Chapter 4- Ravaged Path 2

  Erdd and Sever traverse the open cavern of The Ravaged Path’s first checkpoint. They follow along the wall, eventually leading into a very narrow tunnel. This tunnel is so narrow that Erdd can barely walk straight. At certain points filled with loose rocks and debris Sever needs to use Sand Tomb to knock them over so the path becomes traversable again. After a fairly short but uncomfortable march the narrow road opens up again. And open up it does.

  A vast expanse of several lakes, gently illuminated by glowing lichen on the cavern’s roof directly above, sprawling out and bending softly out of sight. On the far side of the lakes the caves regain their mystery with dark tunnels winding about. The majesty of the space is complemented by the presence of pokemon, as a golduck lazes atop the water and psyduck waddle along the bank.

  Erdd reverently approaches an auspicious lake with absolutely no pokemon presence with head bowed and Sever walking blankly behind him. When Erdd arrives at the shore of this lake he kneels before it and finally looks up to gaze at the center of it.

  “Oh Great Ruler, I come to seek an audience with you! A great fortune lies on the line for me and mine kin! I implore you to heed my plea!”

  Erdd’s cry heeds a response. The lake begins to twirl and funnel downwards. As the speed continues to step towards a crescendo a figure rises from the eye of the funnel, reversing the dip to a rise. A four horned crown, bright red gem on the forehead, blue skin and webbed digits emerge from the water in a show of power. The ruling golduck of these lakes stands atop the pinnacle of the inverted whirlpool.

  “You have gained my attention human. Speak.” A line of thoughts and feelings is injected into Erdd’s mind and his brain interprets them into human speech.

  “I am here for the benefit of my pokemon! He is young and inexperienced so I seek you out to challenge you to spar with him with the intent that iron sharpens iron and that threshing shall separate the wheat from the chaff. A tribulation to set a strong foundation of willpower and temper the arrogance of dragonkind!”

  The whirlpool whips about in anger as the voice transmits to Erdd once more “This would be no trouble for me but there is nothing to gain from me teaching that babe a lesson. Begone from my sight!”

  The intense feeling causes Erdd to tremble, but an idea comes to mind “Please wait!” The golduck’s anger is palpable so Erdd hastily continues “I am not the only one with young to raise! Surely this is an opportunity for your flock to gain experience as well?” The raging lake’s surface slowly comes back to its original still. “You are brave to speak to me like that, if not audacious. Very well.” The mother duck responds mentally “Should you properly teach three of my boys the reward for their arrogance I shall teach your rascal some respect in turn!”

  The golduck mother stood atop her pond in silence until another golduck carrying two psyduck in his webbed fingers tromped over. The mother explains the situation to her sons, but the other golduck lets out a quack of objection, causing an intense back and forth until the younger of the two relents and directs its gaze to Erdd and Sever, the source of its disturbance.

  Erdd takes a battle position with the lake on his right and Sever between him and his sparring partners. The opposing golduck sets down one of his brothers and gives him what could be a word of encouragement or threat, depending on if the malice is directed at Erdd or not. The first golduck steps onto the field.

  The mother golduck reaches the shore and swipes her arm to announce the start of the battle.

  The psyduck charges a Water Gun but their opposition is faster “Sand Attack.” A line of dirt gets flung into the Water type’s eyes before it can aim its attack. It panics, flails and falls to the ground thrashing about.

  “Get close and start brawling!” The psyduck releases its Water Gun into the sky ineffectually before being hit with a Tackle and then continuing to take a beating as Sever starts using Scratch. It lashes out with its latent psychic abilities in the form of a Confusion, but while the attack hurts the gible’s mind it does not daunt him as Scratch rakes the yellow duck’s form over and over.

  Quickly the psyduck lets out a cry of surrender. Sever’s mind continues to ring with the same ideas as always ‘Cutting’ ‘Hungry’ but his body stops attacking and slowly, inch by inch, the energy leaves Sever’s claws before his body skips back to the starting position.

  The child golduck is outraged at his brother’s complete and utter failure. He jumps to the fighting position only to be exasperatedly caught by his mother’s psychic embrace and being told to wait his turn, being placed at the sidelines. The other psyduck hesitantly waddles into position before the battle is signaled to begin once more.

  “Again.” Calls Erdd. Sever launches a Sand Attack once more in the attempt to blind his foe. This time the psyduck had countermeasures prepared and lets out a wide shot of Water Gun to intercept the dirt. It then quickly releases another to attack Sever.

  “Circle around him and use Sand Attack to obscure your position.”

  Sever shrugs off a Water Gun before getting moving and causing the ground to erupt in gouts of dust, combining with his Sand Veil ability to keep him hidden as he closes in.

  Psyduck backs up and throws bursts of Water Gun after Water Gun into the clouds of dust in hopes of hitting something, but there is no clue if it has or not.

  “Finish him.” Erdd lets his pokemon decide how to end this.

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  Sever launches from his dust clouds with a maw burning bluish purple. The opposing psyduck hurriedly aims and fires Water Gun. The attacks meet and it is no contest. The psyduck is overpowered in an instant and the Dragon Breath sends it rolling across the floor. By the time the Water type comes to a stop, it is unable to battle.

  The mother golduck psychically grabs her child and carries it to herself before indicating for the next fighters to get into position.

  The young golduck lets out a few harsh quacks in the direction of his brothers while hopping into the ring.

  “Only one more fight you have to win. Stay focused.” Sever lets out a roar of confirmation, reassuring his trainer.

