Chapter 84 (Patreon)

Author Note:

Today’s chapter is long, as mentioned previously. Due to its length, some parts are slightly rougher and will be touched up later.

Also, if you read Chapter 83 within ~2 hours of it being posted, its entire last section was cut off to be reworked. The beginning of this chapter might be familiar as a result, but I’m happier with how the events now play out.

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The wild Gastly guided their group through a twisting path. The local area was filled with high cliffs and deep canyons, and they were brought through a gap in a wall that led down.

This stone path brought them into the depths of a canyon, and the top of the surrounding cliffs began to press together to form steep overhangs. Soon enough, the only light came from a thin crack in the ceiling. It quickly became a short underground tunnel.

It took less than a minute to get through, and they soon emerged into a sort of cavern. Here, a stream trickled through the wall to pool at the back. A tree grew alongside it with its branches angled up to gather as much of the light coming from cracks in the ceiling as it could.

Right away, Sam caught onto the other creatures here—a large blur swirled in the back while a battle took place toward the front. 

Stantler ran in a spiral around a small group of the herd’s youngest members, and three larger, obviously adult Stantler stood at the front with their horns lit up in a subtle glow.

Staring their way made Sam’s head hurt. He became dizzy as he tried to make out individual Pokémon. They blended together like a mass of reeds, coming together to resemble a painting someone had smudged.

However, where that battle was taking place, that pale-faced Stantler stood on high alert, facing a dark, indistinguishable blur. It was less like the illusionary blur of the herd itself and more like a cloud of mist that obscured Haunter and made him seem like some sort of ghost.

Though Haunter’s mouth was hidden by his disguise, his eyes were curved up in what Sam knew was a smile. However, to those unfamiliar with him—such as Stantler in this grotto—that same expression on his face would seem as something malicious.

As Sam took in the sight, that elder Stantler’s horns glowed, and claws raised in the mist as Haunter prepared an attack. A motionless breeze chilled Sam, but he didn’t shiver.

He just felt annoyed.

“Really, Haunter?” Sam grumbled.

Redi was the one to interrupt, in the end.

“Hey!” she shouted. “Stop that!”

The young Stantler beside her bellowed its name to get the attention of the rest of the herd.

With the extremely noticeable shout, the elder Stantler turned around in surprise, and Haunter used this moment to unleash his move. An Ominous Wind blew through the cavern, a Ghost Type move being used against Normal Types.

Of course, his attack carried no effect.

Haunter dropped the ghostly disguise and cackled madly as the entire herd stiffened. Recognizing that the “ghost”’s attack was never going to do anything in the first place, the elder Stantler sent Haunter a flat glare, and those three Stantler on guard exchanged a series of annoyed looks. From above, snickers rang out as the pair of wild Gastly that had helped with the search revealed themselves and joined in.

Sam rolled his eyes.

Note to self: don’t send Ghost Types out on a search unless there’s someone more responsible with them. Like Misdreavus.

Haunter merrily floated to Sam’s side.

With Haunter gone, the glowing of the elder Stantler’s horns ceased. Despite that scare, it seemed to at least recognize that Sam’s group meant no harm.

They were just dumb.

The protective spiral of the rest of the herd ceased, and the young Stantler with Redi took a cautious step forward.

It said its name and was met with silence from the other one. However, the elder Stantler’s eyes sparkled with relief and now-fading worry. It said its name to beckon the younger one over. It reluctantly approached. 

They didn’t speak, but they pressed their sides into one another in a sign of familial affection.

“Hey!” Redi called out.

The young Stantler turned her way. The older one looked at her with a mixture of gratitude and caution.

“I want you to know I still stand by what I said earlier. I’m going to catch one of you.”

A grunt came from the older Stantler as it trotted in place, sending a signal to the member of its herd that had once been thought lost. The young one reluctantly joined the rest of the Stantler. The mass opened up to allow it to move in.

Redi watched the proceedings with a careful eye. Sam gauged her reaction as well as the reaction of the older Stantler before her.

Weirdly, he felt as though Haunter’s attempt at a scare had actually helped. That initial moment of fright followed by dumbstruck relief helped the Stantler understand there was no hostile intent behind Sam and Redi’s presence.

