Chapter 20: The Path Lays Ahead

You know when you are pumped up for an awesome hiking or camping trip or something similar, but you have to walk to get to the destination? It's great, right? The nice open skies, a fantastic breeze, and some good friends to go with. Well, how about when, just as you start your long hike, one that you can't stop since you have to get to the location by a certain time, a little pebble decides to come along by hopping into your sock? It moves and shuffles around in your sock, annoying you the entire walk, making you wish you could just remove it.

That is how I would describe the feeling knowing Sneasel is here, while we made our way towards the town of Zaprock.

Our group decided it would be best to keep Sneasel and I apart, to which I couldn't agree more. So, I'm at the back with Vulpix, while Sneasel, Scorbunny, and Servine travelled at the front as we travelled along this dirt path through the forest. There is no real reason for a battle formation since the only encounters would be wandering travellers passing us by. Wild Pokémon tend to avoid the path due to the petal wards that litters the side of the path. I still have no clue why they only work on 'wild' Pokémon and not us.

None of the passer-bys' have given us any trouble so far. Just some travelling merchants and travellers. Our group did exchange friendly waves as we passed them by, so the group was in high spirits on this trip. Well, all besides myself, that is.

"You know, Ace, if you keep staring at Sneasel like that, she might burst on fire," Vulpix sarcastically said from next to me.

"That's the plan. Feel my pure, unbridled hatred and burn, you eye-sore," I replied, not caring if the eye-sore heard me or not. I think she did, based on the small amount of shuffling I noticed in her demeanour.

"Well, could you stop, please? The Guildmaster asked you to behave yourself, or else, remember?"

I let out a sigh, finally stopping my vein attempt to burst Sneasel on fire, and looked over towards Vulpix. "I can't help it. Seeing her is like a direct prod at my anger."

"You know she didn't mean for that to happen. I really doubt that she wanted you to go through all of that."

"Look, I get what you are saying, but I don't care. I will not let it go, I will not let what happened to me happen again."

"I knew it was a long shot. Just stop glaring at her, please. Your face might permanently stay like that, and I doubt you want that. You complain about others saying you have a scary face already."

"Fiiine. I get it already, stop pestering me."

We eloped into silence as we continued walking. I took the time to look around the forest. I always enjoyed how the leaves shuffled from the breeze of the morning. The sunlight was always welcome as it hung in the clear, blue sky. It made me think of how much I would miss the sun if we got stuck in a rainy season or something. The light laughter from the group ahead was slightly distracting, but I paid it no mind since something hit me. I know where we are going, but I have no clue how.

"So," I spoke up, breaking the silence, "how are we getting to Zaprock? It seems like it's a good distance away if we have to camp out."

"Yep, Zaprock is indeed quite far indeed. Funny though, for the way we are going is actually the shortcut. If we were going the normal route, it would take at least three days, but since the Raving Rivers Bridge is still out, we would have to take the longer path, and that would take us well over a week to get there. The trade-off for the shorter time, though, is the danger of passing through a Mystery Dungeon."

"That dam river, how long does it take to fix the damn thing? Oh well, we get to go through another Mystery Dungeon at least, so now I'm actually pumped for this trip. Even if 'you know who' is here. So, what is the deal with Zaprock? Seems like an odd name for a town."

"Well, believe it or not, it's called Zaprock from the abundance of a rock called 'zaprock."

"No way, and here I was thinking it was named after a wacky new flavour of ice cream. What's so special about zaprocks?"

"You know all those weird machines like the elevator back at the guild?" I nodded. "Well, those are powered by zaprocks. I believe they store electricity in them or something."

"Oh, like a battery."

"A battery?"

"Yeah." I looked forward, making sure we didn't have any nosey listeners. In a quieter voice, I continued. "A battery is a human invention that can store energy inside it, to be used in portable devices. They were a huge deal since basically all our smart devices and advanced technology used them."

"Wow! You have to tell me more later!" Vulpix excitedly replied. She realised how loud she was, and checked to see if the others were looking. When she saw that the others weren't, she continued. "Sorry. So, um, how powerful were these batteries?"

"Um, they were decently powerful, depending on the brand, I guess. Some batteries could last hours to days depending on the activity or device used."

"Wow, your kind must have been very reckless for using such dangerous things as a power source, so casually."

