Pokémon Warrior: Lost Adventures

The sun was fading fast as Kenji trudged on, wanting to be as far from the Pokémon's territory as possible. Not only did they overstay their welcome, but there were other dangers as well. He was surprised that they were not interrupted while repairing the cultivated garden. Beasts were often opportunistic, hunting those that exhibited weakness or were exhausted from a battle.

Such hunters would not pass him or his companions if their paths crossed. To say nothing of those that would be successfully driven off by the thorny grove tender. He had to move quickly before the full of night fell.

His blood chilled as he imagined the monster from only a few nights ago deciding to hunt him. The memory of its horrendous wail already made sleeping difficult. The chill did not last long as the heat pulsing from his hand pulled at his attention.

The agony from Sprout's bite made pulling the sled all the harder and reopened the wound. Stopping for a moment, Kenji rifled through the plants on his sled. There were several that he believed to have medicinal properties. Or at least hoped they did.

While many plant species were different than what he was used to, there were plenty of similarities. His parents were no mystics or vaulted herbalists, able to brew a rejuvenating potion with nothing but a pot and stick. What they were, however, were gardeners who supplied the mystics and herbalists with their stock.

Having been trained by them, Kenji knew enough to keep from poisoning himself.

At least he hope he did.

Plucking several leaves free, Kenji shoved them into his mouth. He chewed thoroughly, gagging at the horrible taste. The plants were thick and released a harsh taste that slightly numbed the tongue. After the leaves were pulped into a thick paste he eagerly spat it out on his injured hand. With his other, he carefully spread the pasted herb over his wound. He was more concerned about covering it for now than truly binding it.

Even a drop of the nourishing Energy of Grass would be able to seal the wound and set it on the path to healing. The simple herbalism that he knew would have to suffice without it.

In order to hold the simple mixture of leaves and saliva in place, Kenji further wrapped his hand in broad leaves. He had to use some of his smaller strands of rope to secure it but soon he had a rough bandage covering his hand.

Picking up the sled again, Kenji forced himself to walk further away from the Pokémon's territory. The harsh screams of animals and beasts fighting, hunting, and communicating filled his ears. Even after only several days, he was starting to recognize several varieties that he believed belonged to the same Pokémon. However, despite the repetitive indications of such beasts, Kenji had yet to see them.

Oh, the trees rustled above and he could see the fresh tracks and more that indicated creatures having passed by. Still, there was no more than that. The absence of beasts only grew more pronounced as night fell. The forest grew quiet as the shadows grew. With silence, the hunters emerged and Kenji was forced to find shelter. Fortunate, as he was growing tired and the pain in his hand was a constant dull ache.

He stumbled to a stop and Sprout chirped tiredly, jostled awake.

"Hush." Kenji groaned quietly. "It's my turn to sleep you lazy turtle." The aggressive pain made him irritable and rude where he had no reason to be so.

Flutter was already sleeping, having landed nearby. Seeing the normally energetic beast slow down encouraged him to stop.

Kenji picked up Sprout, and tucked him close to the base of the trunk before he roughly pulled the sled up. The berries and cocoons were largely secure. Vines and threads held them down well enough to keep the contents from tumbling free. He had to force himself to yank off his leathers and shoes when all he wanted to do was collapse. Only once he was finally free of the heavy clothing did he collapse under the simply protection of the lean-to.

Sweat clung to him as the heat burning his body continued to rise. Panting lightly, Kenji struggled to keep his eyes open. He did know why he should as his thoughts grew clouded. Giving in to his body's demands, he quickly fell into a restless sleep.

The night passed slowly, in stuttering skips of wakefulness and dream. Kenji awoke several times, warm and coated in sweat. He moved around blearily in search of a more comfortable position on the rough dirt floor only to awaken later to shift back. By the time he awoke for the final time, the sun was high in the sky and his skin was sticky with dry sweat. Soil clung to him as a result and he could feel his muscled knotting.

Breathing heavily, Kenji forced himself to crawl out from under the sled. He was still too close, and he needed to move. He grabbed onto the tree to help pull himself upright, taking a moment to pant and focus himself. He realized that the arduous task of donning the thick leathers would be too much. Even if he managed the feat, Kenji doubted that he would be able to last long wearing them. It was hot enough as it was and he could not bear to suffocate himself further.

Instead, he tossed the heavy material on his sled, carelessly crushing some of his preciously foraged food.

He knew he should care but he did not. Everything was hazy and blurred to his mind. He only knew what he should do next but not why.

