Pokémon Warrior: Lost Adventures

Sitting down by the sled, Kenji went through his supplies. He had the vine rope from several days ago but he would have to be careful next time he relied on it for the plant would weakened with rot. Most of his food was gone, lost or destroyed by the windstorm summoned by the swarm of butterflies. He had three cocoons stuffed with more that he was hoping to turn into a blanket, bandages, and a better rope. The sled itself was in good condition, though he could do with a larger one. Its use for creating a quick and easy lean made it perhaps the most valuable item he had. With a fabric to throw over it and perhaps a second frame, he had a portable shelter that would allow him to stay on the move.

Grabbing one of the smaller cocoons, Kenji held it up. He was familiar with spinning yarn and fabric from cotton but he had none of the machinery needed for the process. The silk was thicker than he expected and he picked at the loose threads. Searching around for a stick, he wrapped one of the longest piece around the wood. The extra leverage helped to pull the cocoon apart but the silk was too tangled.

Glaring at the orb in frustration, he lifted his head and let his eyes roam as he thought. The soap would perhaps be able to help but he doubted rubbing it with cold water would work. If he had a leather bag, he could boil it with hot stones but he had no leather. He did not even have a weapon to hunt or defend himself, Kenji suddenly realized.

His mouth twisted as he thought of the lesson his father would have no doubt made of that.

"No," he said aloud with a shake of his head. "Focus. I need to focus."

His eyes landed on the butterfly that joined their group and followed the beast as it explored the riverside. It discovered a new patch of flowers and he could hear it trill with joy as it excitedly flitted around inspecting each individual flower. Eventually it calmed down enough to sample the nectar and pollen within.

. . .

"Oh," he uttered.

Kenji stood up and searched along the river for several long sticks. This time he made sure to keep an eye on Sprout in case he decided to go for another swim but the Pokémon remained hidden in his pile of moss.

When he found what he was looking for, Kenji returned to the sled and called out to flying bug.

"Flutter," he said with a raised voice.

The creature would not recognize the nickname he gave it but perhaps he could catch its attention by calling out to it. It took several more tries but eventually he was able to pull the Pokémon away from the flowers and over to his side of the stream. The beast was reluctant to leave but he was glad it did.

As the bug flew over, he wondered how he was going to communicate what he wanted. Pokémon typically grew smarter as they evolved but that did not mean they would learn how to understand people. It took time, training, and linking for the beasts to be able to communicate with humans.

"Flutter, can you make one of these?" he asked as he dropped the branches he was carrying and held up the cocoon. He grabbed one of the loose threads and mimed what he thought a worm would look like as it sprayed out the string.

The Pokémon trilled at him lowly.

The butterfly moved closer and seemed to inspect the cocoon before looking up to Kenji. Its large, clear eyes looked between the silk, the thread, and him. Strangely, he got the sense that the beast was uncertain or concerned.

"It's ok." he soothed. He smiled reassuringly at the butterfly Pokémon. "I just need a little bit."

The flying bug trilled once more and Kenji took it for an agreement. Crouching, he set down the cocoon and moved to pick up the branches. Squatting as he was, he could not see the large butterfly but he heard it trill again before something struck him on the back. He stumbled from the force of it and as he recovered he felt the cool substance spread on his bare skin.

"What the," he yelped.

He attempted to stand up but found that he was unable to. Jerking his head around, Kenji saw white string spreading across his body. He tried to struggle against the string but the threads were far more sticky than the ones from the cocoon.

Flailing against the silk, he suddenly grasped the butterfly's hesitation.

"Wait, no!" he shouted. "Flutter, stop! Stop!" he screamed.

Kenji knew how strong silk could be and he knew that stuck as he was he would not be able to tear his way out. He could hear Sprout begin to warble in fear and concern from the riverside but his mind was panicking. The silk was covering too much and it was only growing thicker.

"Stop!" he screamed again.

Finally understanding his distress, Kenji could hear the beast wail. It was a piercing cry that cut through the fear clouding his mind.