"What? What are you talking about? The only time they were dangerous was if you got the battery acid on your skin, but even then that was hard to do since it was encased in a metallic shell. What type of batteries are these zaprocks?"

"Well, while zaprocks are great for containing and providing a source of energy since they can literally store raw electricity from, let's say, a Pickachu's thunderbolt inside them, they are prone to overcharging, and often tend to explode."

"Oh, no. Our batteries were nowhere near that explosive. You had to either get a dodgy brand, or leave one out to rust for any chance of danger. Unless, of course, you ate one for some stupid reason."

"Okay, that makes sense then. To finish up your question, the town of Zaprock is a big deal since they are the only town with such a high track record for delivering stable zaprocks. There was another competitor town, but it kind of turned to crater rock now from their mismanagement."

"Right, then remind me not to go eating a zaprock then. I would rather keep all of my beautiful face intact and not replaced for a crater."

"Actually, I think it would actually improve your look." Vulpix giggled while she stuck out her tongue and gave a playful wink.

"Are you saying I'm ugly? Well, I better get my mitts on a zaprock then. I bet it has a shocking taste," I smiled.

"Even if that could help, you could never match my beauty, especially when my fur is looking this good after a good brushing." Vulpix then fluttered her fur around, which made her tails and head tufts wave in a hypnotic way.

"Well, you got me there. With fur that nice-looking, what chance do I have? Guess I am forever cursed to be the cabbage Pokémon on four legs."

"D-do you mean that?" Vulpix asked. She was no longer looking straight at me, but was now stealing glimpses at me while staring at the ground.

"Ah, sure?" I replied, confused as to what Vulpix meant. Then it hit me: "Look at my bulb; it looks like a large cabbage."

"No, about my-"

We were suddenly cut off by a fluffy sensation smacking me in the side of my face. Bouncing off the fluffy ball revealed the assailant was Scorbunny's surprisingly soft tail.

"What gives? Why have we stopped?" I asked, Looking past the fluffy wall, we were all stopped in front of a standard wooden sign in the shape of two arrows. Each arrow pointing to a different direction.

"This sign has been tampered with," Servine explained. "It's like some Pokémon has broken the sign and placed it back upside down, but done very poorly. Look, some of the peg is sticking up from the top of the sign." She pointed towards said pit of wood protruding from the top.

Looking back at the sign, it was true; it was very clear that someone had just snapped the sign in half and stuck it back to the post by some rope. I'm surprised I didn't notice the rope that wrapped around the sign that attached it to the peg from the beginning.

"Oh, so that's why this sign doesn't make sense. I thought I couldn't read, then I remembered that I could!" Scorbunny enlightened. "So, why is it upside down then?" he asked while turning his head to the side to read the sign.

"My guess is that either some Pokémon broke the sign and tried to fix it, or some Pokémon is trying to pull off a juvenile prank," Servine said, taking a closer look at the sign.

"Who would pull a prank like this?" Vulpix asked.

"Probably a stupid kid or something. Who cares? Which way do we need to go?" I asked. Looking both ways reveals nothing useful other than some more trees.

"Um, Left," Sneasel, who was standing to the side, answered while pointing in the said direction. Hearing her voice answer me, it felt like someone applied a hot prod directly into my skull. So, yeah, you bet I didn't believe her.

"Uh-huh, yeah, right, like I believe that. Vulpix: Which way do we need to go?"

"Ace, she is telling the truth."

I just continued to stare at Vulpix, waiting for a proper answer.

"Fine, left. Left is where we need to go."

"See, I was telling the truth," Sneasel said.

"No one asked you, snake," I replied with much more venom in my tone. My mind instantly became foggy with hatred, and all the memories associated from the mine flashed before me.

I could feel myself slipping.

"Woah!" Servine shouted, cutting in between Sneasel and I, knocking me out of my near daze-like feeling. "Let's just calm down, now. Ace, remember the Guildmaster's words."

I furrowed my brows. "Yeah? What about them? How do you know about our talk with the guildmaster? She told you, didn't she?" I felt myself getting heated up again.

My anger was put on hold when a pair of chocolate coloured eyes were suddenly staring in front of me.

"Ace, please put away your vines," Vulpix asked concerningly. Her worried expression did lift the fog from my mind.

Now, I was about to counter that my vines were not out, but I was genuinely shocked to find out that they were flaring and ready to go. I don't even recall taking them out. A cold chill ran up my spine and I withdrew my vines back into their home.