Glancing down at his hand, Kenji winced at the inflamed hand. At some point in the night, the silk tied leaves had slipped off and revealed the dried paste beneath. His skin was bruised and raised, spreading beyond the simple poultice he made. What he could see of the wound was jagged, with the flesh beneath exposed. There was no doubt to even his addled mind.

The wound was infected.

Not only that but he was sick with fever.

To make matters worse, the nearest shelter he could remember was downriver. It would be a long trek, undoing much of his progress, and only serve to leave him weaker.

Yet he had no choice. Not if he wanted a real shelter. A simple lean-to that could not keep out the rain nor was not the place to ride out a fever.

"Come on, Sprout." he mumbled somewhat coherently.

The turtle beast chirped at him happily. It seemed to have forgotten the day before when he nearly attacked it under the influence of the spirit haunting him.

Which he was also going to have to deal with.

Later. When he had the time and presence of mind to do so.

Wincing, Kenji stretched only enough so that he could begin moving before bending over to scoop up the small waiting for him. He set the beast on the sled, unmindful of how the planter for the Pokémon was partially empty. Flutter was nowhere to be seen and he could only hope the beast found him later.

Picking up the sled, he was quickly reminded of his torn hand with a shout of pain. Cradling the limb to his chest, he failed to bite back the whimper that escaped.

Wincing, Kenji started to chew another poultice to cover it. He was not entirely sure that the leaves were the same as yesterday, and still he could barely bring himself to care. After smearing the masticated leaves on, he wrapped the hand with several large leaves. A string of silk torn from one of the cocoons was enough to hold the greenery in place.

Kenji grabbed the handles of the sled with a grunt of pain and pushed himself to start walking. The fever drained his energy but, if he wanted to reach the shelter before nightfall, he was going to have to move. It was not too far downriver but it would be well into the afternoon before he reached it. If he had woken earlier then he may have reached it by midday. Alas, the sun was already well into the morning.

Trudging through the forest, it seemed as if every root was seeking to trip him. It slowed his progress further and encouraged him to simply lay down. However, he knew that if he did so, he would not stand up again. The bone deep weariness pulled at him, making him believe that it would go away. If only he allowed it to do so.

Yet, in some ways it was easier for him to put one foot in front of the other. Stopping and sitting down would take more effort than a single step. And if he could take that step, then why not another? To make camp here, or there, he would have to stop and prop up the sled.

Whereas continuing on only required a single step.

The bubbling of the river grew in the background, helping to cover the wild cries in the forest. It also helped him fall into a walking trance, one that maintained him for however long he was forced to walk. As the sun reached its zenith and began to lower, he felt a slight chill as his feverish skin was brushed by the air. He did not bother stopping for lunch as hunger did not pain him.

There was only one foot in front of the other.

At some point, Flutter returned.

The giant butterfly landed upon his head, the large wings providing shade and a gentle wind as it beat its wings.

Kenji murmured a soft thanks, missing the beast when the Pokémon left to resume its search for nectar.

Without the shade offered by the butterfly's wings, Kenji felt flashes of cold and heat as he followed the river downstream. A cold sweat poured down his skin. The ground, already uneven from roots, grew more disrupted as he neared too close to the water. Rocks and fallen trees blocked his path.

Eventually, a stumble proved too much and Kenji collapsed onto the forest floor.

His knees struck the hard soil and he fell forwards onto his chest. Still holding the sled, it fell onto him to land on his legs. Grunting from shock, he weakly scrambled on the ground. The effort quickly wore him out and he let his arms fall.

Tired, Kenji rested his head on the ground. It felt good to take a break. He would only close his eyes for a moment and then get up. It would help him recover, then he could continue onto rocky cave. Closing his eyes, he felt the exhaustion begin to carry him away before a sudden chill caused him to shiver.

Blinking wearily, he saw a soft fog puff out with his breath. Instead of becoming alarmed, Kenji only felt tired.

Yet he had to move.

Kenji felt something brush against the remnants of his aura. It was cold yet rough, like a porous rock pulled from the deep sea or sand beneath the surface. Behind him, Sprout let out a chirping whine as the Pokémon sensed something was wrong.

He needed to stand up.

The cold invaded him, chilling Kenji's spirit. He could see a soft fog puff out with his breath as the ghost cooled the surroundings. He felt his mind ease, the weariness fade from his body enough that he was able to move.

