Chapter 57: EPISODE 57: A Spew of Fiery Pride!
Determination has made me a victor of the Photia-heart city gym challenge. After losing on my first try, and after battling my own conscience, I've put my heart and soul into winning! With Riolu's passion and my determination, we were able to master our Z-move! All out Pummeling! Now, it is time to move on to Silvent City! The last city before the cavern of the deep and the site of my fourth gym badge.
Silvent City lies in the northern reaches of this region. From the map, in order to reach Silvent City, we must journey through route fourteen up to route eighteen. Then, here comes the hard part, we have to pass the Silvent Desert which is the largest desert in the Pokemon world. It is estimated to be up to six times larger than the Desert resort in the Unova region. I wonder what Pokemons are waiting for us there?
Route fourteen is another rocky and jagged terrain, but there are no canyons insight. It's somewhat like a Savannah filled with wild tall grass and unpredictable Pokemon.
Remember what I said about Zozo? It seems to me, he survived the fall and guess what... He's starving for revenge.
"Rally up every last Mightyena found on our turf! We shall find the boy and his Pokemon!" Zozo commanded. After the fall, Zozo had a large scar crossing through his left eye.
"Sir... Are you really going to chase the boy?" One of the Mightyenas asked.
"Look at me! Look at my eye! Look what the boy has done to me! I shall bite him, savage him to pieces, and I will kill every single one of the boy's Pokemon. Every bone, every organ of the boy will go down to my stomach. I shall scratch the boy's eye just like what he has done to me!" Mightyena badgered with extreme anger.
"Sir... I was just asking..." The Mightyena uttered and shivered with fear.
"Do not ask me questions that you know the answer too," Zozo uttered as he scratched the Mightyena's head.
"Zozo, but where are we suppose to find the boy?"Another Mightyena queried.
"Don't worry... We have an ally!" Zozo uttered as two Pokemons jumped down from the rocks. those Pokemon's weren't Mightyenas, they seem to have manes like those of a lion. Their eyes were sharp and their body was peach black.
"Ah! Zozo, our scouts have seen the boy in route fourteen on our turf." the lion looking Pokemon uttered with a villainous tone.
"Well... well... well, if it isn't Arthur, the leader of the Pyroar turf," Zozo exclaimed.
"Shall we give an order to assassinate the boy?" Adala, the queen of the Pyroar turf queried. Those two Pokemons after all, belong to a specie called Pyroars.
"Assassinate? I will kill the boy myself! I will savage him brutally, and once he's dead I will laugh at his dead body." Zozo teased with a villainous tone.
" And once he's dead, me and my queen shall burn him to ashes." Arthur, the fire lion or better known as Pyroar exclaimed.
"Then what are we waiting for! Today, the Pyroar and the Mightyena turf shall unite once more! We shall show the world our wrath by beginning with the boy!" Zozo shouted as everybody began to howl and growl! The Mighteyanas and the Pyroars roared and raged with passion!
The other Pyroars came to the Mightyena turf and began to join forces. "We shall slaughter every human or Pokemons who dares pass us!" Zozo shouted with encouragement as the two forces howled even louder.
"There shall be no mercy! Onwards to route fourteen!" Zozo shouted as he instructed everyone to proceed to the route me and my friends are on. This is going to be a rough day for us... I could feel it.
Meanwhile, me and my friends are on route fourteen and Camellia is crazy over the rocks in the area. She says that there could be some ancient fossils there.
"This rocks! I've never seen them! I'm going to get samples of them." Camellia beamed with excitement.
"Can't you just pick up a rock? Do you really have to use that long metal thingy and bang it with that stick?" I queried.
"Nah! I want to collect rocks just like how professional professors do it! And this is not a long metal thingy, its called a chisel!" Camellia explained with excitement.
"But aren't all professors professionals? That's why their called professors right?" I queried with boredom as I watch Camellia slowly break a shard.
Zhery and Glade on the other hand were checking out some Pokemons without me, I wished I could come, but Camellia told me to come with her. She said I could learn a thing or two about rocks.
I know what rocks are! They're big and they're boring.
"Then... You have to hold this chisel like this, not too high or you'll hit your fingers." Camellia explained.
"Can't you be a Pokemon professor and not a rock professor?" I queried with boredom as my eyes wandered around.
