Chapter 14: Eyes in the Shadows
At the small lake, Liz scrubbed herself clean in the water. The water was cool, making the little girl shiver.
"Hurry up and get out when you're done washing," Will yawned, lying bored on the shore. When he bathed, he just rolled around in the water for a moment and was done. He never smelled bad if he didn't bathe, nor did he feel uncomfortable. As for the other Pokémon like Wally, Will had never seen them bathe at all.
"Goldie, don't rush me~"
Liz didn't know why she could understand Will's meaning. She remembered that at first, she couldn't understand his words at all. While she still didn't understand them perfectly, she could now vaguely sense the "urging" tone in his voice.
Her experiences over the past few days had caused an idea to begin forming in Liz's mind. Could humans and Pokémon become friends? And could they then borrow the power of Pokémon to fight their enemies? Judging by her relationship with Goldie, Liz thought it was possible.
A few more minutes passed, and Liz finally climbed out of the lake. Will handed her an Aspear Berry. She took it and immediately took a bite, her body quickly warming up.
"Thanks, Goldie~" Liz said with a grin. The thoughts in her head were becoming more and more elaborate. Given her relationship with Goldie, could she ask him and his beastly kin to help the Dragonite Tribe fight the Silph Tribe? In return, her tribe could provide them with endless food and a safe, comfortable environment. It would be a mutually beneficial arrangement.
However, Liz wasn't the only one thinking this way.
At that moment, in the forest on the other side of the lake, a tall man with coffee-colored skin, holding a long spear, was lying prone in the bushes, secretly watching Liz and Will from a distance. Although he was too far away to see clearly, he could still recognize the little girl as the princess of the rival Dragonite Tribe.
"The princess of the Dragonite Tribe is getting along so well with a primal beast?! Could it be... that the Dragonite Tribe has already mastered a way to command them?" the man muttered, cold sweat dripping from his forehead.
If his guess was true, then the Silph Tribe would undoubtedly face a catastrophe! Those were primal beasts! Creatures that took three to five grown men from his tribe just to take one down! And that one could fly! It didn't look small, either; it was clearly not an easy beast to deal with.
"I must report this to the elders at once and let them decide what to do!"
The man didn't watch any longer. He turned and ran. He had to return to the tribe immediately and report what he had seen.
After her bath, Liz looked much cleaner, almost like her old self, though her hair was still a mess. But because she had been eating nothing but cold berries for days, the little girl's physical condition was clearly not good. She was already showing signs of a cold and an upset stomach.
"Where is your home?" Will had already decided to send Liz out of the forest. Although it was nostalgic to see a human again, he was now a Pokémon, a "primal beast" living in a savage era. He was no longer suited to live alongside humans.
"What are you saying, Goldie? I can't understand you..." Liz scratched her head. She could feel that Will was asking her something, but she didn't understand the specific meaning.
"..."
Will scratched his head, picked up the now-dressed Liz, and carried her into the air. He flew high, scanned the surroundings, and then, after picking a direction, flew forward.
The terrain of the Kanto and Johto regions was characterized by many plains. Therefore, whichever direction the wind blew strongest from was most likely the direction of the forest's edge.
"Goldie~ Achoo! Where are you taking me?" Liz sneezed from the cool wind as she was carried through the air.
Will didn't speak and just kept flying in his chosen direction. After flying for a while, he noticed that the terrain ahead remained flat, showing no signs of getting higher. He knew he had chosen the right direction. Because he was on Mt. Silver, if he had flown the wrong way, the terrain should have gotten progressively higher.
After another five minutes of flying, Will could already see the outside of the forest. Beyond the trees was indeed a relatively flat grassland, which looked very suitable for farming and grazing. It was far more suited for human survival than the forest.
Liz saw it too.
"Huh? We're out of the forest! Goldie, are you taking me home?" Liz finally understood Will's intention.
Will answered her guess with his actions. He flew out of the forest, placed Liz on the grass, and then waved a stinger, gesturing for her to leave on her own.
"No way! Goldie, don't leave me."
Seeing this, Liz immediately threw her arms around him. With a powerful leap, she clung to Will's body like an octopus.
"?" Will's face contorted into a vivid expression of confusion. I've brought you this far, what more do you want?
"I don't know the way! I have no memory of this place at all. If you leave me here, I won't be able to get back."
"...You don't even know the way to your own home?" Will was speechless. He hadn't expected that Liz, who looked to be eight or nine years old, wouldn't know her way home. He could only assume that, as a pampered princess, she had probably never traveled far from home.
"Let's just go back. My father told me that if I ever get lost, I should stay put and wait for him to find me. If I stay with you, everyone from the tribe will definitely send people to come get me!" Liz hugged Will tightly and refused to let go.
The grasslands were safer than the forest, but they weren't without danger. A little girl like her could easily be snatched away by some large passing beast. For Liz, the safest place to be right now was by Will's side. A few minor health problems were nothing; it was definitely better than being dead. And if she could become the link that united Will and the Dragonite Tribe, then all these current hardships were just small issues.
"..."
Will hadn't imagined that Liz was thinking so far ahead. In his eyes, she was just an ordinary eight-year-old girl who didn't know anything yet. But he had forgotten something. The children of the Pokémon world matured early, especially in this brutal era where if you didn't mature fast, you died young.
After thinking it over, he realized Liz had a point. If she didn't know the way, it was better for her to stay in their nest for now. And so, Will once again picked up Liz and flew back.
"Goldie~ What are you guys going to do next? What do you usually do?" Liz asked curiously from Will's back. It was her first time being integrated into the life of primal beasts, and she found observing their habits fascinating.
"Next?" Will grinned and looked off in a certain direction.
"This territory... is about to change hands."