The tightening string suddenly grew slack and Kenji found that he was able to stretch his arms a little further. The Pokémon must have severed its connection to string and stopped reinforcing it with energy for the threads seemed to lose their inflexibility.

Tugging at the silk, Kenji was unable to rip it off but managed to move it enough to stand. Shuddering, he lost himself for a moment as he frantically tugged at the threads but could not remove them. With a snarl on his face, he managed to force himself to stop and take several deep breaths to reassert control over himself. Panting, he managed to calm his shaking and recover from nearly being cocooned alive.

When he was no longer breathing wildly, he pulled at the silk at a more measured pace until he was able to slip through. It was difficult with how adhesive the material was but eventually he was no longer entangled by the threads.

Looking around, he saw no sign of the large butterfly and Sprout was standing up from his pile of moss trembling. When he saw Kenji stand, the young creature warbled in concern.

"It's ok, little one," he chuckled nervously. His hands were still shaking from the close call. "Just, uh, a misunderstanding." Kenji let out a shuddering breath as he fought to control his limbs. Looking around, he wondered where the large butterfly flew off to.

Peering up and down the river he did not see the colorful Pokémon. As he looked, he thought through where he believed the creature would retreat to. The field of flowers across the stream was empty and the tree cover prevented him from seeing too far into the forest. He briefly debated crossing to search but he had an easier idea to try first.

"Flutter," he called out. "Flutter!"

Movement by the flower patch drew his attention. At first, they appeared to be moving from the wind but a closer look revealed that there was no wind disturbing the surrounding plants.

"Flutter," he shout again. "I apologize. I should not have shouted at you."

He could faintly hear a soft trill over the gurgling of water but he still did not see the butterfly.

"Forgive me, oh great beast of flower and sky," he continued with a bow towards where he suspected the creature to be hiding. He heard an answering trill but he remained bowed lest he scare the Pokémon. The powerful beasts, sent by the Original One, should always be treated with careful respect.

He felt a wind brush at his skin as the Pokémon emerged from the flowers and he risked a glance up.

It was rising into the air with a soft squeal and waggle of its stubby rounded limbs. It rested into a hover with its antennae twitching slowly as it stayed half-turned away. The bug still seemed hesitant to cross the river, so Kenji encouraged it by lifting his arm in invitation.

The action was similar to how he first introduced himself to the beast and he hoped it was enough. The butterfly must have recognized the gesture for what it was, for it released a wail and rapidly flapped its wings. Flying through the air, the Pokémon sped across the river and rapidly approached him. As it raced across, the beast wailed with fear and distress.

Kenji braced himself as the bug approached without slowing.

The bug slammed into his arm and latched on with its round limbs, squealing all the while. With each trill of anguish, the beast's probiscis flexed and uncurled.

He refused to wince from the sound but he could do nothing for the goosebumps that lifted on his skin as the creature crawled over his arm. The hairs lining the bug's carapace tickled him but his mind kept flashing back to moments ago.

"It's ok," he said to it. "I should have understood what you were trying to say." He brushed the hard carapace and the sensitive hairs that coated it. As he drifted his hand over the hairs, Kenji found that if he held his palm close but not quite touching the hard shell it seemed to have a greater affect.

"See, its ok." he murmured to the worried Pokémon. "Nothing's wrong." It continued to walk over his arm before climbing up to his shoulder and bouncing to his head.

When the Pokemon settled down he walked over to the dropped sticks and cocoon. He picked the silk orb up and rolled it around in his hands. On his head he could feel the butterfly shift and trill lightly when he picked it up. When he felt that the beast had calmed down, Kenji picked up one of the branches and wrapped a thread around it.

"See, just like this," He murmured to the Pokémon. "Wrap the string around the sticks, not me." He added with a nervous chuckle.

He twisted the branch and wrapped the silk around it in an effort to show the bug what he wanted it to do. As he continued to twist the branch, a stream of white string shot and anchored itself on the woods. Surprised, he nearly dropped the stick but caught himself and continued to spin it.

"Good job, Flutter." He complimented the butterfly. "Now just keep that up."

The creatures response caused the string to vibrate slightly.

