Chapter 13: Feeling

            Before I knew it, Demi had drawn up a diagram of a race course. And not just any race course, but one that encompassed what seemed like the whole town in many different ways of travel.      

            "Ok, so you know the pond? It's going to start there with a water event. Whoever swims to the other side fastest tags the next Pokemon, who need to get through the forest the fastest, but they have to use the trees and can't touch the ground. Then, they come to the hill, where they tag two Flying types to fly to town and back, once they get back, they tag the next group, who is in charge of making an ice slope to get down the hill. The other team is working on the sleds that hold the whole team. We can help with building sleds. Then after all that is done, whoever makes it down the hill first wins!"

            I studied her map, calculating who would be best for each course, "Each Pokemon competes once, correct?"

            "Except in the bob sled part."

            I glanced at her Pokemon, who were all very small. It would be easiest for them to make a sled considering it didn't have to be large, "Do I really have to have all of my Pokemon go into the sled?"

            Demi considered it, "Well, not Torterra. But everyone else, yes."

            "And are they allowed to attack each other?"

            "They're not allowed to use any speed boosting attacks or attacks on the other team, but they can use moves to clear the path for themselves or moves to make the sleds and stuff like that."

            I nodded, a bit eager, "This seems like a very competitive race."

            She groaned, "It's not about winning, it's about fun. Fun! F-U-N."

            I held up my hand to stop her, "Let's pick our teams."

            We went back and forth, coming up with a list:

            Water Race:  Ariel Gastrodon

            Tree Race:    Peachy Electivire

            Sky Race:     Blessing Honchkrow

Ice Hill Makers: Riley Weavile

            Sled Building: Grace Torterra

            "This will be so wonderful!" Demi squealed as she studied the list, "Won't it, Peachy?"

            Her Dedenne nuzzled Demi's cheek from her shoulder, letting out an excited cheer.

            I had already been murmuring strategy to Electivire and hadn't noticed her until she slapped my hand.

            "What?" I asked, irritated.

            "Have fun." She ordered.

            We each had a separate meeting. I couldn't hear what Demi was saying, but I could tell my Pokemon were eager to redeem themselves.

            A few minutes later we came together again, Demi smiling before pausing, "Hey, I need to ask your Pokemon permission for something.

            "Alright." I said uncertainly.

            "Would you guys be ok if I could read your thoughts during the race so we could know what's going on? I want to show Paul what you're thinking while you're doing your best and to see what's going on too. It's for him, not me."

            The only one who was reluctant was Electivire, who shifted weight from foot to foot as if the idea of someone reading his thoughts was torture. I didn't blame him.

            "Thanks, guys!"

            "I didn't know your abilities were this advanced." I frowned at her.

            "Pokemon thoughts can be easier to read than humans. I've been practicing a lot. They're more open with what they think and feel, though I don't know if that's really true of your Pokemon. Either way, I know I can read them, especially if I'm connected to your mind at the same time since they're so similar to you, "Demi paused again, "So is it ok if I share those thoughts with you?"

            "Yes." I said without any hesitation. I was actually eager to see into the minds of my Pokemon.

            "Ok, that was easier than I thought." She grinned, "Go ahead and take your positions. I'll send out a thought to everyone when the race is beginning. Remember your order!"

            All of the Pokemon went off to the starting areas. Demi, Grace, Riley, Weavile, Torterra and I stayed at the hill. Demi closed her eyes in concentration as she waited for everyone to get to their positions.

            A few minutes later, I heard her familiar mental voice, Are you ready? On your mark, get set, go!

            "This might be a little weird. Remember, this isn't what you're seeing, it's what Gastrodon is. Same goes for emotions and thoughts. But not many Pokemon think in English, so just go by emotion." Demi warned.

            Before I could brace myself, I felt Gastrodon's stream of consciousness. Immediately, my own body began reacting to his swimming. My heart began beating faster from the exertion and my muscles tensed as I felt his determination to beat Vaporeon, who was swimming to the right a few feet ahead of him.

