//------------------------------// // Chapter 7: A Chestnut going on a hike. // Story: A Walking Chestnut // by Netap //------------------------------// It was 2 in the morning when I woke up. I decided to wake up this early for one simple reason. I want to see the sun rise from the top of a mountain. And not just any mountain. But the tallest mountain that can be seen from Ponyville, Withing walking distance of course. From the town of Ponyville, walking to the highest peak available, would take a pony approximately half an hour to reach the base of the mountain, and another hour to walk up it. For me, It will take much longer to reach before the sun rises, So I eat an entire Pie, And take my leave quickly. My fastest method of travel, after hours of testing over the past two days, Is using the move Rollout for thirty seconds, and then walk on my feet for five minutes before using Rollout again. The breaks between uses of the move are to keep my vertigo low and my energy stable. It turns out, That Using Pokemon Moves is more Tiring than actually moving. By Using only Rollout, with the occasional Vine Whip for a sharp turn, I should be able to keep my Pokemon Energy, or Pokemon Power, PP for short, In check for a while before needing to rest. By using this technique of Rollout and Walking, I managed to get to the bottom of the mountain in only forty minutes. Now Sure, The hard part begins when I actually start climbing. Rollout will be a lot less useful on an upward slope, But that's why I have Vine whip. By Using Vine Whip while still inside of Rollout, I should be able to form a rudimentary slingshot, Where I will use the Vine Whip to throw myself forward as a ball. I should have an hour and a half before the sun starts to rise. Let's get started! Waking up early is normal for birds, Early Bird gets the worm and all that, And it's no different for Red. Lately when Red wakes up, he sees his new neighbor, The Mysterious Mr Chespin, Doing laps around the clearing between the trees or rolling around as a ball around the lake, kicking up a cloud of dust in the process. He was expecting to hear him Working out just like he did three days in a row. But Nothing. No grunts of effort, Now Panting for breath, not even the weird sound he makes when he rolls into a ball. It's actually quite today? Something must have happened to him. And as any good friend and neighbor should, Red flies towards Chespin's burrow and checks inside. It's the same as usual, Pillow, Pot, Pan, Forks and spoons. Even the pile of food he collected is still in the back, slightly smaller sure, but that's because it was eaten. But Chespin isn't there. Something must have happened for the usually calm and stoic Chespin to leave so suddenly? Did he move to a different Forest? He did seem to be from far away, with the unique accent he had. It was sometimes hard to distinguish his R from a W. But for how little everybody in the forests surrounding the small town of Ponyville knew of Chespin, They were at least sure he wouldn't leave without telling anyone. What If he's in danger?! Was he kidnapped by Poachers in order to be sold as an exotic animal? Or maybe he was training these past few days so he can get revenge on the person who stole his lover, That would explain why he was turning down and ignoring so many obvious signs! He wasn't a Heart-breaker, He was already Taken! That Must be it! He needs to tell everyone that Chespin has gone to fight for the honor of a maiden! When he returns victorious, Bride in his arms, The whole forest will celebrate his success! Yes! And so Red the Tanager Bird flew away to tell everyone he knows. "Chespin was seeing someone already?" Melina Porcupine, Single Mother and largest member of the totally secret and not at all obvious Chespin Fan Club, Asked in astonishment. "I mean, It's the only possible conclusion, isn't it?" Red told her. "It would explain why he never took you on with those offers you kept hinting at him." One Henrietta Heron told her friend. "It also explains why he never smiles happily, It's only ever those small little curls of the lips form relaxation. He always seems to have something on his mind" Patricia Opossum added as she passed by, Carrying six children Opossum on her back as she does. Hearing all that Chespin might already have someone, really put a damper on Melina's mood. But those are just rumors! And they can, and will, turn out to be untrue! Chespin is single, he has to be! Otherwise he would have turned her down already. She just needs to be more assertive in her moves. After her mate previous Boyfriend gave her a child and then ran away, she had to raise her little baby all by herself! She doesn't