Kenji moved the branch so that silk covered the entire length of it. When the wood of covered, he quickly picked up another stick and laid against the first. Kenji continued like this until eventually the stream of silk ran out with a sad trill. Grinning, he set the bundle atop dome rocks to prevent it from getting dirty before reaching up and grabbing the bug.

"That was excellent, Flutter." Kenji declared. "No other beast could have done half as well as you." He brushed his hand across the butterfly's hard covering.

The creature squealed as he pet it and eventually rose in the air to return searching for flowers.

Smiling, he stood up and collecting the silk before moving over to sit by the pile of moss hiding Sprout. He was glad that the young Pokémon had stayed instead of leaving to dirty himself in the soil. He reached out and combed through the damp plant until he felt the turtle's soft scales.

The Pokémon chirped at the disturbance and tried retreating but Kenji did not let him.

Moving slowly, he finally revealed the small beast. Sprout warbled in complaint.

"Now, now," He soothed the upset Pokémon. "I wanted to check on you and see how you were doing." He ran his eyes over the beast.

The small turtle's shell was still damp and soft. The large, harder scales making it up were visible after the river washed away the soil coating it but some still clung to the recesses. The wounds on his limbs were clean but looked raw with surrounding scales lifting up as they peeled off.

"You're not looking so good, little one," Kenji said as he frowned down at the unhealthy Pokémon.

Sprout must have sensed that something was wrong for he started to shake and tried to retreat within his shell.

"No, no," Kenji rushed to say as he hurriedly changed his frown into a smile. "It's ok. I have just the thing to help you get better."

The turtle still shook but as he soothed it, the beast calmed enough to open his eyes.

"How about a bath to start, yes?" He asked the scared Pokemon.

Kenji collected some of the remaining soap plants before returning to the water. He used his hands to lightly splash Sprout until he was wet. Grabbing a stone, he dunked it into the water before picking up a root and roughly scrubbing it across the rock. When he had a light lather, Kenji scooped up what he could and ran it across the turtle's body. He avoided washing the shell and head but paid close attention to cleaning the area around the reptile's wounds.

Sprout of course squealed when the bubbly liquid ran across the sores and stung but Kenji was expecting it.

"Shhhh. It's ok," He murmured. "You're going to be all right. Just a little bit and then it's over."

He had to rush the cleaning as the Pokémon continued to struggle in his grip. Still, he made sure to free most of the dirt and filth clinging to the Pokémon's scales.

"See, and we're all done." He said as he finished washing the last of the soap from the Pokémon. "Now that wasn't so bad now was it?" He playfully asked.

Sprout warbled in fear and annoyance. The turtle was clearly upset with him but Kenji took it in stride.

"I know but now that it's over we can get you all bandaged up," he responded. He set the turtle down to grab the bundle of thread but when he returned to the Sprout's side, the beast shied away from Kenji.

"I'm just trying to help you," Kenji said. Unspooling some thread, he unwound from the sticks and held it up for Sprout to see. "I'm just going to take this and wrap it around your wounds. It will help you heal," He explained.

Seeing that the Pokémon was still scared , he wrapped it around the hand and tied it off before tearing the silk with his teeth. He had a difficult time with only one hand but the threads were thicker than the thinner ones produced by Sewaddle and he soon managed to form a simple knot.

"See?" Kenji asked as he showed the Pokémon his hand. He even opened and close it to demonstrate that he could still move it. "Nothing to be scared of."

The turtle inspected the wrapping closely, even going so far as to nip it. When he was satisfied, the creature stepped back and chirped.

Kenji took the sound as one of consent and started to peel silk off for a bandage. Here the adhesive properties of the string were a benefit as it stuck in place despite the struggles the beast put up. He worked through the flailing, allowing Sprout to pull away and rest after he finished with the first one.

"That was not so hard now was it?" he asked casually. He waited as the young Pokémon looked over the bandage, though the action was hampered by how inflexible his limbs were. "Nothing to be scared of."

Sprout walked around several times and tried biting at it but fortunately the string was able to endure his tough beak. While it was silk, the threads were produced by an evolved beast capable of fighting. If Kenji had difficulty in breaking the thread, then Sprout had little to no chance.

