Chapter 16: Night March
8:42 PM – Crimson Reef Island, Northern Forest
The forest at night was a different beast entirely.
What had been merely dangerous during daylight hours transformed into something actively hostile once the sun disappeared. The temperature dropped sharply, cold enough that Jayden's breath misted in the air. Visibility shrank to whatever his flashlight could illuminate, creating a moving bubble of light surrounded by absolute darkness.
And in that darkness, everything was hunting.
Jayden moved with deliberate caution, placing each step carefully to avoid snapping twigs or rustling leaves. Nincada stayed close, its compound eyes gleaming faintly in the flashlight's backscatter. Ground-types had natural low-light vision, but even Nincada seemed nervous. Its antennae twitched constantly, swiveling to track sounds Jayden couldn't quite hear.
The forest's nighttime residents were beginning their shifts. Somewhere to the left, an Oddish emerged from the soil with a soft rustling sound, its leaves unfurling as it prepared for nocturnal photosynthesis. To the right, a Venonat scuttled across a tree trunk, its massive compound eyes reflecting Jayden's flashlight beam like tiny red mirrors.
Neither creature showed aggression. They were going about their business, same as Jayden. The key was keeping it that way by not drawing attention.
Jayden checked his compass for the third time in ten minutes. Northeast. The base lay roughly eight kilometers in that direction, assuming he didn't have to detour around major obstacles. At his current pace, slow and cautious to avoid attracting predators, he'd be walking most of the night.
His legs were already protesting. The past twelve hours had been relentless: hiking through multiple territories, fighting the treasure hunters, fleeing from Beedrill, and navigating the Caterpie colony. Adrenaline had carried him through the worst of it, but now exhaustion was setting in. His muscles ached, and his feet had developed several promising blisters.
But stopping meant vulnerability. Without shelter or defensive positions, camping in hostile territory was asking to wake up being eaten. Better to push through the fatigue and reach the base's relative safety before collapsing.
Nincada chirped softly, drawing Jayden's attention. The Ground-type had frozen mid-step, antennae locked onto something ahead. Jayden killed his flashlight immediately, plunging them into darkness.
His eyes took several seconds to adjust. When they did, he saw what had spooked Nincada: movement in the underbrush, maybe twenty meters ahead. Something large, judging by how much vegetation was being displaced.
Jayden's hand found his knife handle. He didn't draw it, not yet, but having it ready was comforting. CIPHER activated automatically, scanning for heat signatures and movement patterns.
[MOTION DETECTED: 18 meters, northeast]
[SIZE ESTIMATE: Medium, quadrupedal]
[THREAT ASSESSMENT: Moderate]
Not helpful, but better than nothing. Jayden considered his options. He could try circling around, adding time but avoiding potential conflict. Or he could hold position and let whatever it was pass by, gambling that it wasn't actively hunting.
The movement stopped. Complete silence fell over the forest, broken only by the distant hoot of a Hoothoot. Jayden held his breath, willing himself to become part of the landscape. Nincada had gone perfectly still beside him, not even its antennae moving.
Thirty seconds passed. A minute. The tension stretched like a rubber band about to snap.
Then the creature moved again, this time heading away from them. The sound of disturbed vegetation faded gradually until it disappeared entirely. Whatever it had been, it hadn't detected them.
Jayden exhaled slowly and reactivated his flashlight. Nincada relaxed fractionally, though its antennae remained on high alert. They'd dodged one bullet. How many more would they face before reaching safety?
"Keep moving," Jayden whispered. "Eyes open."
...
They pressed forward, skirting the area where the unknown creature had been. Another hour passed in tense silence, punctuated occasionally by distant sounds: a Rattata chittering somewhere overhead, the rustling of wings as a Zubat flew past, the splash of something entering water.
The forest was alive with activity, but so far nothing had decided Jayden looked like an easy meal. Small mercies.
Around ten PM, they encountered their first real obstacle: a steep ravine cutting across their path. The drop was maybe fifteen meters, the bottom lost in darkness. A stream ran through it, judging by the sound of flowing water echoing up from below.
Jayden swept his flashlight along the ravine's edge, looking for a safe crossing point. The sides were too steep to climb down directly without risking a fall, and he had no rope for a controlled descent. That left two options: find a narrow point to jump across, or follow the ravine until it became shallow enough to cross safely.
The first was faster but risky. The second was safer but could add kilometers to an already brutal journey.
He checked his compass again. The ravine ran roughly east to west, perpendicular to his desired direction. Following it west would take him away from the base. East might bring him closer, but there was no guarantee the ravine would become more crossable in that direction.
Nincada chirped questioningly, looking between Jayden and the ravine. The Ground-type could probably dig down and tunnel under, but Jayden couldn't follow. Human bodies weren't designed for burrowing.
"We're going east," Jayden decided. "Look for a crossing point or a way down."
They turned right, paralleling the ravine's edge. The terrain became rougher, forcing them to navigate around fallen trees and dense patches of thorny undergrowth. Jayden's jacket caught on brambles twice, tearing small holes in the fabric that he'd have to repair later, assuming he survived long enough for later to matter.