"In order to be a Pokemon professor, you must study Pokemon habitats, and this is a Pokemon habitat, and by the way they're called Geologists and not rock professors," Camellia explained and corrected.
"Yeah yeah, Geodists... Guess they study rocks and Geodudes."
"No! You're saying it wrongly, they're called Geologist. Ge-o-lo-gist." Camellia enunciated.
"Now back to the topic, after holding the chisel-like this, then you can hit it with your hammer!" Camellia explained.
"Alright! It's dismissal time, see you tomorrow professor." I teased as I stood up from a rock.
"You're not going anywhere. I still have 278 chapters about rocks to explain about so sit down." Camellia ordered.
"278 chapters!? Why do rocks even exist?" I queried as I slowly sat down to listen to 278 boring chapters about rocks.
"They exist because rocks come from the ground. There are big rocks, there are little rocks. There are rocks made from molten melted earth that cooled and hardened. There are rocks made from other rocks that were reduced to sand and dust and then stuck together again by other minerals." Camellia answered my sarcastic question "Why do rocks exist?"
"Why do people study rocks anyway? Can't they just write in books: Rocks are black big and small and can be found everywhere?" I queried sarcastically.
"Well, if you want this lecture to finish right away, stop asking sarcastic questions. Now where were we? Oh right, rocks can be igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary..." Camellia explained as she continued to break a shard from the rock.
I listened for the first ten seconds then my mind started to fly. That's the reason why I got seventy-two in math. Math is easy at the start until you start to add alphabets and do some weird operations. I even got scolded once by the teacher, cause I said Math is a Mental Abuse To Humans. Camellia on the other hand, was always top one no matter what.
Camellia thought me how to add alphabets and stuff, but I couldn't understand it. I once uttered sarcastically to my mind. "Can't letters stick to English and numbers stick to math? Do they really have to join forces?"
As Camellia was explaining, I saw a cute little Pokemon licking its paw. It had a small red mane with big brown fluffy ears.
"Hey there, you seem to look like a cute Pokemon." I smiled at the Pokemon. At first the Pokemon was confused, but it was friendly.
"My name is Kalem, and this is Riolu, we're currently listening to a boring topic about rocks. Wanna join?" I queried.
"Actually Kalem, rocks aren't boring at all," Riolu uttered.
"What!? Don't tell me you've been infected with SD!?" I started to worry.
"What's SD?"
"Smartness disease! Don't tell me you're liking all this knowledge stuff!" I worried.
"Come on Kalem, its really fun to know about rocks. Did you know that fossils are found in rocks?" Riolu uttered a fact, I guess Riolu is smarter and I got even dumber.
"Oh no! Riolu! Wake up! This is not you. The Riolu I know is a battle Pokemon, not a genius Pokemon!" I encouraged.
"What? Of course I love battling, I just seem to be interested in rocks. Is there anything wrong with that?"
"You need to be cured right away! Wake up Riolu." I shook Riolu hard. The small cute Pokemon, laid down on my lap and began to lick his paws again.
"Oh that's right, I haven't scanned this Pokemon yet. Alright Riolu, do your rock business while I scan this Pokemon!" I smiled while looking at the Pokemon, not knowing that I accidentally threw riolu from my hand.
"Do you have to throw me!?"
"Sorry Riolu... I just got too excited that's all."
"Just be glad that I'm a Pokemon with patience, if not I'll be throwing you with Seismic toss," Riolu uttered as he went closer to Camellia to learn more about boring rocks. Camellia didn't notice that I was scanning the Pokemon cause she was busy with her chisel business.
[Litleo! The Fire Cub pokemon! A fire and normal type. This hot-blooded Pokémon is filled with curiosity. When it gets angry or starts fighting, its short mane gets hot.]
While I was scanning the Pokemon, Fennekin tapped Camellia and reported that I wasn't listening. This made Camellia mad.
"Kalem!" Camellia badgered.
"Ummm hehe...sweat fell off my face as I looked at that mischievous Fennekin!
"Listen carefully like Riolu, there are still 500 chapters to go," Camellia explained.
"500 chapters!? But you said there were only 278 chapters." I recalled.
"Well, because you made me mad... We're also going to learn about Biology and... Mathematics... So! Listen carefully!" Camellia uttered as she continued to teach.