            We'd determined that swimming around the pool five times would be more of an actual race since it was small, so I watched in awe as I felt how Gastrodon moved his body, letting it glide in the water, reminding me of a jellyfish. He wasn't built to swim quickly, unlike Ariel with her large fin.

            When he began falling drastically behind, I felt an outcry of emotion that screamed, I have to win!

            Gastrodon's will wasn't led by his own desires, as expected, but to please me. I took a deep breath as that settled as I watched Gastrodon use Muddy Water, causing a giant wave to sweep him in front of Ariel, winning the race as he tagged Electivire, who was standing with his hand outstretched.

            I staggered a bit as the perspective switched to Electivire's. I noticed that his thoughts cringed as he noticed our presence, but he ignored us as he climbed a tree, flipping himself onto the limbs. Because of his bulk, he chose the largest trees possible, hurling himself from tree to tree, often getting whacked with branches. I could feel the sting as they came into contact and had to force myself not to wince. He began using Brick Break and Protect occasionally to deter the branches, but that didn't stop every branch from hitting his bulky yellow body.

            Why do you try so hard? I wondered, not even sure if he could hear me, and really not sure if I wanted him to.

            His thoughts were very different from Gastrodon's. Rugged, quick, short. They seemed to be instinctually driven, unemotional. But I could still feel the underlying current of emotion that ran through him despite his disconnection with it. When I did begin to study his emotions, he reacted just as he did to the sting of the branches hitting him, as if I my presence was just as painful, if not more so. I decided to not try anymore, and I could feel his relief.

            Demi's Dedenne, Peachy, despite his plumpness, was remarkably fast and didn't have problems with branches being in his way. He ended up beating Electivire, but just barely, as they tagged Honhkrow and  Demi's Togekiss. The last thing I saw was a flash of a memory- a ferocious, enraged Primeape, followed by the sound of shrill angry cries. The sudden view of tree branches, Mankey everywhere, as everything went black. I felt Electivire's pain, his desperation for me not to feel what he did, frustration as I heard a faint whisper, Did I do ok?

            Before I could reply, if I even could, I was sent into the mind of Honchkrow, who was already hundreds of feet above us, his wings flapping quickly, tilting slightly to find the best air current to lead him towards the center of town- the Pokemon Center, before being able to turn around and come back. The first thing I noticed was the smugness he seemed to feel. I could tell he was proud that he could fly, that he was above everyone and closer to the clouds. That his feathers were so wonderful that he felt more privileged than Pokemon that couldn't fly- and humans as well. Though I could also feel his pride for being my Pokemon.

            I'm his Honchkrow. He seemed to say, The others would all grovel to be able to be trained by such a Trainer.

            I noticed Demi grinning at me and had to look away, trying to send her a mental thought, I'm not as prideful as him.

            I could see Demi nodding in my peripherals, but I felt like it was sarcastic. I focused on the race- Honchkrow was in the lead easily. Neither Honchkrow nor Togekiss were considered fast Pokemon, especially for Flying types, though Togekiss were usually faster by a marginal fraction. They were at the Pokemon Center, turning around, when I saw a flash of gold.

            Blessing suddenly sped out of sight, flying towards the hill. Honchkrow's surprise startled him momentarily, but changed into stubborn pride as he told himself he must win. Mostly for his own appearances, but also to prove that my training was the best. A brief image of Ash's Staraptor flashed in his mind before his anger increased, as did his speed.

            He became a blur, his thoughts only focused on moving as fast as possible. He caught up to Blessing, wing to wing.

            I heard Blessing let out a sing-song coo, causing Honchkrow to look over and slow a fraction as he studied how golden she seemed.

            Concentrate! I screamed at him mentally, You're not naïve enough to be fooled!

            From Honchkrow's eyes, I saw Blessing frown, as if she'd heard me too. The two Flying types sped up and I could see us standing at the crest, becoming clearer and larger by the second.

            Demi cut off our connection as they got closer and held up her hand for Blessing to touch. I held mine up as well, watching Honchkrow's wings tuck in as he built up even more speed. It looked like he'd crash into me at the pace he was going.