“You want to test me,” Redi said, practically accusing it. “Back in that valley grove, you were going to fight me as if to see if I’m worthy of catching one of you.”

That older Stantler bowed its head, and its eyes shimmered with excitement. Preparing itself, it dug a hoof into the ground.

The rest of the herd watched in silence.

“I want you all to know that I don’t just want a Pokémon,” she called out. “I want you to know that I’m searching for a partner. I want a team member I can trust and rely on as we take on the toughest challenges of the Pokémon League. I want us to get stronger together and not just mindlessly pursue strength. You’ll see what I mean when my Pokémon and I win this battle. We won’t be fighting like any wild Pokémon you might have encountered.”

She brought up a ball in one hand, still smiling, and sent only the smallest glances to the rest of the Stantler.

“Don’t get scared. He’s pretty big.”

With a flash, Ursaring came out and roared. Sam could hear nervous hoofsteps coming from the herd in the back, but those three large Stantler managed to calm down the rest.

The elder Stantler, however, casually looked over Ursaring, unimpressed. Ursaring’s species wasn’t uncommon to the mountains, and Teddiursa was known to be found to the south of Blackthorn itself. Given the nearby location, Sam wouldn’t be surprised if they’d encountered Ursaring before.

Heck, given the age of this Stantler, it was entirely possible it had battled an Ursaring before.

With the combatants of this match set, the Stantler began to trot perpendicular to Ursaring. Its species was usually pretty unemotive, but there was actually a small smile on its face. 

Not approaching and not circling, it moved to the side to better position itself against its foe. Meanwhile, Ursaring swung his arms for a rhythmic Swords Dance, stomping and clanging his claws to a beat and improving any subsequent attack.

However, the sharpening of his claws took a while. It wasn't a fast move—it was only technically battle-ready in that it worked, but it wasn't fast enough to pull off in the middle of actual combat. 

The elder Stantler seemed content to allow this to happen. If anything, the way it looked at Ursaring, it looked excited to take that strength on.

“Thought Pokémon like you were supposed to be wise,” Sam heard Redi mumble. “But you’re still a Pokémon. You like to fight.”

The Stantler lowered its head, and Ursaring’s Swords Dance concluded. He brought his claws up as the deer Pokémon began to charge forward, preparing itself for a clash.

“Here we go! Grab it, Ursaring!” Redi yelled.

The smirk on her face told Sam she planned to quickly overwhelm it.

However, the elder Stantler didn’t charge right into Ursaring. At the very last moment, it veered to the side, and the bear Pokémon’s lunge saw its Slash do nothing but swipe through the air.

Stantler ran past him and curved its path to come at him from another angle. Rather than having Ursaring chase after it, Redi shouted for a different move.

“Rock Slide!”

The move’s motion was like throwing a boulder, but many, sharpened stones came tumbling through the air instead. The old Stantler showed off its experience by nimbly moving out of the way. It wouldn’t be here if it didn’t know how to dodge a ranged attack, after all.

Something glinted in the Stantler’s eyes as it maneuvered around for another Take Down directed towards Ursaring. He braced himself for a hit, but for the second time, it changed directions at the last minute to not get close to the bear Pokémon at all.

“Fool me once...” Redi mumbled. “Focus Energy! Time your attack. Watch it carefully before you strike. Don’t let it tired you out.”

Once more, Sam watched the Stantler turn its charge around. Its movements were identical to how it changed directions before. While watching the Stantler, Sam also saw Redi unconsciously hunker down not unlike Ursaring, putting her entire focus into the battle. 

However, he also noticed that she was paying too close attention to Stantler’s charge. It was subtle, more subtle than the illusions before it, but the air in front of the Stantler’s horns tinted color to to be a light grey.

Sam would have never noticed if it wasn’t for his familiarity with Haunter’s use of this move.

“Watch out!” he yelled.

Redi wasn’t able to order Ursaring back fast enough, as, with Focus Energy, he was already preparing himself to strike. A claw struck down only for it to go wide. And, from Stantler’s horns, a beam came out to pierce between his eyes.