  The battle is signaled and the golduck angrily launches a compressed blue sphere of Water Pulse at Sever. Erdd calls out “Clash with it!” and Sever fires a Dragon Breath and the two attacks clash in mid air. The Water Pulse keeps its form and pushes through most of the Dragon Breath before detonating close to the gible but not doing any serious damage.

  “Dodge quickly!” Sever dives quickly to one side as another Water Pulse lands where he once stood. “Charge Dragon Breath again!” Erdd is waiting for something.

  The golduck fires another Water Pulse, slightly angry that this fight is still going on. The Dragon Breath is released and clashes with the golduck’s attack, but fairs slightly better with the Water Pulse detonating at a safe distance.

  The two fighters are at a standstill as neither’s attack can land a decisive blow with their most powerful attacks. Sever stands vigilant, trusting in his trainer’s judgement. Golduck is fuming, thinking that his first Water Pulse should have put an end to this farce of a battle, much less be resisted by some whelp.

  Golduck changes strategy. His eyes glow and the gem on his forehead shines brightly as the golduck is about to assault his foe’s mind with Confusion.

  It doesn’t get the chance, though.

  As soon as Erdd sees the sign of a Psychic type move he hurriedly calls “Sand Attack! NOW!” Sever instantaneously slams a claw into the ground and launches the dirt on the other side of the arena into the golduck’s eyes, causing him pain and interrupting his concentration.

  “Growl.” Erdd makes a read.

  The golduck, outraged at the audacity, covers itself in a sheet of water and launches itself towards Sever at lighting speed in an Aqua Jet attack!

  The Growl is released just before impact due to the early callout, lessening the damage, but the larger pokemon doesn’t stop at that. His webbed claws grow wickedly long as he begins a relentless Fury Swipes, fully accurate as the Aqua Jet washed away the dirt in his eyes.

  “Stay under him and Scratch! Take him down from the ground up!” Sever dodges the first of the Fury Swipes while running under the golduck’s legs and giving a swipe at each one with Scratch.

  The battle devolves into a brawl as Sever uses Growl and his small size to stay standing while getting in what attacks he can and the golduck relentlessly swinging his sharp claws in a fierce exchange that Sever is slowly but obviously losing, being covered in cuts.

  Erdd feels the time is right. “SEVER! SAND TOMB…” The golduck hears this shout and instinctively begins taking a step in retreat due to the memory all previous commands sent and how poorly those went for himself. But Erdd continues his command “To trip him.”

  The golduck’s eyes widen, but it is too late, he is already in motion. Sever manipulates the terrain, causing the golduck to stumble and fall onto his back, hard. “Now use it to bury him.” Erdd cooly delivers.

  The golduck tries and fails to stand back up before he is knocked cleanly back onto the ground by a wave of earth and rocks closing in on him from all sides.

  Golduck continues to sink into the dirt as it first uses Water Pulse to blast a way to the surface, clearing his head to the air but leaving the rest of his body trapped.

  He then uses confusion to try and interrupt Sever’s hold over the sand tomb, but in his panicking state the attack bounces off the young Dragon’s single minded focus, merely causing pain.

  When it conjures the cloak of water required for an Aqua Jet it is too late to escape. The sand has piled up for too long and the Water attack merely dampens the earth, making it heavier and practically suffocating the golduck on his own power.

  The mother golduck swipes her hand and calls the match concluded. “Sever, let him go.” The small mound of churning sand opens up, revealing a scraped, torn, and exhausted golduck.

  “Congradulations, Sever. You have gained the acknowledgement of the great ruler of the lakes. Now is the time before your tribulation, meditate and prepare your mind to accept the lessons you are destined to learn. Those your effort, dedication, and fortune have led you to learn.” Erdd bows to The Ruler, then to Sever. “Rest well, my friend. You have done well.”

  Sever greedily takes in the words of his trainer, bathing in his esoteric ramblings and smiling slackjawed at the praise.

  The golduck is not so pleased. Not once, since the battle concluded did Erdd or Sever glance his way. That would have been hurtful but tolerable. But no, his mother barely gave him a glance to confirm he was alive. His own mother!! Not even a shake of the head to signal she cared or was disappointed! Nothing! Why won't they look at him!? Why is nobody looking at him??!!!! Does he not matter at all! NO! HE MATTERS! He’s the only thing that matters right now! LOOK AT ME!

  The rage is too powerful by the time Erdd yells at Sever to dodge. The golduck child has already charged and launched a Water Pulse at Sever, one twice the size and power of any he used in the battle. While Erdd gazes on in distress, the attack freezes in the air and so does the attacker.

  The Ruler has decreed her verdict on her child’s conduct. Disapproval. The pokespeak is empowered with meaning by the Psychic energy she currently wields against her kin. “Shame.” “Did not learn.” “Blade broken during tempering.” “Leave us.” is what Erdd deciphers from her lecture.

  Erdd pays no mind to the retreating back of the golduck child and rushes to Sever’s side.

  The young gible is unphased. Uncaring or ignorant of the ongoings and still looking on in bliss at Erdd for the praise. Erdd takes on a smile when realizing his friend is not perturbed in the slightest.

  Picking up Sever, Erdd takes him to an undisturbed part of the bank. He proceeds to treat the wounds the pokemon sustained in his battles and give him some food and rest.

  The two are exhausted from the toughest fight in their career so far, and full from the latest snack. Sever is the first to nod off, and Erdd places his cloak as a pillow for Sever before curling around the little one himself like a dragon does its hoard.

  Rest for the battle to come partakes the little man and little monster.