            Blessing was still ahead, though couldn't tuck her wings in like Honchkrow could. He angled his feathers to barely trim my fingers with the tip of his wing before flaring them, almost crashing onto the ground if he hadn't veered upward in time. He beat Blessing by a second.

            "You know what to do." I nodded to Weavile, who began focusing an Ice Beam at the top of the hill, sheeting the grass with an icy layer as he continued downward with his path. I noticed Riley use Copycat and created his own Ice Beam, starting down the hill with a bit more deliberation. Ice moves weren't his specialty considering he didn't have as much practice.

            Demi allowed me to have access to Weavile's mind for a moment. I could sense the caution behind his actions. He had a quieter mind, one that focused easily. However, just like his attacks and movements, his thoughts could be fast and vicious. Weavile noticed my intrusion and seemed to embrace me in his mind, leading me further into the reasons behind his actions. He wanted me to understand why he put the exact amount of power into his Ice Beam, how he aimed it smoothly so that the slope wouldn't have any bumps, and how badly he wanted to win so that we could show that we could use teamwork.

            I'd never realized before how team oriented he was. His desire to learn, yes, and his ability to gain new skills quickly, but I'd never known of his maturity and desire to be more than just strong. He wanted us to always be more, to be a role model team that all Trainers and Pokemon would look at and know automatically that we were different.

            I wouldn't want to be on a different team with a different Trainer, even if we lack at times, He seemed to say, I will always choose you.

            I pulled away from his thoughts as he finished the ice slope a long time before Riley did. Weavile tagged Torterra, who immediately used Frenzy Plant and began tearing up the largest tree he could find, pulling it out by the roots and placing it with a giant thump that shook the ground in front of me. I studied it before asking him to rip off all the branches, which he did, though slowly. I helped with the smaller ones, dragging the branches away for a clear workspace whenever I could. By the time we were finished with that, I noticed that Riley had finished and that Grace had just levitated her own smaller tree next to Demi.

            "Use Leaf Storm carefully to make enough room for all of us to fit." I ordered.

            I giant mass of razor sharp leaves began digging into the bark as he used the attack again and again. I peeled the broken masses away, trying not to get splinters.

            It was tedious work, more tedious than the other challenges. And yet, Torterra and I worked together before I even had to ask him to do things. I knew which attacks he'd use to help clear away wood, when to back away, where to help, what to lift so he could reach it before he even asked- everything. We worked together seamlessly, not needing words or even gestures.

            However, by the time we'd finished, Demi and Grace were almost done. Grace's telekinesis really came in handy and I could see now why Demi had picked one of her smallest members to help her dismember a tree that was monstrous in size in comparison.

            "Load in." I ordered to everyone, who had been watching with antsy nerves.

            All of my Pokemon jumped in, trying not to push each other as they got ready to fly down the hill. I climbed into the front to make steering commands, but glanced back at Torterra who stood behind the log, ready to push us down at my say so and leave us behind to finish without him. I knew Demi would be ready to pile into their log in approximately thirty seconds.

            Yet I couldn't leave Torterra.

            "Use your vines and attach yourself to the back." I demanded, fighting back the urge to win. I heard Electivire let out an argumentative growl, but ignored him.

            Torterra blinked in surprise, about to retort before I scowled, "This isn't the time to become a cowardly baby. Just do as I say. Push us all down together."

            The vines he used for Giga Drain gripped the back of the log and I felt the slick wooden bottom meet resistance until it slipped onto the ice. For a second, we teetered on the edge of the hill, my part of the log not touching a surface. The log lurched forward suddenly, slamming into the icy hill before we went skidding down.

            I grunted and gritted my teeth. The log kept hitting bumps despite Weavile's superb work and Torterra threw off our balance, causing us to begin teetering towards one side, a boat so close to capsizing.

            "Gastrodon, Weavile, use Ice Beam to keep us balanced. One on each side." I grunted as we hit another bump in the ice, almost spinning out of control and flipping. I held onto the sides, "If we do flip, Electivire, use Protect on all of us."

            Of all the insane, stupid, hare brained schemes... I thought as we almost spinning out of control for a third time.