When the Pokémon started to settle down, Kenji pulled the turtle close and resumed wrapping him once more. It took some time as the Pokémon wanted to inspect each bandage when he was done. Kenji allowed it, knowing that the act helped calm the beast, until finally he tied off the last of the threads. When he knotted the last piece of silk and stuck it to the rest of the string, Kenji pulled back and looked over his work critically.

Each of Sprout's stumpy legs bore several wraps with one nearly covered by the white silk. The shell was relatively free of string expect for a few threads that were run across to hold the bandages on the stomach in place. He left the yellow bottom of the limbs free as the Pokemon grew frantic when he covered them too much. Several minutes of thinking and remembering how the turtle favored planting himself in the soil left Kenji feeling like a fool.

"You favor Grass energy. Your legs most likely act as literal roots to absorb nutrients from the land and cultivate," he realized with a shake of his head. "I'm such an idiot," he added with a groan. Sitting back, he watched the water flow by.

Such a valuable resource and he was watching it all drift away. So necessary to his survival that he would be forced to follow it, either upstream or down, staying within at least a half-day's march of it.

Unless he managed to carry it with him.

Kenji hopped to his feet and walked along the riverside in thought. His eyes studied the river's edge. He was searching for perhaps the second most valuable resource to be found along the water, third if he included food on the list.

Clay.

With clay, he could craft pots and containers to hold water for long treks through the forest. He would have to bake it in a fire, and it would be a time consuming process to mold properly, but he was confident that he could do it. There was only one issue.

Kenji had no idea how to find the earthy material.

He knew about it, of course. A wet, brown earth that could be easily molded to a shape before being baked. It's just that, well, his family never had to use the clay themselves, nor did his father's Warrior training include identifying it. If they wanted a pot, all they had to do was go to the village market and buy one. Shaking his head, Kenji gave up on the search and returned to the sled.

Squatting next to the wooden frame, he debated on what to do next. He still wanted to keep moving in the hopes of finding a town or even just a single person, but being forced to stay near the river limited him. If he was more confident and had the proper tools, perhaps he could fell a tree and carve a simple boat out of the trunk. Instead, all he had was his hands and two Pokémon he was not even linked to. One was too young to care for itself and the other was unsuited to work as he would need it to.

Checking on his clothes, Kenji found them still damp but dry enough to wear. His leathers were weighed down by water and he squeezed as much water out as he could before hanging them up on a branch. There was still enough daylight to walk but he was not eager to do so in the heavy material.

Instead, Kenji spent the remaining hours of sunlight foraging for food. He found a few shrubs weighed down with berries and brutally dismembered the plants as he tore the branches off. He returned to set them down on the sled before venturing out again. This time, he was joined by the Flutter who was always eager to explore. Kenji was worried about Sprout but the Pokémon seemed content to rest in the bed of moss and sleep. Their day by the river was the most activity he has seen out the beast in their few days together.

At first, Kenji wandered randomly but soon he found himself following the large butterfly. While he was lucky to come across a fruit-laden plant, the bug seemed to know where they all were. At least, the ones with flowers on them. Kenji was sure to congratulate the beast each time they found a berry in the hopes of training it to help him search for food. He was not quite sure how well it worked as more often than not they came across blooming petals rather than the berries he was hoping for.

He returned often to the river to check on the young turtle and found it dozing in the dirt surrounded by moss. The beast must have moved as some, likely seeking to bury itself rather than bathe in the sun. He left the young Pokémon alone until the shadows were growing long and he was forced to stop his foraging. Grabbing the sled, he propped it up against a trunk and spread his bounty out to disguise the wooden frame. When he was satisfied, Kenji approached the small beast and woke him up.

Sprout complained with a low warble but he ignored it as he scooped up the Pokémon and brought him over to the lean-to. He took off his socks and sandals before crawling under the leaning sled to lay down. The beast chirped happily as it snuggled into his side and quickly fell asleep. Kenji took longer as he listened to the nocturnal creatures wake up and begin to roam.