"Argh, whatever, not worth my time. Let's get going, already."

"We will, after we fix this sign," Servine replied in a bit more of a relaxed pose.

"Fine, do whatever you want. I'll be over there." I gestured to a nearby tree off to the left side of the path. It was a nice simple tree with a clear view of the sun.

I walked over towards the tree, taking note of how shaken up I was from all the adrenaline coursing through my veins. I sat down, and closed my eyes while basking in the sunlight.

While my eyes were closed, I swear I could see a pair of dark red eyes in the darkness of my vision staring back at me. The longer I stared at them, the more I felt drawn into them, feeling myself getting stretched and pulled. It was uncomfortable the longer it happened, as I swear I felt like I was in a nightmare of sorts.

"Um, Ace?" the voice of Scorbunny asked. My eyes shot open in a panic state, cold sweat rushed down my head while I tried to catch my breath.

"Are you okay, Ace? Your'e all sweaty," Scorbunny asked.

"I'm fine, must have dozed off. What's up?" I replied.

"Can I ask you a question? Without you getting mad?"

"It's Sneasel-based, isn't it?"

"Woah, how did you know?"

"I can read minds. Why do you want to ask me about her? I'm sure you already know why I act the way I do."

"Not really, so I wanted to hear from you. Please, I want to know."

"I'd rather not go into all that. Not a pleasant memory, nor a time in my life."

"Please?" He asked while putting his paws together.

"No."

"Pretty please? With sugar on top?" He got closer to my face. I tried looking away, thinking maybe he would take the sign and leave me alone, but all that did was make him lean back into my view. No matter how many times I did this, he would not leave. Eventually, I let out a sigh; he wasn't going to leave me alone, unless I agreed.

"...Fine, but not now. Later."

"Promise?"

"What?"

"I want you to promise me. My parents say you can't back down from a promise. So, I want you to promise me you will tell me later, when we have stopped travelling."

"You aren't going to leave me alone, unless I promise, aren't you?"

Scorbunny shook his head.

"Fine, I promise to tell you later. Now please leave me alone. I'm not really in the mood for chatting.

"Okay, I'll leave you to your nap."

"Hey, fluff butt!" Servine shouted. "We need an extra pair of hands over here! Or, I guess, an extra pair of paws."

"Coming! Enjoy your rest, Ace!" Scorbunny smiled widely before running off towards the group.

I let out my one hundredth sigh of the day, it seems. What have I just agreed to?

With the sign back in its proper position, all neat and tidy-like, we continued onwards down the left path. The group was quiet for a bit, but they recovered since they were now laughing and chatting away. So, I continued to straggle behind, not feeling up for talking. Yet no matter how much I insisted to Vulpix that she should go to the others and join in their fun, she wouldn't leave.

I wasn't sure, but I felt for a second a bit of warmth rush through my chest for a split second. Congestion? I haven't eaten that much today, so I just shrugged the feeling off.

Anyways, back onto our travels, our peaceful stroll took a turn for the stranger side. At first, when Scorbunny mentioned a pie ahead of everyone, no one believed him. Certain to prove us wrong, he ran ahead to where he said he could smell the pie and ended up getting swept up into a large net that had him suspended and dangling from above, when he arrived at said pie.

Needless to say, we were all worried about our favourite bunny, but that fear was quickly squashed when we cut him down and saw that his face was covered with the berry pie and a childish smile of enjoyment on his face. Sneasel smacked his shoulder from worrying her, to which he only questioned as to why he got a smack. We kept him safe and watched for signs of poison, but it seemed like he was fine.

A question was burning at the back of the minds of everyone here: where are the trappers who laid this out? We instantly went into a battle position, ready for an ambush, but when nothing happened, we were just left there confused.

"Where are the Pokémon who set this trap?" Vulpix asked.

"No clue. Can you smell or hear anything strange?" I asked Vulpix.

"No, just the normal ambience of the forest."

"Strange," Servine said. "Okay, keep on your guard from here on out. I'm not sure if that trap was meant for us, but better to be safe than sorry," she ordered.

We all replied with an 'okay' and set off again.

So, while we continued, that trap was not the only one that was set up. Along our trip, we encountered one very obvious pitfall trap with an 'attempt' of leaves to cover the top, which of course Scorbunny fell for. Literally.