Fifteen minutes of hiking brought them to a partial solution: a massive fallen tree that had collapsed across the ravine, creating a natural bridge. The trunk was thick enough to walk on, assuming you had decent balance and nerves of steel. Below, the stream gurgled through the darkness, ready to catch anyone stupid enough to fall.
Jayden examined the makeshift bridge carefully. The bark looked slippery in places, and there were gaps where branches had broken off. But it was crossable. Probably.
"Stay close," Jayden told Nincada. "If I fall, you dig to the bottom and drag me out."
Nincada chirped acknowledgment, though its tone suggested it thought this was a terrible idea. Jayden couldn't disagree.
He stepped onto the trunk cautiously, arms spread for balance. His boots found purchase on relatively dry bark, and he took another step. The tree creaked ominously but held. Another step. The flashlight in his left hand cast jumping shadows across the ravine walls, making everything look twice as treacherous as it probably was.
Halfway across. The trunk sagged slightly under his weight, and Jayden's heart rate spiked. He froze, waiting to see if the tree would hold or send him plummeting into darkness. It held.
Three more steps brought him to the far side, where he practically jumped off the trunk onto solid ground. Nincada followed without hesitation, its multiple legs giving it natural stability that Jayden envied.
They'd made it. One more obstacle down.
10:37 PM
Jayden allowed himself exactly ten seconds to catch his breath before continuing northeast. The base was getting closer, had to be. He'd been walking for hours, covering ground steadily despite detours and obstacles.
Another hour passed. Midnight came and went without fanfare. Jayden's exhaustion deepened from uncomfortable to actively dangerous. He caught himself nodding off twice while walking, jerking awake just before face planting into a tree.
Nincada seemed to be faring better, but even the Ground-type was showing signs of fatigue. Its pace had slowed, and it stumbled occasionally over roots it would normally navigate easily.
They needed rest. Just a few minutes to recover before pushing the final stretch. Jayden found a relatively defensible position: a cluster of large boulders that formed a rough semicircle, providing cover from three sides. The rocks still held residual warmth from the day's sunlight, a small comfort against the cold night air.
He settled with his back against the largest boulder, Nincada curling up beside him. The Ground-type's warmth was surprisingly comforting, like a living heating pad pressed against his side.
"Fifteen minutes," Jayden murmured, setting a mental timer. "Then we move again."
Nincada chirped sleepily, already half asleep. Jayden tried to stay alert, but exhaustion pulled at him like physical weight. His eyes drifted closed despite his best efforts. Just for a moment. Just to rest them.
...
1:23 AM
When Jayden jerked awake, his internal clock told him forty minutes had passed. He'd fallen asleep. Stupid. Incredibly stupid. Anyone or anything could have found them while he was unconscious.
But nothing had. The forest remained quiet, and Nincada was still curled beside him, breathing steadily in whatever passed for sleep among Ground-types. They'd gotten lucky. Dangerously, impossibly lucky.
Jayden stood slowly, joints protesting every movement, and nudged Nincada awake. The Ground-type chirped irritably but hauled itself upright, shaking dirt from its carapace.
"I know," Jayden said quietly. "But we're almost there. A few more kilometers."
They resumed walking, and somehow the forest felt less hostile. Maybe Jayden was delirious from exhaustion, his brain creating patterns where none existed. Maybe they'd crossed into territory the base's presence had suppressed, the constant patrols and human activity driving the more aggressive Pokémon deeper into the wilderness. Either way, the final stretch passed without incident.
The night sounds gradually changed character. Fewer predatory growls, more ordinary forest ambiance. Even the air smelled different, less wild and more civilized, carrying hints of wood smoke and cooking oil from the base's kitchens.
2:47 AM – Rocket Team Base, Main Gate
At last, Jayden spotted electric lights through the trees. The base. Relief flooded through him so intensely his knees nearly buckled.
They'd made it.
The perimeter fence came into view, then the guard towers with their searchlights sweeping methodically across the killing zone between forest and fortification. Jayden approached the main gate, where a bored looking guard sat reading something that was definitely not official Rocket Team literature.
"Name and ID," the guard said without looking up, his tone suggesting he'd repeated this phrase ten thousand times and expected to repeat it ten thousand more.
"Jayden Cross. Recruit 847."
The guard checked a list, made a checkmark with his pen, then waved him through with the same hand. "Welcome back. You look like shit, by the way."
Jayden didn't bother responding. He just walked through the gate with Nincada at his heels, heading straight for the trainee barracks on muscle memory alone. Other recruits were visible in the compound, most looking equally exhausted, some nursing visible injuries.
The trial was taking its toll on everyone.
Tomorrow he'd deal with selling the energy crystals, checking what TM was in that silver box, and planning the next phase of training. Tonight, he was sleeping for twelve hours straight and anyone who tried to wake him would get stabbed. He'd earned it.
Nincada chirped softly, picking up on Jayden's mood. The Ground-type seemed to agree with the plan wholeheartedly.
They reached the barracks, and Jayden pushed through the door into blessed warmth and the smell of unwashed bodies. Home sweet horrible home. He found his assigned bunk, didn't bother removing anything except his boots, and collapsed onto the thin mattress.
Sleep claimed him before his head fully hit the pillow.
End of Chapter 16
"The only easy day was yesterday."