I began to listen but the cuteness coming from Litleo was too much. Zhery and Glade came back as well.
"Hey Kalem, how's class?" Zhery teased.
"Well... know I have to learn about Biology and Mathematics," I uttered sadly.
"Those subjects are easy peasy!" Zhery boasted.
"Well yeah? What's nine multiplied to itself?" I queried.
"Ummm, do you know the answer Glade?" Zhery queried.
"Nope, so Kalem? What's nine multiplied by nine?" Glade returned the question.
"Umm, yeah Camellia, what's nine multiplied by nine?" I queried.
"Simple, it's 81! Didn't our math teacher tell that to us?" Camellia answered.
"Wait, we have a math teacher?" I queried as Camellia facepalmed.
We continued to listen for minutes, when suddenly something pounced behind me, I knew something was behind me so I quickly dodged it.
"Zozo!?" I uttered in surprise.
"Thank you Zozo! You're a lifesaver, now I don't need to listen to boring lectures!" I teased.
Then a whole crowd of Mightyenas and Pyroar began to surround me. Little stood up and went to Arthur, his dad.
Kirlia stumbled outside her Pokeball, she knew something was wrong while Fenneking protected Camellia.
"Umm so, you're not here for boring lectures... You're here to kill me aren't you?" I teased sarcastically even knowing than I'm in a life and death situation.
"I'm here to rip off all your organs! Now that I have the Pyroar turf by my side, I'll surely defeat and kill you." Zozo uttered with vengeance.
"Leave my trainer alone!" Riolu badgered as he glared at Zozo's eye. Kirlia didn't have mercy for what Zozo did last time and immediately blasted Zozo with Psybeam, but... Arthur protected Zozo.
"So, the hyenas teamed up with the lions? I thought hyenas and lions were enemies? Such Irony." I teased.
"Can you wake up Kalem and stop being so sarcastic! Can't you see we're about to be killed by a horde of Pokemons!?" Zhery badgered.
"Good morning, little fella. The name's Arthur and I'm the king of my turf." Arthur glared at Riolu's eyes and introduced.
"You dare take one more step closer, I'm going to hurt you," Riolu warned. Arthur didn't follow Riolu and took a step closer.
Riolu used force palm, but Arthur bit Riolu's palm with fire fang and threw Riolu, this made me and my friends angry especially Petilil.
Petilil went out of her Pokeball looking angry.
"How dare you throw Riolu?" Petilil badgered.
"Do you think you can defeat us now? There are hundreds of us, and all of you are surrounded." Zozo uttered with vexation.
"That's it, Kirlia use Shadow ball on Pyroar and Zozo!" I ordered. Kirlia's shadow ball was dodged by Zozo and Arthur, then Zozo pounced on me.
"Do you know how it feels to fall off a cliff?" Zozo whispered in my ears.
"Leave Kalem alone!" Kirlia shouted and used Psybeam on Zozo. Arthur was about to hit Kirlia from behind but Fennekin used flame charge on Arthur.
"Thanks Fennekin!" Kirlia smiled.
"Let us free!" Glade shouted.
"We'll set you free but the boy is ours." Arthur bargained.
"No! Don't you ever touch Kalem!" Camellia shouted.
I tried to stand but Zozo used to take down on me. The other Mightyenas and Pyroars were cheering for their leaders.
"Fennekin use flame charge on Zozo! Petilil use razor leaf on Zozo too!" Camellia ordered.
Both Zozo and Arthur dodged the attack.
I carried Riolu in my arms to protect him. Zozo kept on using takedown, while Petilil, Kirlia, and Fennekin's attack kept on missing.
"Oh the pride, I can feel my pride waiting to burst once I'm done with you Kalem." Zozo badgered. Arthur spewed fire around me to make sure that my friends couldn't come closer to me and Zozo.
Me, Zozo, Riolu, Petilil, Fennekin, and Kirlia were the once left inside the circle of fire.
"Fennekin! Petilil! Protect Kalem!" Camellia ordered.
Fennekin's eyes turned red as she raged with anger. She bit Zozo's body with fire fang as Zozo tried to shake her off.
"Let go you measly being!" Zozo shouted as he tried to shake of Fennekin. This gave me an opportunity for me to command Riolu.