Sam let out a sigh.

“That was Confuse Ray. A little different than Haunter’s, but it definitely worked.”

Redi stood up straight, looking annoyed with herself.

“You really fooled us. Made it seem like you were all about physical strength just to use a status move like this.” She grinned. “That’s fine. We can use that.”

Sam could imagine the illusions Stantler had subjected Ursaring to. Though they were currently in mountainous terrain, a Stantler was a Pokémon that thrived in forests, where there were plenty of paces to hide.

Ursaring was probably seeing something like that, as with dazed eyes, the Pokémon brought his gaze up. He hurriedly glanced around as if he couldn’t see. A shout from Redi would have likely snapped him out of it thanks to their familiarity with the condition from spars with Haunter, but she didn’t do that.

“How about I change things up? Want a more interesting fight, Stantler?”

Its horns were outright glowing, and the space around them was wavering. The elder Stantler looked to Redi and bowed its head. It was visibly smiling.

Ursaring was returned. The Swords Dance went to waste, but the Confuse Ray would no longer affect him.

“Porygon. Let’s make this quick.”

The Stantler cocked its head to the side as Redi waved for Porygon. The artificial Pokémon crackled with static, and pixel-like squares overturned themselves in a wave across its body to leave it looking exactly the same, just tinted yellow.

“Charge and Conversion,” Sam identified.

Charge was a new move—at least to Sam. He knew that Redi hadn’t been slacking on developing her team. She just didn’t always share changes with him.

“Try charging again, Stantler! You won’t like the outcome.”

Redi once more hunkered down. This time, she clenched a fist as if ready to strike.

The Stantler took that challenge for what it was and lowered its head and began to charge. Genuinely, Sam was unsure if it was actually planning to strike or if it was going to swerve at the last minute again.

“Charge Beam!” Redi yelled.

Porygon crackled, and pure electricity gathered up into a ball before shooting out.

Stantler’s charge was never finished. It was forced to pull away rather than doing it willing on its own.

However, it showed off a second trick here. Before, it had been trying to bait Ursaring into being an easy target for Confuse Ray. Now, it was moving with a greater speed.

It was faster than it was before. It had clearly been holding back. The Take Downs from before seemed like casual trots compared to the gallop it kept itself at right now.

Redi waited. She gave no orders as the Stantler charged right at Porygon.

This time, it didn’t turn. It slammed right into Porygon, the Pokémon suffering a powerful bash from its horns.

Yet, Redi had her own trick up her sleeves. It was a simple one, but against a wild Pokémon, it was more than enough to get on a strong move.

“Discharge!”

She threw her fist forward, pumping it in the air. Charge built up electricity, Conversion gave Porygon the Electric Type to better handle it, and then Charge Beam helped with gathering even more energy past that, too.

With Discharge, everything Porygon had gathered was released, and Redi had waited until Stantler was right on top of her Pokémon to use it. Her opponent was a wild Pokémon, one clearly more used to facing Pokémon that relied on physical attacks, and it took the attack in full.

Sam would even go as far as to say it was a critical hit.

“Yes! Now, back up, Porygon. You took that well, right?”

There was a scuff mark on Porygon, but otherwise, Redi’s Pokémon was fine.

The Stantler, however, wobbled on its feet. There was a keenness to its eyes as it took Redi in. Though it was old, this was a Pokémon that was a veteran of many battles. Looking at both Redi and Porygon, it nodded once and then collapsed.

Shouts rang out. A few of the Stantler yelled their names with worry. The three largest Stantlers, the trio that looked the most powerful among them, stayed quiet, choosing to silently watch what came after the fight.

And Redi approached. The Stantler narrowed their eyes. The Pokémon’s horns were valued, and Redi was a human. Who was to say she wouldn’t take them from an unconscious Pokémon when she could?

However, as the noises of hoofstomps filled the room, Redi continued forward. The herd was growing agitated as she got closer and closer until it stopped all at once.

Rather than do anything aggressive, Redi reached into her backpack to take out a single berry. She placed it on the ground in front of the old Stantler’s face, and she began to treat its wounds under the watchful eyes of two dozen Stantler at once.