I also did find a purse of sorts in a bush while we travelled. When I grabbed it with my vines, I expected someone to jump out or something, but I was genuinely surprised when no one did. Looking it over gave me no useful information, but it did have a receipt for a pie that Vulpix had read for me and twenty gold pieces. So whoever dropped this purse was clearly the one who set up all these weird traps.

So, where was this trapper? I wish they would just attack and get it out of the way, already. I could use a good fight from earlier today. Maybe I scared them off? Who knows. At least I got some loot for our troubles.

"Oh, come on. Really? That's what that sign says? Whoever is doing all this isn't even trying at this point," I said.

Right dead smack in the middle of the path is the poorest excuse of a sign I have ever seen. The thing looked like a terribly-made sign from the old cartoons I used to watch. You know, like the ones with a bunch of nails hanging from it and bits of timber shooting out in all directions?. I'm kinda curious as to how it was staying together. The thing must be staying together through wishful thinking alone.

The sign in messy handwriting just plainly read: 'There is no camp, turn back. Would a sign lie to you?'

"Well, maybe there really isn't a camp ahead?" Vulpix said with a smile.

"Oh, haar-haar. Let's get rid of this sign already and keep moving already. I want to get to that dam camp already." I complained.

"Aww, is the big, bad Bulbasaur tired?" Servine replied with a smile.

"The big, bad Bulbasaur is sick of being around you."

"Hah, I see you are still upset from earlier. You really should try not to hold onto anger for so long; it's probably the reason why every Pokémon is scared of your face." I was about to retort with a harsh reply, but Servine must have noticed I was in no mood for antics since she raised her hands. "Woah, no need for that look, it's just a little teasing, so chill out, would ya? Look, we are almost at the camp; it's literally just past the bend ahead of us." Servine then pointed forwards toward the said bend in the tree formation.

"Thank goodness, I am also tired," Vulpix said.

"Well, don't let your guard down. We still don't know who the Pokémon are who have been setting up all these traps. For all we know, they are already at the camp with a trap ready. So be on your toes and report any suspicious individuals." Servine informed.

With everyone agreeing on what Servine said, I went to dispose of the sign myself. I wanted to break something, and the sign was something. I went to smash the thing, but when I saw it wobbling around, I simply poked the thing with my vine instead, and it collapsed. The thing really was staying together from wishful thoughts alone.

A loud rumbling sound suddenly erupted, making us all jump to attention, thinking a battle or something was about to take place. Yet, the sound wasn't an ambush; it was in fact the roar of a hungry Scorbunny, since his stomach rumbled again, giving him away. Scorbunny held his stomach while smiling bashfully.

"We thought we were getting attacked, Scorbunny! Also, how are you still hungry!? You ate all of that pie to yourself!" Sneasel said.

"Hey, I'm a growing boy, and a boy needs his food!" Scorbunny replied.

"Well, it ain't going to your brain, that's for sure."

The group shared a laugh at Scorbunny's even more bashful frown. All besides myself, of course. It did rouse a slight tickle in my throat, though.

So we continued on to the camp.

The camp was like all the others I have been to before. There was the same open space, with smaller spaces for campers to rest in. There were actually a couple of sets of Pokémon here, getting their camping spirit on.

The booth, unlike the first one I was at, actually had an attendee at it. It was a warm, smiling Simipour who was standing on one of two different heights of counters. One was very tall, most likely for an Ursaring or something, while the other one would be standard height for smaller Pokémon. This world is weirdly accommodating for both opposites of height.

"Welcome to Camp Simipour! Are you all together or separate?" Simipour asked. She was surprisingly energetic in nature, for she was bouncing about slightly while she asked.

"Well," I said.

"No, bad Ace, I know what you are thinking. We are all together, Miss Simipour, and we are all also part of the guild 'The Benevolent Heroes.' Here is my I.D. Do you need to see theirs, too?" Servine asked.

Simipour shook her head after examining Servine's ID.

"No, that should be fine, Miss Servine. I trust that you are all guild members. And even if not, any friends of a guilder are always welcome here. Do you need food or sleeping arrangements?"

"Oh, really? Well, we do require both, but really? You would've let them all get the food and sleeping benefit?"

"Of course! We always need more guilders, and it's only some food and some sleeping gear, not a real loss anyway. Besides, the world has become such a dangerous place as of late and I like to help anyway I can. Some stayers here have reported ruffians digging holes earlier today! They managed to scare them off, but unfortunately, they weren't able to get a good look at who was doing it." She held her fist tightly together before raising it up slightly. "If I ever get my Sim-paws on them, I would teach them what for!"

