyrdeer snorted, nudged me lightly, then turned and disappeared back into the forest.

I took a shaky breath and forced myself to walk, each step jabbing pain through my leg. Ahead, the edges of Viridian Forest Town glimmered in the early morning light.

“Almost there,” I muttered like a mantra, forcing my legs to keep moving.

The town rose before us, ramshackle and haphazard, streets bustling with mid-morning business. We pushed through throngs of bug-catchers, Pokémon hunters, and merchants, eventually reaching the Pokémon Center.

Dragging my injured leg, Joey hovering at my side, I approached the counter.

“My Pokémon need healing,” I said, voice hoarse, trembling from fatigue and anger alike.

“Of course. Right away,” the on-duty nurse replied, slightly alarmed.

I handed over my Poké Balls and collapsed onto a nearby bench. A few trainers watched curiously, eyes drawn to our disheveled appearance and the egg in Joey’s arms.

BING! BING! BING!

I jumped at the sound of my Pokédex. Pulling it from my pocket, I froze. Full bars, a signal at last. Dozens of missed calls and twice as many messages flooded the screen.

“Great,” I muttered, dread pooling in my stomach. “What now?”

I scrolled through the messages. Oak’s name flashing across the screen with each.

Chloe—urgent!

Call me immediately!

Viral video incident

Viridian Gym

License at risk!

My stomach lurched. Viral video? Press coverage? License at risk? What had I missed?

Joey leaned over my shoulder, eyes wide.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“Not now, kid. I need to call Oak,” I said, pressing the call button. I could have made a video call but I didn’t want him to see me in my current state.

The line clicked. Oak’s familiar voice came through, urgent and filled with concern.

“Chloe! Finally! I’ve been trying to reach you for days! We thought you were dead!”

“Woah, slow down,” I said. “I was out of service range. What’s the matter?”

“That video of you and Suzie—it’s gone viral!” he practically shouted. “The League tried to take it down, but that only made people pay more attention.”

“Ha, Streisand effect,” I muttered, a laugh escaping despite the ache in my sides.

“It’s a huge scandal, Chloe,” Oak continued. “There are calls for Suzie to be stripped of her Gym Leader position.”

“Good,” I said. “Fuck that bitch.”

“Not good,” Oak warned. “This is exactly the kind of ammunition the Kanto Liberation Front needs to push their anti-League agenda.”

“Kanto Liberation Front? What does that have to do with anything?” I asked.

Ryder would have reported the KLF attack on the Sanctuary, but apparently Oak hadn’t been informed of my involvement yet.

“It’s too complicated to discuss over the phone,” he said. “What you need to know is that your trainer’s license is at risk before you even get it.”

“What? Why? I’ve got the stupid flower, Oak,” I protested. “I’ll be in Viridian City in a few hours. I haven’t missed the deadline yet.”

“That’s the problem! Viridian Forest is off-limits without the Viridian City Gym badge,” Oak explained.

“What?” I shouted, ignoring the glances from nearby trainers. “That’s bullshit! There isn’t even a guard!”

“I know. But regulations exist for a reason,” Oak said. “Entering Viridian Forest without the badge isn’t illegal, but it violates League rules.”

My jaw clenched.

“She’s the one who sent me there,” I ground out.

“I know,” Oak said. “That’s the problem. A Gym Leader sent a novice trainer without a license or badge into a highly dangerous, restricted area.”

It clicked. Suzie had fucked up.

“She sent me to die, didn’t she?” I asked quietly.

Joey’s eyes went wide.

“You need to get to Viridian Gym today,” Oak said. “Deliver the flower, face Suzie, and be prepared for her to challenge your actions. She might even test you for your badge immediately. If you don’t handle this properly, you could be banned from ever getting your licence.”

I exhaled shakily as the call ended, clutching the phone to my chest until my hands stopped trembling. Joey sat beside me silently, clutching the egg.

“Looks like we’re not done yet, kid,” I muttered.

I tightened my grip on my hiking pole.

I’m coming for you, bitch.