            "Torterra!" I yelled above the wind, "Try to use your vines to steady yourself."

            I heard him try, but the ice was too slippery. I glanced behind us, hearing a girly scream of delight. Demi was close and it sounded like they were going much faster.

            "Try using Frenzy Plant-"

            Before I could finish, I noticed that Torteraa had already begun weaving a safety track, vines erupting all the way down the hill so that we wouldn't spin out of control. Though that didn't stop us from ramming into the sides. I felt like a bowling ball being used by a six year old with a very good arm.

            "Hi guys!" Demi waved from her log. Grace was using Psychic to keep them on a steady track. Ariel and Riley were using Ice Beam from the sides every time they saw a rough patch in the ice, though often switched to Scald if there was a mound in the ice that needed clearing.

            I looked back at my Pokemon, my hair flying in the wind. They had all worked so hard to get to this point, even if it was just competing with a nine year old girl and her pipsqueak Pokemon.

            An hour before, I would have been upset. I would have bluntly told them that they were pathetic losers that couldn't even beat a little kid. I would have made them train for hours past bedtime, get up in the morning, and go rechallenge this little girl who had defeated our pride. But now? Now I just looked at all of my Pokemon, despite their helpfulness in the competition, no matter what their thoughts and feelings, and felt proud.

            Another shaky bump caused me to stumble out of my sappiness as I gripped the side. Demi passed us and continued much faster than we were going, flourishing another wave good bye. Tortterra let out a roar.

            I looked back in time to see him rotate his entire body. He faced the top of the hill and use Leaf Storm behind us, our speed increasing phenomenally. It felt like we were in a rocket ship taking off.

            I took a deep breath, holding in a yell as we sped towards the finish line. We slowly caught up to Demi. Her child-like enthusiasm was all over her face as she grinned at me, leaning forward in her log. I leaned forward as well, eyes narrowing in the wind. Our log went in the lead, but hit a bump, sending us back to the same pace.

            The finish line, the bottom of the hill where the ice ended, was fifty feet away. Demi and I leaned forward more and I could hear shouts from our Pokemon, as if being louder would somehow cause us to go faster.

            Time seemed to slow down as we passed the finish, my eyes meeting Demi's as we realized we were right across from each other, neck and neck. I could see the happiness of her Pokemon and knew that my Pokemon were just as thrilled, even if they didn't visibly show it.

            But then time went back to normal as our logs skidded off the ice, continuing despite the grassy terrain, beginning to roll. Electivire used Protect, encircling all of us as the log toppled onto our bodies. We were lost in darkness despite the green glowing of his Protect barrier, barrel rolling as our bodies started to lose momentum. When we were out of the way, Electivire dropped the shield, causing the log to collapse onto the ground.

            I finally felt myself stop. Weavile ended up landing on top of me. After a second of analyzing my cuts and bruises mentally, I slid my hand behind me to support myself, instead finding Gastrodon's slimy body. I scooted away, making sure I wasn't squishing him.

            "You guys ok?" I asked.

            They both groaned, but sat up and smiled.

            I started chuckling without giving my body permission. That had actually been fun. I stood up and checked next on Honchkrow, who ruffled his feathers and began preening them, his chest puffed out in annoyance. Electivire was sitting up, looking irritated, while Torterra was also letting out a booming laugh as he stood up, shaking a bit from the exertion. I rushed to his side, showing him my grin as I whispered, "Wow, you did great."

            His eyes sparkled at my words before Demi approached, holding her hand out, "Congratulations, Paul. It was a good tie."

            Amused, I shook her hand, "A tie isn't a win."

            Demi smiled, "Believe me. That was a win."

            After a long trek up the hill with our new aches and pains, we reached the church's grassy field. My Pokemon talked excitedly the entire time about the competition despite the loss, making new friends with Demi's team. They weren't much for socializing, so their enthusiastic chatter shocked me.

            When we got to the top, Demi and I sat down together. Demi's Fletchling, Flitter, stayed on Demi's shoulder while Torterra sat down behind me, allowing me to use his body as a cushion. A very rocky cushion, but a cushion nonetheless.

