Pokemon: Mega Tactics - Chapter 5.2

An hour later, after you and Serena had sampled everything you had desired in the cafe at the explicit permission of Lysandre, you left the cafe behind, ready to set out and start your journey.

"That was great, I've never tasted such glamorous food!" Serena cheered and pumped her fist into the air.

You grinned at her enthusiasm, she'd practically inhaled every dish she could get her hands on. It was some appetite she had on her. You'd idly wondered where she put it all, before your eyes had drifted to her chest. And you put that thought right out of mind.

You opened your mouth, but just before you could say anything, your Pokegear buzzed. It seemed you'd gotten a text. Pulling it from your pocket, you flicked it on, and blinked, 'Huh, a text from Lysandre?' you noted with interest.

'I forgot to tell you. I had some workers out at the Power Plant on Route 13. They informed me that they saw a Garchomp flying around the badlands and nesting within a mountain cave, and around its neck, was a small glowing stone. It could be just a rumour, but if not, this Garchomp may be in possession of a Garchompite.'

Included with the text, was an image file, showing a large mountain, and halfway up it, the picture of a cave entrance.

'The badlands huh?' you mused. It was a rough place, off the beaten path of Route 13 that led between Lumiose City and Coumarine City. It was filled with tons of ground and rock type pokemon. And it was apparently where your uncles Garchomp was originally from as a Gible before wondering onto Route 13 and into Lumiose City and causing a real havoc.

You'd been there before, with Gible to train. You could handle it, but, "Hey Serena." you called out to her. When she turned to see what you wanted, you showed her the text.

"A chance at another mega stone!" she gushed happily, excited for you, "With that, you'll be able to mega evolve your gible when it's fully evolved right?"

"Yeah, but that's not what I'm worried about," you frowned, "The badlands are a pretty rough place and you've got no experience camping. You don't like roughing it right?"

She bit her lip, before shaking her head, "It's true I've got no experience with it, and it kinda makes me shiver a bit at the thought," Serena replied, before she clenched her fist and her eyes lit with determination, "That doesn't matter though. This is important to you isn't it? Then I'll just have to suck it up and toughen up a bit, right?"

..This girl was quite something.

"Alright," you agreed, "Then we should probably get you a good and comfortable sleeping bag. And maybe a tent. I've got a pretty big and well made one that you're welcome to sleep in with me if you want."

"Just a sleeping bag is all I need. Your tent is fine!" She suddenly blurted.

Your eyebrows rose up to your hairline as you blinked in confusion.

____________

"You know, when you said it was a rough place, and called the badlands...I wasn't actually expecting it to be this bad," Serena sighed as she sat on a small rock platform, rubbing her feet, "If I knew it was going to be this bad on my feet I would have worn some nice and comfortable hiking boots."

You paused from where you were setting up a foldable travel table and chairs, "Since you have that pokenav I figured you already knew and just chose style over practicality." you replied, nodding to the stylish black and pink high tops she wore. While you were talking though, Ralts didn't pause, and continued to set up the tent and cooking utensils with Confusion.

It was quite as versatile and tactile as say Telekinesis, but it was still pretty handy.

You'd chosen Ralts to travel outside his pokeball with you, for his handy ability to sense emotions. Which would let you know if any pokemon was planning on attacking you in advance. Thankfully, while you'd passed quite a lot of pokemon ranging from Diglett and Dugtrio, a group of Graveler, one Slugma, a pair of Trapinch, a family of Sandshrew and Sandslash, to even a huge Onix you'd caught sight of in the distance before it burrowed down deep underground.

That had been disappointing. Steelix was a pokemon capable of mega evolution after all.

Serena looked away from him, scratching her cheek a bit sheepishly, "Well...you're not wrong," she mumbled, before sighing and casting a look up to the dark sky, it had been hours already since you both had finished up what you needed to do in Lumiose City, getting Serena some necessities for camping like her own sleeping bag and such. And night had already fallen. "It's kind of eerie being out here." she said.

You could understand her trepidation. The only light for miles around was, well Lumiose City in the far distance, mostly blocked from view at this point by rocky crags, plateau's, hills and small mountains and the like. Well, that and the small campfire you'd set up.

You didn't actually need it to cook anything, just needed it for the light and warmth since the badlands could get pretty cold at night. As far as cooking went, you had a portable oven/hot plate combo.

"Don't worry, it's not my first time camping out here, me and Gible used to come train here quite a bit a few months ago," you replied, "Just remember, I'm a pretty strong trainer already, and you're a trainer yourself with three pokemon already, all in that's nine pokemon we have together, anyone or anything that tries to pick a fight with us will regret it."

Serena blinked at your words before her eyes widened, "Oh right, I forgot! I can't believe I forgot so easily just because it hasn't sunk in yet!" she slapped her cheeks before reaching into her skirt pocket and retrieving three shrunken pokeballs, and enlarged them, "Come on out, all of you!"

A moment later, the darkness of the badlands was lit up by bright silvery white energy as Serena brought out all three of her pokemon. Vespiquen, Budew and Fennekin appeared in front of her. Vespiquen and Fennekin happily greeting her, while Budew was a bit more timid.