"Ha! Well said. Hey, maybe you should try joining the guild. We could always use more members."

"Why, thank you for the offer, but I'm afraid I will have to turn it down. My adventuring days are long over, plus I'm needed for the family business here."

"Family business?" I asked.

"Yes, my inquisitive one. A vast majority of the camps are run by my brothers, sisters, parents, uncles and aunts, and cousins, and has been for many generations. So, just five bedrolls for you all, tonight?"

"Yep, one for each of us," Servine answered.

"Great! I'll go fetch them. One second." Simipour then moved off to the side, where a lining of bedrolls was kept. She fetched five and then placed them on the counter. Scorbunny, Sneasel, and Servine grabbed theirs, while I grabbed Vulpix's with my free vine since I was holding mine with the other one. "And all set. Go ahead and pick a spot that is free and relax your weary bones. Dinner tonight is a Pecha berry and mixed herb stew, so look forward to that. Also, there is no chance for rain tonight, so you can sleep peacefully knowing."

"Wait, how do you know it won't rain tonight?" I asked. It seems that question was on the other's mind too, since they made 'oh yeah' remarks.

"Why, because of Castform's ability 'forecast', silly," Simipour replied while leaning on the counter.

"What? What Castform? I don't see one, unless it's behind the counter or something."

"Oh, I'm surprised; most don't know what Castform is." She bent down below her bench and fetched a small sleeping Castform. The little thing was still sleeping, even though it was out in the sunlight. "Here is our weather forecaster who lives here with me. He usually is more chatty, but he had to pull an all-nighter last night, so I doubt the little one will wake up anytime soon."

"Oh, cool. I reckon it would be a great ability to be able to predict the weather. Anyway, best be off, sore feet and all that." Self-dismissing, I walked off towards the camp. The others followed behind as we chose a spot.

"Have a good rest!" Simipour called out to us, giving us a big smile while waving. Scorbunny, of course, waved back.

We all decided on a spot closer to the left side of the camp, away from the other campers around, since we still didn't know if any of them were the trappers. We settled down, placing our beds around the leftover soot of a previous campfire. I set my bed far away from Sneasel, closer to the forest.

Interesting though: as I placed Vulpix's bed next to mine since she insisted on it, I noticed that there was a small hut off to the side of the booth. It wasn't too big, but it did look just large enough for one Pokémon to maybe live in. There was a tasty smell going around, so I'm guessing that the stew was being cooked there too. Anyway, I gave Vulpix her brush, which she basically strong-armed me into bringing.

I took note of what the other campers around us were doing while the others got settled. I spied on one area where a Kakuna and a Wartortle were talking together. The only other only group, besides for ours of course, being a Pidgey, Scyther, and a Poliwag, were attempting to make a fire. No one here seemed to be suspicious, so I focused my attention on what my team was doing.

Servine was doing some stretches next to Scorbunny, who was sitting down on his bed and looking like he was about to sneeze or something. Vulpix was going at her fur with her brush. Her matted fur was no match to the power of the mighty weapon she wielded. Since everyone was doing stuff, I decided to check my new bag for any holes, rips, or tears. If it had any, then the guy who sold me this will feel my wrath.

Oh yeah, there was Sneasel… Who cares? Moving on!

"Alright! That was a good stretch. Let's get a fire started, shall we? Even if it won't rain, I bet it will be a cold one tonight. So, how about we have Ace and…" Servine said, drifting off her sentence while looking towards Sneasel, who looked like she was a student suddenly called out at class.

"I'm tired, so if you try to force me to go with Sneasel, then I refuse to help at all," I replied.

I was not impressed by her terrible attempt at trying to get us to work together. Like, why should I? Even if we are from the same guild, that doesn't mean I should work with her.

"Fine, fine. I give. For tonight, that is. Since you have the bigger 'hands,' and by hands, I mean vines, you and Scorbunny go and fetch us some wood. We should have all this soot cleared by then, so hurry now," Servine said.

"That makes sense, I guess. Oi, Scorbunny, you heard the dictator; let's get a move on. The sooner we do this, the sooner I get to put my feet up."

"Oh!" Scorbunny suddenly shouted, jumping up from his seating position. "I get it! Sim-Paws! Because she has paws and her name is Simipour. Hahahaha!"