            "That was so amazing! I can't wait to tell my brother." Demi exclaimed.

            "I must agree, that actually was fun." I admitted.

            Demi grinned, "So you can have fun? I knew I shouldn't give up hope on you."

            "You have nerve." I pushed her slightly and she giggled. We sat for a moment, thinking, before I asked, "So what were those games all about if winning them meant I could battle you again?"

            "I wanted you to play them so you would learn something. Hide and seek was supposed to teach you to work together. You found my Pokemon so quickly because you pitted your Pokemon against each other. You can't have a double or triple battle when your Pokemon aren't used to working together, just like if parts of you aren't working together, you can't function." Demi crossed her arms, "And if you can't appreciate being with your Pokemon in more than just training, you won't be able to form the trusting bond that leads to battles that are worth having. And it's not even about the battles. It's about our Pokemon."

            She scratched her Fletchling's head softly.

            "You're very close to your Pokemon." I said, for once not feeling defensive about her speech as I studied her love for her partner.

            "Yeah. I don't have many people in my life since my parents died and we travel a lot." Demi whispered. Flitter rubbed his head against Demi's cheek, lifting her frown into a smile, "So they mean the world to me."

            I put a hand on Torterra's rough side, my stomach a bit uneasy as I realized I hadn't been giving him much attention lately. We didn't even train together, just the two of us. Maybe that would need to change with all of my Pokemon. I thought back to Ash and, as wimpy as his Pokemon started out as, they ended up being very well trained despite his mediocre techniques. But they had a loving Trainer.

            I didn't think that was enough, but maybe there was more to it than I had been allowing myself to think. That became clear to me as I'd felt what my Pokemon were truly feeling. I understood them better now.

            "My Pokemon mean a lot to me too." I surprised myself into admitting out loud.

            Demi's young eyes looked wisely at me and she nodded. I knew she knew my thoughts at that moment and cringed mentally, knowing she knew I did have feelings, attachment, towards my partners.

            "It's not something to be embarrassed about." Demi lightly traced the feather on Flitter's wings, causing him to sing.

            "Perhaps not."

            "You learned something today. You should be glad. Things of the heart are harder to learn than things like math and science, don't you think?"

            I couldn't help but quirk my lip up in amusement, "You are right about that."

            Demi laughed, but quieted quickly as she said, "You know, something is wrong with Electivire."

            "It's something from the past." I said offhandedly, remembering the Primeape and Mankey I'd seen in his mind.

            "Yes, I know, but..." Demi sighed, "It's not in the past. It's here, now. Just like how you're feeling about the past is."

            I didn't look at her.

            "We don't have to talk about it. Just be careful around him. I know you love your Pokemon. I can feel it. So just show Electivire that, ok?"

            I decided not to answer, though I mentally promised myself to try harder, realizing that she may have read that thought. I ignored that possibility and looked at the sun setting, realizing we'd skipped a meal in our determination to win, "I better get back to Dawn."

            "Ok. Can you come back tomorrow?"

            "I'm not sure. I may spend some time with my Pokemon." I decided to leave on a good note, "You're very wise for a little Squirtle."

            "Hey!"

            I hesitantly reached out and messed up her hair, causing her to puff out her cheeks in anger before grinning.

            "Nice talking with you, Demi." I said, meaning it.

            "Bye, Paul. Bye, Torterra!" Demi stood up and kissed Torterra's nose. He rumbled happily in response, "See you soon!"

            I returned all of my other Pokemon and began heading down the hill, Torterra at my side. I placed my hand in its normal spot, "Hey."

            Torterra glanced at me as we walked.

            "Did you know that you're my best friend?"

            The rumbling continuedin his chest as we walked side by side in companionable silence.

Hey Readers!

I really hope you love this chapter. I had a blast writing it. Really, I think this chapter alone is more insight into all of Paul's Pokemon than you get in the anime combined. His Pokemon are great. And not to mention how great it is to write about Pokemon competitions of any kind! They're so much fun.

Let me know what you think about the chapter!

Pokemon Question of the Day: How would you have taken on this competition?

You're all awesome!

-Flips