A Gym-class power was enough to make a name in a region and hold an important post, and naturally had the means to go exploring in the wild as well.
And Vance was no ordinary Gym-class Trainer; even against Elite-Four-class he could handle himself calmly.
Two exchanges with Elite-Four-class Pokémon had given Vance and his own a clear idea of what that level meant.
On top of that, three of his Pokémon had now broken through to Gym-class — the Slaking with his Huge Power Ability, the Gyarados with his Mega Evolution, the Zweilous with his superb aptitude — all of them formidable, all of them able to fight above their tier.
Add to that Vance himself, with the fighting strength of a peak Gym-class.
It was a strong line-up by any measure.
Short of really terrible luck, they could expect to go where they liked unhindered.
The further they went from where humans lived, the wilder it looked. Above the ranges that ran into one another a dim mist hung and coiled, and now and then a violent presence surfaced inside it, cowing everything around.
There were screaming cries too, ringing up through the clouds.
Primeval, mysterious, and strong.
That was the impression it made on Vance.
"I wonder whether Team Rocket has a base out here. There are a great many Pokémon about — it would make a very suitable place for research."
The Blaziken kept pace beside Vance, treading over the heaped dead leaves and fallen branches.
With his psychic power spread out and watching, everything around him was clear, and there was no hidden danger.
That was one of the advantages of being a Psychic: you could find out your surroundings for yourself.
Add the Viridian Power, so acutely sensitive to the breath of living things, and not even an Elite-Four-class in hiding could escape Vance's detection.
"Boom—"
"Come on, Blaziken. Let's go and have a look."
Vance called it out and set off first at a run.
"Blaziken—"
The Blaziken followed behind, springing between the trunks, and reached the source of the sound ahead of Vance.
The noise had been made by two Ursaring. In front of the pair lay a heap of honeycomb, and on the ground were a number of Beedrill corpses.
The comb gave off a sweet, tempting smell.
Plainly this was the two Ursaring's work, and brutally done: they had wiped out a colony of Beedrill to get at the honey the Beedrill had stored up.
Perhaps the Beedrill in this area were strong, and the honey they made was sweeter for it.
The two Ursaring were no weaklings either — one at level 47, one at level 51.
They had only just arrived and already run into the pair of them. Deep mountain and old forest indeed; the Pokémon here were strong across the board.
"Two Ursaring. Blaziken, you......"
Vance was still deciding what to say when the Blaziken vanished from sight. He had already gone in.
"No need to ask me, boss. Just hit it. Blaziken—"
The Blaziken's voice came from up ahead. He was already at it with the Ursaring.
After so long with Vance, the beginning of a movement was enough to tell the Blaziken what he meant; there was no need to say it. The Blaziken understood at once and charged straight in.
"Blaziken—"
A Brave Bird came down in an instant and slammed into one of the Ursaring; then light burst around his fist and a Sky Uppercut swung up to catch the same Ursaring under the jaw.
The Ursaring had time only for a cry of pain. The honey it had just swallowed came back up all at once, some of it running down from the corner of its mouth, its body still in the air.
That Sky Uppercut of the Blaziken's was fast and heavy at once.
The Blaziken carried the motion on into a Blaze Kick, then a Flare Blitz, and came down to the ground together with the Ursaring.
"Kra-boom—"
"Ursa—"
In the blackened crater the Ursaring's eyes were already spinning, honey still at the corner of its mouth. Before it had worked out what was happening, it had been knocked out.
It had not even had time to get a clear look at whatever had hit it. All it knew was that the thing was red, and that while it hit, it kept crowing — blaziken, blaziken — and in rhythm, too.
"Ursa!!"
The other Ursaring — level 52, with fighting strength that reached Gym-class — only now caught up, unfinished honey still in its claws and more of it sticky in its fur.
It had taken one bite of honey and its little brother had been knocked flat by something that came out of nowhere. Outrageous.
The Ursaring decided it was going to have it out with the thing.
By its presence the thing was no more than an Elite-class Pokémon. How dared it?
And it had only finished off its little brother by ambush. Now it, the Ursaring, was ready for it, and stronger besides.
This time it would show this red-feathered chicken that had come from nowhere what its fury looked like.
Show it what real thunderous rage was.
"Whap—"
A thick, powerful bear's paw came down where the Blaziken had been standing, and cracks spread out around the spot at once.
The Blaziken had opened the distance and slipped clear well before it landed.
Strong the Ursaring certainly was; on speed it fell short.
A High Jump Kick struck the Ursaring in the flank, and before it could respond the Blaziken used the impact to push off and away.
"Ursaring—"
The Ursaring's great tusked mouth closed on air; the Crunch had missed.
"Blaziken, blaziken—"
The Blaziken crooked a finger at it, all provocation.
"Roar—"
The Ursaring's eyes went red with rage. This red chicken was enough to make any bear livid.
"Bam, bam, bam—"
In no time more than ten exchanges had gone by; it still could not lay a hand on the Blaziken, and had taken several punches in the process.
Searing flame sprayed over the Ursaring, and the air carried a smell of scorching.
"Fwoosh—"
An orange-yellow Hyper Beam swept across, and the Blaziken had no choice but to run; with his Ability behind him, his speed had reached a formidable pitch.
Afterimages formed as he ran. He went round the Hyper Beam, then followed the beam back to its source, flames all over him, and threw himself forward with crushing force.
"Ursa—"
With the Ursaring caught in the brief lull that followed its move, the whole force of the attack came down on it.
Out of the dust filling the air a nimble figure sprang: the Blaziken.
In front of his hands a flame had gathered into the shape of a great character, swelling slowly, and he shoved the thing forward with both palms.
The Ursaring had only just got its wits back when a flame in the shape of that character filled its eyes.
"Kra-boom—"
"Ursaring—"
When the move had passed, the Ursaring was crouched half down on the ground, still conscious.
Gym-class and thick-hided as it was, it was not so easily put down by the Blaziken.
"Blaziken—"
The Blaziken was a little embarrassed. His own showing still fell short of his teammates'; all these exchanges and he had not finished this Ursaring off.
It made him look rather out of place among them.
And this Ursaring was not only decent practice, it was hard cash.
Both of those mattered to the Blaziken.
With that in mind the Blaziken went back to grappling with the Ursaring, traded blows with it head-on several times more, and finally brought it down.
Partway through, the Ursaring realised things were going badly and tried to run for it, but it could not get up the speed, and it did not get away.
"Blaziken—"
The Blaziken put a foot on the Ursaring and rubbed at the light wounds he had picked up.
That's got you at last, you little upstart. What was all the swagger for? You went down to a Blaziken all the same.
"Boss, boss, get the Poké Balls out and bag these two, heh heh."
Stepping off the Ursaring, the Blaziken hurried over in front of Vance to tell him so.
This was the part he cared about most, and the part he was keen on.
"All right."
Two Poké Balls went out and drew the Ursaring in.
With a dull thud each, both Pokémon registered as caught without the slightest hitch.
"Blaziken—"
The Blaziken nodded, able to relax at last.
Mm... takings secured.
"Pleased with yourself, Blaziken?"
"Blaziken, blaziken—"
"You'll have plenty to be pleased about."
"Blaziken?"
Even as they spoke, red eyes were lighting up one after another under the great trees around them, in among the shadows.
Out of them came Beedrill, one after another, looking at him and the Blaziken with murder in their eyes.