I could only stare at Scorbunny with amazement. I truly wonder what goes on in his brain. Actually, maybe I don't want to know that. I bet it's like a crazy fun house of insanity.

"Never change, Scorbunny, you precious soul," I said. He beamed a wide, toothy grin.

POV: Vulpix

Oh, how I wish Ace could just let go of his anger. I hate seeing him so miserable like this. Hopefully the Guild master's plan works; otherwise, all this misery would just be for nothing. Looking over to Sneasel, who was helping out Servine to remove all the soot, I walked over towards them.

I would've helped them out, but soot is one of the worst things to remove from fur, so luckily the girls here understood.

"How are you holding up, Sneasel?" I asked her.

"Um, fine? Soot and charcoal aren't that hard to remove after all?" Sneasel replied. She moved a pile of soot into a hole that she dug and covered it up.

"I think what our canine friend means is, how are you holding up with Ace?" Servine corrected. "I have never seen a Pokémon with such hatred in their eyes. Well, besides that Machoke fella."

"Oh, I'm… f-fine. I'm tough; I can handle a little anger thrown my way, hehe," Sneasel answered, clearly lying.

"Are you sure? You don't sound fine." I said.

"Hey, I said I'm fine. So drop it, will ya?"

"Look, I'm only trying to help. I hate seeing both of you so miserable. If I can help, then I want to help."

"Are you sure? Wouldn't Ace, erm, Bulbasaur hate you for that, like going behind his back and all?" Sneasel asked.

"That's actually a good point," Servine chimed in.

"No, he might get upset at me for a tiny bit, but I know he wouldn't hate me or anything like that. He really isn't a bad Pokémon, once you get to know him, that is." I said. I did wish he would keep his weird thoughts to himself sometimes. I hate having to cover for him when he asks about where the meat came from at the market.

"Okay, then, what can I do? I want to apologise to him, but I'm afraid he will snap or something." Sneasel said.

"You want to apologise to him? The same Pokémon, who attacked you when he saw you again at the test?" Servine said, befuddled by Sneasel. We both looked at her suspiciously as to how she knew that. "Hey, don't look at me like that; word travels fast."

"Right. And yes. From your side of the story, he is probably seen as the bad guy or something, but from my side, I am the monster. If it wasn't for me, then- then maybe he wouldn't be so angry all the time. I recall how friendly he was when we first met and how he saved all the other captured Pokémon from Machoke's henchmen." She paused for a second, then clenched her claws tightly, drawing a little blood from her palms. "Then I betrayed his trust to save myself."

"Look, it wasn't your fault."

"Yes, it was!" Sneasel shouted. "If I wasn't such a coward, then maybe I could've helped him escape, or at the very least get caught with him. I'm pathetic," She slumped down, holding her knees close to her chest. "Even though we are both free, I can't thank him for saving me from the Warden's wrath."

Sneasel sat there holding her legs while neither Servine nor I really knew how to proceed. Servine decided that patting Sneasel on the back was the best way to go about it, but it didn't help.

Thinking about how I could help, I couldn't think of anything to do to help her without resorting to that method the guildmaster hesitantly suggested when we talked yesterday. Something I would rather avoid, but knowing Ace, I think it would be the only way for him to let go of his anger.

"I think I know of a way for Ace to, at the very least, let go of his anger towards you," I said.

She looked up at me from her ball position, hope slightly simmering in her eyes. "H-how?"

"Um, how far are you willing to go?"

She lunged at me and held me with her arms without cutting me. "Anything! This guilt is killing me. I have to fix this, no matter what. So please tell me, how can I fix this?"

"Well," I hesitated on how to word this, "Ace is a bit… unique in how his emotions work. At the moment, he is filled with anger at you, so I believe you are going to have to fight him while talking- well, yelling out your differences. He has to let it go, and I can't think of another way he would be willing to do so. I'm not asking you to take it lying down, mind you. In fact, if you fought back, I believe it would work even better. That is if you are willing to, you know, fight him."

Even though I have the type advantage, I shiver at the thought of fighting him. He can be quite brutal in how he fights. I would easily understand if Sneasel was scared to do so.

Sneasel looked down, staring at the floor in thought. She looked up at me, looking me directly in the eyes with a fiery passion in her eyes.

"I will not let fear hold me back. Even if I get smacked around, I'll do it."