"It's alright Budew, no need to be afraid, come over and join us." Serena opened her arms wide and welcoming. She was a warm, kind girl. So you weren't surprised when Budew slowly made itself over and hot swept up into the girls lap and hugged to her soft chest, "I'm sorry we attacked you out of nowhere earlier, I just thought you were so cute and couldn't resist the urge to capture you."

Budew looked up from between the girls bodacious breasts and met her eyes for a moment, before smiling lightly, "Bud budew." the grass and poison type happily nuzzled her then.

"Well I suppose I shouldn't leave my buddies out of the fun then?" you mused. Reaching down, you grabbed the five still full pokeballs on your belt, "Come on out guys." you said as you released all five of them.

Seconds later, after the light that illuminated the badlands died down once again, Gible, Charmander, Pidgeotto, Heracross and Beedrill appeared in front of you.

Charmander and Pidgeotto wasted no time in shooting over to greet you. The bird flying over to land on your shoulder and nip your ear playfully, while Charmander zoomed over and slammed into your leg, hugging it tightly, "C'mon guys you'll make me fall!" you laughed as you almost tumbled over but managed to regain your balance.

Your smile turned wiry when you noted Gible just lazy look up to meet your eyes, before shrugging and walking over to lay down against one of the legs of the table, eyes closed and his stubby little arms crossed together.

'Forever the cool guy huh?' you mused with an internal laugh. If it wasn't about fighting or training, Gible just preferred to laze around and keep to himself. You think Froakie back at your uncle's lab, who you had been surprised to hear was with Ash Ketchum now, had learned those habits from hanging around your Gible too much.

Heracross merely gave you a nod and took a seat on a rocky outcropping that overlooked the camp and had a good vantage point. From what you'd gathered, over the short period of time you'd been together, he was a diligent pokemon that took what he believed to be his duties seriously and always gave one hundred and ten percent. Even now, he chose that position because it was the best spot for a look out and the best spot to spring into action if anything happened.

Your eyes went to Beedrill, who had his arm lances crossed, not making a sound as he stared at you with gleaming crimson eyes. "What's up?" you asked. Even when you fed him earlier, he'd barely paid you any attention. Still smarting over his defeat to you and your pokemon you believed.

The bug and poison types eyes trailed over to Gible, and Beedrill buzzed a bit in annoyance. That, you knew well from him with how many times you'd run into him prior to capturing him. After a moment, Beedrill pointed his lance at Gible, then to you, then to him.

You raised an eyebrow and stroked your chin in thought, trying to understand what he was trying to say. You, Gible, and him. The only thing that connected you all was will, battling, and him losing to Gible...hmmm.

Oh!

"You want to get stronger?" you asked.

"Bzt!" Beedrill nodded vigorously.

You grinned, "Well, don't worry about that, I promise you'll get plenty of training soon from me and grow way stronger." you promised.

"Bzzzza!" Beedrill nodded once more, before turning around and flying over to another rocky outcropping and laying down atop it.

'Well that went well.' you rolled your eyes.

After you had finished making dinner and went through some light training with your pokemon and going over with them just what you planned to focus on, during the trip to Coumarine City, you retired to the tent with Serena. All the pokemon were still outside their pokeballs, and sleeping outside around the campfire, except Fennekin and Budew who followed Serena inside.

"So how should we do this then?" Serena looked around the inside of the tent a bit nervously.

You were, while not nervous yourself, having a tough time trying to figure out where to look since Serena was once again dressed in those skimpy little night clothes of hers.

"Well, there's plenty of room," you replied, gesturing to the inside of the tent. From side to side, it was easily ten feet by ten feet. A really big ass tent. Honestly, the storage technology made for bags now was so handy. "Just pick whatever side you want to lay on and get in your sleeping bag." and soon please, it was annoying how you could barely control your own eyes around this girl.

"Well, alright then I guess," Serena shrugged. She started rolling out her own large, pink sleeping bag and thankfully crawled into it, Fennekin and Budew happily jumping in alongside her, "I guess this is goodnight?"

"Yep." you nodded simply and got into your own sleeping bag.

As you got comfortable, Serena rolled onto her side in her sleeping bag and looked over at you, "Hey Cobalt, what if something happens while we're sleeping?" she asked, biting her lip worriedly.

"Don't worry," you assured her, "Even asleep Ralts will be able to feel anyone approaching us and will wake up, and Gible's senses aren't too shabby either. If anything approaches us, like I told you before, they'll regret it. Me and Gible easily camped out in this place months ago, now he's way stronger and I've got five other pokemon now as well. You might have had a tough time if you came here yourself, but trust me, with me here, you'll be perfectly fine."

The worried look on her face faded a bit and she smiled at you, "Thanks, I know I must be annoying you with all this fretting, but it's reassuring to have you say it to me." Serena smiled at you.

"No worries," you waved it off, "Everyone's like that their first time camping out with home nowhere near you. Give it a week, and I promise, while it probably still won't be your favorite kind of thing, you'll have it in the bag, you're a pretty talented girl." And that wasn't just simple flattery. While Serena hadn't found her true passion in life yet, all she'd done to try and find one, while not letting her accomplish much, had given her lots of different experiences that would help serve her well in the future.

The last thing you saw before you fell asleep, was a lovely little smile on her pretty face, her gem-like sparkling blue eyes on you as she cuddled Budew and Fennekin.