It felt as if he were watching through a window as his hands were placed on the ground to push his body up. The sled clattered to the ground behind him, disturbing Sprout further. The young Type Beast's complaints were ignored as Kenji's hands wrapped around the handles of the sled.

He needed to move.

At first Kenji was slow, only taking a step every few heartbeats. The halting movement helped prevent stumbles from turning into falls. Once Kenji started moving, it was easy to keep going. All Kenji had to do was put one foot in front of the other.

Like this, he fell into a dazed trance as he walked beneath the shade of the forest.

Sprout's chirps and an occasional whine threatened to break him free but he resisted. It would be all too easy to stop. Flutter did not return, leaving only the shade and breeze to help cool his fever.

Rather abruptly, Kenji found himself near his goal. The would-be refuge was rather memorable and hard to miss, even in his current state.

A large rock, more a boulder yet not nearly so round. It protruded out of the uplifted, rocky ground towards the river. A tree had fallen over it at one point, extending the cover further. However that was not what struck Kenji the first time he saw it.

The tree was still alive.

Despite being partially uprooted, leaves grew from the upper limbs. Branches reached for the sky, curving to give the tree an odd appearance. A few limbs appeared dead but the trunk was still strong and healthy.

It was time to rest.

Stumbling forward, Kenji could not be bothered to drag the sled any more. His hands released the wood after only a step. Sprout chirped in alarm at the rough movement as the frame and beast fell to ground. Fortunately, the nest crafted for the small Pokémon so long ago was sturdy enough that the turtle did not tumble out.

Kenji did not notice, lost in a haze as he stumbled towards the rough shelter. Once more, he fell to the rough earth and started to weakly crawl. As he moved into the shade cast by the tree, he felt the cold lingering within him begin to recede. It was weak and needed to recover.

The need to reach safety faded with it.

Enough of the unnatural urge lasted long enough for Kenji to crawl deeper until he was against the stone wall. There, he collapsed fully and fell into an exhausted sleep.

The dreams began almost immediately.

Warped by his fever, he was haunted by memories of his mother and father. Together, his family would care for their garden. The plants grew wild despite the attention they lavished on the green. Vines, stems, and more reached for the sky, only to lash out when they could not touch the blue expanse. His parents smiled at him as he screamed, unmindful of the thorn teeth ripping at their flesh. As they were torn asunder, shadows crept in to consume their spirits as he watched, frozen in terror.

Then, the largest ghost of all, Dusknoir, would rise and swallow him whole.

Rolling around in his sleep, Kenji cried out as his fever grew nightmares. His arms struck the stone around him. The pain was mimicked across into his dreams, manifesting as wild attacks or cruel beatings.

The fire that burned his family home consumed him, burning his skin until he sweat enough to muddy the ground. He could hear Sprout wailing with him, in fear and worry. Running through his kingdom's forest, Kenji screamed for the young beast. The cries only intensified but no matter how far he ran he could never find the Pokémon.

His dreams shifted again.

A cave surrounded him with rough, wet ground underneath him. Standing over him was a large soft pink egg. The being had the wings of a guardian flowing from its crown. An aura of healing and joy flowed from its shell, collecting in a pale orb within its center.

He panted weakly beneath the strange creature, mumbling incoherently. Perhaps it was his time to join his mother and father. The only thing holding him back was the soft whining Sprout emitted. He quieted slightly when the egg-like creature brushed one of its stubby arms across his head.

"Cha, chan. Sey." The being's voice was that of a bell ringing a gentle song as it crooned to him.

A frown tore at the pink being's delicate features, making Kenji want to weep from shame for putting it there. He twisted, unable to bear the sight of the downturned face. The limb moved further as it reached for his infected hand, veins crawling up his arm. It felt as if the fever was eating Kenji alive. Only a weak touch of cold against his aura kept the fire from consuming him.

"Chans, Chan." With another croon, the winged guardian reached within itself. Grasping the orb of happiness in the center of its being, the guardian pulled it free. With one limb, the pink creature lifted Kenji with a surprising strength while the other brought the egg to his mouth.

The guardian was relentless as it forced Kenji to consume the orb. He was forced to weakly swallow lest he choke. As he drank from the strange egg orb, Kenji felt an odd warmth suffuse his chest.

The warmth rushed through him as he swallowed the last of the warm liquid. Unlike the raging fever that burned him, this new warmth swept the burning heat aside. As the fires warred within him, he drawn back into a another dream. The winged guardian blurred away and the soft chirps of Sprout faded with it.