necessarily need a partner in life, She took care of Malcolm fine for a single Porcupine. But Just because she doesn't need a man, doesn't mean she doesn't want one. She loves her little baby Malcolm, really, she does. But the nights get lonely sometimes, and they get cold, And hugging her baby isn't the same as getting hugged by the big, muscular arms of that stoic, handsome rodent that moved in to the forest across the lake. Hmmm, Just thinking about what he can do with those vines... Come to Mama. Almost reaching the top of the mountain, after an hour of rolling uphill at the speed of a moped, I reach a cave. The Path up the mountain seems to stop at the mouth of a cave. Luckily, It seem that the other side of the cave also has an opening, leading to a natural balcony. A perfect place to watch the sun rise. As I enter the cave, I start feeling warm. I ignore it as there doesn't seem to be a fire anywhere, Only some steam coming off from a corner of the cave. A natural hot spring perhaps, might dip in it before I head back. As I pass through the cave, And sit down on the Balcony. I can see the mountains farther east start to brighten up. Soon the suns first rays rise above the horizon, casting a blanket of warm orange light on everything it touches. It... Fine, I guess. I thought maybe it will actually look good. I guess I was wrong. I never really was a nature view kind of guy, I guess the Summer Sun Celebration reminded me of home, when I climbed up Masada to see the sunrise over the dead sea. I guess not even this magical world of beauty and friendship can beat home. As I release a disappointed sigh at the thought of returning home, I feel my back get warmer again. "It really is a beautiful sight, Isn't it-a Boyo?" I jump in surprise, How did I not hear anybody sneak up on me. As I turn around slowly to see the source of the question, My eyes nearly pop out of there sockets in surprise. "What's with that-a look? Is there something on-a my face? Is it my handsome visage that had all the beautiful ladies, from Campania to Piemonte, From the Northernmost point of Italia to the southernmost part of Sicilia!" I can't believe I'm not the only one! "Or is it that I look-a like Tartaruga?" I'm not the only Human in this world!! And as the orange tortoise with a shell full of burning coals looks at my shocked face, I guess he didn't expect the sudden hug I delivered him. I don't care If it's burning me! I now know that I'm not the only one!! There's still a chance to get home!!! "Hey Boyo, We aren't on a first name basis yet, You don't just hug strangers you-a just met" The Italian Torkoal tells me. "I'm so Sorry! I just thought I was alone here and I didn't know that other human like us made it here and that they're also pokemon and that-" "Woah Boyo, Slow down there a minute, You said you're also human?" The Torkoal asks. I nod fast as a reply, he seems to nod slowly in understanding. "I see, My name-a is Antonio Figlioccio, I've been a Tartaruga for maybe a month now." He's been here for a month?! I've only been here for maybe sixteen days, Seventeen if you count today believe. "I see, It's a pleasure to meet you mister Figgliocio, My name is Samuel Cohen, But please call me Chespin." I extend out my hand to shake his before realizing that he's a tortoise. He doesn't have hands. Looking back at how much trouble my small feet and short hands were, I can say for certain now that I had it easy compares to Mr Figgliocio over here. "ChesChes in that case, or Maybe Sammy? Sammy is a shortening of Samuel, Isn't it? Maybe you'd prefer Sam?" Antonio asks as he shoved my hand slightly with his front leg. "Whatever is comfortable for you." I tell him, "Sam it is in that case." I proceed to spend an hour talking with him about how he's been and what he's been doing for an entire month. Apparently I'm not the first Human turned Pokemon, Or weird animal according to him, that he's met since Arriving. "Yep, There's that-a old British man, really sounds like that old timey British explorer you see in-a the TV. Looking at Lions in the Safari, Big white mustache, You know the kind I'm-a speaking of." Antonio tells me. So There are at least three Pokemon in this Country, and I've been here the shortest amount of time between us. After promising to visit him once a week, I take my leave from the cave. When Red spotted Chespin come back from wherever he was sometime around noon, He decided to fly over to ask about how his duel with his romantic rival went. But Seeing the uncharacteristically bright smile and the small hop in his strut gave him all the answers he needed. For the first time in over two weeks, His new neighbor and fiend, Chespin, Was Happy.