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Redi had to admit she was a little nervous, but she kept herself looking calm in the face of an entire herd. These weren’t Pokémon too familiar with human interaction. They lived off-route, where battles and the results of battles could easily become far more brutal than in the more controlled areas of human territory.

She moved slowly and carefully, trying to mimic the way she’d seen her father treat Pokémon in the past. Whenever a Pokémon too wild or aggressive for the average trainer was sent her family’s way, her father was always the one to help them. He treated them kindly, carefully, and cautiously, giving the Pokémon the respect it deserved.

She’d placed the berry on the ground to try to mitigate the chance the Stantler would be aggressive when it woke up. The old Pokémon had clearly enjoyed the battle, but the bewilderment of waking up from unconsciousness was something that would be driven by its instincts. Thankfully, it was a big Pokémon, and having food right before it would calm it down. She wouldn’t have gone through the same strategy if it were small.

Small Pokémon tended to be vicious when there was food in front of them. There was an instinctual need to try to defend their meals from anyone they deemed as a threat that might take it away.

From her backpack, Redi retrieved a Super Potion and sprayed the side of the Stantler. Anywhere where Porygon had left fractal-like burns, the healing medicine was sprayed onto it to help it heal more quickly.

And soon, the Stantler’s eyes opened up, and thick teeth snapped down onto the berry before it realized what was going on. Redi hurriedly backed up as the Pokémon pushed to its feet.

With its age, it was a little shaky, but it only looked so old due to the wear of living off-route. Yet, there was a learned control behind its movements. As she looked up and pushed back to her feet, herself, the horns on its head were like a crown, and Redi had only one way to describe the Pokémon.

Regal.

The lines on its face were more evident up close, but there was a satisfaction in its eyes as it stared down at her. The old Stantler tilted its head for a respectful bow. 

Redi bowed back.

“Thank you.”

She wasn’t sure what she was thanking it for, but saying that felt right.

“Thank you for the battle,” she said after giving it a moment’s thought. “We learned a lot. I’ve been trying to build my team around powerful attacks, but I shouldn’t let myself get distracted by that idea when facing an opponent doing the same.”

She stood up properly and grinned, lazily rubbing the back of her head. The Stantler looked at her before snorting, amused, and it shook its head as it walked away.

It had given her its approval.

Redi turned around and saw that the illusions protecting the rest of the herd had faded. All of the Stantler were staring at her, and when she started to stare back, they began to look around at one another as if to discuss if any of them were going to take up her offer and allow themselves to be caught.

“Redi?” Sam asked.

She looked over to her friend and moved to join his side.

“I think you’ve motivated at least one of them,” sam said. “I think using Discharge was a good choice. So far away from any big city, I doubt they get many Electric Types out here. An unknown move like that will absolutely gather interest.”

“Nah,” Redi replied. “I wasn’t trying to show off something new. I just want one of them to be inspired by the power Porygon showed off.”

She grinned, but she quickly pushed her lips together. Showing off her teeth could potentially be seen as a bad thing, especially when it came to deer Pokémon like Stantler.

The Stantler’s discussion was mostly silent, as the Pokémon seemed to communicate more on body language than any repetitions of their names. If Redi had to guess, most unfortunately seemed uninterested, but a few did seem to have some curiosity.

Unfortunately, the rest seemed to be trying to warn those Stantler off.

There was safety to be found in a herd, and Redi’s group wasn't large. She was effectively asking them to leave their family and join her. At least, they understood she had no malicious intentions. Otherwise, she would have gone after the fainted, elder Stantler and ran.

Speaking of that elder Stantler, it didn't join in with the discussion. It stood off to the side and watched. Its gaze lingered on three Stantler that were taller than the rest. Those ones seemed to be moderating the discussions, and one even sent a sharp look to a familiar, young Stantler who tried to push to the front without discussing it with anyone else. 

Redi did recognize that Stantler’s desire to be caught, but she wasn't actually a big faj of it. She didn't think it would make a good partner—at least, with her. It had brushed off the idea of abandoning its family too easily. It seemed to be more concerned with strength in general rather than caring about anything specific to her.

If it wanted to be caught, it could go to a nearby route. Honestly, Redi wouldn't be surprised if it made the trek sometime in the coming days.

Yet, as the herd’s discussion continued, Redi found herself turning toward that older Stantler more and more. It watched the rest of its herd with such love and approval, and yet...

Why isn't it getting involved?

“Hey.”

Redi called out to get its attention, and the cavern went quiet. Her voice echoed around, and that elder Stantler turned her way.

“Why was it you that challenged me and not one of them? I get needing to get your approval, but those three looked strong. A battle against me could have been a good, safe way to get experience in a fight.”

The old Stantler looked at Redi then glanced behind it as if to search for whoever else she might be talking to. However, there was no one, and it awkwardly trotted in place.

It said its name, but that didn't explain anything. What did help Redi understand was the concerned looks it sent to the younger Stantler, which was most of the herd from its perspective.

But in the end, it was Sam who put the explanation into words Redi could understand.

“It’s a cost-benefit scenario. Since you’re the oldest, no one else in the herd would be at risk of getting injured. If you got seriously hurt, everyone else would still be able to run away, just fine.”

It looked away, a little guilty at the accusation. Redi felt like Sam was right, but she felt there was something else to it, too.

“That, and you’re selfish,” Redi said. “Those three tougher-looking Stantler are probably the ones involved in the most battles. Taking me on is the only way you’d get a worthwhile fight.”

The Pokémon’s face was expressionless. Sam was staring. Apparently, he had missed that.

“You’re old, but you like fighting. You’very separated yourself off from the herd thinking it's time for the younger generation to get a chance, and you've already basically given up on the idea of a better future for yourself, right?”

Redi shook her head, and with the way the older Stantler was looking at her, she knew she was right.

“Alright. I’ve made my decision. I know who I’m going to catch.”

Several of the younger Stantler looked up hopefully, but she wasn't pointing any of their ways.

“You,” Redi said. 

The entire cavern was plunged into disbelieving silence as Redi pointed to the oldest Stantler here.

“Yeah. You’re old. So what? You’re good in battle. And you know what actually matters. You heard me earlier; I’m looking for a partner, not just a Pokémon to mindlessly pursue strength with. Yeah, I’m convinced. You’re joining my team.”

The older Stantler immediately bellowed its name. It sounded angry—it was trying to refuse.

“Yeah. Nah, not gonna happen. I already beat you in battle, so I’m going to capture you and take you away. What would you even do otherwise? Just stay on the edge of your herd and waste away?”

Redi had seen the look in the Stantler’s eyes. They didn’t betray its age at all. If anything, they were sharper than all of the rest of the herd.

“But... I get it,” Redi said, letting out a sigh. “This herd is your family, and I’m kind of just jumping in an attempt to catch you. You feel like you have a duty here, and you don’t want to leave them. But there’s a fire in you, isn’t there? I saw how much you enjoyed our battle. Why not take the opportunity when you can?”

She saw its reluctance waver, and Redi immediately pounced.

“I’m offering you a chance. I’m offering you so many fights that you never dreamed of. Battle after battle, the support of a trainer, and information about moves that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to get.

“So?” Redi asked. “Want to join me? Let’s take on the world and prove you still got it in you.”

The Stantler was hesitating, but it was taking her in and trying to get her worth. Yet, they had battled, and she knew it perfectly understood her because of that

A mixture of shouts came from its herd, many of those Stantlers shouting to try to convince it one way or another. Some of them clearly didn’t trust Redi at all, but others were trying to encourage it, trying to tell it to take this opportunity.

One shout was louder than the rest—that young one. It bellowed its name in an attempt to convince it to take what it wouldn’t be able to get itself.

However, it wasn’t yet able to come to a decision. Unlike her, this older Stantler wasn’t ready to go out and leave its family behind on a moment’s notice. 

Seeing that, Redi felt something inside of her churn.

“Come here,” she said.

She moved off to the side and waved the Stantler over. The rest of the room silently watched them meet up, and Redi spoke quietly enough to prevent anyone else from hearing.

“I... I get it.” She sighed. “You love battling and want to head out, but you don’t want to leave them behind, either. No matter how supportive they are. No matter how much they care about you. That kind of attention is... overwhelming. You want to do this for yourself, but not at a cost to the rest of your family. You don’t want them to be worse off just because you’re doing something for yourself.”

The Stantler blinked at Redi, and she breathed out, shaking her head. She’d like to think her analysis of Stantler’s situation was accurate, but deep down, she knew was talking about more than just the Pokémon before her.

“Leaving out of the blue without even a note... Yeah, I can imagine that’s kind of a jerk thing to do. Like, you want to leave, but they’re still your family. You want a proper goodbye.”

The Stantler cautiously nodded its head. Redi had read the situation right. Locking eyes with the Pokémon, she quickly came to a decision.

Fine. I’ll call my family.

But she was also not going to leave without making sure that Stantler joined her team.

“You want time,” she said. “How long?”

It definitely wanted to join her team, but it also didn’t want to abandon its family so suddenly.

Redi didn’t like the answer Stantler gave her, but she understood its reasoning. The asked-for period was longer than she’d like, but she wouldn’t be so heartless as to try to negotiate and cut that time down.

“Alright. I can accept that. It's going to make things tight, but I promise you we’ll make it work,” she said. “However, while I’m promising to come back, you have to promise me something in exchange. 

“While I’m gone, don’t just sit here and keep doing what you were doing. I want you to train. Get stronger. We’ll come up with a few strategies together, and I want you to practice them as much as you can before I’m back.”

It nodded, agreeing to Redi’s statement, and she grinned, happy to have met a Pokémon already so in line with her own heart.

“However!” she continued. “You cannot be caught. And you have to stay healthy and not get injured, either. Not just that, but let’s throw on an extra goal. By the time I’m back, I want you to be able to beat those three stronger Stantler in a fight without suffering any hits back, as well.”

The Stantler made a noise. It seemed to weigh the viability of Redi’s objectives. The old Pokémon glanced over at the rest of its herd, and its eyes locked into an expression of determination before accepting with a firm nod.

“Great! If you can do that, then I have no problem leaving you here. But one last thing...”

She leaned in. 

“Have you ever heard of a move called Psyshield Bash? It might have an interesting result if you figure out how to use it super quickly...”

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When she left the Stantler’s grotto several hours later, Redi was smiling. That smile remained on her face as they changed directions and began to head north-east to Blackthorn.

She felt—no, knew—she had done a good thing. Capturing a Pokémon off-route was always going to be difficult as she didn’t want to yank an unsuspecting Pokémon away from its family and home. 

Here, things had worked out. She had met a kindred spirit and had, more importantly, made a friend. Even if Stantler wouldn’t be traveling with her right now, she knew she could put her faith in him and trust that he’d be stronger when they next met up.

And there were no doubts in her mind that they’d meet up once again.

For miles, Redi fantasized about the steps she’d take once Stantler properly joined her team. The training goals and strategies they’d create together filled her mind. However, with every step further away, the corners of her mouth twitched down. Eventually, she was trudging forward, a full-blown grimace on her face.

“Sam,” Redi said outright, staring blankly ahead. “Why did we come out here?”

“Off-route?” he asked. “To test ourselves, mostly.”

She stayed quiet.

“And to get you another Pokémon,” he added.

The second Sam said that, he glanced her way out of the corner of his eye. There was a knowing smirk on his face, as if he had realized this some time ago.

“I’m such an idiot!” Redi dropped her head into her hands. “I didn’t do that at all!”

“I mean, you made a promise to return?”

“Yeah, but if we’re going to fight Clair, I need a new Pokémon right now!”

Sam chuckled, and Redi felt him pat her on the back. The gesture should have been comforting, but it didn’t help her at all.

“It’s fine. I’m sure Stantler will make a great team member once you come back here in a few months.”

And Redi could no longer hold back what she was feeling. Her self-deprecating groan was loud enough to be heard from miles away.

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Author Note:

Stantler will return.

Pokémon included in this chapter:
Stantler

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