POV: Ace

Stick, stick, another stick, oh, so many sticks- what could we possibly do with them all? Oh, how about one hell of a gnarly campfire! No matter where I am or who I am stuck with, a good old campfire is always magical. There's something so pure and surreal about ignoring all my problems while something burns.

"Here you are, Ace," Scorbunny said. Currently in his arms is a large collection of sticks he has gathered.

Our plan for stick gathering was simple, since I was tired but still stronger and had a great way of holding large amounts of sticks. By that, I mean my vines; Scorbunny was running around collecting all the sticks while I held them. A simple plan, but an effective plan. One day I will learn his secret to unlimited energy. I could use my reserve energy to keep up with him, but I would rather not and save it for emergencies.

"Just what I always wanted- more sticks for a bigger fire," I replied, grabbing and adding his sticks to my ever growing pile. "I think I can hold a couple more handfuls of sticks from you, so let's keep going."

"Okay! Oh, do you think we can cook some marshmallows? Just thinking about them now is making my mouth water."

"Sure, I brought a couple of packs, plus whatever you brought, so it should be a marshmallow party. Besides, is it truly a campout without a roasted marshmallow or two?"

"Right?!"

With the prospects of marshmallows now, we picked up the pace on collecting sticks. I had to send Scorbunny back a couple times since small little twigs ain't much use besides for starting the fire. Plus, I can't really hold them well. The longer we continued to gather, the more I noticed that Scorbunny's speed and enthusiasm began to disappear. He became more fidgety and nervous with how he nearly dropped the new pile he delivered to me. Something was clearly on his mind, and I'm pretty sure I know what it is.

"Alright, spill it, cottontail, what's on your mind?"

"Ah, n-nothing!? Why would you think I had something on my mind?"

"I'm magic like that. Let's not play 20 questions; I'm tired, so just ask. I won't get mad if that's what you are freaking about."

"Oh, okay, thanks. Um, remember how you promised to talk about why you hated Sneasel so much?"

"I don't recall saying that, even if it's true, but let me guess, you want me to tell you why now?"

"Wow, yeah! That's what I was going to ask. Freaky," he said, while tucking his arms in wide-eyed amazement.

"And let me guess, if I say no, you will go on and on about how I did not honour my promise and continue to pester me about it for hours or days until I eventually lament and tell you?"

"I don't really know what lament means, but yep. A promise is a promise, after all."

I took a step back so I could think for a second. While I really, really did not want to talk about this crap, I believe I could trust Scorbunny enough to let him in, even if it was just a little bit. Plus, if you have that sort of friend- the one who cannot let something go- then you know how much of a pain it can be to keep something from them, even if they mean well by it.

"Fine, but two things: first, not here, let's talk somewhere else since I want to sit down, and two, don't ask a bunch of questions until after I'm done talking. Okay?"

"Okay! Oh, hey, I found a lake with some fallen logs that would work awesomely for a chair. It's just over that way." He pointed to his right and said, "Follow me!" And off he went, bouncing towards the lake. I didn't try to keep up, and decided to walk after him. Once he realised I wasn't going to be moving any faster, he matched my speed, even if he was all jittery about not running at the speed of light.

We walked for not that long and arrived at the lake Scorbunny was talking about. The lake was large, easily the size of a football field. The water reflected the ambient orange of the near-setting sun. There were even a couple of wild Pokémon taking a drink on the other side, like a Stantler, a couple Deerling, a Zigzagoon and a couple of Rattatas. As long as they don't come looking for a fight, we are all good.

Scorbunny pointed out the location of the fallen log that could easily fit us both, so we made our way towards it. I was the first to sit down since Scorbunny was taking in the sight of all the wild Pokémon around. I placed my pile of sticks neatly to the side of myself. Scorbunny's energetic nature quickly died down when he joined me on this log.

"Alright, quiet class, for I'm not going over my tale of woe multiple times, okay?"

Scorbunny nodded in agreement.

"Alright, so it started when I arrived in this land; don't ask how or where I'm from, I won't tell you, anyway."

So, I basically went over my first couple of days to Scorbunny: about how I fought a Rattata, making me distrust the environment; the hostage swap with Kangaskhan that made me distrust strangers; then the epic betrayal of Sneasel, who taught me that even if you are working for the same goal, then allies could still betray you. Scorbunny was quiet the whole time, just listening to all I had to say, and I have to admit, telling him felt good. I know I can talk to Vulpix about this, but it was different somehow. Maybe because we don't hang out as much?