Arthur was dealing with my friends, he was about to push them off the cliff.
"Riolu! Use force palm on Zozo!" I ordered.
Petilil kept on using razor leaf while Kirlia was using a magical leaf.
"Fennekin saw her trainer scared as Pyroar forced her slowly to jump off the cliff just like those scenarios in a pirate ship.
Fennekin stopped biting Zozo and rushed towards to Arthur, Fennekin's eye was raging with fire. While using flame charge and running to Arthur, Fennekin began to glow. She was getting taller, her legs turned black, as a fox-like tail grew behind her, her ears were filled with orange fluffy hair. Fennekin evolved into Braixen!
Braixen gathered a small twig and lit it with fire, using the twig, she smacked Arthur and pushed him off the cliff. That was Arthur's last agony.
"Fennekin! You evolved into Braixen!" Camellia hugged Braixen tightly as tears of joy fell off her eyes. Braixen smiled at Camellia.
The Pyroars got mad at Braixen for pushing off Arthur, as a result... The Pyroars raged and charged for Braixen.
Braixen smiled at the Pyroars as they began to chase her.
With the twig on Braixen's hand, and with a fast-paced speed, Braixen rushed towards the Pyroars hitting them one by one.
Zozo got irritated for the last time and used takedown on both Kirlia and Petilil.
"Give up Zozo! Arthur is dead, no one can survive a fall like that!" I shouted.
"I don't care about Arthur, I don't care about Pyroars nor my Mightyenas, I am strong with or without the Pyroars and Mightyenas!" Zozo badgered. The other Pyroars heard what Zozo said and became frustrated towards Zozo.
Zozo used takedown once more but Riolu force palmed Zozo.
"Stop this Zozo, you don't need to seek for revenge."
"Once I'm done with you, I shall spew my fiery pride unto your friends." Zozo rushed towards me one last time. I told Riolu to dodge, and Zozo couldn't stop quickly as he was headed for the cliff.
Zozo almost fell from the cliff, his two paws were hanging while he tried to pull himself up.
"Come on Zozo! Let me help you." I extended my arm to help Zozo but Zozo disregarded it.
"I don't want your help, I want your head!" Zozo badgered.
"Fine then, I'll leave you here alone!" I teased and walked away from Zozo.
"I have an army of Pyroars and Mightyenas which could kill you!" Zozo badgered.
"I don't think so Zozo, it looks like your fellow allies turned against you after your motivational speech!" I teased as I returned Kirlia to her Pokeball. Petilil went close to Riolu to see if Riolu was doing fine.
"Riolu, are you alright? Are you hurt? Burned?" Petilil queried with worry.
"No, don't worry Petilil I'm fine. Thanks for helping me." Riolu smiled.
The Pyroars and Mightyenas stopped attacking, they let me and my friends go as they surrounded Zozo.
"Friends! Help me, don't let the boy escape!" Zozo asked.
"Friends? I thought you were strong without us?" The Pyroars laughed and teased.
"Yeah! I guess your speech motivated us to kill you Zozo." The Mightyenas laughed.
"What!? No... That was all a joke! Please mercy me." Zozo begged.
"Earlier you said there shall be no mercy!" one of the Pyroars held Zozo's two paws.
"What are you planning to do?" Zozo queried with fear.
"Goodbye Zozo, see you in the afterlife," Pyroar whispered on Zozo's ears and pushed away Zozo. Zozo fell to his death together with Pyroar.
I and my friends quickly escaped the scene, we went to a safe place far from the Mightyenas and Pyroars.
"Zozo could have been saved, but if it wasn't for his pride and arrogance, his allies turned against him," I uttered.
"Zozo deserved to be punished, but die? That was too much. I feel sorry for Zozo and Arthur." Camellia uttered.
"Well, the important thing is we're saved, we should thank Fennekin, I mean Braixen for helping us." Zhery comforted.
"Yeah, and not only Braixen but Petilil and Kirlia," Glade added.
"Hopefully, Zozo and Arthur survived." I hoped, I didn't want them to die, everybody deserves a second chance right?
There was nothing we could do, me and my friends moved forward towards the next route. I guess even a spew of pride can lead to your last agony.
As the journey continues.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone