farawayplace | [in which the rich brat has to work for the first time in his life, probably]

As he watched Trip struggle, Ash was just about to take out his water bottle until the other finally calmed down. Though regardless, he still took it out and drank from it just to wash away the bitterness in his mouth.

"Geh... that was awful. I guess Pikachu made the right call for not eating it."

"Piiika." And Pikachu patted Ash's cheek.

Though curiously Trip's Tranquill (Woah! It's been a while since he last saw him!) seemed to have no problems eating them, he thought as he watched the bird Pokemon.

"Well at least your Tranquill's having a good time! Maybe those fruits aren't tasty for anyone but Tranquills?"

Edited (oops html fail) 2023-02-12 14:09 (UTC)

Trip wanted to agree, but Tranquill eating it without trouble confused him.

"... m-" Trip coughed, made a face, then tried to speak again, "Maybe..."

Was it really only appealing to Tranquill? Watching him gobble up another two, Trip wondered if there was something he was missing.

He looked at the remaining fruits in his hands and wondered.

Figuring his travel buddy would need something to clear his throat, he poured water into the cup that he separated from the bottle and offered it to Trip.

"Here, just take it easy."

It's only then he noticed the look on Trip's face and trailed his gaze towards the fruits on his hand.

"...You're not gonna eat all of that, are you?"

"Thank you!" he accepted the water very eagerly, but went quiet again, staring at the fruits.

At Ash's question, he did not tear his gaze away, instead wearing a strange look of determination.

Cue attempt number two, tossing three at once into his mouth and pouring water down into his throat from a height. What part of that is taking it easy?!

Tranquill was too busy eating to notice at first, but eventually stopped to peer down at them, curious.

Seriously!? Ash just stood there as he watched Trip's next move, absolutely stunned. That's pretty brave of Trip, although he wasn't sure whether he found this admirable or not.

"W-Woah hey! Didn't I tell you to take it easy?"

The fact that he swallowed three figs in one go... Is Trip going to be okay?

Brave is putting it kindly, it's recklessness!

The water didn't help much and he just managed to choke on it. Coughing, snorting, overall messy and gross, and not very successful to boot. At least he kept the cup away from all of this...? Offered it back to Ash, while covering his nose and mouth with his other hand, looking depressed.

It's out at least!

"... my loss."

He admitted defeat, at least!

Tranquill made a concerned sound and flew back down, settling down between them.

Yeah no, Trip is not okay. That much is certain. Despite the gross display, Ash was undeterred now that his worry over Trip grew. That cup he was holding is instead being refilled as Ash poured more water.

"Geez and people tell me I'm the reckless one." Ash sighed, "You gotta watch what you eat, and don't force yourself to cram everything into your throat."

His tone sounded more like a concerned parent, but how could he after what Trip did just now!

"Besides, those things taste terrible. I'm surprised you're willing to give it another go."

Just what are those fruits anyway? Ash thought as he decided to pull out his Rotom Phone and start looking up what they just ate.

Ash was right, Trip hated to admit! But he still didn't like being called reckless and frowned.

"I don't want to hear that from someone who jumped in front of a Shadow Ball!" he protested.

He accepted the water gratefully nonetheless and sat down to drink it a bit more slowly, back turned to Ash, but still trying to drink from it at a distance not to get it dirty.

Tranquill agreed with Ash, which earned a glare from Trip, which quickly faltered.

Tranquill hopped closer to Ash and tried to peer at the Rotom Phone. These figs only seemed to appeal to Flying types, didn't they?

"Whatever, they're for the birds!"

And the Rotom Phone seemed to agree with that statement as it started to dictate information.

"Although this particular fig tree produces fruit, they are deemed completely inedible for humans. However they are favored by all kinds of bird Pokemon."

"Woah you're right, they're really for the birds!" Well it was no wonder his Pikachu didn't want to eat it. "I guess that explains that!"

Tranquill happily agreed with that statement!

Trip discreetly used leaves as tissues while Ash kept busy with the Rotom Phone's explanation. When Ash spoke again, Trip felt too embarrassed to say it had only been a Unovan expression and not him actually knowing the figs were only suitable for bird Pokemon...

He was too embarrassed to speak and quietly drank, before getting back up, flinging the dirty leaves into the grass.

Unfortunately, the very gross leaves didn't simply land on another pile of fallen leaves, as Trip hoped they would, but instead rather offensively hit a young Stantler in the face. It was very easy to miss, hiding under the leaves from predators, but its parent assumed this to be very, very intentional and tailed the departing boy.

Satisfied with what he'd learned today, Ash pocketed his Rotom Phone and shifted his attention to Trip's Tranquill, crouching down and placing his hand over the Wild Pigeon Pokemon's head.

"Long time no see, Tranquill! I bet you enjoyed your little snack time, didn't you?" Ash chuckled before glancing at his friend. "How are you feeling now, Trip? I've got some more water if you need it."

He does not take notice of the Stantler following behind Trip however.

Tranquill happily cooed at Ash's greeting and nodded in agreement, taking wing.

"It's—"

He wanted to claim he was fine, but then held out a hand while looking stubbornly to the side. "A little more water... would be good. Thanks, Ash."

Learning to rely more on a friend is a good thing too!

Tranquill also hadn't realized the threat yet, being a bit slow on the uptake, like many of its kind.

Stantler's antlers glowed and produced a mist-like haze that passed around the boys, hoping to isolate them in illusions to make them lose their way through the forest... or at least until it felt them sufficiently punished!

Even if Trip looked away, Ash shot a grin at him regardless, as he was more than happy to help out a friend.

And as he gave Trip another refill, Pikachu stood up, raised his ears and was immediately on alert as if he heard something. He paused to take notice of his partner's sudden reaction.

"What's wrong, Pikachu?"

Pikachu looked around, his ears twitching and expressing uncertainty. Ash then followed suit, trailing his gaze to wherever his buddy was looking at. But he could only find nothing but the thick fig trees that are shrouded by the vines draping around its branches. Although he did notice something strange about his surroundings just now.

"Hey is it me? Or are the trees looking a lot thicker than before?"

He felt his head hurt less and less with the drink.

"Thicker...?" Trip asked, confused, and looked around.
The moment he did so, he felt a pit of dread in his stomach. He hadn't turned around, hadn't stepped away, but it felt like the whole forest was weaving around them unrecognizably, like standing in the water on the beach and feeling as if you were getting further and further away from the shore just by the motion of the waves.

"... I think... we should just keep... walking as straight as we can and try not to get lost..." he said, slowly, trying not to lose his spot.

He reached out to hold the nearest tree and looked to where Ash had been a moment ago, without stepping away, not to lose direction, but found even while turning just his head, he couldn't see Ash.

"... where did you go?"

Tranquill flew around overhead, he could vaguely hear the wingbeats, but not see it... was it flying over the treetops?

"Huh? I'm right here-" But as Ash answered, he turned to where Trip used to stand but found no trace of him. "...Trip?"

Alarmed by his disappearance, his first thought was to make sure Pikachu remained by his side.

"Pikachu-" But as he expected to feel the fur on his Pikachu's back, he instead felt his empty shoulder. This further alarmed Ash even more and he started moving around to look for him. "Pikachu? Where'd you go, buddy?"

"Pikapiii! Pi-kaa?"

His cry could be heard, it sounded as if he's still close by yet there was no sight of the yellow mouse Pokemon. As he looked around however, the constant shift in his surroundings made him feel disoriented. Like it's as if the more he walked on this path, the further away he could see the next exit as he watched the line of trees stretching towards the forest depths.

"Pikachu! Trip! Where are you?!" he cried out.

He wasn't sure what, why, or even how this is happening. Whatever the case may be, Ash was determined to find everyone and leave the forest as soon as they could.

Tranquill cried out, also sounding closer than the treetops were... how disorienting.

This didn't feel right.

He tried to keep watching while feeling the trees, but noticed he was no longer feeling trees he could see. "... this isn't real. Probably."

Should he grope around blindly, then, and disregard what he sees? Unable to decide, he opted to stand still.

"I'm still here! I'll stop walking."

Tranquill tilted its head, concerned, flying near Trip's face. He could hear the flapping wings and feel the air rush about his face, but couldn't see Tranquill, so he stepped back, wary of it and unsure what it was, until his back bumped into a tree, but looking back, it looked like he was about to fall over a steep cliff— since when was that there?! Yelping and stumbling back to the nearest safe surface, flinging tossing the cup back in the safer direction (the roots he grabbed didn't exist, the boulder was a further off from where it seemed, and he got scratched up, but he avoided whatever real or imaginary peril there was!).

Tranquill didn't understand why Trip backed away, but saw Ash further back, also looking lost. He flew quickly to Pikachu and asked him what was wrong—their masters were acting so strange!

At least, the Pokemon seemed to be spared of the illusions.

Pikachu nodded as he watched Ash with worry. Why are they behaving like this? He kept calling out to Ash, yet he acted like it's as if he couldn't see him. It frustrated both Ash and Pikachu.

It's not real? What did Trip meant by that? Was he saying that... all of this was an illusion? Ash could hear them ー Trip, Pikachu, even Tranquill's cries ー and he could feel their presence too, but what threw him off was that he could not see them where they said they are.

See them...?

And then he realized while he couldn't see them normally, he could do that through other means. So he took out a Pokéball and sent out his Lucario.

"Lucario, help us out here!"

For a moment he had a brief glimpse of his Lucario on the field before he blinked and the greenery obscured his line of sight thanks to Stantler's illusion. However Ash wasn't worried this time, as he could sense Lucario's strong presence through the Pokémon's Aura.

"Yeah just stay still Trip, you too Pikachu, Tranquill. I've got an idea!"

Stantler had hidden away before Lucario was sent out, but curiously watched as Ash declared he had an idea. It quietly looked back and its child, still rubbing its face against tree bark, blinked and also curiously joined it to watch what the trainers and Pokemon would do.

"Right," Trip said.

Tranquill also agreed and stayed put near Pikachu!

"Lucario, be our eyes! Use your Aura to trace everyone around you!"

Upon Ash's command, Lucario became enveloped in a soft blue glow as he began to concentrate on everyone's Auras. Sensing that he got the job done, Ash too focused, closing his eyes and drawing his own Aura out to link with his Pokemon's. He followed Lucario's Aura, moving away from where he stood and took his paw. Upon doing so, suddenly from the surrounding darkness Ash could see the outlines of three familiar figures...

...And two more. A creature on all fours, and with large horns.

"Ah!" Ash's eyes opened immediately and pointed at the mysterious Pokemon's direction. "There's a Stantler there!"

Was he going to find them based on their Aura? He had no idea what that would be like, but waited patiently.

It felt something like a breeze? But he couldn't see anything himself that wasn't the dizzying illusion of the always shifting forest.

When Ash found and named the Stantler, the parent rose up and the child dropped to the ground to hide. The parent Stantler, impressed with Ash's abilities, bowed its head and the glow died down, the illusions fading around them, so they could all see each other once more.

"You did it!"

Trip was glad to be free of those illusions and Tranquill happily landed on Trip's arm, glad he can see him again.

Once sure it was safe, the child Stantler poked its head up out of the brush, looking curious and... that's a very emssy face.

"... oh."

Yeah, that was his fault.

Edited (-shooes away the E-) 2023-02-16 06:54 (UTC)

He returned his vision to normal once he let go of Lucario's paw and broke off their link. With the illusion gone, he was more than happy to see Pikachu again and he opened his arms.

"Pikapi!" His Pikachu cried out in joy as jumped in to embrace his partner.

"Sorry for making you worry buddy. We're okay now, all thanks to Lucario!" Ash said and placed an approving hand over the Aura Pokémon's shoulder. The latter responding to his praise with a delighted growl.

Ash then shifted his attention to the two Stantlers after hearing Trip's reaction. He wondered why until he saw the look on the child Stantler's unfortunately messy face.

"Woah, what happened to that little fella over there?"

today: a series of unfortunate events for trip

[we haven't even upset any wild Pokemon yet!]

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[2/2; apologies to the Pidove line]

they're doing their best...!

[Ash is a sweetheart!!!]

he has trip's back even when he doesn't ask for it!!

[had the right *idea*, but... the best-laid plans of mice and men...]

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[had the right idea, but... the best-laid plans of mice and men...]