My tale came to an end when I described a very, very P.G version of what Machoke decided would be fun to do to me. To this day, I can still feel him drilling into my paw. I doubt I will ever forget such a feeling. Worst of all, that isn't even the worst thing he did that I can still feel.

"And thus, here I am today and why I refuse to forgive her," I finished my abbreviated tale. I was only going to mention Sneasel's betrayal, but I kept going anyway when I saw how invested Scorbunny was.

"So, Machoke really did hurt you that badly, huh," Scorbunny mumbled.

"Yeah, but hey, at least that brute got buried in all that rubble. We can at least rest assured knowing that. So, any questions?"

Scorbunny sat in silence, staring at the ground, thinking of what to ask. I didn't feel the need to rush since he respected my story-telling. He then looked up to me and asked:

"Do you truly hate Sneasel, or do you hate what she represents?" he asked.

I was stunned by his answer. Truly. I had no idea how to answer it.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm asking if you hate Sneasel for who she is, or do you hate her because she was the "nail in the coffin," as you described?"

"I… I guess I don't really know Sneasel well enough to… why does this matter?"

"If you hate her for what she has done then wouldn't an equally kind, or apologetic action counter that? Couldn't she do something to fix her image with you? And If she reminds you of mine, then wouldn't Vulpix and I remind you of that too?"

Once again, I was completely taken back from this questioning from Scorbunny. This was Scorbunny of all people! And worst of all, he was kind of making sense.

"Well, of course you both don't remind me-"

"Then why!? Why can't you forgive, or at least give her the chance to earn it!? I know you two could be the best of friends. You both are so similar; you both are heroic when it matters; both have potty mouths and both are nice to me," Scorbunny said hysterically. His eyes were now bloodshot, while tears build up and fall down his cheek.

"Because neither you nor Vulpix have betrayed me," I bluntly said.

"Then… then…" Scorbunny stumbled. He continued to wipe away his tears. A deep hole of guilt opened up in my stomach, so I tried to distract myself by looking at the view of the lake again.

With only Scorbunny's silent sobbing and the wind blowing through the leaves of the trees, we sat there, not saying anything, nor moving. Eventually I hopped up from the log and grabbed the pile of sticks. We could hold more, but it would do.

"Come on, let's head back. I'm sure the others are wondering why it's taking so long for us to return," I said.

"...Okay," Scorbunny replied, completely dejected. I hated seeing him sad, but I'm sure a good marshmallow would cheer him up.

We made our way back to the camp with our loot of sticks in tow. Scorbunny was following behind me, his once-bouncy nature gone.

"Ace, if I did something bad to you, even if it was an accident, would you hate me forever too?" Scorbunny eventually asked.

I thought about it for a second, pondering the possibilities of what he could do to earn my hatred. Eventually the answer came down to one simple phrase.

"Depends on what you would've done."

"Hey, you're back," Vulpix said, meeting us halfway when we entered the camp.

"Hey, what took you two so long? I'm cold here!" Servine complained. She grabbed the sticks from me with her vines and began to build the fire. Scorbunny, in the meantime, headed back to where Sneasel was, his arms sagging as he moped.

"What's with Scorbunny?" Vulpix asked.

"Just some guy stuff," I replied. I walked past Vulpix and towards my bed. My head was now throbbing from all this emotional crap, and I needed some sleep. "I'm going to take a nap; wake me when food's ready, please."

"Okay, will do. Have a good nap."

I settled into my sleeping bag, and closed my eyes. Since the fire had not started yet, it was actually quite cold. I began to shiver when something pressed up against me. Curious as to what, I saw Vulpix had dragged her sleeping bag up against mine and was huddling up next to me to share her warmth.

I smiled from her kind action. "Thank you," and I started to zone out.

I began to ponder Scorbunny's question for a bit, while I was falling asleep.

"If I did something bad to you, even if it was an accident, would you hate me forever too?"

Would the same thing apply to Vulpix? If she let me down and betrayed me, would I hate her too? The longer I'm around her, the more I doubt that I could. I will most likely be hurt, but I don't think I could bring myself to hate her. Besides, I know she has my back and that she wouldn't lie or hurt me.

Then why is she keeping a secret from you?

End Chapter 20